Chapter Twenty-six

NATE

Charlie had been pale and quiet during the flight. When we landed, he insisted on getting a hotel room instead of heading straight for the clinic.

"I need to tell my father. I'm not doing it in some airport lounge."

That, I could understand. We'd decided not to tell anyone until we were in Munich. I thought his mother would try to prevent him from leaving, and Charlie was putting off the moment he'd have to tell James.

Charlie sat on the bed and looked pleadingly at me, but I couldn't make this go away. We'd discussed it earlier and decided partial truth was the only thing that would work. He'd say he'd grown worried about his need for high-risk activities.

"He's going to kill me," he said.

"At least this way, he won't do so literally."

He snorted an unamused laugh. "You're a real ray of sunshine, aren't you? Right, then. Here goes nothing."

Charlie had been right. James Fortescue was incandescentthat Charlie hadn't shown up to work this morning or called in to explain his absence and was now merrily announcing he'd be gone for an unknowable length of time. As Charlie had FaceTimed him without earbuds, I heard every excoriating word. But when Charlie finally managed to get out his reason, James paused.

"I know I shouldn't have done it like this, but strike while the iron's hot, you know?" Charlie said, with a ghostly vestige of his usual assuredness and charm. "If I'd waited long enough to put cover in place for my clients, I might have convinced myself I didn't have a—well, it's not a problem. I just want to ensure it doesn't become one."

"That's surprisingly mature of you," James said at last. "I take it you didn't reach this conclusion on your own."

How could he know that?

Charlie glanced over his shoulder at where I'd been carefully keeping out of sight. "Nate's here."

"I see. Well, tell Nate I'd like to see him as soon as he's back in Bath. I expect that to be tomorrow. Keep me in the loop as to when you're coming home."

I didn't know if Charlie heard the slight softening in his voice on those last words.

"And for God's sake, call your mother now and tell her. I'd like her to get it out of her system before I have to go home tonight." He ended the call.

"I'm going to find us some food," I said, and fled. No way was I going to sit through Mrs Fortescue learning about this.

*

I'd grown used to Alex's voracious appetite, so I had probably over-catered. Even so, Charlie only picked at his share of the sandwiches I brought back.

"We should make a move," I said eventually, getting to my feet.

"I can't do this," Charlie said, panic in his voice. "I can't, Nate. Don't make me."

"You can," I told him firmly. "I'm not making you do this, but you know the risks if you don't. It's not only about your health or career or a criminal record."

"But what if…" He trailed off. When he finally spoke again, his voice was very small. "What if, without the things that make me feel better, I'm not enough?"

Charlie had never confessed doubts to me. He must be terrified.

"You are," I said fiercely, and gripped his shoulder.

He turned to me, burying his face against my collarbone and clinging to me.

I hugged him for a moment. "Putting it off isn't going to make it any easier," I told him as I released him, realising I sounded just like Uncle Thaddeus.

I'd been wondering how to tell him about his brother's motives without giving away that I'd been delving into his family's private affairs. I still hadn't found a good answer, but I knew I had to warn him. So, as our taxi drew up outside the clinic, I asked him, "Why did Steven get you what you thought you needed?"

His eyes flashed to mine, and I saw my words hit home. He said nothing, but the seed was sown, and Charlie wasn't stupid.

Perhaps Charlie had been struggling with something he needed to say, because once the driver got out to extract his luggage from the boot, he turned to me.

"Go and find your Cornish dragon, and tell him, if he hurts you—" He scoffed. "I don't have the right to say that, do I? Not after how I treated you. But I hope he sees your worth, Nate. You're more than gold. It's just—it's not what I needed, and that's not your fault. It's not mine either, though how I handled it, that was."

He climbed out of the car while I was still too shell-shocked to react. Those hoarse words had tugged at something deep inside me. I was breathing unevenly as the tightly clenched knot that had been part of me for so long began to loosen.

I brought my breathing back under control, but my eyes were damp as I watched Charlie walk through the clinic door. He was scared that he wasn't enough. I knew how it was to feel that way, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Goodbye, Charlie.

I was suddenly exhausted. Getting through security at the airport, the flight back, and then driving to Bath or even to my flat was too much. I might as well make use of the hotel room. I told the cab driver to take me back there and texted Alex. Staying here overnight. Back tomorrow. Really want to see you. It took everything I had not to add Love you at the end.

I mustn't ask him for too much. I mustn't be needy.

I put my phone away to remove all temptation.

ALEX

One minute I was meandering along the landing from the bathroom back to the drawing room. The next, six-foot-four of raging, muscled dragon was in my face.

"Did youknow what Mortimer was up to? The two of you are joined at the hip for all you claim otherwise."

"Hello, Steven." I couldn't concentrate on what he'd said at first because I was busy calming my dragon, who was roaring, ready for battle. And then I processed the words. "Nate's done something? I have no idea what you're talking about."

I could see in him the desire to batter it out of me. Well, good luck with that. I may be part-human, but I'd take on any dragon and win. I stood my ground and held his furious glare. He must have seen I was telling the truth because he made an inarticulate sound of rage and turned away to thud down the staircase.

I was left slightly shaken by the violence in him. Charlie was an entitled tosser who took whatever he wanted. Steven, though—he was a thug. Born into another family, he'd have been an enforcer for the local crime kingpin.

I joined the other dragons in the drawing room. Ella wasn't there, and I hadn't seen Anna Fortescue since breakfast. Anna's absence was unlike her. I wondered if it had anything to do with whatever Steven was so upset about.

What the hell was Nate up to?

NATE

Having missed my flight yesterday evening, the next available seat was in the afternoon. With time to kill, I decided to call Bim.

I hadn't expected to be in Germany overnight, and I was ruing not having picked up my travel bag from my flat. I'd had to buy essentials from the hotel shop last night, and now my phone was dying. It had just enough juice left to extract Bim's number before it expired.

I used the landline in the hotel room to call him and was pleasantly surprised when he answered the call from an unknown number.

I told him about Steven's attempt to oust Charlie as the favoured son by trying to hook him on drugs. It might be useful to him as an insight into the Fortescue family dynamic. I also wanted him to know the lengths to which Steven had been prepared to go. He hadn't only put Charlie at risk but all of us.

I didn'ttell Bim that Charlie had actually done drugs. Bim was ice-cold in his decision-making, and his risk-benefit analysis of Charlie's rehab would probably reach a different conclusion from mine. He didn't say much, though he rarely did when I made my reports to him.

Duty done, I sat counting the hours until I would see Alex again.

ALEX

I was disappointed not to find another text from Nate when I woke up, and the questions I had for him were multiplying by the minute. I sent him a text mid-morning when I couldn't take the silence any longer. Are you coming back today?

He didn't answer, and I didn't know what to make of that fact. The only thing I knew for certain was that I didn't like this silence. Not when he was away somewhere with Charlie. Somewhere he wouldn't tell me about.

Finally, that evening, he messaged me to let me know his phone had died and he'd had to wait until he was in his car to charge it. He was driving to Bath, and he warned me he'd been ordered to see James as soon as he arrived. Wouldn't be surprised if he kicks me out. I'll text you if he does. So long as I'm still in one piece.

Relief flooded through me, both at the fact of the text and its natural tone, and then I realised what he'd said. The problem with texting was that I couldn't be sure how much of a joke the last comment had been. I replied, asking that question, but I didn't hear back. Presumably, he was on the road. I comforted myself with the thought that Nate wouldn't come back if he thought he was in danger.

Even so, I couldn't settle until I heard his voice in the hallway, greeting Taylor. I met him at the top of the stairs.

"Hey." His smile was distracted, his attention on the door at the end of the landing.

"Talk later?" I asked him.

"Of course." His eyes met mine with a smile in them for an instant. Then he stepped past me and strode confidently towards the study.

I told myself that if I had a meeting with James Fortescue, I'd be just as focused on it. Though I was pretty sure I'd make time to greet my boyfriend properly, especially if I'd just been away somewhere secret with my ex.

Unsettled, I returned to the drawing room and the interminable game of Cards Against Humanity that was in progress.

NATE

Unlike the last time James had required my presence, he didn't offer me a drink.

"How's Charlie?"

"He's going to be okay."

James's nostrils flared. "I was expecting a little more detail on my son's state of mind than a trite phrase, Nate."

Perhaps so, but I wasn't going to betray Charlie's fears to the father who was undoubtedly a large part of his unhappiness. "I'm not sure what more I can tell you," I said. "He's sought help, which I think reflects where he is at the moment."

For an instant, I could have sworn I saw his dragon in his eyes, furious at my obstructiveness.

But none of that was apparent in his voice when he next spoke. "I admit, you took me by surprise. How did you persuade Charlie to ask for help?"

Talking to James Fortescue felt like fencing, and I took the time to get my words right. "I think it was pure synchronicity. We talked on a night when he was thinking about things, and he realised something had to change."

"With a little directed pressure from you, no doubt."

I didn't know what to say to that. I couldn't deny it, but I hated that he thought so little of his son. And if he blamed me for getting Charlie away, I didn't know what that meant for me. James ran hot, and it would be easy to cross a line that couldn't be uncrossed.

"It appears you've been very busy while staying with us, Nate. You've evidently turned into a capable young man, and I'm beginning to wonder if I've underestimated you."

He sat looking at me for the longest time. As at our last meeting, I felt he was waiting for me to crack and that whatever I said to break the awkward silence would somehow give him information. I wished he'd given me a drink. It would give me something to do with my hands.

"Charlie's mother is upset with you," he said finally. "She believes you betrayed our trust by helping Charlie run away rather than coming to us with his problem."

"He didn't run away," I said steadily, though it was hard to keep calm when I could see the rage rising in him at my contradiction, his fingers digging into the arms of his chair. "He wanted help, and he thought that being out of his usual environment would avoid his triggers."

His eyes were hooded as he looked at me. Then he smiled, and that was scarier still. "You have your meeting with Tom and the Board tomorrow. If that goes well, we may be welcoming you to the family business. I won't keep you now. You'll want to prepare."

Once out of that room, I drew a deep breath. The sense of threat from James throughout our conversation had been unmistakable. Was he angry with me for my role in Charlie's escape or for my refusal to tell him everything he wanted to know? Whichever it was, the fact he hadn't cancelled tomorrow's interview must mean my situation here wasn't irretrievable.

I texted Alex. Car? Ten minutes? I wanted to see him, to explain everything, or as much as I could without putting him at risk. To hold him and be held by him. I couldn't believe how much I'd missed him, his steady presence, the light in his eyes when he laughed, and the way the world stopped when he kissed me. I needed him.

ALEX

Seconds after I'd replied to Nate with a thumbs up, another text arrived. Sorry. Can't.

What the hell? I went to the door and leaned out, looking along the landing for him. I was just in time to see Ella tugging him into the withdrawing room. When I first came here, I'd thought the name of the room was a joke. I'd learned a lot about rich people and their vanities since then.

I returned to my position leaning against the wall and—according to Fiona—glowering at everyone. What the hell, Nate? I understood that he needed to see James as a priority. But putting Ella before me, too?

I was learning that I wasn't as important to Nate as he was to me. That hurt.