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The king laughed at that. Ray didn’t like it. For a lot of reasons. He and T were definitely not ‘boring sticks in the mud,’ but more importantly a picture was revealed to him he hadn’t thought about previously. Macey, surrounded by ‘the most impressive security and protection operatives in the world,’ buff, talented, smart, brave warriors … hitting on her and taking her out and … kissing her?
“I need to follow T,” he murmured, hurrying up the stairs.
Ray should be the only man kissing Macey, but he had no idea how to proceed with this beautiful woman. He was stirred up, confused, and longed to break his promise to himself to not pursue her. With his mum’s murder and the threats to T hanging over his head, he couldn’t be a mess himself, or he’d mess everything up worse than it was already.
Chapter Nine
Macey and Ray changed their clothes, escorted T to the king’s office, and she took her laptop to his office to share the information her AI models had generated on all the people they’d discussed yesterday. It was a long, long list.
They worked quietly through the names and files, taking a break to eat lunch with the king, Kiera, and Tristan and take Kiera on a walk around the gardens below the castle before getting back to work.
Macey was all stirred up with Ray right here and the memory of another incredible kiss on her lips and mind. She loved that he and Tristan had switched places for the press conference and looked forward to going to the military training center tomorrow. Since they’d come to his office, Ray was being really cautious around her. He seemed to avoid touching her and for the most part even looking at her.
Ray had to focus on some emails and border control issues, so she mostly worked alone on her laptop. By midafternoon, she’d gone through almost all the names and had found nothing out of the ordinary except a few red flags or points of interest. She tried to think like Hercule Poirot.
Standing, Ray stretched. He caught her staring and asked, “Do you want to talk through any of the names?”
“Yes.” She stood and stretched as well, and now he was the one staring. “Lieutenant General Cordon.”
“You found something on Philippe?” His brow squiggled.
“No, but you have to admit he gets a large promotion if you’re promoted to crown prince.”
“True, and he’s inside the castle. But he’d have no reason to hurt my mum and I really don’t think …”
“I don’t either.” She paced to the window and then spun to face him, throwing out a name that her program had found. “Treven Rindlesbacher.”
“He’s still in prison as an accomplice to murder.”
“Oh. My records said he was up for parole.”
“Luckily he didn’t receive it.” His fists tightened and he drummed one against his leg. “Jensen was never able to prove it, but he’s certain Treven murdered Emily, the young lady, and tried to frame a female tourist with the murder.”
“The tourist disappeared?” That’s what her notes said.
He nodded. “Probably a good thing, if she was innocent. Treven’s family has a lot of money and connections around the world and in Augustine. Luckily we were able to try and convict him here. Otherwise he would’ve probably gotten off.”
“Interesting. He has a violent past, different charges of assault and disturbing the peace.”
“He’s a spoiled idiot with sadistic, conniving parents, who thinks he’s above the law.”
“That fits.” She clicked on her computer and frowned. “What was the young lady’s name who he implicated?”
“He didn’t know her name but recently has been claiming it’s Hattie Ballard.”
“The Hattie Ballard—well-known and gorgeous billionaire heiress?”
“Yeah. He did get an insanity plea.” Ray shrugged. “Jensen was a detective on the case. He and his partner never saw a woman besides the deceased Jane.”
“So strange. But probably not related to our cases.” She redirected. “Lisa.”
“Nanny Lisa?”
“Have you seen the way she looks at Tristan?”
He raised his shoulders. “I think she wants him to date her, not to kill him. But he did reject her a couple years ago. Told her she was too young.”
“A woman scorned.”
