Midnight’s Queen (Stroke of Midnight #3)

Chapter 56

“How’s the new assistant working out?” Dizzie asked as they sat at Portia’s favorite table in the corner of Razor Jack’s.

“Fine, I guess,” Portia said. “She hasn’t had any giant screwups yet, like letting my father into my office unattended. Then again, she’s only been on the job a week.”

Portia had let Melanie go on Monday morning. Ash had uncovered communications between her and Phillip Tremaine that had started a few weeks after Melanie had been assigned to Portia.

Pissed that she hadn’t listened to her gut and gotten a new assistant sooner, Portia had insisted that Ash do a deep dive on the next candidates HR had sent up. Two of the three had turned up with clean backgrounds, so Portia had chosen the one who hadn’t flinched during the interview. She’d directed her new assistant to reschedule all the scientist meetings for the following week and then Portia had taken the rest of the week off.

Though she and Aleks found time to talk each day despite the time difference, his absence was weighing on her. And it had only been a week.

“You’re brooding again.”

“I am not.” Portia sighed and then immediately regretted it when Dizzie shot her an I-told-you-so look.

“You could call him.” Her sister’s blue eyes sparkled.

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t ask for your advice.”

Dizzie covered Portia’s hand with her own. “You don’t have to ask. That’s what sisters are for.”

Portia glared at her and Dizzie laughed.

“Killian, come get your wife!”

Killian approached with a smile. He stroked Dizzie’s braid, then pulled an empty stool up to their table. “You bellowed, your majesty?”

Portia stuck her tongue out at him, just like she had in elementary school. She’d missed this. The teasing. The friendship. It had been missing from her life for far too long.

“Your wife is being obnoxious,” she told him.

He looked at Dizzie, then back at Portia. With a smirk he said, “You must be mistaken. My wife is perfect.”

Portia mimed vomiting. She and Killian hadn’t been this relaxed with each other since the night of the bombing. It was almost like old times. Except now he was married and she wasn’t.

“Fine, whatever. At least tell her to back off Aleks.” She sent Dizzie a glare.

“Have you called him yet?” Killian asked.

“What is it with the two of you?” When he didn’t answer, just stared at her, Portia relented. “Yes, I talked to him this morning. Satisfied?”

“Always.” He grabbed Dizzie’s hand and kissed her knuckles.

“Get a room.”

“Who needs a room?” Ash asked, as he, Taryn, and surprisingly, Mendez, gathered around the table. Ash had muttered something about owing Mendez a drink when Portia had raised her brow at his presence.

“Them!” She pointed at Killian and Dizzie.

“I can rent you a room,” Taryn said.

“But it’ll cost you,” the three of them said in unison.

Portia dropped her head to the table. “I miss my quiet corner.”

“No, you don’t,” Ash said. “You were sad and lonely in your quiet corner. Now you have all of us. We’re like the mafia, because once you’re in, you never get out.”

Mendez took a step back, easing away from the group, and heading toward the bar.

“I think that’s the roach motel,” Dizzie said.

“Enh, who cares,” Ash said. He raised his glass. “To friends new and old.”

“Hear, hear.”

Portia clinked glasses with all of them, then sipped her beer.

As Dizzie brought her glass to her mouth, her eyes widened. She downed her whole drink in one gulp. She coughed a little and nudged Killian’s arm. “Drink up, we gotta go.”

While Killian quickly drained his beer, Ash did the same.

“What’s going on?” Portia asked. Why was everyone suddenly acting so squirrely?

“I just remembered I’ve got to go check on my sister,” Ash said. “Thanks for the drink.”

Ash and Taryn slipped back to the bar after exchanging a brief nod with Killian.

Killian stood and Dizzie sprang off her chair. “It was great seeing you, Portia. We should do this again sometime.”

For the people who had just said she couldn’t have her quiet corner back, they were all suddenly in a rush to leave her alone.

“I thought they’d never leave.”

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She froze, afraid to turn around. What if she was imagining him?

Screw it.

She shifted in her seat and there he was. “You’re here. You’re really here!”

“I’m really here.” Aleks’s smile heated her from the inside.

Portia reached out and grabbed a handful of his shirt. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back today?” She hauled him close.

“I wasn’t sure the timing would work and I didn’t want to get your hopes up.” He stared at her like a starving man, his eyes devouring her.

“I missed you.” She reached up and he leaned down and their lips met. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist.

“Get a room!” Ash shouted from the bar.

“Great idea,” Aleks whispered into her ear. “Wanna get out of here?”

“Definitely,” she said. Then she kissed him again.