19. Knight #2
Now I was irritated. “Because it was erased by whoever hacked my elevators. But I recorded it while I was watching it, and no one hacked my personal phone. Happy day. Also, I have layers and layers of backups for my own devices.” I walked over to the couch and threw myself onto it.
I was actually exhausted. Holding Trixie all night while she was having night terrors wore me out.
I hadn’t noticed at the time, but I really was beat up about it.
Also, thinking that everyone and his psychotic wife could hack into my hotel was irritating.
And that I’d lost The Bone and his entire team.
I should have a superpower of being able to split myself into pieces so one part of me could carry Trixie up all the stairs and the other could interrogate kidnappers.
“Where is she?” the pink-haired cellist with a knife in each fist demanded, and I knew that if I didn’t answer her, she’d stab me. “I saw the feed of you carrying her up all the stairs to your room.”
I nodded. “That’s right. Then you know that’s where she is: in my bed. That is, in my extra suite’s bed. I’ll take you to her in four and a half hours, after she’s had sufficient time to rest.”
“You’ll take me now.” She snarled and shifted the grip on her knives. She really wanted to stab someone, and I’d clearly do.
I closed my eyes. “She’s napping. She specifically told me that she needed to sleep off the drugs they knocked her out with.
Ketamine. If stabbing me would do any good to help find her attackers, I’d be the first one to suggest it.
But unfortunately, it won’t. I do have a name that I will give you if you are patient and wait until she’s had her nap.
Then you can visit her and help her with everything she needs. ”
She tapped her knives on her thighs while she considered. Finally, she sat down in her favorite chair, the one with fairy tales embroidered on the overstuffed fabric. She didn’t relax or use the silk throw. “You have a name?”
“I have several. Now, why don’t we talk about your feelings.”
She leaned on her knees, like a bird of prey about to swoop down and claw out my eyes. “You weren’t supposed to date her because she was living in your hotel. Rumor has it that you got her pregnant.”
“I didn’t get her. She got me. She made me her baby’s daddy. I’m delighted, naturally, but also terrified. Someone hacked into my hotel and kidnapped the mother of my child. I clearly haven’t cultivated the proper reputation.”
“You left her alone in her bed while your hotel isn’t secure? Why aren’t you protecting her?”
I yawned. She made it sound as though I was completely justified watching her sleep. “I have four guards on that floor, plus all the usual hotel guards. I’m giving her space.”
Daniela got up and started pacing while my eyes drifted closed. Not sleeping. Thinking. Laying out all the pieces of the game in my mind on the board. Someone had touched my queen. Those who were in the game knew better. So we were dealing with a level of ignorance that would indicate a new player.
She said, “You’ll give me a name in four and a half hours? You think that I’m just going to wait?”
I sat up, frowning at her, ignoring the question. “What do you know about her family? Her life before she became the Dragon? What about the work all you ladies do with Jezebel? Could it be someone wanting revenge? Where is she? Maybe the attack had something to do with Miss Whiskey’s enemies.”
Daniela frowned. “Or mine. I don’t think Trixie has any enemies other than Janice. Why did you hire someone who prosecuted Trixie for assault?”
“So that she’d drop the charges. And then I fired her when she posted video feed violating Trixie’s privacy as a breach of contract.”
Daniela smiled. “So it might be her.”
The reservation was made by a woman. Daniela had a personal vendetta against my Horse persona’s personal secretary.
Ex secretary. Horse was currently without a secretary, which actually made Charles’ job easier.
Unless Charles was secretly working with Janice.
Perhaps she’d seduced him with her gray suits and inability to say anything positive.
I shrugged. “It might. You can talk about why you dislike her so much, or the pressures to lead a house ethically, or how it is being Dagger’s wife.”
She scowled at me. “He’s not talking to his mother. Ever since she kidnapped me, he’s had issues with her. How can I fix something like that?”
“He’s had issues with her long before that.” I snapped my fingers. “Maybe my mother kidnapped Trix! Except she’s dead. But maybe she only faked her death.”
She gave me a flat look and started for the door. I stood up, following her.
“Where are you going?”
“I have things to do. We’ll be there in four and a quarter.” She left, slamming the door in my face, leaving me in my therapy room with nothing to do but think.
Was the attack connected to Nix, the Super Serum, or her own family?
Odds were that it was a simple hit organized by the Carmichael estate to tie up loose ends, but that was an extreme move from a family that traditionally was very traditional and wouldn’t do something like kidnapping a woman unless she was actively threatening their security.
Unless someone else was threatening them and they assumed it was Trix.
I needed to talk to Blondie.
But first, I needed to get back to my room to make sure Trixie was still curled up in my bed. Hopefully, I wouldn’t obsess about her toes too creepily.
I know. Too late.