The Royal Elite: Mattias

by Bourdon, Danielle

  Leander gestured with his chin, a favorite habit, toward the opposite side of the room. Many people stood between their position and the area Leander indicated.

  It took Mattias three tries to find the woman he thought Leander meant. She blended so well with the background, Mattias kept passing her over. Standing with her head bowed, the tawny haired woman appeared either excruciatingly shy or suffering some sort of extreme embarrassment. She looked nothing like the vivacious woman depicted in the photos on Leander's cell phone. Dressed in a cocktail gown with a white halter style top and knee length black skirt, Alannah Astbury appeared to do everything in her power not to be noticed.

  “Are you sure?” Mattias asked, switching back to his native tongue.

  “Absolutely. It took me a while the first time I went looking because she doesn't resemble the woman in the photos much. Either she's dodging an ex-lover who also happens to be here, or the public image her family presents of her is vastly altered from reality,” Leander replied in the same language.

  Mattias grunted, perplexed. “Does she have a bodyguard?”

  “Just one that I can tell. He's the brooding fellow about ten feet to her left.”

  Mattias picked out the bodyguard a moment later after a shift in the crowd. Standing just under six foot, with dark hair and even features, the man looked capable and unfriendly.

  “All right. I'm going to see if she's amenable to conversation. It'll be easier to watch her if I can stay close.” Mattias tipped back a swallow of the potent liquor, then handed the tumbler to Leander.

  “Good luck.” Leander accepted the glass and disappeared into the crowd.

  Mattias angled his way through the throng of guests. Once or twice he stopped to greet this man or that woman, careful not to linger too long. Otherwise, he might find himself cornered into topics that he couldn't easily extract himself from.

  The familiar scent of floral perfume and a brush of a body against his back informed Mattias well before Katrina Bouchard spoke near his ear that he had company.

  “You seem to have gotten lost, Prince Mattias. And you did promise me a dance,” Katrina reminded him.

  Mattias stopped ten feet from Alannah, well short of his goal, and faced Katrina. Rather than give her reason to pout and sulk, he spun the blonde into his arms. The sooner he got their dance over with, the sooner he would be free to see to business.

  “You're distracted this evening,” Katrina said, using a turn to move her body closer.

  “Yes, I am. There are several people I've arranged to speak with during my stay and I was hoping to catch up with at least one of them tonight.” Mattias chose a version of the truth to present to Katrina. He really didn't owe her anything, but he made it a point to be honest when he could.

  Katrina smoothed a fingertip coyly around the shell of his ear. “And what about later?”

  Mattias hadn't had enough time yet to decide whether he would be taking the blonde back to his bed for a third time. She was willing, however, so he decided not to close the avenue off completely. “I'll tell you what. Once I'm through with business, then we'll see.”

  “Excellent. They're having a big breakfast in the morning on the south terrace. You should join me.” Katrina put her mouth close to the corner of Mattias's. “Or, we can just go together after we wake up.”

  “Why don't we decide that in the morning.” Mattias elegantly brought their dance to an end. Lifting her fingers, he brushed a kiss across her knuckles.

  “I'll look for you later, lover,” Katrina whispered. Her eyes followed his every move.

  Mattias departed from Katrina after walking her to the edge of the dance floor. Giving the edge of his tuxedo jacket a tug to straighten it across his shoulders, Mattias resumed his trek toward his original destination, slicing his way through the crowd with sleek twists and turns of his body. Arriving at the place Alannah had been, Mattias found nothing but empty space. Miss Astbury was gone.

  Chapter Two

  Concern flickered across Mattias's brow. He didn't see Miss Astbury in the immediate vicinity, and her bodyguard wasn't standing where he had been ten short minutes before.

  “You just missed her. She went out onto the terrace,” Leander said near Mattias's ear. “Her bodyguard disappeared, so I'm going to take the second entrance and lurk around the shadows as back up.”

  “Excellent.” Mattias split off from Leander, taking the opposite direction toward a set of double doors. There was no time to inquire what the contact had to say.

  Stepping onto the balcony, Mattias scanned the length, taking note of all the niches and crevices a person might hide. Concrete urns and other heavy pots filled with foliage sat between clusters of outdoor seating, offering a modicum of privacy to those who wished it. Leander was there somewhere, making himself invisible in the darkness.

  Muggy and humid, the night promised rain in the near future.

  A lone figure stood at the thick stone railing overlooking an acre of manicured gardens. Mattias had no trouble discerning Miss Astbury even in the weak spill of light from the ballroom behind him. The white of her top practically glowed against the black landscape, a beacon for all to see.

  Closing the distance at a sedate pace, Mattias arrived at the railing a few feet away. In periphery, he saw Miss Astbury glance his way, then duck her head in a clear attempt to dissuade attention. She even scooted down a few inches.

  “If I'm not mistaken, that is an elephant shaped hedge down there,” Mattias said, hoping to initiate dialogue.

  “Mhm.”

  Mattias arched his brows at the mumbled response. He tried again. “And a giraffe, too.”

  Alannah looked the other direction, the styled layers of her hair obscuring her profile.

  Well then. Mattias eased closer by a half foot, careful not to scuff his shoes on the concrete. Alerting her to his movements might result in total retreat. “Do you think that's a lion next to the giraffe?”

  “It could be. Then again, it could be a really big dog. Perhaps you should go down and find out.”

  Mattias accustomed himself to the pretty Australian accent and the warm timbre of her voice. Feminine but not too feminine. Any other time, he might have been amused at the cautious way she tried to get rid of him.

  “Miss Astbury, is that correct?” he asked, attempting a more direct route into her good graces.

  Alannah stiffened, then faced him. “Yes, yes, you're correct. I'm Alannah. And you are...?”

  Struck by the beauty of her skin—flawless, like porcelain—Mattias, in a distracted voice, said, “I'm Mattias--”

  With a sudden lift of her hand, Alannah covered her lips with three fingers, unable to muffle the surprised, “Oh!” that slipped out between them.

  Not only did she have striking skin, Miss Astbury had striking eyes to match. Gray like ashes, but lighter. Mattias observed the way her expression shifted from wary curiosity to recognition.

  “I didn't recognize you out here in the dark, forgive me,” she said a moment later.

  “No apologies necessary. Mattias Ahtissari, at your service.” He extended a hand, uncertain whether the woman would deign to return the gesture.

  Alannah glanced at his hand, then slid hers into his for a quick two-pump shake. “Miss Alannah Astbury, as you're already aware. Pleased to meet you, your Highness.”

  Mattias laughed quietly and brought her hand to his mouth for a warm press of his lips to her knuckles. She snatched her fingers back before his mouth quite made contact. “I...it's just Mattias.”

  Was that a snicker somewhere in the gloom? Mattias refused to glance that direction. Leander was getting an eyeful and an earful.

  “Just Mattias, then.” Alannah cleared her throat and looked out over the balcony toward the gardens. She rocked forward and back on her high heels, a faint motion that nevertheless made her hair settle more closely around her features. Using a thumb, she adjusted the halter style strap of her top, giving Mattias a glimpse of her collarbone.


  “Would you like to get a closer view of the gardens? I'm sure Mister Morano wouldn't mind his guests appreciating what he's worked so hard to make pleasant.” And it would allow him to remain in her presence, Mattias thought, which was his main goal. It didn't appear anyone else was out here with her besides himself and Leander, but he would feel better if the woman made the eventual transition back to the house under his care.

  “Miss Astbury, there you are,” a masculine voice said.

  Mattias snapped a look toward the double doors, sizing up Alannah's bodyguard as the man closed the distance with quick strides. He appeared determined to steer Miss Astbury back inside, going so far as to scoop an arm around her back as a guide.

  “Oh, yes, I'm sorry. I stepped out for a moment.” Alannah drifted away from the banister. She glanced at Mattias. “Perhaps another time for the gardens.”

  “Certainly. Have a pleasant evening.” Mattias didn't need to be told that Alannah wouldn't seek him out for the tour. She was very adept at the brush off, a point that both bemused and amused him.

  Alannah's bodyguard leveled a look at Mattias, then escorted Alannah back into the party.

  Men in positions that close to people of interest were susceptible to bribes and blackmail, though Mattias surmised that if the bodyguard was a threat, he would have already made a move on the heiress.

  Several minutes later, Leander broke cover and sauntered over. “Well, that was--”

  “Don't say it,” Mattias said, knowing it was useless.

  “...that was interesting. I believe she just ditched a Prince.”

  The withering look Mattias aimed at Leander only succeeded in goading a large grin from the man. Mattias said, “I'd hardly call that ditching. She has...business.”

  Leander scoffed. “She couldn't leave your side fast enough, you mean.”

  Amused despite himself, Mattias changed subjects. “Did you learn anything new from your contact?”

  “Nothing new. They're pressing a few other people for information, so we'll see what that turns up. Hopefully we'll have a definitive yes or no soon on whether someone wants Miss Astbury's head on a platter.”

  “All right. Someone should also be paying attention to any lone stragglers arriving late to the gala. Keep track of faces and whether or not they gravitate toward a group. I know a few bachelors are here, all high profile, but I'm sure there are others I won't recognize and a hit man might easily blend into the background.”

  “I'm on it. I've already identified most of the single men in attendance and have been systematically going through the ranks to make sure their presence is legitimate.”

  “Excellent. It makes me wonder what the skittish woman has done, or what she knows, to make her a target like this,” Mattias said. In his estimation, Alannah wasn't the clandestine, game playing type that went looking for trouble. Appearances were deceiving, however, and she could have triggered someone's wrath who now wanted payback.

  “We're trying to find that out, too.”

  “Let me know. Have you contacted Ahsan yet to fill him in? I know he's here somewhere.” Mattias, Leander, Chayton and Ahsan were the only members of the group attending the gala, as far as Mattias knew. Unless another of their brethren appeared without warning, it would be up to them to see the Alannah situation through.

  “Not yet.”

  “All right, I'll take care of it. Now I just need to find him.”

  Leander snorted as he split off. “Just look for the gaggle of swooning, fawning women.”

  Mattias stepped inside the double doors while Leander did what Leander did best—disappeared. Striking out through the crowd, Mattias sought Alannah amongst the revelers, hoping that she hadn't retreated to her room. Possible danger lurked in the more private places of House Morano for Miss Astbury, little did she know it.

  Tonight, luck was with him. Alannah stood near a burbling wine fountain, turning her glass nervously around in her hands. The bodyguard was there, too, leaning a few feet away against a table. Mattias thought any attempt on Alannah's life would be less likely in such a large crowd, although the notion didn't put him at ease. As soon as he informed Ahsan of the situation, he could return to a low key stake out of the heiress.

  Heeding Leander's earlier advice, Mattias followed the natural flow of humanity toward the most central gathering point. It happened to be at the far end of the great ballroom, where no fewer than thirty women swirled and giggled and fanned themselves around what amounted to a human magnet. Mattias snorted to himself. It had always been this way as long as he'd known Ahsan—which was a very long time. Women loved him, gravitated to him as if caught in his inescapable orbit. Even now, as he drew nearer, Mattias could hear some debutante or another laugh breathlessly while others jockeyed for position, hoping to be the one singled out for a dance.

  Unaware that women tracked his own movements the same way, Mattias circumvented the knot of femininity and came up on Ahsan's right flank. Of the Afshar Dynasty, brother to Bashir, Ahsan stood six-foot three with a physique rivaling most linebackers. Swarthy skinned and dark eyed, Ahsan was every inch a playboy, known in the elite circles as a man hard to get, and harder to keep.

  With more important things on his mind than whether or not Ahsan was living up to his namesake, Mattias cleared his throat and met Ahsan's dark gaze.

  “A moment?” Mattias said.

  Ahsan inclined his head once in acknowledgement, then flashed the woman directly before him a daring grin before leaning in to whisper against her ear. Whatever he said brought an immediate flush to the lady's face.

  Mattias swiveled away, assured Ahsan would follow. Easing through the crowd, Mattias greeted several more people, keeping his attention cordial and brief. Stepping down a long hallway, he slowed his pace in anticipation of Ahsan coming abreast in short order. Once they were even, Mattias chose a spot halfway between arches to stop and face his brethren.

  “Did you get it?” Ahsan inquired without preamble, pausing when Mattias did. Scratching the ends of his fingers through a fine layer of whiskers on his chin, Ahsan watched Mattias with sharp eyes.

  “The fact you have to ask me proves you have a large hole somewhere in your security system.” Mattias flicked the diamond brooch toward Ahsan. Their bet—whether or not Mattias could snatch a personal item of Ahsan's without detection—had come to an end. “And now you owe me a thousand dollars. Pennies to you, I realize, but it's worth every second of that perturbed expression you're currently wearing.”

  Quick with his hands, Ahsan snatched the pin out of the air, mouth quirking with displeasure. “I was sure you wouldn't get past the four guards in the hall, much less the safe.”

  “It's all about distraction,” Mattias said.

  “Apparently. I'll be having a talk with a few of my men later, for sure.” Ahsan pocketed the pin. “Quit gloating. The look doesn't suit you.”

  “It's not every day that I get one over on Prince Ahsan Afshar. I'll gloat as long as I need to.” Mattias allowed his amusement to linger only another minute before his expression sobered. There were more important things to talk about than winning bets. Before he could open dialogue about Alannah, periphery alerted him to company. Glancing down the hallway, Mattias observed three women, all dressed to the nines, heading their direction. Two he recognized from the gaggle that had surrounded Ahsan thanks to their colorful gowns. He waited with practiced patience as the women flirted openly with them both, passing by with wiggles of their fingers and coy bats of their lashes. Single, each and every one.

  “Ladies,” Mattias said. Might as well indulge in a greeting until the women were out of earshot.

  “Hello.” Ahsan joined in, eyeballing the sway of the women's hips as they sashayed away and eventually disappeared through an archway that would lead them back to the gala.

  Swinging his attention to Ahsan, Mattias said, “There is something else. Leander approached me earlier with information about a possible situation with a Miss Alanna
h Astbury.”

  Ahsan's demeanor changed at the news. Gone were all signs of the playboy; growing serious, a frown taking shape on his brow, he said, “What situation?”

  “Leander is still trying to ferret out the details, but he said there has been a rumor floating through the lower ranks about a possible hit on the woman.”

  “Here, at the gala?”

  “I believe so, yes.”

  “That's ballsy,” Ahsan said, brows shifting high in surprise from their former furrow. “Do they know who or why?”

  “Not yet. It's still a rumor—or two rumors—at this point. Leander and I believe she deserves our protection, however, until we know for sure. Are you in?” Mattias knew he didn't have to ask. Any member of the Elite would be 'in'. They lived and breathed for these moments, for the danger and the challenge. Ahsan was as addicted to the thrill as the rest of them. Each man involved took their position seriously.

  “Of course. None of my men has said anything, obviously, but if they come to me with any mention of her, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'll take a shift watching over her. I vaguely recall her family name and some pictures in a few magazines.”

  “She's Dean Astbury's daughter. A little skittish in her own right, so it might not be as easy to track her as you might think.” As Mattias had found out firsthand.

  “Mm, Australian banking empire, right?” Ahsan asked.

  “Right.”

  “What do you mean by skittish?”

  “She's a little socially awkward. Doesn't appear to be like some of the other women present, who don't hesitate to make direct eye contact and help themselves to our company. I had to assert myself just to get into conversation with her.”

  “Really. The esteemed Prince Mattias, chasing a woman down? Unheard of. I bet I'll have no trouble getting her attention.”

  Mattias laughed a quiet laugh at Ahsan's arrogance. It was one of the man's calling cards, that and an over-abundance of confidence. “You're not winning any of that thousand dollars back, so no, I'm not wagering with you. Just wait until she makes you chase her down.”