Royal Heir (Westerly Billionaire #3)(53)
Now, all she had to figure out was where a woman would buy lingerie in a small Vandorran town and how to ask to be brought to such a store without looking like she was looking for . . . well, what she was looking for.
The original meeting scheduled for that day would not have been enough to pull Magnus from Rachelle’s side, but early that morning Phillip had texted that he’d received new information regarding the people shadowing her. It was a conversation Magnus didn’t want Rachelle to overhear until he had a better idea of who it was and what they wanted. As was his practice with his father, his goal was to eradicate any problem without her ever knowing.
They met at Phillip’s parents’ home a mile down the river, a place Magnus knew well from childhood. Before Phillip had become a royal guard and while Magnus had still been unhindered by the responsibilities of his title, they had played together. Magnus’s mother had wanted her son to have a normal childhood, at least as much as possible. She’d brought him to this area to encourage him to kayak, ride his bicycle, and make friends. Several of his friends from that time had joined the royal guard, and he was as loyal to them as they had proven to be to him. It was those men Magnus would not only trust with his life, but defend with his own, if need be.
Seated across from him in the living room, Phillip said, “It’s a complicated mess, Magnus.”
“So, uncomplicate it for me.”
“I’ll start with the black card with the white phone number. It belongs to an American security expert, Alethea Narcharios. She’s big-league. Until a few years ago she was testing the physical and online security of major companies. Lately, she’s been a private hire for wealthy families in the United States. My guess is she’s on Delinda Westerly’s payroll. Possibly to protect her granddaughter.”
“Possibly? Why else would she be here?”
“That’s what I asked myself for no other reason than my gut told me to. I looked for any attempted hacks to your server, any unusual hires, anything that might indicate interest in your business rather than Rachelle’s.”
“And?”
“And I found all of that. If you were not as paranoid—”
“Diligent.”
“—as you are about safeguards, she would not only have access to your bank account but to your dresser drawers as well. I am combing through every staff change we’ve had in the last month, but I may have to go back further. This woman is an insidious weed once she has a toehold. Thankfully, we’re a step ahead of her now.”
“Why would Delinda Westerly want to hack my server?”
“This is solely speculation, but it might be the same reason she’s making a show of inviting your contacts to the ball she’s planning with your father. She is not happy with the public treatment Rachelle has received because of you. Revenge? Blackmail? Hard to say.”
He didn’t want to return to seeing Delinda or Rachelle in that light. “Is there any evidence that Rachelle is aware of what her grandmother is doing?”
“None that I’ve come across.”
“Good. Then bring me the Narcharios woman.”
“I haven’t been able to locate her. She uses disguises, pays in cash, and she’s well funded. I can tell you she’s here, but that’s it.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“Understood.”
Magnus rose to his feet and paced the room. “Eric’s man said there were two people following Rachelle. Have you identified the man?”
“Yes. Goran Petek. He was in prison in Slovenia for murder until his conviction was recently overturned.”
“Someone bought his freedom. Where is he now?”
“Back in Slovenia. He returned yesterday and was picked up by their police. It seems evidence regarding his involvement in a second murder has come to light.”
“Neutralizing him without killing him.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t like that this has been playing out on our soil, yet this is the first I hear of it.” Magnus didn’t let himself fully process that a known killer had been stalking Rachelle. Emotion clouded his judgment, and he needed a clear head to protect her. “Who had Petek released in the first place?”
“We’re still investigating that.”
“I want someone in Slovenia today. I don’t care what it takes. I want to know who he was working for and what they wanted with Rachelle. This is a top priority. Are we clear?”
“Yes.”
“No one gets close to her unless they’ve been thoroughly checked. No one.”
“Understood.”
Angered that there was not more he could do, Magnus slammed his fist sideways against the wall. “She’s important to me, Phillip.”
“I know. We’ll keep her safe.”
Magnus swore. “I sent her into town.”
“Don’t worry, she’s far from alone.”
Chapter Nineteen
For someone who had been nearly invisible for most of her life, the trip into town bordered on the ridiculous. Magnus had said he would provide a driver as well as a guard for her, but somehow that had grown into four men in suits escorting Rachelle down the cobblestoned main street. So much for fitting in.