The Royal Heir - The Valtoria Diaries 2

Bang to rights

(This chapter is NSFW and has some strong language. And it also has a super-cute art commission by the incredible artbyainna!)

***

It was the day of the charity regatta. Nobles and wealthy Cordonians were hob-nobbing on the piers and on the decks of all the boats docked in the harbour, and Olivia was doing her best to blend in without sticking out as she made her way along the docks, trying to find The Resilience. The yacht, which the blueprints she'd obtained from the tailor belonged to, hadn't been here the last time she'd checked. But this afternoon, the harbour was full to capacity, so it had to be. And she had the feeling that Godfrey might be here too.

Auvernal were not taking the credit for bringing Godfrey down, not on Olivia's watch. She would do this on her own. And not just because she'd been told to. For Rick, for Jen, for Maxwell.

There it was. The Resilience. Unmanned, and with nobody around to see her board it. With a smile, she slunk aboard via the steps up to the top deck. Finding nobody there, she found the stairs to the middle deck, and slowly made her way down them.

She heard movement straight away. She froze, mid descent. Nothing further. Very slowly, she made her way down the last few stairs, her hand on her belt, ready to lunge for one of her stiletto knives.

"We have to stop meeting like this."

You!

The Auvernese spy was casually leaning against the mast, rearranging the knots of the boat's sails. He only now looked at her, his eyes annoyingly bright, his smirk enough to send Olivia up a number of gears from investigation to obliteration.

"Jin," she sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, I thought you would have put that together by now," Jin said. "I'm here for the same reason you are."

"Have you been following me?" She'd been paranoid, obsessed even, that he was, but she hadn't seen a trace of him.

"In a manner of speaking. My tracking was more digital than physical. But thank you for the intel. Now I'm here to apprehend the former Duke of Karlington, as per my employer's orders."

"Well, you can just tell Brad and Izzy that Cordonia doesn't need their help with that operation," Olivia growled, as she stalked towards him.

"Help? Oh, Sloppy. I'll be handling this one from here, I'm afraid. We can't trust a rookie to do a professional's job, after all. You stay on this deck and keep watch."

Like hell I will. "Who are you calling a rookie?"

"Keep up, Sloppy. I'm calling you a rookie."

She dashed around and towards the next stairway, but he was quickly on her tail, and before she could react a pair of handcuffs were securing her wrist to the ship's wooden railing.

"How dare you!" She watched, enraged, as he shot her a sarcastic salute before disappearing below deck.

That man should not have messed with me. Now he will die, slowly and painfully, when he least expects it. I'm Olivia Nevrakis. Nothing and nobody stands in my way.

She kicked the wooden handrail with her boot, splintering the wood and freeing herself. Yesss. Now let's see who's the professional, shall we?

Dashing down the nearby steps into the cabin of the ship, she cleared her throat as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "Surprised to see me?"