Free Royals Saga 3 Crown Me by Geneva Lee

away and cast dirty looks at Norris and me.
    “You aren’t much of a host, Alex,” she said.
    “Don’t call me Alex.” I couldn’t meet her eyes. I didn’t want to.
    She leaned toward me, tilting her head to catch my distant gaze. “I have other things I can call you if that’s what you still prefer.”
    “That won’t be necessary in our current arrangement.” My stomach clenched as an unbidden image of Georgia on her knees swam to my mind. I shook it away, but the feeling of self-loathing that accompanied it didn’t dissipate. “I presume Hammond sent you for a reason.”
    “I’m not delivering jewelry,” she confirmed. Georgia crossed her slender arms over her chest and waited.
    It was a smart move. No one would guess what this beautiful woman really was. That didn’t mean I liked having her here.
    “So he assigned you,” I murmured, rubbing the back of my neck as I digested this new information.
    “He’s sentimental,” she said flatly. “Is there a reason for this little rendezvous? Not that I mind a reunion.”
    “I spotted the mark in the crowd. My men are looking for him, but I want you to find out how he got in here. And I want you to find him.”
    Georgia shrugged as if I’d just asked her to show me to the loo. “And what should I do with him when I have him?”
    “I’ll leave that to your discretion.” I didn’t want to know what she did to him once she found him. Not purely because of the potential legal issues.
    “Excellent. As you know”—she trailed a finger over my buttons—“I can be very discreet.”
    I caught her wrist and jerked her hand away. “Then be discreet.”
    “Your father would be thrilled to know he did such a number on you.” She didn’t bother to hide her disgust from her voice. “Does she even know?”
    It wasn’t any of her business. Not anymore. But I answered anyway. “She knows.”
    “I didn’t know she had it in her.” Georgia smirked, obviously impressed. “Then again you can never really tell, right? It takes all kinds. Maybe later she and I could chat—girl to girl. Sub to sub.”
    “Clara isn’t my sub. I’m not in the lifestyle. I never truly was.” Georgia took a step forward and lowered her voice, so that Norris couldn’t hear. “I have a scar on the back of my left thigh that says otherwise.” She moved away from me, adding, “Neither am I. We were young. Impetuous.”
    That wasn’t the word I would choose to describe our former relationship, but I wasn’t exactly interested in a trip down memory lane.
    “Well, I have a crazy asshole to hunt down.” She winked at me. “But later, you’re giving me Brexton’s number.”
    Like hell I was. I pressed my lips into a thin smile. Georgia sighed and sauntered back to the party.
    Norris moved to my side and cleared his throat as we watched her walk away. “Miss Kincaid.” He let her name hang in the air without further comment.
    “I should have suspected Hammond would pull something like this,” I said disdainfully.
    My old friend said nothing. He’d already made his feelings on asking for Hammond’s assistance known. Jack Hammond was the last man that I wanted to owe, but I didn’t have another choice. Not when Daniel had eluded my own teams for over five months.
    Norris pressed a hand to his earpiece, listening intently. When he turned his attention back to me, his expression was grim. “The sweep is complete. We’ve found no trace of him.”
    I sucked in a breath. Daniel had managed to evade me again at one of the most heavily secured private events of the year.
    “Speak to the caterer,” I advised Norris, “and find out if Daniel was actually on the wait staff this evening.”
    Norris nodded, then paused. “We will contain this situation.”
    “Will we?” I shook my head, frustration getting the better of me. “Clara is too accessible until this wedding is over. There are too many opportunities for him to get to her. Six weeks.”
    “And after the