Page 33 of His Runaway Princess

Finally, he sighed and shrugged. “I can’t figure it out.”

Thor had begun his own visual sweep of the room. Ryker moved out of his way to let him move around at will. Thor went even farther into the office than Ryker had and then turned, brows furrowed and arms crossed.

“You’re right. Someone was in here.”

“What makes you say that?” Ryker wondered what he’d missed.

Thor nodded toward the other side of the desk where Ryker hadn’t yet ventured. “The waste basket hasn’t been emptied. If the cleaners had been here, it would have, but things are just a little bit off and the trash is still there.” He walked toward Ryker and motioned toward the door. “Let’s get a team in here to double check everything.”

Thor moved off to the side. As Ryker locked the door behind him, Saddois walked up.

“I need some of the paperwork from your office on next week’s events.” It wasn’t a request. Rather it should be seen as a demand to be complied with immediately. Everything Saddois asked had to be done right now or else. Ryker knew what papers he meant, and they could easily wait a few days - or not at all.

“I will get them to you as soon as I can, sir.” Ryker couldn’t explain why he didn’t want to tell Saddois more, except that he didn’t like the man. “Personality conflict” couldn’t explain all of his reticence.

“Now, Drasil.” His voice held an attempt at command, but it didn’t quite work.

Ryker straightened until his stance resembled being at attention. “With all due respect, sir, no.”

Saddois took a step closer until there could be no doubt that he intentionally entered Ryker’s personal space. “Now, Drasil.” His voice lowered to a growl.

“Saddois.” The duke’s voice rang with the authority Saddois could never hope to imitate.

“You are no longer in charge, sir.” Saddois’s voice dripped with false respect.

The duke moved closer as Ryker moved out of the way. “Would you like to try that again?” This time his voice had lowered until it could barely be heard, but anyone - even Saddois - knew better than to mess with.

“You are no longer in charge, sir.” At least this time the respect - and even fear - seemed almost real.

Justin walked up with a team of men behind him. “What’s going on here?”

Saddois continued to eye Thor then took a step back. “Nothing, sir.”

With a tilt of his head, the duke gave Justin unofficial permission to go around him and into the office.

“You are dismissed, Saddois.” Thor didn’t break eye contact.

Deciding that it would be better for him to acquiesce, Saddois glared at Ryker as he walked away.

Turning toward Justin, the duke nodded. “Let’s see if we can find out what happened.”

* * *

As much asshe wanted to, Amalia couldn’t convince herself to look forward to this lunch.

She knew Ginny wasn’t the enemy, wasn’t a bad person, just a victim of circumstance as much as Amalia - if not more.

Amalia’s half-sister had grown up in the States and had everything she’d ever known taken from her with the revelation that her family wasn’t her biological family - but that she’d really been born to the Crown Princess of Øyanord and was the daughter of one of the most notorious criminals in the North Sargasso Sea in centuries.

Ginny had been hidden away to keep Isaiah of Eyjania from getting to her. Those in the know believed him to be deceased, but no one could say with absolute certainty.

The lunch would be on neutral territory, not even in a neutral room at the palace where Amalia had grown up. Instead, they would arrive separately at a bistro not far from the palace, wave to anyone who might be waiting to see them, then have a private meal where no one should be able to hear them - or read their lips.

Amalia drove herself, though her team stayed right behind her in their own vehicle. Most of the time, someone drove for her, but this was considered an unofficial event, and she’d chosen to drive herself. To have a few minutes alone. More alone than she ever felt.

But not lonely.

When alone in her quarters in the palace, she often felt lonely.

---