A Lick Of Frost   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

"No." I said. The one word was clipped.

Doyle and Frost reached for me at the same time. Their hands found each other at the back of my shoulders. Doyle's arm stayed there. Frost's hand moved to cover one of my hands where I kept them still upon the tabletop. They were reacting to the tension in me, but it let everyone in the room know how concerned they were with me dealing with this topic. They hadn't reacted to talk of my ex-fiancé, Griffin. I think all my men thought they had washed his memory clean from me with their own bodies. I felt the same, so they'd read me right. Doyle was usually a good judge of my moods. Frost, who had his own moods, was learning mine.

"I think this topic is closed," Biggs said.

"I am sorry if I caused the princess distress," Cortez said, but he didn't sound sorry. I wondered why he'd brought up my father's assassination. Cortez, like Shelby and Veducci, struck me as men who didn't do things without a reason. I wasn't sure about Nelson and the rest. I was counting on Biggs and Farmer being calculating men. But what did Cortez hope to gain from mentioning my father's death?

"I am sorry to cause distress, but I do have a reason for bringing the topic up," Cortez said.

"I don't see what relevance it could possibly have on these proceedings," Biggs said.

"The murderer of Prince Essus was never apprehended," Cortez said. "In fact no one was even seriously suspected, is that correct?"

"We failed the prince and the princess in every way," Doyle said.

"But you weren't a guard for either of them, were you?"

"Not at that time."

"Lieutenant Frost, you were also part of the Queen's Ravens when Prince Essus died. None of the current bodyguards of the princess were members of Prince Essus's Crane Guards, is that correct?"

"That is not true," Frost said.

Cortez looked at him. "Excuse me?"

Frost looked at Doyle, who gave a small nod. Frost's hand tightened over mine. He didn't like to speak in public; it was a phobia. "We have half a dozen guards with us here in Los Angeles who were once part of Prince Essuss's Cranes."

"The king seems very certain that none of the prince's guards are guarding the princess," Cortez said.

"It is a recent change," Frost said. His hand tightened on mine until I used my free hand to play my fingers across the back of his. One, it would comfort him; two, it would keep him from forgetting how strong he was and hurting my hand, I played my fingers on the smooth white skin of his hand, and realized it didn't comfort just him.