Page 34 of Cross Me

“Don’t speak of her,” I warned him through gritted teeth.

“That’s why they’ll break you. Everyone can see what she means to you. Your father was ruthless—cruel—but he understood the game he was playing. He gave up his Queen to save his throne.”

“My mother died in childbirth.” Cold fury broke over me. I wanted to rip the cell door free from its hinges. Instead, I stood and stared, imagining what it would be like to crush the life from him.

“He lost her long before she died. That was one of daddy’s secrets. I thought you might know that one.” He stood and took a few paces toward the bars separating us. I dared him to come closer, close enough that I could wrap my hands around his neck through the bars. “You know some of his secrets though, don’t you? I know them all.”

“And how is that?” I called his bluff.

“I’m very well connected.”

“It’s too bad you’ll never see daylight again, then. None of those connections to turn to now.” This had been pointless. Another stupid game of cat and mouse. Now that I had caught my prize, it was no fun to play with him.

“Oh, they don’t need me.” He snorted as though he found this intensely humorous.

I turned, glancing over my shoulder and regarded him for a moment. “You must be lonely to make up allies that don’t exist.”

“Made up, are they? The threats haven’t stopped, though, have they?” He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head like an owl, gazing down on smaller prey. “I’ll guess something innocuous happened. Something you couldn’t pin on anyone, exactly. Everyone will tell you that it was coincidence. There will be no proof. A threat. A bomb. An accident. And a family member in the wrong place at the wrong time. Probably that delicate waif of a wife. It’s only going to keep coming. You’ll lock her away. You’ll drive her crazy. And when we’ve taken her from you in every way that seems to matter, you will lose her. You will lose everything.”

“No one will touch her.” My voice was low, deadly. I couldn’t be sure he could hear me, but judging from the arrogance shining in his eyes, he had.

“You can’t trust anyone, Alexander. Admit it to me. Admit how much you hate being King and I’ll tell you.”

“Will that satisfy you? Because it’s no secret. I hate this life, but nothing you can say will take the Crown from me.”

“No, it won’t. No matter how much you wish it would.” He turned and went back to his cot, dropping down on it. “Thank you.”

“Never thank me.” I didn’t want even his feigned gratitude.

“But you gave me what I wanted. Now I owe you.”

It didn’t matter what he had to say. He wasn’t going to give me names, and I couldn’t be certain even if he did that he wasn’t lying. He was a warped, twisted man. Maybe the time in here—alone—had broken him. Maybe he’d always been evil. I didn’t care. I’d come here to look the devil in the face and as I left, I felt nothing. No remorse. No fear. Not even hatred.

Then he spoke. “Leaving so soon? But I promised you an answer.”

“I don’t want your answer,” I spit back at him.

“No, you don’t. But I so want to give it,” he cooed. “By the time this ends, you’ll break her heart. Because when she finds out what you’ve been hiding, she won’t love you anymore. She’ll hate you.”

“Is that all you have?” I laughed, my back still turned to him. “You don’t know me, and you sure as hell don’t know her.”

“When she stops loving you, that will be what breaks you and takes your Crown. But what comes before will be sweet revenge. Your family is nothing but smoke and lies. Secrets kept by you. Secrets kept from you. Those secrets will poison you from the inside out until everyone you’ve loved, why, you’ll hate them as much as they’ll hate you. You wanted to know our plans. I’ll tell you, because you can’t stop us.” His voice dropped to nothing more than a whisper, but it echoed in the barren space. “How do you destroy the royal family, Alexander? From within.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

CLARA

Alexander grew more distant as my departure for Silverstone neared. I needed to be there to prepare for the opening ceremonies and initial events, which would take place in a week. The rest of the games would run through May.

We’d each been focused on our own agendas for the last few weeks. Alexander had a country to run and I had events to organize. But it wasn’t just a full schedule. He’d begun to withdraw from me, particularly in the last week. I couldn’t blame him exactly. I’d hoped he would join us when the games officially began, but until then, I would be in Silverstone with Elizabeth, who was too young to be away from me for that long. It was just over a week, but X and I rarely spent so long apart. The last time was before we were engaged. Still, there was no way he could come with me, and there was no way that I could stay here. We were at an impasse. But when I caught him staring, darkness shadowing his eyes, I wondered if he planned to stop me from going. I half-expected it at this point, but the demand never came.

“This one will do it,” Belle said as she flourished a loose, cashmere sweater. I took it from her and held it up, studying how the fabric draped in the mirror.

I screwed up my nose. This was impossible. Everything I considered felt plain and uninspiring. Belle, on the other hand, seemed to be transitioning into her pregnancy elegantly. She’d shown up in a loose, linen tunic and leggings that were classy and comfortable. I didn’t have anything half as stylish that still fit me. “I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.”

“Maybe you should just make the announcement,” she suggested. “Even I told my mother.”

I tossed the sweater on the bed and whirled around to her. “You didn’t tell me that.”