Page 45 of X: Command Me through Alexander’s Eyes

“I thought you liked martinis,” she says, and I see her tuck away this encounter. For what? Further study?

“Not particularly.” She’s not getting more out of me than that. Our drinks arrive with the customary speed I expect. Being served first is one of the few perks of being born a sodding Royal.

“How did you find out about us?” Pepper asks quietly.

I’m almost surprised that she’s been so discreet. An affair with the King? The scandal would be headline fodder for weeks. “You aren’t as careful as you think you are. My father’s weekend trips have doubled in the last few months.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

“You’ve already confessed. There’s no need to play innocent now,” I advise her. Finding out was an accident, really. I’d sent Norris to dig up dirt on her, convinced she was the one who leaked the photo of me kissing Clara, and he’d stumbled on more. She doesn’t need to know why or how I know—but that I know. That’s what is important.

“No one can know,” she says swiftly, dropping her hand on mine. “If Albert found out that you knew…”

“What?” I demand. “He’d call it off? Then I’m going to tell him because the thought of you two makes me want to vomit.”

“You can’t! You don’t understand what’s at stake,” she pleads.

“Enlighten me.” I frown. She’s actually…scared.

Pepper pauses and draws a deep breath. For a moment, I think she’s going to tell me what I want to know. But she’s too calculating for that. She always has been. Whatever frightened her, she’s got it under control now. “I know things, too. Let’s not forget that. I’d hate to break sweet Clara’s heart.”

“She’s smart. She doesn’t get her news from tabloids.” I abandon my drink and stand, disgust flooding through me. “You can’t touch her.”

“Would you care to wager on that?” A wicked smile carves over her red lips. “I like my odds.”

“So do I.” We glare at one another for a moment. It’s a stalemate. We both have winning hands. We both know it. But who’s cards are stronger? “I need to find Clara.”

“That’s a good idea.” Pepper’s eyes sparkle. There’s not a single trace of panic in them now. “You wouldn’t want her to fall into the wrong hands.”

I don’t bother responding. I simply make my way through the crowd. I need Clara in my sights. I need to touch her. Norris was wrong about her being safe here. I’d been foolish to think I could control this room—a symptom of how out of practice I am at being a royal. How many assassinations were carried out at court? I let my guard down.

My anxiety ratchets up another notch every minute that ticks by without spotting her. There are too many people in the crowd. I begin to look for Norris. Surely, he knows where she is. Then I see it: a flash of red tucked against her dark hair.

Clara scans the ballroom before continuing in the opposite direction. She’s alone again. How could Belle let her wander off? Where is she going? I force my way towards her, ignoring the calls of friends, not caring that I’m practically shoving people out of my way.

I can see her. She’s within reach, and nothing will stop me from getting to her.