Iโd lost my mind, asking Alex for help. He might be dating
Ava, and he might be lessโฆsociopathic since theyโd gotten back together last year, but I still trusted the man as far as I could throw him.
Yet for all his faults, he truly loved Ava, and he owed me for kicking his ass into gear before I left for New York. If I hadnโt, heโd still be moping over her and terrorizing everyone around him.
Our call four days ago had been short and succinct. I told him what I wanted, and he confirmed he could get it. I didnโt doubt his ability to pull through, because this was Alex we were talking about, but he hadnโt given me a delivery date and Iโd been on pins and needles since.
โYour Highness.โ Booth spoke at a lower volume than usual, and his body vibrated with nervous energy as we walked to my room. Weโd just returned from an event at the National Opera House, and Iโd been so distracted by thoughts of my plan I hadnโt questioned why Booth was accompanying me to my suite when he usually bid me goodbye at the palace entrance.
โYes?โ I arched an eyebrow at Boothโs furtive glances around the empty hall. He was a good bodyguard, but he would make a terrible spy.
โRead it when youโre alone.โ He slipped a piece of paper into my hands, his words almost inaudible.
I frowned. โWhatโโ
A maid turned the corner, and Booth stepped back so fast he nearly crashed into the porcelain vase on a nearby side table.
โWell,โ he said, his voice now so loud I flinched. โIf thatโs all, Your Highness, Iโll be going.โ He dropped to a whisper again. โDonโt tell anyone else about it.โ
He waved and speed-walked down the hall until he disappeared around the same corner the maid had rounded.
My frown deepened.
What in the world? It wasnโt like Booth to be so cryptic, but I did as he asked and waited until I shut the door behind me before I unfolded the paper. Booth wasnโt a secret notes type of person. What hadโ
Time stopped. My blood rushed to my face, and my stomach swooped at the familiar, messy scrawl before me.
9 p.m. tonight, princess. Two chairs.
No name, but I didnโt need one. Rhys was still in Eldorra.
A whoosh of relief darted through me, followed by anxiety and a twinge of panic. We hadnโt talked since the hospital, and we hadnโt exactly ended things on a good note. Why was he reaching out now, two-and-a-half weeks later? How had he convinced Booth to sneak me a note? Whatโ
โBridget!โ
For a second, I thought the call of my name came from outside my room, but then I looked up and saw the petite brunette standing in my suite.
Another, wholly different kind of disbelief flooded me. โAva? What are you doing here?โ I hastily shoved Rhysโs
note into my pocket, where it seared through the silk and into my skin.
Her face broke into a wide smile. โSurprise! Iโm here to see you, of course. And Iโm not alone.โ
On cue, Jules swanned into the sitting room dressed in a familiar-looking green coat. โGood afternoon, Your Highness,โ she sang.
I cocked my head. โIs that my coat?โ
โYes,โ she said with zero shame. โI love it. It makes my hair pop.โ The emerald color did, indeed, make her red hair pop. โYour closet is everything. I need an in-depth tour later.โ
โYou already had an in-depth tour, courtesy of yourself.โ Stella came up behind her, clad in a sleek white dress that made her olive skin glow. As the fashion blogger in our group, her closet rivaled mine, though her clothing choices were more casual. โYou spent half an hour examining her shoe collection.โ
โItโs called research,โ Jules said. โIโm going to be a lawyer. Power heels are essential for stomping all over the opposition.โ
I let out a soft laugh as I hugged my friends, my shock gradually morphing into excitement. I hadnโt seen them in person since I moved back to Eldorra, and I hadnโt realized how much Iโd missed our face-to-face chats until now.
However, I held off on greeting the last person in the group with a hug.
โAlex.โ I nodded at Avaโs boyfriend, which seemed too tame a word to describe him. Boyfriends were sweet and kind. Alex, with his cold eyes and colder demeanor, was anything but, though his expression did warm a degree when he looked at Ava.
โBridget.โ
Neither of us gave any sign weโd interacted beyond these types of group settings. I felt bad hiding my call from Ava, but the less she knew about what we were up to, the better. Plausible deniability mattered.
โWe saw what happened on the news, with your grandfather and Rhys.โ Avaโs brow knit with concern. โWe wouldโve come sooner, but Jules had to wrap up her internship and I couldnโt take time off until now. How are you holding up?โ
โIโm all right. My grandfatherโs a lot better.โ I purposely didnโt mention Rhys.
โI knew something was going on with you and your hottie bodyguard. Iโm never wrong,โ Jules joked before she, too, turned serious. โDo you need anything from us, babe? Maybe some paparazzi ass you need kicked? A decoy while you sneak off to a midnight rendezvous with your lover? I can dye my hair blonde.โ
โJ, youโre like three inches shorter than her,โ Stella said.
Jules lifted one shoulder. โMinor issue. Nothing heels wonโt solve.โ
I laughed again, even as Rhysโs note burned a hole in my pocket. 9 p.m. Two chairs. โHow did you guys get in here?โ
โWe worked with Nikolai on the surprise,โ Jules said. โToo bad heโs taken. Your brotherโs hot.โ
โWeโre here for the weekend,โ Stella added, brushing a stray curl out of her face. With her green eyes, tanned skin, and leggy grace, she was the most gorgeous person Iโd ever met, and while she was fully aware of the effect her looks had on othersโespecially menโshe never flaunted it. โI wish we could stay longer, but we canโt take that much time off from work.โ
โItโs okay. Iโm just glad youโre here.โ The knot of loneliness in my stomach loosened an inch. As much as I wanted to reread Rhysโs note over and over again until I memorized every swoop and curve of the letters, I also wanted to hang out with my friends. It had been far too long. โTell me. What did I miss?โ
Since I didnโt have any meetings for the rest of the day, I spent the afternoon catching up with my friends while Alex took a series of business calls. I told them about my
training, goodwill tour, and birthday ball. They told me about their jobs, their dating fails, and their road trip to Shenandoah National Park.
Eventually, we passed the light topics and reached the elephant in the room.
โYou and Rhys.โ Ava squeezed my hand. โWhat happened?โ
I hesitated, debating how much to tell them before I settled on a brief, sanitized version of the story, starting with when I learned about Nikolaiโs abdication and ending with our breakup in the hospital. I recounted everything without breaking down, which I considered a major win.
Once I finished, my friends gaped at me, their expressions ranging from shock to sadness to sympathy.
โHoly shit,โ Jules said. โYour life is a Hallmark movie.โ
โNot exactly.โ Hallmark movies had happy endings, and mine was still up in the air.
โIs there anything we can do?โ Sympathy creased Stellaโs face. For once, she wasnโt on her phone, which was a major feat, since she practically lived on the internet.
I shook my head. โIโll figure it out.โ
If Alex comes through. I glanced at where he stood by the window, speaking rapid-fire Russian into his phone.
โItโll work out, babe.โ Jules radiated confidence. โIt always does. If it doesnโt, declare martial law and tell them youโre keeping your crown and hot bodyguard. What are they going to do, guillotine you?โ
My lips inched up into a smile. I could always count on Jules to come up with the most outrageous ideas. โIt doesnโt work like that, and they might.โ
โFuck โem. Iโd like to see them try. If they do, Alex will take care of it. Right, Alex?โ Julesโs voice took on a teasing, singsong quality.
Alex ignored her.
โStop provoking him,โ Ava said. โI canโt always save you.โ
โIโm not provoking him. Itโs a compliment. Your man can get anything done.โ When Ava turned away, Jules leaned in and whispered, โHeโs totally whipped. Watch.โ She raised her voice to a panicked level. โOh my God! Ava, are you bleeding?โ
Alexโs head snapped up. Less than five seconds later, he ended his call and crossed the room to a confused-looking Ava, whose hand froze halfway to the scones on the table.
โIโm fine,โ Ava said as Alex searched her for injuries.
She glared at Jules. โWhat did I just say?โ
โI canโt help it.โ Julesโs eyes sparkled with mischief. โItโs so much fun. Itโs like playing with a windup toy.โ
โUntil the toy comes alive and kills you,โ Stella murmured loud enough for everyone to hear.
Alex stared at Jules with displeasure scrawled all over his face. His features were so perfect it was a little unnerving, like seeing a carefully sculpted statue come to life. Some people were into that, but I preferred men with a little more grit. Give me scars and a nose that was slightly crooked from being broken too many times over perfection. โPray you and Ava stay friends forever,โ Alex said, icy
enough to elicit a rash of goosebumps on my arms.
Jules didnโt appear fazed by the implied threat. โFirst of all, Ava and I will be friends forever. Second of all, bring it on, Volkov.โ
Ava sighed. โDo you see what you left me in D.C. with?โ she muttered to me.
I made a sympathetic noise.
My friends stayed for another hour before they left for dinner. I declined their invitation to join, saying I had some official business to take care of before tomorrow, but I promised to give them a palace tour in the morning.
I snuck a peek at the clock.
Three more hours until nine p.m.
Nerves cascaded through my stomach. What would I say once I saw Rhys? What would he say? I didnโt want to tell
him about my plan until I was sure I had the pieces in place, and he might not approve, anyway. My methods werenโt aboveboard by any means.
โIโll be right out.โ Alex kissed Ava on the forehead. โIโm going to use the restroom first.โ
After everyone filed out, I turned to Alex and crossed my arms over my chest. โIt took you long enough. And you couldโve given me a heads up you were coming.โ
โI run a Fortune 500 company. I do have other business to attend to besides your personal life.โ He straightened his shirt sleeve. โYou might also want to look up the definition of โsurprise.โ Ava insisted.โ
I sighed, not wanting to get into a drawn-out argument with him. โFine. Do you have what I need?โ
Alex reached into his pocket and retrieved a USB drive. โInformation on all one hundred eighty members of Eldorraโs Parliament, as requested.โ Information, AKA blackmail material. โOnce I hand this over to you, my debt is paid.โ
โI understand.โ
He studied me for a long moment before he dropped the drive into my outstretched hand.
My fingers closed around the tiny gadget while my heart skittered like a frightened rabbit. I canโt believe Iโm doing this. I wasnโt a blackmailer. But I needed leverage, fast, and this was the only way I could think to get it.
I hoped I wouldnโt have to resort to using the information. However, with the clock ticking down and my private appeals to ministers politely but firmly rebuffed, I might need to.
โI have to say, Iโm impressed,โ Alex drawled. โI didnโt think you had it in you. Maybe youโll make a good queen after all.โ
Of course he thought good leadership rested on manipulation and deceit. His favorite philosopher was probably Machiavelli.
โAlex,โ I said. โDonโt take this the wrong way, but you are a complete dick.โ
โOne of the nicer things people have said about me.โ He checked his watch. โI would say thank you, but I donโt care. I trust you can take it from here?โ He nodded at the USB drive.
โYes.โ Something occurred to me. I shouldnโt ask because I had a feeling I wouldnโt like the answer, butโฆ โYou have a blackmail file on me too, donโt you?โ
Though I hadnโt done much in my life that was blackmail-worthy except for my relationship with Rhys when itโd been a secretโฆand what I was doing now.
The irony.
Alexโs lips curved a centimeter. โInformation is power.โ โIf anything leaks, Ava will never forgive you.โ
It was the only threat that worked against him.
I didnโt think he would reveal anything, but one never knew with Alex Volkov.
His expression chilled. โThat concludes our business, Your Highness.โ He paused at the door. โI suggest looking at Arthur Erhallโs family file first. Thereโs some information there youโll find very interesting.โ
He disappeared into the hall, leaving me with nothing but a flash drive and a sick feeling in my stomach.
Drawing Alex into the situation had been a horrible idea, but it was too late for regrets.
I retrieved my burner laptop and plugged the USB in. I didnโt trust him enough to plug anything he gave me into my personal computer.
I pulled up Erhallโs file. Finances. Past relationships. Family. Political deals and scandals that had been covered up. I was tempted to dive into the last one, but I clicked on the family file first, as Alex had suggested.
At first, it looked normal, just a rundown of Erhallโs lineage and information about his ex-wife, whoโd died in a
plane crash years ago. Then my eyes snagged on the word
children and the two names listed beneath it.
My hand flew to my mouth.
Oh my God.