Page 90 of King of Pride

Rose immediately knew what was coming.

“It’s not my fault,” she mouthed desperately.

Zoe's glare only intensified.

Rose suddenly wished she could disappear.

Maverick pulled her gently toward them, and that's when Rose noticed the lawyer already standing beside Zoe and Blaire, speaking with the officers.

Apparently, he'd already taken care of everything.

As Maverick approached, the lawyer looked up, gave him a reassuring thumbs-up, and smiled.

“You’re both free to leave,” he told Zoe and Blaire.

The two women immediately brightened.

Blaire practically jumped out of her chair, while Zoe rose more cautiously, still looking somewhat unsettled.

They started toward the exit, but Zoe slowed when she reached Maverick and Rose.

Blaire stopped beside her, then looked at Maverick with a grin.

“Thanks, rich guy. I guess having a gazillion dollars really does come in handy when you need to make a little legal trouble disappear.”

She winked at him.

Maverick didn't even crack a smile.

Instead, he raised an eyebrow.

“Still a goon, Miss Lane?”

“Not anymore.” Blaire flashed him a shameless grin. “Now I just have a lot of friends who are goons.”

Zoe immediately smacked her arm.

“Keep quiet,” she hissed.

Blaire barely reacted.

Instead, her attention shifted to Rose.

“So you’re the one who secretly married him?” she asked, looking Rose up and down. “Really? Couldn't you find someone with emotions? Why did you marry a statue?”

Rose bit her lip.

Blaire was hilarious, but Rose wasn't nearly brave enough to laugh at that comment in front of Maverick.

Zoe bumped her shoulder against Blaire's.

“That’s my friend. The one I told you about.”

Blaire's amused expression vanished.

Her eyes widened as she looked at Rose again.

“You're her?”