Page 92 of Wicked Queen

“I’m sorry,” I said softly. It hasn’t occurred to me that my team needed to know. It had felt like a private matter, but there was no real privacy in my life anymore. Why couldn’t I accept that?

“It was stupid and reckless.” She shook her head. “I expected better of you. You’re usually the smart one.”

She stormed toward the door and Belle and I looked at each other.

“Give me a moment,” I called to Georgia as she opened the door.

“There’s an entire squad of fools drooling to throw themselves between you and a bullet. I need to think.” She paused as she stepped out of the door. “Clara, tell him or I will.”

It wasn’t an empty threat, and I knew it.

“That went well,” Belle muttered.

I slumped against the tiled wall, cradling the baby growing inside me. “She’s right. I didn’t want to deal with it, so I tried to ignore it. I made excuses for why it was okay to keep it a secret. The whole time I’ve been putting the baby in danger.”

“You’ve been going to your appointments. You’re taking care of yourself,” Belle said firmly. “Maybe you should have told them, but there’s no use hating yourself for the past.”

“I have to tell him,” I said, “as soon we get home.”

I wouldn’t ruin Sarah’s birthday by springing this on her brother. Georgia knew now, so in the unlikely event the information was needed, she could pass it along.

Was that how I wanted Alexander to find out? In an emergency?

“Come on, let’s find your husband. You’ll feel better around him.” Belle urged me back onto my feet and kept me steady as I slipped my heels on.

But I wouldn’t feel better. Not until this had been dealt with.

It took Belle two passes to fix my smeared mascara. I didn’t mind. I’d rather be stuck in a restroom than smiling and pretending everything was fine.

“Ready to enter the fray?” Belle asked when I’d run out of ways to stall us.

I shook my head and she smiled sympathetically. We both knew that there was only one way out of here and it meant going back to the party.

Outside the door, I paused to thank the guards, who’d begun to look a little nervous. We’d only made it a few steps toward the hall that led to The Raphael Gallery when a simpering voice said, “About time,” a bit too loudly.

I closed my eyes and grabbed Belle’s arm before she could confront Pepper. This night just kept getting better and better. But Pepper, ever the sadist, wasn’t about to let us off the hook so easily.

“It’s really rude to make everyone wait out here so you two can attempt to apply make-up. Accept a lost cause when you see it, ladies,” Pepper called over, but none of the women waiting around her laughed. Not even Sarah, who’d been stuck waiting out here with her friend. There wasn’t so much as a nervous titter among the lot of them. Pepper frowned.

“Feeling unappreciated?” I asked her coldly. I wanted to tell her that no one wanted her here, but tonight was about Sarah and I wasn’t going to ruin it for her. Even if her best friend was a twat.

“I don’t know,” she said, her eyes narrowing. “How does that feel? I’m sure you have experience.”

“Stop,” Sarah said, dragging her to the loo as others filed in, eager to get away from the catfight.

Next to me, Belle dropped her voice, “I know what you said, but—”

“No,” I said firmly. I wasn’t going to let my pregnant best friend take a swing at Pepper, even if I would have paid to see Pepper’s reaction.

“Please,” she whined.

“What’s the matter?” Pepper called as Sarah tried to hustle her past the door. “Clara got you on the short leash?”

My hands let go of Belle voluntarily, unable to hold her back anymore, because sometimes a cat fight was in order.

Before Belle could reach her, Sarah stepped between them and rounded on her friend. “You’re her guest.”

“I’m your guest.” Pepper’s lower lip stuck out a little as she battled her shock over Sarah’s reaction. “I told you that these two are trash.”