With a child, I’ll be a mother. Nothing else. Not a famous actress, not a former model, not a celebrity or a socialite.
I’ll be a mom.
What’s more beautiful than that?
I slink out the front door and let my feet take me to the edge of my property. I peer through the fence at the world beyond, wondering what it would be like to be normal.
What if I didn’t have the weight of the world’s expectations on my shoulders?
What if I hadn’t been made to provide for my entire family when I was just a kid?
What if I’d had a normal childhood?
I glance behind me at the big, luxurious house, and I sigh.
I wouldn’t have all that. There wouldn’t be two princes living with me, and Ivy would never have met the love of her life.
As trapped as I feel, I have to stay grateful.
Ivy got off the hamster wheel. She’s chasing her dream with the bakery. She isn’t attached to me anymore, and she’s living her life the way she wants to.
Maybe I can do the same.
My hand slides over my abdomen, and a smile drifts over my lips.
This baby will change everything.
DANTE
LUCA EMERGES from a bedroom across the hall at the same time as I walk out of mine.
I nod to him. “I need to talk to you.”
“News from Argyle?”
“More like lack of news.”
Luca grunts, gesturing down the stairs. He leads me to a small study at the back of the mansion. There are messy stacks of papers on a desk beside a photo of Margot and Ivy when they were little girls. I pick up the photo, staring at the open-mouthed laugh on Margot’s frozen face.
There’s a lightness in her eyes that I didn’t see in her today.
That’s what growing older in the public eye does, I guess. Dims your smile. I’ve seen it in Theo, in Luca, and even in Beckett. They’ve all spent their lives in front of the cameras, under intense scrutiny, and they’ve all become more guarded than they were before.
I saw it in my parents. It tore my mother and father apart, and it might be the reason my mother, the Queen, went to look for love in other places. Like the King’s brother’s bed.
Shaking my head, I bring myself back to the present. Now is not the time to dwell on the past. I put the photo back down and turn to look at my brother. Luca arches an eyebrow.
“So? What’s the news?”
I take a deep breath. “Beckett is still in the wind. Theo has upped security at all the airports and ports, but he could have slipped away from Argyle already. The truth is, we don’t know where he is.”
Luca nods. Our half-brother was here in Farcliff with Luca, and we’ve just discovered that he attempted to swap out Luca’s painkillers for dangerously powerful drugs. Had Luca taken them, he would almost certainly have overdosed.
“Still no idea why he wanted to kill you?” I ask.
Luca sighs, slumping down onto a chair. “When he attacked me…” He shakes his head. “He just said he’d been jealous of me. Said he loved Cara and thought she would start seeing him after I was injured. He didn’t like seeing me with Margot.”
“But you were never with Margot.” My voice is hard. I frown, not liking the pang that shoots through my chest.
Luca shakes his head. “Nah. It was all just publicity, like I was supposed to do. Ivy’s always been the one.”
I nod, the tension in my shoulders easing.
Am I jealous?
“Theo wants me to bring you home,” I say after a pause.
Luca arches an eyebrow. “Are you Theo’s little lapdog now? You go and fetch for him?”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t be an idiot, Luca. You’ll be safer in Argyle. The systems we’ve developed are world-class. Here in Farcliff, we’re exposed.”
“I can’t leave Ivy. Beckett knows how much I care about her, and if he really wants to hurt me, the easiest way to do it is through her. I have to stay.”
“So, bring her. Let’s go back to Argyle together.”
“Why is it safer there?” His eyebrows draw together. “If they think Beckett is still in Argyle, wouldn’t it be safer for us to stay here?”
“We don’t know where he is, Luca,” I explain. “And we don’t know who to trust here.”
Luca lets out a sigh, shaking his head. “No. I’m not going back. Ivy just re-opened the bakery. We have to stay. And if she’s here, I’m here. That’s non-negotiable. Let Beckett come here and try to kill me again.”
I turn away from him, crossing my arms. Staring out the window, I try to find the words to explain what I’m thinking. Luca spent five years away from Argyle. I went from having my best friend and brother at my side every day, to not even seeing him once.
After the accident that broke his back, Luca spent years recovering in Singapore. He refused to let us come visit him.
I missed him. Now, I want him to come home.
But when I look at my brother again, I see a different man. He picks up the same photo that I’d been looking at, and his eyes soften.
I know he’s not looking at Margot’s laughing face. He’s looking at Ivy.
Luca’s in love.
My brother has always been fiercely loyal. He loved Cara, now our Queen, from the time he was five or six years old. Growing up, I always thought they’d end up together.
When she married Theo, I thought Luca would never come back home.
But he did. He loves Argyle. He loves our family…
…and now, he loves Ivy, too.
I have to respect that.
I nod, making a decision. “I’m staying too, then.”
Luca’s eyebrow arches. “What?”
“I’m staying with you.”
“Wouldn’t you be safer in Argyle?”
“Maybe,” I say. “But I…I care about you, Luca.” A lump forms in my throat. It’s not often that we talk to each other like this, but I need to get the words out. “I missed you. And I’m not going to leave you here on your own to fend for yourself. At least if I’m here, we can both watch over the bakery. We can keep an eye on each other’s backs for any sign of Beckett. I can help.”
Luca gulps, standing up. He stares at me. “You would do that?”
I chuckle. “I’m not that much of a hermit.”
“You haven’t spent more than a few days away from Argyle since you were ten.”
I grin. “Okay, maybe I am that much of a hermit. I just don’t like being in the public eye. It’s not for me.”
“The media in Farcliff are vultures. If they catch wind that you’re here…”
“I’ll take that chance. I’ve spent the past couple of decades staying out of the public eye. I think I can do it here, too.”
“You’d do that for me?”
I nod, not trusting my voice. I’ve spent so much time away from Luca that it feels right to stay here with him. He needs me more than Theo does. Our King is surrounded by the castle walls and thousands of palace guards.
In a way, I feel like Luca deserves Ivy’s love. He should stay here and be happy with her, if that’s what he wants. He went through the most horrible accident I could imagine, broke his back, learned to walk again, was betrayed by the woman he loved, only to find someone who he loves even more.
I’ll stand by him.
Before I can react, Luca wraps his arms around me in a bone-crushing hug. He lifts my feet off the ground—not an easy feat, considering I’m an inch taller than him—and sets me back down with a thud.
When he pulls away, Luca’s eyes are misty. “Thank you, Dante.”
“I’ll call Theo to let him know.”
I give him a smile and turn toward the door, pausing when I reach it. I glance over my shoulder. “You got any clothes I can borrow? I only brought one sweater, and I don’t think it’ll do much against the cold.”
Luca laughs, nodding. “Yeah, but you’d better not stretch it out. I’ll get someone to buy you a winter wardrob
e.”
“Thanks.” I grin at my brother.
When I walk out of the study, I let out a sigh. Something significant has shifted. I’m stepping out of my cocoon to be here. I’m going out on a limb to stay by my brother’s side, and it might mean facing the public scrutiny. It might mean being photographed and talked about—especially considering I’m living with one of the most famous celebrities in the Kingdom.
But Luca’s worth it. He’s my brother, and I’ve been away from his side for too long. If my job is to keep him safe, then I’ll have to do it from here.
I walk down the hallway just as the front door opens. Margot steps through, locking the door behind her. My eyes sweep over her curves, and I long to tangle my fingers in her long, golden hair.
Maybe a small part of me wanted to stay for her, too. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve met a woman who can make me feel the way she does.
As if she senses my stare, Margot turns around and meets my gaze. Heat floods my body from my head down to my toes, swirling around my chest and landing somewhere in the pit of my stomach. My veins ignite, and every bit of my body wants to get closer to her.
The actress gives me a small curtsy as she blushes.
I frown. “What are you doing?”
“Curtsying, Your Highness.”
My frown deepens. “Curtsying? Your Highness?” I fight the grin off my face. “Ma’am, you have me mistaken for someone else. I’m Todd. I just fixed your pool pump.”
MARGOT
I WOULD LAUGH HARDER if I wasn’t so mortified. I giggle, covering my eyes with my hand.
“Don’t make me re-live that,” I groan.
The Prince chuckles, walking toward me. “You don’t have to curtsy every time you see me, Margot. I’m living in your house.”
I drag my gaze up to meet his, and a dagger of heat pierces my stomach, staying lodged deep in my center. Gulping, I nod. “Okay.”
The Prince nods to the door behind me. “Everything okay out there?”
The way Prince Dante’s eyebrows draw together makes me feel like he really cares. His shoulders straighten, and as he closes the distance between us, I feel safer than I’ve felt in a long time. The persistent, nagging feeling that something bad is going to happen fades away, and I’m able to breathe easier.
I nod. “Yeah. I just needed some air.”
“I’m not that bad, am I?” Prince Dante’s eyebrow arches. “I hope you won’t need air every time you talk to me.”
I blush. I didn’t realize I’m a blusher, but apparently the Prince brings out the worst in me.
“You’re not bad at all.”
The Prince’s eyes linger on mine. His tongue slides out to lick his lips, and my heart stutters. Raking his fingers through his hair, Prince Dante lets out a sigh.
Does he know how incredibly handsome he is? Every movement he makes is strong, purposeful, magnetic. Every look he gives me sends lava coursing through my veins. Every time I catch a whiff of his cologne, my heart skips a beat.
It doesn’t even look like he’s trying, but pretty soon I’m going to need a ‘Wet Floor’ sign whenever I’m around him.
The Prince clears his throat. “I hope you don’t mind, I spoke to Luca. Looks like I’ll be spending more time than anticipated here in Farcliff. There are…things…that worry us, and it’s best for me to stay here.”
“Beckett?” I ask as my heart sinks. Any reminder of the father of my child sends dread creeping into my heart.
Prince Dante’s shoulders fall. He nods. “You know about that?”
“I only know that he tried to hurt Luca—Prince Luca, I mean—but not much else.”
Prince Dante grins. “You can call him Luca. I do. You can call me Dante, too. If I’m living under your roof, I think it’s only fair we be comfortable with each other.”
My blush deepens. The thought of being comfortable with Prince Dante has crossed my mind more than once in the past hour.
Where did I put that ‘Wet Floor’ sign, again? Might as well get it ready.
“How long will you stay?” My voice squeaks, and I clear my throat to cover the noise.
“As long as I need to.”
There’s only a foot of space between us, and I desperately want to erase it. My fingers itch to feel the curve of his shoulders. To sink into the hard brawn of his muscle. To feel the heat of his skin under mine.
Swallowing the thoughts down, I force a smile. “I should go to bed. Please let me know if you need anything.”
The Prince nods, and I sidestep my way around his broad body, feeling his gaze on my back as I make my way up the stairs.
Turns out, I was right when I thought I wouldn’t sleep tonight, but I’m not reliving any mortifying incidents from the past ten years. I’m just replaying the sight of Prince Dante standing in my kitchen in nothing but a towel. When I close my eyes, I imagine how it would have felt to catch that adventurous drop of water with my tongue.
That thought alone keeps me awake most of the night.
WHEN I GET UP, Luca and Ivy are already at the bakery. I retrieve my phone from the shelf in the living room, sighing when I see thirty-two missed calls from my publicist. As I stare at the screen, the phone flashes and her name appears. I press the green ‘answer’ button.
“Hi, Felicity.”
“She’s alive!” my publicist exclaims sarcastically.
“Sorry I missed your calls. There’s been a lot going on.”
“I know, Margot. And one of the more important things that’s going on is your interview with the Farcliff Observer. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
My chest squeezes, and I force myself to take a full breath. “No, I haven’t forgotten.”
Even the thought of stepping in front of a camera makes my pulse quicken. My fingers and toes suddenly feel ice-cold, and I sink down into a chair.
“The car will be there to pick you up at one o’clock. Hair and makeup will be arriving at your place at eleven, and they’ll accompany you to the interview. I’ll meet you there.”
Felicity says a few more things that I barely hear, and then hangs up without waiting for an answer. I can feel her annoyance with me through the phone, and I wince when the phone disconnects.
“Everything okay?” I turn to see Dante at the edge of the living room. His dark hair is tousled, his eyes still a bit sleepy. He’s wearing a plain white t-shirt and dark jeans. He doesn’t look like a prince at all, but then again, I don’t know why I expected princes to be formal all the time.
I release a breath and nod. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I have an interview today that I’ve been dreading.”
“I know what you mean,” Dante grins.
“Not a fan of interviews?”
“Not even a little bit. I hate them. I’ve been lucky, though.” Dante takes a step into the living room and sits down on one of the sofas. He stretches his legs out and crosses them at the ankle, looking completely comfortable in his own skin.
I envy the ease with which he carries himself. Sometimes, it feels like my entire existence is just one long, awkward struggle. Seeing people who just float through life makes me wish that I wasn’t so anxious all the time.
I’ve always been this way, and in the past few months, every time my body trembles it makes me think that my disease is progressing.
The Prince takes a deep breath. “When I was a kid, a video of me went viral. I was sick, and I ended up throwing up all over my ceremonial uniform.” Dante glances at me, shaking his head. “It seems so pathetic to say that now, but it really scarred me.”
“I get that.”
“It was at a time when there were things going on between my mother, my father, and my uncle.” He inhales, shaking his head. “Things got out of control, and I just decided that the public eye wasn’t for me. The throwing up was just the straw that broke the camel’s back, really.”
Dante pinches his lips.
“It was back in the day when ‘viral’ really meant v
iral. Not now, where anytime a video gets a few thousand views, they say it’s viral. In those days, a viral video meant that everyone had seen it. Nearly everyone in the world has seen me blow chunks on my little ten-year-old’s ceremonial uniform.”
“I would definitely replay that until the end of my days,” I laugh. “It would keep me up at night for years.”
“It got really bad when I was eleven or twelve. My mother had run off with my uncle, and she’d tried to take me with her. It was a mess. I was afraid to go out in case someone made fun of me.” Dante grimaces. “I just cracked. I couldn’t handle it. The rest of my family were really understanding. They let me work in the background, and my face hasn’t been that publicized. Luca stepped forward, as did Theo. People still know who I am, but I’m not nearly as recognizable as they are.”
I grin. “I can attest to that…Todd.”
“I’ll admit, that was a first.” Dante smiles. He nods his chin toward me. “What’s your interview?”
I blow the air out of my lungs, shaking my head. “An exclusive interview about my overdose, anxiety, and recovery. ‘Margot LeBlanc bares it all.’ I’m supposed to be vulnerable and open and win back my audience with my candor. Or so my publicist says.”
“That’s the stuff of nightmares.”
“Don’t remind me. I’ll just try to get through it. It’ll be my first time in front of the cameras since…” I take a deep breath. “Since I left for the retreat.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
I smile sadly. “I don’t think so. I just have to prepare myself for the internet trolls who talk about how much weight I’ve gained, and how my agent dumped me, and how my sponsorships are falling through. You think you have thick skin until you read comments online.”
Dante laughs. “Just try not to throw up on yourself. I can say from experience that the comments on that video are vicious.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I stand up, smiling at the Prince. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
As Dante follows me into the kitchen, I’m surprised to note that the tension in my body has eased. The Prince offers to make pancakes.
Wicked Prince: A Secret Baby Romance (Royally Unexpected Book 5) Page 3