Page 7 of The Wicked

That’s what I said, but like so many aspects of my life, nothing went according to plan.

3

SARA

Sara’s to-do list:

- Buy more peanut butter cups.

- Clean the bathroom.

- Sew button on Parker’s shirt.

- Consider a new career.

- Place all sharp objects out of reach/temptation.

“Whatever happens, you look amazing.” Brooke glanced across from the driver’s seat of her Toyota compact. She’d offered to drive me because I didn’t want to risk my car being spotted at the Peninsula. “I’d kill for those shoes.”

So much for staying under the radar. Paulo had found inspiration in my midnight cut-off and created a mood board that took up one whole wall in the break room at the Craft Cabin. The theme? Cinder-freaking-rella. Brie had donated a powder-blue ballgown that must have cost a fortune, Darla had altered it to fit me, and Romi had dug out a blonde wig, blue contact lenses, and a pair of designer shoes. Paulo had stuck over three thousand tiny crystals on the shoes—no kidding, he’d counted—and added so many feathers to my Venetian mask that I felt as if I’d escaped from a zoo. Forget salsa; I’d be doing a mating dance with a parrot.

“Everyone’s gonna stare.” And quite possibly be blinded by my pumps too.

“But nobody will ever recognise you; that’s the important thing.”

Okay, I had to concede Brooke was right on that point. Heck, I barely recognised myself. Addy had spent nearly two hours doing my make-up and pinning my fake hair into an elaborate updo. My skin was flawless, my cheeks were a delicate shade of pink, and my lips shimmered when the light hit them. Brooke had manicured my nails, and she’d even painted my toes red to match, although nobody could see them. And the jewellery… Nobody would tell me where the necklace and earrings had come from, but I had to give them back to Brooke at the end of the night. The sparkles might even be from genuine sapphires.

“As long as I keep the mask on and leave before midnight.”

“I’ll be outside at eleven thirty, and if you need me there any earlier, just send a message. How’s the organising going? Did Kayleigh and Lillian mess up yet?”

“They suddenly realised that people had dietary requirements, but it was too late for the catering team to order more food, so the twins had to run to the big grocery store in Coos Bay this afternoon.” A giggle burst out at the thought of the two of them pushing a shopping cart. Usually, they got groceries delivered, or Uncle EJ made the trip, but today, Kayleigh and Lillian had been forced to interact with the rest of us mortals. “Finding what they needed took ages because they had no idea where to look, and they ran out of time to do their make-up.”

“I wish I’d been there to see it,” Brooke said.

“Me too.”

“You missed the drama?”

“I haven’t set foot in the main house since they fired me, but Parker told me they headed out late, barefaced and bickering.”

My cousin Parker was the only member of the family I still spoke to, probably because a third of them were enjoying room and board courtesy of the great state of Oregon. Easton the Third and Aunt Marianna were both horrible people. And ever since his wife and youngest son went to jail, Uncle EJ had been avoiding me. Parker said Marianna was fond of bad-mouthing me from behind bars, that she blamed me in part for her predicament, but as usual, she was lying. It wasn’t that I hadn’t tried to bring her down, but ultimately, she’d been responsible for her own fate.

“Parker isn’t fond of the twins?” Brooke asked.

“I don’t think so.”

“I don’t really understand him.”

“Neither do I.”

I’d lived with Parker for over sixteen years, and I still had no idea what made him tick. On the surface, my eldest cousin was cold, pragmatic, and a master at self-preservation, but perhaps he had a heart lurking somewhere deep inside? Parker had never joined in with the others when they belittled me, and after Kayleigh and Lillian had done their worst last month, he’d shown up at the pool house late in the evening to tell me that he’d cover my share of the utilities until I found a new job. But I hated the thought of being beholden to Parker. Nothing he gave was a gift.

We drove along Main Street, heading for the Peninsula. The hotel was a new addition to Baldwin’s Shore, and it wasn’t popular among most of the locals. The owner, Nico Belinsky, was an outsider, a wealthy Russian who’d somehow ended up in our little corner of paradise. Yes, he’d invested a bunch of money and boosted both employment and tourism in the area, but he’d also built his resort on a popular local beauty spot that the previous owner had allowed the public to use for decades.

Brooke made a right turn. “How many people will be at the event tonight?”

“The guest list had three hundred names, but they won’t all show up. They never do. Maybe two hundred and fifty will come?”

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