in place. Belle’s bag wasn’t in the designated spot, my mobile needed to be charged, and I couldn’t get Edward on the phone.
“Wait,” Belle commanded, stopping on the stairs suddenly. She grabbed the railing, her knuckles going white, as she hunched over and sucked in a breath so sharply, I thought she might collapse.
I pressed a hand to the small of her back, trying to remember what they’d taught us at the class we’d taken last month. Then, I’d filed away the information, wondering if it would be useful. Now? I realized the suggestions were nothing more than distractions, meant to keep me from seeing what an utterly pointless bastard I was. I’d gotten her into this mess, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to be useful, except help her to the car—a task that was taking record amounts of time.
When she finally straightened, she shot me a tired smile. “That was a bad one.”
“Let’s get you in the car before another one hits, beautiful.” I was beginning to worry we wouldn’t make it to the hospital at the rate they were coming.
To her credit, Belle moved more quickly than I would in her state. Maybe she was concerned about the same thing. “Remember how I didn’t want medication?” She whimpered as we reached the door. “I changed my mind.”
“Soon,” I promised. I kept a hold on her as I unlatched the door, kicking it open with my foot. Brex rushed up the steps, grabbing the bag. He carried a black umbrella to ward against a misty drizzle that had begun sometime after nightfall.
“You need more help?” he asked, having the poor timing to do so as another contraction started.
“Do. Not. Touch. Me,” Belle said in a voice so thick with warning that Brex took a step away from her.
Brex and I exchanged looks. We’d stared down the barrel of guns. He’d gone to war. I’d throttled the life out of men. But neither of us had ever faced anything as terrifying as a woman in labor.
The car was blessedly warm, thanks to his foresight, and when Belle finally had another brief reprieve, I got her inside, said a prayer for the upholstery, and rounded to the driver’s side. Brex didn’t say anything as I slid behind the Range Rover’s wheel.
“I’ll follow.”
I appreciated his escort. He’d been driving Belle around town the last few days but there was no one I would trust to see her to hospital at this moment. I pulled onto the road, grateful that she’d gone into labor in the night when the traffic was a trifle less congested. Still, the Rover handled differently than my car and I found my foot pressing the pedal to the floorboard, trying to get it to speed up. That coupled with wet pavement was a dangerous combination.
“We should have taken the Bugatti,” I grumbled.
“I would have wrecked the seats.” Between contractions, my wife was maintaining a relative sense of humor. I decided that was a good sign.
“Fuck the seats,” I growled, missing the nimble sports car.
“I never thought I’d live to hear you say that,” she said. Her hand fumbled over mine, but before I could weave my fingers through hers, she yelped and leaned forward.
“Fuck!” I drove through a traffic light, knowing full well it was red. A London cab slammed on its brakes as I swerved around it. The driver, a grandfatherly looking gentleman wearing a flat cap flipped the v’s at me. I didn’t bother to respond. Belle was going to have the baby in the car if we didn’t get there soon.
In general, I disliked hospitals. I’d yet to have an experience in one that hadn’t left me mourning a death or planning one. The last time I’d stepped foot inside one, Clara was giving birth. It had been a circus then, but tonight, St. Mary’s was relatively calm from the outside. I’d never been so happy to see the Lindo Wing’s private entrance.
“Did you call Clara?” Belle asked breathlessly as I pulled to park in front of the stone steps.
“I will, beautiful.” By the time, I reached her side of the car to help her out, her eyes were narrowed into slits. “It’s on the list! Edward and Clara, and then you need to let Lola know so she can be on call for Bless and—” She dissolved in a moan that sent alarm bells ringing inside me.
“It will all be handled.” I rubbed her shoulders, waiting for it to pass,