Page 59 of Winning Bid

“What is it like?” I snarl.

She looks frightened, and I hate that. I don’t ever want her to be frightened of me, but fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. She takes a breath, and it’s labored, like she can’t breathe right, either. “I didn’t know?—"

“Didn’t know what?” I shout.

“I wanted to tell you everything,” she blurts, “but with the cops sniffing around, it was never the right time?—"

I take her upper arms in my hands to steal her attention. “Start fucking talking before I lose my fucking mind!”

Tears trickle down her cheeks, sparkling in the parking lot lights. The sight would have broken my heart if it weren’t shattered already. She sobs, “Andre … he’s trying to take over everything your father has ever touched.”

There it is. A confession. Sort of.

“What did you do?”

She gulps. “I helped. I didn’t mean to. I thought he wanted to buy some companies. That’s not out of the ordinary. But until right before we left for Vermont, I didn’t know they were companies your dad is involved in. It looked like legitimate-ish purchases?—"

“Then why are you gathering dirt on the board members?”

Her eyes widen. “How did you know?—"

“My father has spies everywhere, June. You know that!”

She takes several breaths, close to hyperventilating. “I was gathering dirt to make it easier for Andre to buy the companies. I swear, I thought the whole thing was just business! I didn’t know it was about your dad! I had no idea! Please, baby, you have to believe me!”

I have to ask it. I don’t want to. But I have to. “Did you trick me into killing Neil?”

Her jaw goes slack in shock. Only half a word comes out. “Wha?”

“Did you? Was he some other mark you had to get rid of?—"

She shoves me off of her. Her voice sizzles in rage. “How fucking dare you?”

“Just tell me!”

For a moment, we glare at each other. But then her face softens into a look of abject pity, even though she is the one in tears. “What did your father do to you? How could you ever even … I know this is him. All of this. I didn’t go into the project for Andre for the purpose of destroying your father, but right now, I wish I had. He has you so fucking twisted up that I don’t know who you are.”

One last terrible question. “Has this been the plan all along? From the night of the auction? Use me to get to Elliot?”

She laughs so angrily that I know I’ll hear that sound in hell. “Are you actually asking me that?”

“Answer the question, June. I need to hear you say it.”

“I shouldn’t dignify that question with an answer. This conversation should have never had to happen. You should have more fucking faith in me than this, you asshole!”

I whisper the only word I have left in my heart. “Please.”

“No! Are you happy now? No, I didn’t go into the auction to get to Elliot! No, I didn’t trick you into killing Neil! No, I didn’t do anything you’ve accused me of on purpose! Andre is using me to get the information he wants, and I think he’s doing it to rub salt in the wound once he buys those companies because it’s the only thing that makes any sense—why else would he hire me, right? It can’t be because I’m a fucking excellent lawyer,” she throws her hands up in a violent shrug, “No, of course, it has to be to piss off Elliot just that little bit more by using someone close to his family, because Andre is almost as big of an asshole as you are, and?—"

I grab her face and kiss her. It’s messy and unwelcome, and I don’t fucking care. She’s so indignant about this that I know it wasn’t her. She’s not a spy. She’s the woman I love, and I have said possibly the worst things I could ever say to her, and all I want to do is make up for that, but she pushes me off of her.

“The fuck was that? Do you have any idea how furious I am with you right now?”

“I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you, June. I’ll swear it in blood if you like. Today has been one of the worst days of my life, and I am at my breaking point. I am so fucking sorry for what I said. But I had to hear it from you. Dad’s evidence?—"

“What evidence?”

“Footage of you in different places with materials he thought you shouldn’t have. And then he spun a tale that sounded like a textbook honey trap, and with the footage … it all lined up in the worst possible way. I have hated myself since the moment I started to believe him, and I will keep hating myself for a lot longer for actually saying those things to you. Baby, I am so fucking sorry.”

---