Page 150 of Into the Woods

Shock held me in a stranglehold. Then I realized the gun was lying a few feet away. I’d never held a gun before, but I wanted to grab it now. To aim it at Jasper Woods and fire until all the bullets were gone. To protect Court.

I lunged forward, already envisioning his father’s end even as Court caught a foot to the stomach and staggered back.

Pain ripped through my scalp as something jerked me backward. Instead of falling forward and grabbing the gun, I was tumbling down.

“I’ve got you, love,” Eric whispered against my ear.

My eyes watered as I fought him. “Let me go!”

Court, hearing my scream, looked up and gave the general the opening he needed. General Woods kicked out and swept Court’s legs from under him, knocking him to the ground. The general climbed on top of his son and began raining punches down on Court’s head.

“No!” I twisted and fought, feeling strands of my hair rip free of Eric’s hold.

“Dammit, Bex,” Eric hissed, letting go of my hair to wrap his arms around me in a frighteningly strong reverse bear hug. He dragged me back a few steps. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

I couldn’t break free. All I could do was watch in horror as General Woods lifted Court’s head to bash his skull into the asphalt and gravel.

I’d heard of women doing incredible things when they were in untenable situations, like a mom lifting a car off her kids. Where the hell was that strength now?

Eric’s hot breath hit the back of my neck, and I snapped my head back, catching him in the nose and mouth. He howled in pain, releasing me.

I hit the ground on my hands and knees, then scrambled forward to grab the gun. The second I felt the cold metal in my hands, I swung and aimed it at General Woods. “Stop!”

Woods looked at me, freezing in place, and then his lips curled into a snarl. “You don’t have it in you.”

Court slammed a fist into his father’s temple, knocking Woods off him. He rolled to his feet and came to me. When he held out a hand for the gun, I wordlessly passed it to him as Eric screamed about his broken nose.

“No, she doesn’t,” Court agreed, “but I do.”

Woods pushed himself to his knees. “What now, son?”

I leaned against Court’s legs, adrenaline thrumming in my blood. To my right, Eric was still holding his hands over his face, blood dripping between his fingers.

“Now I live the rest of my life with my girl,” Court told his father.

“And I spend the rest of mine in a prison cell?” Woods smirked.

“Sounds good to me,” Court agreed. “I like the idea of you in a cage, being someone’s bitch.”

The general growled. “Fucking shoot me, you pussy.”

No, my mind said. I didn’t want Court to kill his own father; I didn’t want him living with that. Did Jasper Woods deserve a bullet to the skull? Absolutely. But killing him wouldn’t undo the past.

“And let you get off easy? Fuck that,” Court replied. “I want you to spend the rest of your pathetic life knowing your sons are out there, undoing everything you’ve ever done. We’ll dismantle Black Box Ops. We’ll petition the government to strip you of all your titles and awards. The world will forget the name Jasper Woods. You’ll be nothing. You are nothing.”

The sound of footsteps pounding across the deserted parking lot hit my ears, and I could only pray it was the good guys and not the general’s men.

Eric turned and started to run.

A snarl ripped through the night, followed by a blur of fur and fury as Wanda launched into the air and landed on top of Eric. She tackled him to the ground with a ferocious growl, grabbing his forearm. He screamed as her teeth sank into his skin.

“Game over,” Court said to General Woods.

Royal, Trick, Rook, and Ryan ran toward us. Trick kept going until he got to Wanda’s side and spoke a foreign word that had her releasing Eric and backing away to sit beside Trick.

Royal got to us first. “Good job, little brother.”

General Woods glared at his oldest son. “Fucking ungrateful pricks. I tried to give you all the fucking world.”

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