Page 51 of Into the Woods

He moved a hand to my cheek, his thumb stroking away the last tear that tumbled free. “There’s my girl,” he whispered, his dark eyes like twin blocks of burning coal. “Baby, did something happen?”

A hysterical laugh bubbled out of me. “You mean other than my life?”

His jaw tightened. “I mean with that asswipe. I never should’ve let you go with him. Did he—”

“He didn’t hurt me,” I assured Court, smoothing a finger across his jaw until it relaxed.

He exhaled long and hard. “Thank Christ for that.” His lips pressed against my hair, and I snuggled closer to his chest without thinking. My ear pressed against hard muscle, and I focused on the steady thumping of his heart.

“Sorry,” I whispered, sniffling again.

He snorted. “For what?”

“Breaking down like an idiot?” I couldn’t keep the self-deprecation from my tone.

“Baby, I’m here anytime you need me,” he murmured, running his hand down my back.

“I just… I guess it all caught up with me,” I went on, resisting the urge to remind him of all the ways he’d abandoned me over the years. For tonight, I’d let myself believe the lies.

Just one night.

With a shaky laugh, I covered my face with my hands. “I’m a freaking disaster.”

Gentle fingers wrapped around my wrists and tugged. “No, you’re not. You’re….” Court blew out another breath, his dark eyes pained. “You’re fucking amazing. I promise we’ll get this punk out of your life. How’d he take the breakup?”

I sat slowly on the edge of my bed, knowing I must look guilty.

Court’s eyes narrowed. “Becca.”

“Hear me out, okay?”

His expression went cold, flat. “Tell me.”

Maybe if I started with the good news? “I know when the auction’s happening,” I blurted out.

He stiffened, the air around him going still. “And how would you happen to know that info?” His voice remained deadly calm, almost terrifyingly so.

I bit my lower lip. “I might’ve played up that my dad didn’t exactly keep that world a secret.”

Something dark and unreadable flashed in his eyes. “Becca.”

“And maybe I also name-dropped your dad, and Linc’s… and the fact that we all used to vacation together,” I finished, pushing the words out so fast that they ran together.

Court took a breath, then another. He paced a few feet away before turning back. “What. The fuck. Were you thinking?”

My heart slammed in my chest. “I was thinking I could help! Eric—”

“Is a motherfucking psycho, Becca!” Court snarled. “And you just basically gave him a free pass to show you his crazy.”

I ducked my head, my shoulders hiking up. “Yeah, he actually seemed pretty excited that we were on the same team.”

“Of fucking course he was,” he spat, sparks practically flying from his eyes as he pinned me with a ruthless stare. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“Helped your ass out?” I snapped, suddenly cranky. Jesus, it wasn’t like I’d married Eric. I’d fudged a few truths to get info from a seriously bad guy to help Court and Rook.

“More like put yourself directly in his crosshairs,” he hissed. “Jesus, how could you have been so stupid?”

I jumped up. “I’m not stupid.”

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