Cruel Fortune (Cruel 2)

He leaned down to whisper into my ear, “The faster this is over, the sooner we can leave and use that bubble bath.”

I shivered at his words, anticipation blooming through my core. He squeezed my hand and then disappeared into the crowd.

“Sexy,” Jane said. She reached for my hand. “Let me introduce you around.”

It was shocking how much nicer everyone was here. Maybe I was playing the part of Upper East Sider better than I’d thought. Or maybe a house party really was that much more low-key than the events I’d gone to with Katherine. It could also be how nonchalant and enigmatic Jane was.

“Oh look,” Jane said as she peeled me away from some son of an investor she knew, “my boy toy has finally made it.”

I turned around, and my stomach lurched. Christ, Court Kensington looked so much like his younger brother that it was torturous. Broad shoulders, trim waist, big unbelievably blue eyes, and a smile that could make nuns want to sin.

“Hey, baby,” Court said. He wrapped an arm around Jane’s waist and pressed a firm, lasting kiss to her lips.

Jane looked lovesick when he pulled back. “Hey, you.”

“Come to the back with me. We’re just getting started.”

She nodded, captivated by that gaze. “Court, you remember Natalie.”

His eyes swept to me when he realized they had an audience. “Natalie…Natalie,” he mused. “You dated my brother.”

“Uh, yeah. Like a year ago.”

He shrugged as if the timeline meant nothing to him.

“She’s a successful author now,” Jane said. “You’ll love her.”

“I bet I will,” Court said with a languid smile.

Jane grabbed my hand and pulled me to the back room with her. It was an office space, but it was clear that Harmony didn’t use the space for anything more than display or her parties. A dozen people crowded into the space over a table with lines of cocaine.

My heart stopped. No, I stopped. Physically.

I’d been around drugs before. I’d seen athletes use them to get ahead. And loser artists use them to try to find inspiration. And frat boys use them to feel anything at all. But I’d never used them, and the scene was not something I wanted to see play out.

Just as I was about to make an excuse, an arm fell around my shoulders. “Hey, sexy.”

I glanced over with wide eyes to find none other than Camden Percy. One of the last times I’d seen him, he’d been a raging asshole at a charity function. I didn’t know if he was still with Katherine, but it hadn’t stopped him from hitting on me before.

Jane giggled and casually flicked Camden’s arm off of mine. “She’s taken, Cam.”

“So? Don’t see her boy with her,” he said, eye-fucking the shit out of me. He had to be fucked out of his mind.

“That boy is Lewis Warren,” I told him, taking a quick step back.

“Warren, huh?” He shrugged. “Well, you know how to pick ’em. You friends with my dear fiancée, too?”

“No,” I said boldly.

He laughed. “Look at that bitter frown.” He nudged my lips with the back of his hand. “What did Katherine Van Pelt do this time?”

“Is she about to show up?” I asked.

He laughed again, louder. “I fucking hope not. No one here gives a fuck about Katherine Van Pelt. The frigid bitch burns bridges faster than her daddy ate her trust fund.”

I shuddered at the way he talked about Katherine. I hated her. But still…she was marrying this asshole.

“Now, come do a line with me, love,” Camden said with a wink. His hands went to my waist. “After you’ve had one, maybe you’ll loosen up.”

Court stepped in between us with a low laugh. “Dude, did you see that Tracey was here? Isn’t that why you came out anyway?”

Camden snorted. His dilated pupils going even wider as if he noticed Court’s interference but didn’t remark on it. But he went to a busty redhead in the corner who was already using a credit card to make a straight line of white powder.

“Thanks,” I murmured. I was surprised that it was Court who had stepped in. Everything I’d heard about him made him out to be horrible. Then again…I’d gotten it all from Penn.

“No problem. Camden can sometimes be a handful,” Court said.

“That’s an understatement.”

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want,” Jane said. “I didn’t realize Camden would be so handsy.”

“Yeah, I think…I’m just going to get a bit of air.”

“I’ll find you after,” Jane insisted.

I waved my hand in what was half-acceptance, half-dismissal and then hustled the hell out of that room. My heart was racing, and adrenaline propelled me further down the hallway.

Before I even saw where I was going, I ran smack dab into a large male figure in a crisp black suit.

“Oof,” I groaned.

My eyes lifted as I prepared to apologize. But the words were stuck on my tongue.