Page 38 of Highland Ruse

What he’d seen.

How she’d lied.

How she would continue to lie and do whatever she had to.

Her face went hot and her nose tingled with the threat of tears. She wanted to stop them, but her throat was too tight around the uncomfortable lump settled there.

“Excuse me,” she said in a croaked voice and rose from the ground. Her knees were stiff from sitting for so long.

Leasa began to rise too, but Delilah shook her head. “I just…” She swallowed the desire to give in to her sobs. “I just need to be alone for a moment.”

To gather herself.

To breathe.

To stop feeling so blasted much.

Leasa sank back down beside Donnan, who gave her a gentle nod of understanding.

Delilah walked toward the woods with as much control as she could muster. She waited until the wet scent of the forest greeted her and the press of clustered tree trunks caught at her full skirts. She managed at least that long before she braced herself against the nearest tree and gave in to the dam trembling for release in the back of her throat.

Her free hand came to rest over her wet face, as if she could hide her sorrow even from herself, and kept her sobs as muffled as was possible.

She did not want anyone to see her weakness.

And she was weak.

For she felt too much for Elizabeth, the woman destined for a life of misery regardless of how the situation ended.

She felt too much for Sylvi and the other women who were counting on her to accomplish this mission. They had saved her from a life of shame and degradation. She owed them everything, and they expected much. Rightfully so.

She felt too much for Donnan and Kaid.

Her heart flinched. She especially felt too much for Kaid, with his beautiful eyes and tortured soul.

Why, why, why had she pressed Kaid for answers?

Never once had she considered the repercussion of truly knowing the situation.

A footstep sounded behind her, and her hand went into her pocket where the dagger lay against her thigh.

“It’s just me.” Kaid’s comforting voice eased her grip from the hilt of her blade. “I worried about ye. I dinna—I shouldna have said everything I did.”

Delilah did not turn around. Surely her face would give away her tears, even if they had already begun to dry. “I asked you to.” She spoke in a whisper to ensure the thickness of her emotion couldn’t be detected.

“Aye, and I know ye needed to find out.” He paused, and she realized he was trying to carefully construct what he said. “I dinna want to hurt ye. I’ve no’ ever wanted to hurt ye. Or Leasa.”

He stepped closer. She could sense his body near her back. He had a pleasant, spicy scent that mingled with those of the damp forest.

Something deep inside her longed to lean back against the solid wall of his chest.

But she was not the only one in need of comfort.

Kaid’s face earlier had told the tale his words did not elaborate upon.

He hadn’t looked at them when he spoke, perhaps to keep her from seeing the evidence of tears. The things he’d witnessed had been horrifying, evidenced by the catch in his voice and the brilliance of his haunted stare.

Her heart ached.