SWNOVELS Dead of Wynter: Chapter 25
“I don’t like this,” Everett says for the eighth time since he walked into the kitchen this morning.
“You don’t have to. This is the best way for us to travel,” Storm tells him.
I feel like I’m stuck in a never-ending time loop that I can’t escape from no matter how many times we go around and around.
“I mean, I don’t like that the girls are leaving the house. It’s risky,” Everett huffs.
“And I’ve told you that the lawyer has requested all of our presence for the reading of the will, and they said they can’t come to the house to do it, so we all have to go to the city,” Storm explains… again.
It has to be Groundhog Day, that’s the only explanation for this constant loop.
“I still don’t like it,” Everett grumbles.
I wrap my hands around the mug in front of me and bring my lips to the rim, inhaling the sweet caffeine. I was going to wait until we got to the city to get one of the fancy coffees I like, but when Everett almost had a coronary at the idea of making a pit stop along the way I quickly made myself a cup and sat my ass down at the table with Snow and Emerson as we watched the never-ending pissing match.
“You don’t have to like it, but it’s happening.” Storm shrugs. They’ve been cold toward one another since everyone woke up this morning, and if I had to hazard a guess I would say they had words last night about the secrets I forced my brother to keep. Everett was never going to let it go, I don’t know why I wasted my breath in the first place. “And we’re doing it the safest way we know how.”
“Like we’re the goddamn royal family.” Rayne rolls his eyes. “I’m with Everett on this one, I’m not comfortable sending Emerson in a car on her own.”
Storm sighs and scrubs his hands down his face. “She’s not on her own, she’s with three security guards.”
Rayne pins our brother with one of the scariest looks I’ve ever seen cross his face. “Yes, I’ve seen how that’s played out before and our security basically handed my woman straight over to the enemy. Excuse me if I don’t want to repeat that experience,” he growls.
“This is the only option we have. It’s too risky all going together, they could take out every last Saint James if they played their cards right, and I’m not willing to risk that.”
“But we’ll let them take their pick of the litter of who to take out?” Everett asks, his brows raised.
“Of course not. Like I explained this morning, we made the decision on the day at the very last minute so there’s less chance of a coordinated hit. We’re each taking one car with three security, and we will all drive in different directions to meet at the same place. I’m not understanding what your problem with this is.”
“My problem is exactly what you just said, your plan only gives us less chance of a coordinated hit. Do you know what would give zero chance? Not going. Staying here in the estate where there’s more security than the White House and no chance of any hits.” Everett shrugs like it’s the easiest thing in the world. Watching these three bicker only reminds me of when we were kids fighting over a toy, except now the three of them are big and scary and much meaner than they were then. “You’ll understand one day what it feels like to have your heart living outside your body as a living, breathing human, but until then you’re not going to understand how Rayne and I feel.”
My heart seizes at his words and I quickly look down at my mug again. Those words could mean anything, but from the way his eyes burn into the side of my face I know they’re directed at me. When I woke up this morning after sleeping for so long, and so deeply I wondered if I’d dropped dead for at least some of the night, Everett was nowhere to be seen and there was no sign of him having slept beside me. He’s obviously staying true to not touching me until he’s told me everything, as frustrating as that may be.
Storm looks from Rayne to Everett and back again. “I’m sorry, but this has to happen today. We’ve already put it off longer than we should have and the board are getting antsy. We know what the will says, but they don’t and if we don’t establish our claim on the shares of Frost Industries, there will be takeover attempts, and Dad would turn over in his grave if we allowed that to happen.”
“I don’t understand why Emerson and I can’t travel together, and Everett and Wynter. Then you and Snow can go separately.”
“Because Emerson and Everett are part of this family, and as such have just as much of a claim on Frost Industries as the rest of us. If all biological Saint James siblings go down, there are things in place for the surviving members of the family to take over.”
“There are?” Emerson asks with wide eyes, looking at Rayne for confirmation but he just shrugs.
“Of course there are. Until we all start popping out babies, we need a plan b for the eventuality that Russo is going to take us all out.” Snow shrugs like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I glare at her for a moment before swiping her cup and bringing it to my nose, cringing at the smell of whiskey. “It’s a bit early for this.” I pass the mug back.
“Yeah, well, it’s not every day you get to find out what percentage of your family’s business your parents thought you were worthy of,” Snow fires back.
“Can we go back a few steps to where we discussed the plan b…” Emerson looks equally sick and horrified at the thought of taking over the company, and I don’t blame her. Even I have moments when I think about something happening to Storm and me being saddled with both sides of Frost Industries. The boardroom I can deal with, but if this shit with the Russos has taught me anything, it’s that the sinister side of our business dealings are way above my head.
“You don’t need to worry about it, sweet girl because it’s not going to happen.” He glares at Storm for bringing it up in the first place. The idea that myself and all my siblings could be taken out of the picture makes my heart ache but having people that our legacy can be passed on to makes me feel a little better.
“I want to know,” Emerson snaps, she’s freaking out, even if she is good at hiding it.
Storm sighs. “In an ideal world, if it’s only us that are out of the picture, you would take Wynter’s position, Everett would take mine, and Tommy would take Rayne’s. There are other contingency plans, but that’s best-case scenario.”
“Best-case scenario?” she yells, the panic in her voice clear. “How is that best-case scenario?”
Rayne sweeps her into his arms and holds her tightly against his body, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “Shh. It’s not going to happen, so it doesn’t matter.” He shoots a glare over her head at Storm. “Why don’t we go finish getting ready?” It’s not a question and he immediately steers her out of the kitchen before anyone can say anything else to freak her out.
“What did I do?” Storm asks, watching as they leave.
Everett shakes his head and a short chuckle falls from his lips. “You’ll get it one day, bro. We should do the same.” He turns to me and I stare at him for a moment.
“Why would we get ready together?” I raise an eyebrow and take another sip of my coffee.
“Because I said so. Let’s go.” Everett motions for the door and I roll my eyes as I stand and carry my mug to the dishwasher. By the time I meet him in the doorway there’s a small smirk playing on his lips. “Already itching for another punishment, little dove?” He whispers so quietly I barely hear him.
I shrug. “Maybe.”