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Everett holds me the whole drive back to the estate. He has the seatbelt wrapped around both of us, and his hold never eases as he whispers words to me that I can’t process. I’ve never felt so overwhelmed with emotion like I am right now. Fear, and relief, and a heart bursting with love. It’s all hitting me in one big tidal wave of feelings, and I don’t know how to wade my way back to the shore.
Storm speaks into his phone quietly, trying to put the pieces of how this could have happened together. It shouldn’t have been possible, and that’s the point. The cameras in the garage were disabled before we arrived in case the Russos were tracking us that way, but that also means we have no evidence of who could have planted the bomb, or how they got past the security. The only thing that makes any sense is that it was someone who works for us, and that’s a big problem.
The moment the car stops in front of the house, the door flings open and Snow and Emerson come bounding down the steps, both throwing themselves onto Everett and I before we can even get out of the car.
Tears stream down their faces while Rayne follows behind them, his eyes looking just as broken as the rest of ours. Today was a near miss, too close for comfort, and we’re all feeling it.
“Thank god you’re okay,” Snow sobs into my chest. Everett was only able to turn us in the seat before the cavalry arrived, but there’s nothing in his hold on me that indicates he’s frustrated with the situation.
“I’m okay,” I whisper as I reach for Emerson’s hand and squeeze it. It feels like she’s been a part of this family just as long as the rest of us, and I can only imagine the hell these two women have been giving Rayne since we made them leave he parking garage.
“I was so scared.” Snow pulls her head back to look me over. “Are you hurt?”
I shake my head. “No, not hurt.” Not physically at least. I think the fear I’ve felt today will live with me for a while, but I’m not in any pain if that’s what she means.
“Let’s get you inside, little dove,” Everett whispers into the crook of my neck.
I nod. I’ve been shivering since the moment he pulled me from the car, my entire body trembling uncontrollably, but I’m not cold. Not really. It’s the adrenaline violently forcing its way from my body.
Everett carefully lifts us both from the SUV and caries me up the front steps and into the house. The moment the front door closes behind Storm the sound of the automatic lock system sounds throughout the house. I’m glad Mom and Dad decided to have that installed, otherwise we’d all be back at Rayne’s penthouse, and as lovely as that place is, it’s not big enough for the six of us not to kill each other.
I burrow into Everett’s chest, breathing him in with each step he takes. The scent of sandalwood and vanilla fills my nose and I can’t help but do it again and again. He uses the same aftershave he did when he was younger, and it calms me almost as much as his arms around me.
“Take her up to her room,” Storm says from somewhere behind us. “Then I need you and Rayne in my office.”
“No,” Everett replies simply. “I’m not leaving her like this, so you and Rayne can deal with this shit, and I’ll take care of Wynter.”
“The girls can look out for her,” Storm argues and I hold on tight as Everett stops abruptly and turns around, his entire body tense as he stares at my brother.
“I know you don’t get it, but Rayne does. I cannot leave her when I almost lost her today. We’ll be fucking lucky if I can let her out of my sight in the next goddamn year let alone the next day,” he growls.
“He’s right, Storm. If it was Emerson in that car there’s no way I’d be leaving her even for a minute.”
“Don’t you fucking get it?” Storm shouts and I immediately cower into the hard chest I’m leaning on. “We’re all sitting here while they’re plotting how to take us down. We need to get ahead of them. Wynter was right earlier. He could have taken the whole goddamn family out and we wouldn’t have seen it coming. There’s a rat somewhere in our organization, and if we don’t work out who it is, we may not be here in a year for you to allow my sister out of your fucking sight.”
Everett’s body is vibrating with anger, but his hold on me remains firm and strong. “No Storm, you’re the one that doesn’t fucking get it. Just you fucking wait until you meet the woman that destroys you, and you wait for the moment they’re in danger. Then we can discuss this.” He turns away from my brother and starts toward the stairs without another word.
It’s not until he carefully places me down on the bed that I really see just how angry he is. His face is red, and his jaw is so tight I’m worried he’s going to snap something.
“Maybe you should go strategize,” I whisper. “I’ll be alright.”
His head snaps around to face me and the fire in his eyes almost burns me on the spot. “Not you too! I couldn’t give a shit about getting back at them right now. All I care about is making sure you’re okay.”
“I am okay, Everett. I promise. Not a scratch on me. But today could have ended very differently. We need a plan,” I try to reason with him, but I should know there’s no reasoning with the men in this family.
30
Everett
The rage rushing through my blood only seems to deepen with each moment that passes. The more I think about what happened today, the more I consider what could have happened, the more I want to throw Wynter over my shoulder and take her away from this place. Away from the war. Away from my family. Away from danger.
And if I thought she wouldn’t kill me for doing it, we’d already be on a plane halfway to the other side of the world right now, but she won’t leave her family, and she won’t leave Frost Industries.
I prowl across the room like a lion chasing my prey, but Wynter doesn’t move a muscle. She watches me curiously, each step I take carefully considered until I’m looming over her. She follows my gaze, her head reclined all the way as she holds my eyes. Anyone else on this earth would have flinched away by now, they would have seen a predator coming at them and cowered. But not my little dove.
“Keep pushing me, Wynter. I promise you won’t like the consequences,” I force through clenched teeth.
Her eyebrow quirks up and the corners of her lips tip up in a mischievous smile. “Won’t I?” she challenges.
