Page 15 of The Silence of Monsters

“I’m a single woman who lives in a big city. I don’t have a security staff to watch my back. That falls on me and me alone. Don’t try me, Lady Halliday. You won’t like the outcome.” Channing threw my mother’s hand away and spun back around to face me. “Show me where your room is, Chester. You can help me move all my crappy, secondhand stuff into your mother’s pristine home. It’ll be fun.” She cut my mom a dirty look. “I didn’t bother to check for bedbugs or other creepy crawly things that might’ve hitched a ride from the city. Won’t it be fun if I cause an infestation my first week back to the Cove?”

My mother looked stunned. She blinked and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. I grabbed one of the staff and asked them to monitor her and make her some tea or a strong cocktail to help calm her down. As I guided Channing away from the formal living room, my mother called, “I hope you’re happy. Since you were a little boy, you’ve always pushed back against me, even though all I wanted was what was best for you. It’s thanks to me that you’re the man you are, Winchester. You’ve always tried to punish me. I hope you can live with yourself if something bad happens. I don’t know how you’ll be able to sleep at night when there’s someone by your side who has nothing but ill will toward you and your family.”

I sighed because I was finished with the whole charade. There were only so many times I could hear the same threat before the sentiment lost all meaning.

“I’ll sleep just fine.” Those were my final words as I grabbed Channing’s elbow and walked to the large foyer in the front of the house. It featured two giant staircases: the left side of the house was the main living area and my mother’s domain. The right side was where Winnie and I stayed. There was another small staircase that led to the wing of the house that was mostly abandoned. That was the area that burned and took the life of Winnie’s parents. The flames had died, but there was no repair for the resentment and regret that remained long after the physical damage was fixed. The estate staff that routinely cleaned the area were the only ones who ventured to that part of the manor.

“There is plenty of room in this house. You can ignore my mother’s efforts to make you uncomfortable. I’ll have someone clean whichever area where you’re most comfortable.” I rubbed my temple where I felt a headache starting to take shape. “If things get too difficult to handle, you can use my apartment in the city when you need some breathing room.”

Channing snorted in response and gave me a cold look. “Oh no. I’m moving into your room and staying. Not only will it drive your mother bananas, but it’s bound to be inconvenient for you. When have you ever had to share your space or be considerate of another person’s needs?” A grin that showed a hint of malice tugged at her mouth. “I wasn’t joking about the bed bugs. Nothing would make me happier than making you grossly uncomfortable. It serves you right for forcing me into this stupid marriage.”

I grunted to acknowledge her valid anger toward me. I would never admit to her that what made me most uncertain were the recent kisses we’d shared.

Channing

I didn’t bring much from my apartment. Since most of my belongings were thrifted and well-loved, it made little sense for me to put them in storage. I’d end up paying more in fees than anything was worth. All I brought with me were my personal effects, a couple of plants I worked hard to keep alive, a handful of beloved books, and a box of sentimental items from my childhood I couldn’t bring myself to part with. I was experienced in moving and starting over, so it took less than a couple of hours to settle into Win’s bachelor suite and claim my place.

The huge room resembled a high-end hotel more than someone’s home, but the black and gray décor didn’t feel overly sterile. I was surprised to see pictures of him and Winnie at various ages and functions scattered around the room. And there were pictures of his younger brother and even a family photo with my sister in it. There were signs of our niece all over the masculine rooms. Her pink hoodie was hanging on the back of a barstool. A couple of her schoolbooks and loose papers were on the expensive coffee table near a tablet covered in glittery stickers. Someone had tucked a cute stuffed animal into the corner of the black leather couch, and the gourmet kitchen was stocked with the kinds of snacks and drinks the average teenager would crave after school. My views of Win shifted slightly askew the more I learned about his relationship with our niece.

I always thought he’d handed the young girl off to his mother and her staff while he was busy making millions. I never pictured Win as someone who was actively parenting the teenager. The two of them were closer than I imagined, and Win’s talk about wanting to do what was best for Winnie, no matter the cost, felt authentic. I wanted to believe this fake marriage was a way to punish his mother and manipulate me, but it was looking like Win’s motives were more cut and dry. He really wanted to give Winnie a stable, regular life. He was willing to sacrifice his time, money, and freedom to ensure she got it.

It annoyed me that a hint of respect for him crept under my skin.

“There’s a guest room. Right now, it’s full of Winnie’s stuff, but I can have it cleaned up for you.” I jumped when Win appeared silently at my elbow.

I shook my head. “I’ll share her closet for now. That’s all I need. I don’t want to kick her out. I think it’s nice you gave her a space of her own that’s close to you. Figuratively and literally. I’m not planning on staying in your room indefinitely, just long enough so that it firmly gets underneath your mother’s skin.” I waved at the fancy sofa. “I can crash there. It’s nicer than the recent bed I’ve been sleeping in. All I need is a blanket and a pillow. I can sleep anywhere. It’s kind of my superpower.”

Win grunted. “That’s ridiculous. There are no less than twenty beds on this property. There is no reason for you to sleep in the living room.”

I laughed and nudged his side. “You can always be a gentleman and offer me your bed. You can take one for the team and sleep on the couch since we’re in this mess because of you.”

He gave me a considering look. His eyes were always intense because of their chilly color and his general demeanor. I didn’t notice hints of blue hidden within the gray until recently. His gaze looked like a storm demolishing a bright, beautiful day.

Win didn’t comment further on our sleeping situation. He walked over to one of the massive windows that overlooked the back garden and the steep cliff that dropped to the coastline. He poked at the plant I’d set on the windowsill and quietly muttered, “I’m not a man who apologizes for much, but I feel like I owe you one on behalf of my mother. This is only the beginning. She’s going to get worse.”

I let out a dry bark of laughter. “Didn’t you concoct this scheme because you have faith that I can hold my own against Colette? Don’t apologize for her actions. You should be apologizing for being such a pushover where she’s concerned.” I lifted my eyebrows at him mockingly. “I never thought I would see the day when someone successfully bullied a Halliday.”

Win’s voice was soft when he replied, “Every living being has a natural predator they fear. The only thing I have to fear in life is my mother. Do you know what it’s like to love and hate someone with equal intensity?” He shook his head, and for the first time since I’d known him, a look of defeat crossed his face. “I’ve never had an actual mother. She’s always been more like a handler or the executive director of my entire life.”

I didn’t want to acknowledge that his words resonated within me. It caught me off guard when Win allowed himself to be vulnerable and show the cracks in his golden armor. Between finding out he had a sweet tooth, a soft spot for Winnie, and learning he wasn’t as immune to Colette’s cruelty as I previously believed, it was hard to ignore just how human he actually was. If anyone asked me a month ago, I would’ve classified Win as someone who was born to be extraordinary. How could he be anything else? However, the glimpses of him being completely ordinary were doing funny things to the reservations and resentments I’d built between us like a wall.

“I don’t know what it feels like to be caught between love and hate. I do understand the need to go to extreme lengths to save someone from themselves, though.” I glared at him. “The only reason I have to help you manage your mother is because you threatened mine. Let’s not forget how all this came about.” I ruthlessly squashed the tingle of sympathy I had for him.

“I won’t forget; you remind me every five minutes.” He shoved a hand through his hair. The silvery strands in the front stood on end, giving him an endearing appearance. “I leave for the office around six in the morning. Earlier, if I’m going to the main office in the city. I’ve delegated most of our international work as Winnie has gotten older, but there are times when I’ll be away for several days, maybe even weeks, at a time. Winnie’s driver takes her to school around seven. She has extracurriculars after class most days. When she gets home, she usually comes here and does her homework. I try to be back in time for dinner. My mother was making a big deal about eating as a family the last couple of months. What she actually cared about was finding me a wife. I told Winnie she didn’t have to sit down for a formal dinner anymore if she didn’t want to. I have a personal housekeeper who monitors her when I’m unavailable. There’s always someone around to make sure she eats and gets her schoolwork done. She used to have her own suite on this floor. But ever since she started claiming that the house was haunted, she’s been sleeping in her room here. You’re familiar with the contract terms. I won’t dictate how or where you spend your time, as long as it doesn’t negatively affect our niece.”

“I’ve lived in a lot of places. I’ll figure out a schedule and how to best benefit Winnie while I’m here. You don’t have to change anything to accommodate me. Save that consideration for when you have a real wife.”

He looked like he wanted to reply, but Winnie interrupted us by bounding into the room. She dropped her designer backpack on the floor and rushed to me. She threw herself into my arms for a tight hug. Her small body was practically vibrating with excitement. Her eyes were bright, and her face was flushed.

I squeezed her back as she told me, “I’m so glad you’re here, Aunt Channing.”

I smoothed my hand over her reddish-brown hair and soaked in the moment. I never thought there would be a day when I would be able to welcome Winnie home from school. I’d missed out on so much of her childhood because of a pointless feud.

“I’m happy to be here with you, Winnie.” I truly was. Joining forces with my archenemy was worth it if I could stockpile warm memories like this.

Winnie zipped around the elegant suite as if she owned the place. Win directed her to change clothes and clean up after herself, then forced her to sit down and work on her homework, even though she was too excited to sit still. While the two of them bent their heads over math problems, I quietly slipped away to finish putting my things in Winnie’s massive walk-in closet. I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw all my no-name clothes hanging next to her designer wardrobe. I couldn’t fathom a situation in which Winnie would need an authentic Chanel tweed blazer. It was ridiculous that the thirteen-year-old had two of them.

I made a mental note to take her thrifting when I got an opportunity to take her to the city with me. Someone needed to show Winnie how to make ends meet and survive on a realistic budget. It was unlikely that she would ever financially struggle, but the girl needed to cultivate some average life skills.

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