Page 9 of Winter's End

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” His previous vulnerability was gone and replaced by the familiar cocky-as-fuck sneer. “Didn’t you say you didn’t know how to deliver this information? Problem solved.”

I glared daggers at the infuriating fucker, clenching my fists as an abnormal bite of anger burned through me.

“I knew you couldn’t be trusted, you preppy asshat.” Cam slowly rose from his seat, his body shaking in a silent rage I had only witnessed in the boxing ring. “You suckling tit of a?—”

Winter wriggled free from Drew and Travis’ grasp and stood in front of the bristling boxer, placing two hands against Cam’s chest.

“Cam,” she spoke softly, imploring him with her eyes. “They had him on drug charges and used his addiction against him. What did you say to me once? Desperate people do desperate things? Does that only apply to your best friend or to all human beings in shitty situations?”

My brows furrowed at that admission while I gave Logan another once-over. I didn’t like to admit it, but I’d be an absolute hypocrite if I chose not to see Logan as human, too. Even if he was a suckling tit of a preppy asshat.

I lowered myself back down in the seat beside him and fought every urge to elbow him in the spleen. I could grant him some grace, but I didn’t have to like it.

“He put all of us in danger,” Cam growled, not backing down an inch. “He putyouin danger. If I have to see you take another fucking panic attack again, I’ll …”

Winter reached up and cupped Cam’s cheeks, bringing his face down to kiss him gently on the lips. “I’m okay, Big Guy.We’reokay. And it turns out, Dad is mostly to blame.”

She pulled him back down to the couch and shared how she was being used as bait. Cam’s face turned into a stony mask at that revelation, and nothing Winter was doing was calming him down.

“I think Dad’s study was—is bugged,” she admitted, scrunching her nose up at the thought. “It’s the only way I can gather they knew about all of us.”

Huh. I didn’t see that coming. All of my happy memories of Darren and Dad were melting away as anxiety gnawed through my stomach lining. If Darren was this deep, Dad couldn’t be far behind. I couldn’t disillusion myself into thinking Dad had any chance of being innocent with Darren as the mastermind any longer.

“By the way,” she added, her lips curling into an unnatural sneer. “I actually was reported for prostitution. Obviously, it’s not true and there’s no evidence for it to stick, but keep an eye out for the Karen who has it out for us. Someone doesn’t like the fact that I’m sleeping with multiple men.”

Hillary laughed out loud at this. I’d chuckle, too, if it wasn’t a pretty serious accusation. Another instance of societal misogyny. Karen would choke onmybody count.

Winter drew in a deep breath and looked like she was steeling herself for … something. I was about to ask what was wrong when she spoke again.

“I have two confessions to make tonight.” Her eyes landed on mine in apology. I shook my head in confusion. What could she possibly tell me I didn’t already know?

She visibly gulped and looked down at her hands.

Drew’s knuckles gripped his knees so tightly they were turning white, and Travis blankly stared straight ahead, as if preparing himself for a firing squad.

We were a bunch of party animals tonight. Real rager over here.

“The FBI agent in charge is Kellan Carlos—Georgio’s half-brother. I have no idea how or why he’s involved, but he knows about all of us and wants us to work with him to take Georgio down once and for all. It looks like we’re all going to be desperate now.”

My brows hit my hairline. Georgio’s brother in the FBI? A leader in the FBI? I didn’t know what that title was. Wasn’t he the Columbia King or something? I made eye contact with Travis, who looked visibly disturbed; that would make Kellan his uncle, too.

What a tangled web of fuckery. This town couldn’t possibly get more fucked.

She took a breath and continued. “And I had a one-night stand with him a few years ago, not realizing who he was, so there’s that.”

Hillary snorted behind her hand while the rest of us blinked, dumbfounded. I didn’t know the details of all of Winter’s conquests, and she didn’t know mine, butthiswas news.

“Okay.” Travis shook his head slowly, as if clearing it of cobwebs. Right—that meant Winter had slept with his uncle.

Thatwas a weird twist.

“Okay.” Travis tried again. “Well, hard to fault you for that when it was so long ago. Other than also sleeping with his nephew”—he cringed at that statement—“is that going to complicate things?”

Winter winced and bit her lip. “I don’t think so. I don’t have feelings for him or anything, if that’s what you mean. I’m more concerned that we’re about to become someone else’s pawn, and I don’t think there’s any way out of it. And I don’t know if he knows you’re his nephew. It didn’t come up.”

She smiled weakly and shrugged.

“He has someone on the inside and wants us to meet sometime this week. So, for now, we sit tight, I guess.”

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