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One of her slender shoulders rises and falls. “What’s one more?”
“What do you think would’ve happened if I killed Ray? I would’ve lost Eliza and myself.”
“You lost both anyway.”
Her words strike me as if they were directed at me because I can feel Weston’s pain bone-deep, even from behind me.
The way these two needle at each other, it’s apparent they’re siblings, but this isn’t getting us anywhere. If I don’t redirect the conversation, this could go wildly off the rails.
“You haven’t answered Weston’s question. What would the arrangement be? Who would be calling the shots? Who would be in power?”
She seems to rein her anger back in. “Of course, I would remain in my role as the head of the family. I’ve worked too hard to get here to let it go. Weston would simply be taking the public one everyone already believes he holds. Quick, daily decisions would be his, but ultimately, I’ll remain the shot caller.”
I glance up at him, making sure my eyes meet his. “Give me until tomorrow night to talk to him to make a decision.”
Wendy offers a sardonic snort. “You really think you can break through to my brother where I failed?”
His hand tightens on the back of my neck again, and I fight the grin that wants to spread across my face.
“Don’t worry, Wendy, your brother and I are very much on the same page.”
WESTON
We most certainly are.
And Callista played her role beautifully.
From the moment she stepped out onto that landing and met Wendy’s intimidating gaze for the first time, she was sheer perfection. Every bit the woman I knew she was and the partner she would be during all this.
As Wendy stares us down now, waiting to make her final decision, I hold my breath, knowing that even the slightest flinch from either of us would be enough to unravel our entire plan. If she sends those men in the woods in here after us, all bets are off, and what’s waiting for them at the bottom of the mountain won’t matter.
We won’t get another opportunity at this, another shot at her.
Wendy takes a few steps closer, those heels of hers clicking. “You have until noon, and my men stay until I have an answer.”
Of course, her men stay—I wouldn’t have expected anything less.
But I have to continue to stay angry, continue to act as though it will take some convincing to get me to comply with her request. If I bow down to her now and agree, she will know something is up, that something isn’t right, and this elaborate plan would go to shit.
I scowl at her. “They’re welcome to stay, but you know how inhospitable the woods can be, especially in the dark.”
It’s the only warning I offer her, knowing full well that Gray is already on the hunt, that he probably smelled and heard each one of her men as they advanced up the mountain, miles before they reached him. He’s moving like a wraith now, hunting each down, one by one, tearing them limb from limb and ripping out their throats.
Wendy may know the mountain, but it still has its secrets.
As I have mine.
Her lips twitch as she examines me. “It is good to see you, big brother. Until tomorrow.” She starts to walk out of the room but pauses next to the chair, staring down at Callista. “And Ms. Fox…”
Callista turns her head to look at my sister, her green eyes steady, despite the fact that I know she’s trembling.
“I do hope you can get through to my brother and get him on board for everyone’s sake. I know what he’s capable of, and to see him wasted up here on this mountain for thirty years has been painful for me.”
Bitch.
Painful for her?
She’s a soulless, conniving, miserable human being who has never felt anything but greed in her life, who has never wanted anything but power and more of it. She’s never loved anything except the rush it gives her, and that will be what brings her to her knees and finally buries her, even though I wish it could be me.
