Damaged (Boys of Winter #2) - Sheridan Anne Page 0,123

the air. Besides, Ember would have heard the notification that someone was coming through the gate. We’re fucked, but we can sneak off into the pool house.”

“I can knock her out,” he suggests. “I swear, she won’t feel a thing and wake up thinking she just dozed off.”

I roll my eyes. “You are not knocking out my best friend.”

Grayson groans as though he’s legitimately down about my refusal, but nonetheless, pulls up behind Ember’s car and cuts the engine.

We climb the stairs together and I’m even surprised when he takes my hand and leads me toward my front door. He really can be a gentleman. I think I’m going to enjoy having three guys pining for my attention.

Grayson opens the door and ushers me in. “Ember?” I call, pausing as I listen out for her response.

“Upstairs,” she says in a sharp, dismissive tone, the word coming out almost as a curse.

I glance back at Grayson with a cringe and he scoffs, taking my hand once again and leading me toward the stairs. “What did you do to piss her off?” he grumbles low.

I shrug my shoulders, thinking over everything that’s gone down in the past few days, and apart from the whole murdering her boyfriend, I’ve got absolutely no idea. “I don’t know but something tells me that we’re about to find out.”

We reach the top of the stairs and I scan the bedrooms, expecting to find her in my room, but when I don’t, I turn around, my confusion instantly beginning to plague me. “Where the fuck is she?” Grayson grumbles as I look down the other end of the hallway and feel the dread sinking heavily into my stomach.

I pull on his arm and watch the color drain from his face as he realizes exactly what I have. “Fuck, no,” he curses under his breath, his hands pulsing into tight fists and probably wishing more now than ever that he could come through on his idea of knocking her out. Maybe then we could somehow convince her that this was all a weird dream.

I start moving, fearing the worst as I pass the staircase and move on past the master bedroom. I see the massive painting on the wall and hate that I know exactly what I’m going to find in the hidden room behind it.

The secret entrance is wide-open and as Grayson and I step into the doorway, we find Ember sitting in the armchair, staring right back at us with a thick, leather-bound book labelled ‘DYNASTY’ on her lap. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

Well, fuck.

CHAPTER 30

Ember sits on my parents’ good couch as I pace in front of her, trying to figure out how the hell I’m supposed to explain all of this. The big leather-bound book sits on the coffee table between us and all four of the boys stare at it, wondering how the hell I’m going to get myself out of this.

But the fact is, I can’t.

Ember has heard whispers about Dynasty since she was a little girl. She’s been dying to know the truth so badly that it’s almost become an obsession of hers. Even before I had anything to do with Dynasty, before I’d even met the boys, she told me about the secrets she’d heard around Ravenwood Heights.

I’ll never be able to lie my way out of this, the evidence is too strong, and besides, who knows how long she’s been here snooping through my father’s secret room. She probably knows more about the ins and outs of Dynasty than I do.

I let out a sigh and stop pacing, and as I do, my stare falls to Cruz who gives me a small nod, silently letting me know that whatever I choose to do, I’ll have his support. Carver though, he looks like he’s about ready to snap her neck just like he’d done to her bastard boyfriend. He never would though. Ember is important to me, and because of that, he’ll protect her just as he protects me.

I meet Ember’s pissed off stare and try to think of something smart to say, but all that comes out is a grunted, “ahh, fuck, Ember. Dynasty … it’s all fucking true.”

Carver groans and sits forward, dropping his head into his hands. “Fucking hell, Winter. Good job keeping the secret. You didn’t even try to lie your way out of it.”

Ember clenches her jaw, clearly not fond of Carver’s easy attitude about me lying to her. “Are you fucking