Chapter Twenty-Four
Violet
Winters House was a short drive from the Indian restaurant, deep in the heart of Buckhead, the most exclusive residential neighborhood in Atlanta. Driving through the winding wooded streets, you’d never guess you were in the heart of a major metropolitan area.
The beeping cars, the high-rises, the shopping malls and highways all melted away, buffered by trees and hills and the serenity offered by huge houses on huge lots. Winters House was one of the biggest.
Aiden pressed the remote on his visor and a set of black iron gates swung open smoothly and silently. Lined by towering oak trees arching above, the drive wound deeper into the grounds of Winters House until the structure itself came into view.
An enormous Mediterranean-style mansion, built in a square around a central courtyard, the creamy stucco walls and red tile roof were warm and welcoming despite its size.
Directly ahead I saw a second set of gates barring the entrance to a porte-cochère that led to the inner courtyard. Aiden turned to the left and followed a narrower branch of the drive around the side of the house, arriving in front of a generously sized six-car garage.
I couldn’t help but notice that every bay was full. Odd, since Aiden had said no one was home. He was around the front of the car, opening my door before I could open it myself. I’d grown up in a pretty house, but the Winters family garage was nicer than most people’s living rooms.
The garage door opened into a mud room that was the same.
Every jacket neatly hung, car keys on labeled hooks, custom cabinets for storing outdoor shoes and padded benches so you could sit comfortably while you put on your boots.
Distracted by my first glimpse of Winters House, I almost didn’t hear the voices a room away.
Under his breath, Aiden said, “Fuck.” He turned around, placed his hands on my shoulders and started to urge me back to the garage.
“I wanted to be alone with you,” he said. I wanted the same thing.
Aiden had the door half open when a woman’s voice called out, “Aiden. When did you get home? And who do you have with you? You didn’t say you were going on a date.”
Letting out a defeated sigh, Aiden turned, sliding his arm around my shoulder, bringing me with him.
In front of us stood a younger, female version of Aiden.
Her hair, cut just below her chin, fell in tousled curls more auburn than brown.
Avidly curious ocean blue eyes skipped from me to Aiden and back again.
“You must be Violet.” She stuck out her hand.
“I am,” I said, cringing a little at the stiffness in my voice.
The ice queen always made an appearance when I was shy.
Sometimes I didn’t know how to turn her off.
I didn’t want to freeze out Aiden’s curious younger sister, but I couldn’t seem to warm up my voice when I said, “Charlie? Aiden’s told me so much about you. ”
I shook her hand, trying to relax as Aiden rubbed my back in a long, soothing stroke.
“I thought you all were going out.”
Charlie grinned at Aiden. “Obviously. But Gage ended up working too late to catch a movie, so he and Sophie were home, and then Vance and Maggie had a thing, so Riley and Lise said they’d watch Rosie, and we all ended up staying here and ordering pizza.
We were about to watch a movie, if you guys want to join us.
” Her eyes danced as she said, “Or not.”
Aiden wrapped his arm around me and gave me a squeeze, murmuring, “We might as well go in, but I’ll make our excuses and we’ll think of something else.”
“It’s fine,” I said, in that frosty voice, when both of us knew it was anything but fine.
I wanted to meet his family. Eventually. Not tonight. Not yet. I could only imagine what Gage had told them about me. I already knew he detested me. I wasn’t ready for a house full of Winters.
Aiden’s arm dropped from around me and he took my hand as we walked from the mud room into an expansive family room. An enormous flat-screen hung above a dark stone fireplace. A three-sided sectional, filled with lounging Winters, faced the fireplace and TV.
Behind it, windows looked into the courtyard of Winters House. In the center, a lit fountain glowed through the darkness. I caught a glimpse of a huge white kitchen on the other side of the mud room door, and past the family room, a wide hall continued to the front of the house.
I shifted uncomfortably beside Aiden, fighting the urge to step behind him when Gage’s glare landed on me. If he could have struck me dead where I stood, I imagined he might have tried. I forgot about the rest of them and met his furious gaze with one of pure ice.
I understood why Aiden’s cousin didn’t like me. I understood well enough that I didn’t even think he was wrong. If I’d suspected someone of taking advantage of Chase, I would have reacted exactly the same way.
That didn’t mean I liked it.
And it didn’t mean I was going to back down. If Gage Winters thought I was afraid of him, he would only be more open in his dislike.
Aiden tugged me forward, placed his hands on my shoulders, and said to the room, “Everyone, this is Violet. Violet this is everyone.” He went around the room pointing out his family and giving their names.
After his description, it wasn’t that hard to figure out who was who.
The only one I didn’t guess right away was Annalise, one of the twin cousins.
There was something about her that tickled the back of my mind.
I would have been sure we’d met, except I knew that we hadn’t.
The shape of her eyes, or the shade of her hair.
I didn’t know what it was, but I would have sworn I knew her.
I was so distracted staring at Annalise I almost missed it when Gage, who was sitting on the side of the couch closest to us, turned to face Aiden and said, “Is this a good idea? Bringing her here?”
Aiden gave his cousin a look that would have silenced most men, but Gage appeared immune. Even his wife Sophie, sitting behind him, squeezed his arm when she saw Aiden’s face. Gage ignored her.
Before Aiden could say something he might regret, I stepped forward and met Gage’s eyes. “Would you prefer I leave? I can call for a ride if you object to my being in your home.”
“I do object,” Gage said, through gritted teeth, “but Aiden doesn’t seem to care.”
“I care,” Aiden said, his voice coldly furious, “but I generally ignore you when you’re being an asshole.”
Aiden took a step forward. I said quietly, “Aiden. Don’t do this. Why don’t you just take me home?”
He looked down at me. “Because I won’t be run out of my own fucking house.”
Charlie stepped between Aiden and Gage and threaded her arm through mine, pulling me from Aiden’s side toward the kitchen. “Let’s get a glass of wine,” she said. “Or beer. Whatever. Let’s get the hell out of here before those two go at it again.”
“Go at it?” I asked, my ears trained behind me to catch bits of the continued argument. I heard the word ‘liar’ in Gage’s voice. Then Aiden’s, though he was too quiet for me to make out his response.
“Oh yeah,” Charlie said, laughing to herself.
“Let’s just say when Gage came home, his reintroduction to the family was not smooth.
Somehow he got it in his head that Aiden was interested in Sophie.
” With a sidelong glance, she reassured me, “Which he was not, but our aunt Amelia pulled a prank and Gage ended up jumping Aiden at the dinner table. They didn’t stop until Mrs. W poured a pitcher of water on them. ”
“It was funny,” Sophie said from the doorway of the kitchen, “but I could do without a repeat.”
I stood at the square, marble top kitchen island and watched as Charlie pulled a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator. She held it up, raising an eyebrow in question. After casting a longing glance at the mud room and the door to the garage, I nodded my head and said, “Yes, please.”
Charlie poured me a glass of wine, as well as one for Sophie and for herself.
She grabbed another glass out of the cabinet when Annalise snuck into the room.
Leaning against the counter Annalise smiled and said, “I couldn’t decide whether to get out my phone and start recording or get the hell out.
I missed the first fistfight. It might be fun to have one on record. ”
Alarmed, I looked through the open doorway of the kitchen into the family room. Aiden and Gage stood in front of one another, their postures stiff, voices angry, but it didn’t look like anyone had thrown a punch.
“Don’t worry,” Annalise said. “I bailed when I realized they were just going to yell at each other. I’ve heard enough of those two bickering to last a lifetime.
” Looking at Charlie she said, “Be grateful you were too young to get stuck with them. They might be close as brothers, but sometimes they fight like an old married couple.”
Charlie handed out our glasses of wine and ranged herself in front of me, one eyebrow raised.
“So, you’re Violet. I’m curious—are you an ice-cold carbon copy of Elizabeth?
A scheming liar trying to destroy Winters, Inc.
from the inside? Do you have a nefarious plan to brainwash my older brother and run off with the family fortune? ”
I absorbed Charlie’s questions as I took a careful sip of wine. In my coolest, most unruffled voice I said, “Is that the story Gage is spreading? Creative.”
“Maybe,” Annalise cut in, “but is any of it true?”
As if to give the impression I was thinking over my answer, I took another sip of wine and studied the gleaming white coffered ceiling.
“It depends. An ice-cold carbon copy of Elizabeth? I won’t deny the ice-cold part, but I’m not a copy of anyone, particularly that harpy.”
Charlie laughed and shook her head. “I heard you put her in her place. She’s such a bitch.”
“And then some,” I agreed.
Sophie’s low voice interrupted. “And the part about the company?”
“Gage isn’t wrong about that. Not entirely,” I said, carefully.