“I f**king know,” I growl. I wouldn’t do that to Storm. But before Storm, that’s a whole other ball game.

“Let’s just say I don’t need to hear about it, no?” Her mother finishes.

“I’m good with quiet.” Braxxon nods.

Liana snaps her fingers and one of her men hands her a folder. “Now… on to discuss your sister. I’m guessing this was news to you?” She asks Winter.

“Yes.”

Liana smiles at her and opens the folder. “Your sister is a few years older than you. She’s twenty-five. The reason she was never left with your father was because she was the oldest. You’re of Danish royalty, my dear daughter. You are only half Russian.”

I feel like at any moment, her mother is gonna murder our asses and take her daughter away. This is not a calm f**kin feeling.

“I don’t understand.” Winter says quietly.

“Your sister Sabine is in Denmark. On a trip to Russia, I met and fell in love with your father. Needless to say, I did not know he was an evil man. He forced me to come to the states when I was pregnant with Sabine. Her being the first-born needed to be named in our Danish hierarchy; it is the way of my people. He had no choice. But when you were born, he would not let me take you. He said one or the other. I know this may seem bad my child, but I had to get out. He treated you like the world. I made sure there were people watching you at all times. If I had stayed, we might not be having this meeting right now. I would most likely be dead. Murdered by my own husband. The reason behind your uncle’s hits is that I was still in fact married to your now deceased father. His money is mine, yours and Sabine’s. Your uncle is not thrilled with this as you can see. I’m done with this Russian accent . You know it’s me, yes?”

Winter is sitting stunned with the rest of us, and her mother quickly changes to another accent. I feel like my head’s spinning.

“Good my darling,” she pats Winter on the knee and her now accent is even hotter.

Shit balls.

“In this folder you will find contact information for your sister. You may contact her. She will be expecting it. The rest of your inheritance is also in that folder. There are directions on how you may come to receive it. I suspect you won’t be going back to Denmark with me after we clear this mess?”

Oh, shit!

Winter gulps with the rest of the room and you can see the stiffness in Braxxon’s back.

“No, no. My life is here. I would like to visit, if I’m allowed, on occasion?” She answers back.

“Of course, anytime you may wish. Your father was excellent at keeping his illegal businesses quiet. Which for my marriage and my head at Denmark was a very good thing. I expect you have no qualms about me splitting his estates with your sister as well? I plan to sell all the legal properties, and such; only cash will be left.”

Winter doesn’t hesitate. “She can have it all. I don’t want his money.”

Liana chuckles. “Yes, you do dear; it’s quite a lot.”

Again, Winter doesn’t hesitate. “I have plenty from my first inheritance that you left me and now this,” she shakes the folder, “is plenty.”

Her mother shakes her head in agreement that it’s plenty of money, but she’s not happy. “My dear, it’s your money as well. Consider it as a ‘fuck you’ payment to your uncle. He will not be at all happy about losing this amount of money.”

Everyone starts laughing.

“What, did I not use the correct terminology? Is f**k you not right?”

We all laugh some more and Liana laughs with us.

“Now for the heavy stuff. My dear daughter, I hate to say this. But if this is the life you choose… oh, this pains me to say. I will not be able to claim you as mine in the public eye.” Her mother’s voice breaks.

The entire room grows quiet, and Winter sniffles. “I understand.”

And it is understandable. Look at the life we f**kin live. Royalty can’t be tied to us at all.

“This cousin of yours, he must belong to your father and uncle. He is not to be trusted. I have no Russian men you’ve spoke of here. In fact, I have no Russians on my side at all. I’ve been in Denmark this entire time. With only hired help watching over you. Like bodyguards, I guess you would call them, well until you ran away. It took them until two months ago to relocate you. The only way your cousin could have possibly known was if your uncle told him about my call. Your uncle is the only one I spoke with. I would have handled these matters overseas, but it’s a lot of paperwork, and I wanted to meet you. I would say your uncle is running scared, and this is reasoning behind his hit. This is why I travel with all these men. It’s not safe for me to be in the states, but I am handling this matter of my deceased husband’s estates so I may put it behind me.”

Braxxon opens his hand palm up, and Winter doesn’t hesitate to dig out her prepay. He doesn’t yell; he doesn’t speak. He just calmly takes the phone and hands it to Sniper, who then takes off to dispose of it.

“I trust you will take care of my daughter?” Liana looks to Braxxon. “And that you will let her visit?”

You can hear the sound of Braxxon’s teeth gritting together about the idea of Winter leaving the states.

“I will take care of her, and she can visit.” He grits out.

At first, I think he’s offended her mother, until she starts laughing. “I wouldn’t keep her longer than a few weeks at a time.”