Page 155 of Ice Princess

Rebel takes my hand and I spin to look at her. She juts her chin at the door in a silent ‘let’s get out of here’. I follow her, eager to whisk her as far away from my uncle as possible.

“Ms. Hart.” Uncle Stewart’s stern voice halts our exit.

Rebel stops.

I freeze.

“That hand you’re holding… how long do you think you can keep holding on to it?”

Fear crawls over my throat and the world spins like a ride I desperately want to get off.

Uncle Stewart digs his fingers in the wound deep inside me by adding, “Your looks can do a lot for you, but it can’t change objective truths. And the truth is, no matter how much my nephew loves you, no matter how much he cares, at the end of the day blood is blood. Gunner willalwaysbe a Kinsey.”

The swirling storm in the pit of my stomach rages, making me nauseous. I hear what Uncle Stewartisn’tsaying. As a Kinsey, even the sins that aren’t mine are still mine to bear. I’ll always represent the best and the worst of my family.

To the world.

And to Rebel.

Especially to Rebel.

Rebel tugs me out of the room while Uncle Stewart cackles behind us. We pass my uncle’s workmen and keep going until we get outside.

“Oooh!” Rebel shudders. “That man isawful!Does he really think I’ll strike a deal with him after what he did? Typical Kinsey! So full of himself.” Rebel realizes what she’s said and her face stamps with guilt. “I didn’t mean?—”

I give her a tight-lipped smile.

“Don’t let what he said bother you. You’re nothing like your uncle.”

I don’t respond. Mostly because I’m having a hard time breathing.

“Gunner? Are you okay? You’re so pale.” Rebel dabs at my temple with the heel of her hand. “And you’re sweating.”

“Areyouokay?” I ask tightly.

“Yeah, for now.” Rebel steps into me, her eyes cautious. “Did your uncle call you over today?”

I can tell she’s putting great effort into not accusing me of anything.

“I heard he was stirring things up at the Safety Committee.”

“Yeah, your uncle managed to shut down our garage.”

Surprise ripples across my chest, temporarily stealing my breath. “What?”

“Just a sec, Gunner. April is calling. Hello?” Rebel walks away with her cell phone to her ear. While she updates her business partner, I wilt against my truck, sucking in deep breaths.

Uncle Stewart is boldly making moves, which means that whoever is behind him is ready to clear the board. The timing couldn’t be worse. I’ve yet to find any concrete evidence of what my family did or a way to gain the upper hand.

To make matters worse, Rebel and I are at the beginning stages of our relationship. I doubt we’ll be able to survive a ‘my family might have ruined yours’ conversation this early on.

I hear Rebel’s footsteps approaching and straighten.

She pockets her phone, her sky-blue eyes glued to me. “Gunner, you really don’t look well.”

I shake my head. “Are you going home now?”

“Yeah, April and Chance are going to meet me there so we can strategize on what to do next.” She offers a brave smile. “It’ll work out somehow.”

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