Elf Against the Wall: A Holiday Romantic Comedy (The Wynter Brothers Book 2)
Elf Against the Wall: Chapter 41

“You’re really going to owe us when this is all over,” Talbot said cheerfully.

I’d carted the worst of the debris out of the bedroom last night before I left to review the Bianca files.

Not that I’d found anything incriminating. I’d finally bitten the bullet and begged for more favors from my brothers.

“Whatever. Text me if you replace anything,” I told him, grabbing my jacket.

“You’re not going to stay?”

“He’s going to go hang out with his girlfriend,” Lawrence singsonged.

“His ass is the one going to Idaho, where he’s going to have to use a hairdryer to keep his balls from freezing to his dick. He needs to get laid while he can.”

“There but for the grace of god.” Talbot shook his head as he began reviewing the files. “Lucky for you, Hudson has us doing remote surveillance right now, and I can help keep Aaron from killing you.”

The Murphy women were tired and hungover when I arrived at the Murphy house. All except for Melissa, who looked like she was going to call the cops on me if I so much as coughed in her direction.

“Look who took pity on you,” Ian said to Evie as I grabbed her hand and placed a freshly made foil-wrapped breakfast sandwich in it.

“I am not eating that.” She made a face.

“Coffee.” I set the cup down.

“Can I get a ham-and-cheese omelet?” one of her younger cousins asked me as I set a platter of grilled onions and potatoes on the table.

“You can eat that, or you can starve,” I growled.

My phone rang as I was heading back to the kitchen. Aaron.

I sent it to voicemail. I had two fucking days. He could leave me the hell alone. With my brothers helping me, I was getting that data by tonight.

“Who’s ready for the hike?” Melissa asked when I came back with the rest of the food.

There was groaning from everyone at the table except for Jennifer, who flashed a thumbs-up while she scooped the uneaten potatoes from Evie’s plate.

“Why are you so chipper, Aunt J?” Evie blinked blearily. “Can we shut the blinds?”

I ran my hand through her tousled hair.

“I’m a doctor, so I can give myself an IV.” Jennifer unwrapped Evie’s breakfast sandwich.

“If I ever have a heart attack, just let me die in the street if you’re the only doctor,” I told her.

“A-fucking-men, Anderson,” Dr. Murphy said then scuttled out of the room when his wife glared at him.

“Are you coming, Anderson?” Evie called.

I loped over to her.

“I’ll help you unload your picnic, but then I have to run.” I kissed her to keep her from asking me what I was working on then kissed her again just because I could. “I wish I could stay,” I murmured.

She wrinkled her nose. “Do you?”

“Hiking is fun.”

“It’s a holiday death march in the snow. I might manage a third of a mile, then I’m sneaking off.”

“You walked more than that with me.”

“Yeah, because there was food and a warm house at the end, not a snowy outcropping, and you carried me part of the way.” She wrinkled her nose when I picked her up, hugging her soft body to me. “I am an indoor kid.”

Snowball raced crazy eights in the snow.

I draped my arm over Evie’s shoulders as we walked back to my truck.

“You have got to bring more booze than that,” Granny Doyle complained as I ferried the rest of the baskets and coolers up the short hill to the picnic area with its view over the river that led to the falls.

“You hear that? We’re light on liquid refreshments!” Evie said loudly, grabbing her purse. “Just to be safe, we need to run to the store. You guys can start the hike without us.”

“I’m coming too,” Ian called.

“You’re a dancer. You’re supposed to be in shape.” Evie struggled with her brother as they raced down the path to the car.

“Ian,” his mother chastised him. “You are not skipping out on this hike. It’s a family affair.”

“Evie’s skipping,” one of the triplets complained.

“No, she isn’t!” Evie called. “Be right there!”

“Not!” she muttered and shot me a conspiratorial grin.

“Take Snowball,” Evie begged Ian as the dog tore across the clearing, startling the several Irish setters prancing gracefully through the snow. “She needs a walk. Please?”

“I’ll put it on your tab,” her brother said, herding the dog away from the car.

“If you wait a minute, I can drop you off,” I offered.

“You drive too slowly.” Granny Doyle honked the horn. “Get in. We’re going to the liquor store!”

Evie looked around furtively and jumped into the car. “Go, go, go!”

She blew me a kiss out the open window.

I picked up the last of the boxes of food.

“Is that my Mercedes?” Dr. Murphy asked as the tires squealed on the snow. “You need to keep your mom from taking my car.”

“I told you to hide your keys.” Melissa stretched out her legs. “Now, for today’s hike.” Melissa began addressing the rest of the family. “This is not a sightseeing tour. We need to reach the top of the falls in three hours.”

I set the last of the boxes down on the picnic table bench and grabbed my phone to text my brothers.

Snowball barked as I headed down the trail.

Behind me, snow crunched.

“Fuck off, Henry,” I said, not even looking back.

“What is your fucking endgame?” He reached for me.

I didn’t stop.

My phone was ringing, probably my brothers calling to complain.

I shoved off Henry’s arm.

He slid in front of me, blocking me.

“Henry!” his mother called, insistent.

“Seriously?” he exploded. “I know you’re just trying to fuck with me, Anderson. What the hell do you want?”

“This isn’t about you.” I kept my voice level.

In the distance, Granny Doyle was speeding the Mercedes down the hill.

Henry laughed derisively. “What? Is it about Evie? Please. I know you. You don’t love her. You don’t care about her. You’re going to break her heart to hurt me. Admit it.” He shoved me. “Answer me.”

“Fight! Fight!” his cousins chanted.

“Do not fight him, Henry,” his dad warned him.

“I’m calling the police!” Shirley thundered.

The Mercedes was fishtailing down the icy road.

“Get out of my way.” I shouldered him aside. “Steer into the skid!” I yelled, though it wasn’t like either of the women in the car could hear me. “Dammit.” I raced off, cutting crossways through the woods.

The car was out of control. It spun and veered sharply off the road, sliding down the snowy embankment nose-first.

It has to stop. There’s brush. It has to stop.

Yells of shock echoed in the woods behind me as I ran, pulling off my heavy jacket and pushing myself into a dead sprint.

Ice cracked.

Henry and several of his family members raced behind me through the snowy woods, the snow muffling the fury of our footfalls.

“Call 911!” I shouted as the car slid into the icy river.

“Mom!” Melissa cried.

“Evie’s in there.” Ian was desperate as we pulled up to the gouge that cut down the snowy hill.

“Henry, you have to save them,” one of the triplets begged.

But the eldest Murphy son stood frozen at the edge of the embankment, where the car had plunged through the ice.

I had already kicked my boots off, utility knife in hand.

Snowball appeared next to me.

“If you go in, you’re on your own,” I warned the dog.

Then I took two steps down the hill, aimed, and jumped into the jagged hole in the ice.

This is gonna hurt.