This Time, I Survived Their Plot

Now it hit me.

The cousin I'd raised... and the woman I'd loved for five years—were they together?

***

The car tore down the highway.

Music slammed so loud the windows rattled.

They kept yelling, laughing, acting like idiots.

My grip tightened on the wheel, knuckles going white.

After who even knows how long, Felix killed the music and dropped back. "I'm done. I'm wiped."

Vincent and Donelia crashed too, slumped in their seats, breathing hard, faces finally losing that stupid flush.

Silence.

No music now.

And just like that, the cold started creeping in.

Lana shivered, then punched me from the back. "Landon Lloyd, you dead or what? You don't know how to turn on the heat? Trying to freeze us?"

I gave a faint smile and tapped the heat button in front of her.

The screen flickered—then died.

"It won't start. Deal with it."

They lost it.

Donelia snapped first. "Landon, you did this on purpose!"

Felix jumped in, dripping sarcasm. "You agreed to buy the speakers. Now you're getting payback? That's petty."

Lana didn't bother playing nice. She grabbed my jacket. "Give me your coat! I'm pregnant, remember? You don't care about me at all! Why did I ever marry someone this cold?"

I locked my grip on the collar and didn't budge.

"Whoever caused this can deal with it," I said, eyes on the road. "I'm driving. It's slick. I'm not taking it off."

That set them off.

Vincent and Donelia started yelling, slapping the seats, calling me heartless, ungrateful—same old garbage.

Lana snapped. She clawed at my coat, nails dragging bloody lines down my neck.

"Take it off! If anything happens to my baby, you'll regret it!"

She yanked.

The wheel jerked.

The car swerved hard, tires screeching, almost kissing the guardrail.

I wrestled it straight and slammed the brakes.

"Enough!"

Lana kept yanking at me.

Fine.

I ripped off the jacket and tossed it back.

Cold air punched through my sweater, straight to the bone.

Good.

It cleared my head.

I started the car again.

Lana wrapped up in my jacket, finally satisfied, and left me alone.

They busted out snacks and drinks, laughing, talking, eating like it was a party.

Not one of them said a word to me.

Like I was just the driver.

My heart sank.

So that's what all those years meant—nothing.

I freed a hand, pulled out my phone, and shot off a message.

All four phones buzzed at once—same unknown number.

They glanced down.

Then swore and deleted it.

"What the hell. So much spam."

I smirked.

The car rolled on.

The sky darkened.

The wind picked up.

They got colder.

In the back, Vincent and Donelia shivered, sneezing nonstop.

I was freezing too.

My body locked up. My hands on the wheel went numb.

At this rate, I'd freeze before the car even died.

I glanced at the bag on the passenger seat.

Reached for it, about to grab some bread for warmth.