Expiration Date (Books 1 and 2)

6 Isn't This Cozy?

Jonas~~

Two weeks after Iris entered the hospital, she's released though the wound has yet to heal completely. It's still causing her pain but she's able to walk and move around without fear of it opening back up.

After consulting with Riley, I decided we would take the limo that my brother brought. I'm not keen on the idea of letting any of them out of my sight for a long period of time. Once I'm back at the Estate, I'll send someone to pick up my car.

I designate Riley to be our driver, and I sit in the front with him, still wary of being around Iris after I burnt her when I touched her. Until I understand what happened, I need to be cautious. Maybe we were only lucky that the sensation she experienced was temporary. Maybe that won't be the case if it happens again.

She sits closest to the front, and I made sure Sebastian and Tobias are seated beside her. Besides for Riley, I trust them the most in my Order. Not anywhere near completely. They were a part of my brother's plan to overthrow me.

Brydan's kept his distance from me, but Riley told me, Brydan has been coming to him for updates on me.

Riley has barely gotten onto the road before our cousins start criticizing his driving. How he needs to speed up or go slower. How he shouldn't merge so sharply.

I massage my forehead, noticing our cousins have started to get to Riley, his knuckles now stark white as his hands grip the wheel.

Thankfully, the airport is only a couple hours away. I have a plane waiting for us to take us back home to the Estate. I lean back in my seat. The Estate is where my family will be waiting to see Iris and wonder why we're bringing her back alive.

"There's a ShakenFries at the next exit," Eli calls out. "Can we swing by it?"

I pull out my phone, needing something to distract me. "No."

"But I'm starving."

I pull up my emails. "You should have eaten at the hospital before we left."

"That food tasted like plastic."

In the rearview mirror, I catch Percy slapping Eli in the forehead with the back of his hand. "How would you know what plastic tastes like?"

"Gwen made me eat the head of her doll after I ripped it apart."

I twist in my seat to stare at him. Everyone else besides Riley does the same.

Eli shrugs as if he doesn't see anything strange about what he admitted. "She held me down and wouldn't let me up until I did."

"And how old were you?" August asks.

Eli squints, thinking. "Six, I think."

I shake my head, turning back to my emails.

"So can we stop, Jonas?" he asks.

"No."

"Iris has to pee though," Seong-ho says.

There's a thwack followed by both Seong-ho and Iris cursing. I turn around again. Iris grips her side, and Seong-ho at the back of the limo rubs his head, her boot in his lap.

Bently's seated beside him. "He's the one who has to use the restroom. I swear if he doesn't stop moving and hissing, I'm chucking him out the window."

"The next exit has a CaffeineNGo," Sebastian says, studying his phone. "We can at least all agree that the coffee at that hospital was little more than ink water."

Lines crease Riley's forehead, his jaw tight. "I need to know now. Am I getting off?" If it weren't for Expiration Dates preventing Riley from killing most of us off, I'd be worried he'd drive the car straight off the road.

"We'll stop for dinner closer to the airport," I tell him. Seong-ho can suffer. He deserves it. "Unless you need coffee."

Riley's lip curls and I've never seen him look this vengeful. "I'm good." There's a good chance that even if he was about to fall asleep, he wouldn't get coffee just to be able to screw with our cousins.