The Devils Of Thornbrook

Chapter Forty

Christmas was interesting. At least the aftermath was. We all ended up going out and doing something of everyone's choice, Amelia's suggestion.

So post breakfast we ended up going to 5th Avenue for ice cream at ten in the morning and Theo was then more then hyper so we made him run to every store we went to for the hour afterwards. Zavier suggested we all go for a movie that night so we booked tickets, Lucian and Amelia mostly Amelia started a snowball fight that led us to going ice skating and getting coffee from a little café. Though I mostly watching the only present couple be silly and laugh, while the idiots played tag.

My friends were where I got my quota of amusement each day and I was more then happy with it because it meant that I didn't actually have to search for humour. I also adopted my dad's silent reactive humour, and protectiveness of my friends.

I'd go to war for them and they all know it.

By the time we had left Central Park we fled back to my penthouse to get ready for our movie that night. Along with a dinner that Theo asked permission to book at Eleven Madison Park.

Dressing in semi formal clothing I double checked that I looked put together enough to be going to a Michelin Star restaurant.

Walking out of my wooden shelved closet into the dressing room I glanced across the room at the tall windows that gave me a view over Central Park.

A piece of me was always going to belong to this city and I knew it, I didn't understand what people meant when they said a specific city was home for them, I did now New York was home for a reason outside of Winters Group being here.

When I got down stairs I found everyone in the entryway ready to go. Pulling open a drawer I took out a key and moved towards where they all were.

"Alright let's get the fuck out of here" I muse gesturing to the elevator which opened upon having the button pushed, and being piled into.

Getting down to the garage I pressed the unlock button on the fob my Mercedes Benz GTR's headlights lit up before I walked over to it, and opened the door.

"Do you just pick a car at random?" Zavier asks opening the door to his grey Bentley.

Out of all of us Zavier went for a car's spec rather then sticking to one colour, and I knew it was from him focusing on what looked nice based on his preference then what other people thought. Having billionaire parents aided in that though.

"Yeah, I just reach in and take out whatever" I admit and slid into my car before starting it.

Driving out of the garage, I led our group towards the restaurant while playing music loudly as I drove through the snow frosted streets.

There was always some form of festivity to Christmas holiday, and every time I saw it I was always reminded of me and my family, like how as kids we would decorate the tree together, or my dad making dinner, or my mom playing out in the snow with us. The one year our parents had gotten together so there was fifteen people in one house taking up eleven of the fourteen bedrooms which was the fullest the house had ever been at one time.

Spotting the restaurant I pulled up along the curb, and slid out of the car before locking it and heading inside kicking the snow off before getting to the front counter.

"Reservation under Niles" I say and the waitress nods before leading all of us through the restaurant to a private table in the back corner.

"What can I start you all off with?".

"Iced tea please" I say not particularly interested in anything besides deciding what I wanted for food especially since I was starving and the last thing I had was breakfast several hours ago.

Everyone else then orders their drinks before we all turn to consult our menus.

This was a restaurant that had a history of being attended by my family, and this kind of thing happened. My parents had invested in tens of dozens of projects in New York City alone, and build many of the buildings that they owned in one way or another. Or even how every dollar someone spends Winters Group makes eight cents, it doesn't seem like a lot, but people spend money every day meaning that that tiny amount on paper becomes rather substantial over time.

Disconnecting myself from thinking about my family's success and the weight it always seemed to impose on me I went back to scanning the menu eventually settling on Lobster, with a coconut crème sauce, and puntarella.

That was one of the things about this restaurant that I liked was that people could essentially customize what their food looked like and it made life a lot easier, because in most restaurants they have specific courses that I have occasionally felt limited by. 

"So what's the plan next week".

"Going to Scarsdale to spend time with my grandparents. I need to get out of Manhattan" I admit, looking over the table at Theo who had asked the question.

"Sounds enjoyable, they must be nice" Amelia comments as all our drinks are brought to the table and placed in front of us before all of us recited our orders one at a time.

"I'll be right back with those" the waitress says before walking off.

"They were moved out there by my parents several years ago, my grandparents are both in their sixties and have lived there since I was like two, so sixteen years in a fully paid off house, sounds nice to me" I say thinking about the fifty million I spent on my penthouse, that practically made me want to throw up.

"I take it they live beneath their means, most people who were connected to billionaires would be spending it like mad" Lucian says.

"Probably, but yes they do it makes life simple when you make it seem like you don't have money, but at the same time I have family prestige to live up to so" I sigh taking a sip of my drink.

"Well either way let's enjoy this dinner, Merry Christmas" Zavier says raising his glass and we all do declaring 'Merry Christmas'.

Food came quickly after and we all started to talk about what our plans for the last week of the break was though it was more enjoyable to listen, and have the boys take shots at one another while in a restaurant.

Nearly an hour later I paid for all of our food and drinks before our entire group piled into our cars to go to the theatre.

Starting my car which was cold as hell to the point that I could see my own breathe before turning the heat all the way up, and driving off towards the theatre that we had bought tickets for.

New York felt quiet at night and I loved it there was a peace in it, the lack of cars, and the snow fluttering to the ground. The buildings were wrapped in lights, and families were out walking the streets.

Ten minutes later we all parked and walked into the theatre to be met by a long line of people going to get checked in for their movie, and get snacks.

"Lucian, Zavier you two are on snacks, the rest of us will check in" I direct and everyone does as asked.

Getting to the front booth I hand over my ticket before it is stamped and I walk off towards the theatre with the number for the movie we all agreed to see before taking a back corner seat.

I never sat in the middle or the front in theatres too crowded and too loud. People were all assholes and would put the tall people in front of a bunch of short kids.

I'm tall and I'm sitting in the back.

A few minutes into the preview the boys returned and Lucian handed me a giant bucket of buttery popcorn, along with about a million M&M boxes.

"I got you the ones with peanuts in the middle" he says sitting down beside me with Amelia, while the boys took the two seats farthest over in front of me where I could still see.

"Thanks mate" I reply before shutting off my phone, and settling in to watch the movie we had chosen earlier that day.
    
    
I keep getting a ton of ideas for books as of the past few days, and I can't write any of them yet as I literally have a line up planned for books after TBD, and this series is completed I've decided there will be three books to this series so I guess it's a trilogy, besides that comment, vote, and share. Anyways

Peace✌