Fight(17)

Outside, I leaned against the railing for a minute to catch my breath. Seeing Winter’s place trashed and finding a bomb under the hood of her car really got to me. I thought I was going to be dealing with someone trying to hurt her or take her, but to not plant a bomb. And after talking to Stoney, it was all weighing on me.

I called Aldo.

“Tripp,” a voice said. It was one of Aldo’s thugs.

“Where is he?”

“Not here. Grocery shopping.”

Cue, he’s right next to me but not going to talk to you.

“Did you fix the car?”

“Yeah, it’s all fixed.”

“Any idea what was wrong?” I asked. Who planted the bomb?

“Eh, it’s a car. You know how it goes. They work, they break, you fix them.”

“So you have no idea?”

“Did you get where you had to go, Tripp?”

“I’m here,” I said. “All is well.”

“Good. You just stay where you are then. Nothing to worry about.”

“Except the car breaking again,” I said. “I didn’t sign up for this.”

“You do as told. You know what waits.”

I gripped the cell phone tight and held it away from my ear for a second. I turned and saw Winter standing with the door open.

“I have to go,” I said.

“Take care, Tripp.”

The call ended.

“You didn’t sign up for this?” Winter asked.

“What? Is that supposed to be a shock?”

“I guess not.”

Winter turned and stepped back into the room. She shut the door. So I stood there and grabbed the railing, facing the closed door, looking through the glass as she just kept her back to me.

Protect her, man. Nothing else. Nothing more.

I opened the door and went into the room.

“Let me ask you something,” I said. “Did you sign up for all this? Is this where you expected to be? In the arms of a biker who winds up dead? Now being protected by some thug like me.”

That’s when I saw Winter’s shoulders starting to bob.

She was crying.

I rolled my eyes and tried to hold back. I had no business getting closer to her and comforting her. This was her life and it was her mess to deal with.

But I couldn’t stop myself.

I knew the feeling. That burning deep inside when you’re completely alone and have nothing or nobody. Nights I’d sit on the edge of my bed, listening to the ocean, drinking a warm beer, and I’d stare at my phone, begging for it to ring and have Aldo be on the other line with a fight for me. Just so I could feel wanted. Of use. To grasp at anything that resembled a purpose.

I touched Winter’s shoulders. I pulled at her, letting her rest against my chest. My chin rested easily against the top of her head. I could smell her hair. The faint fragrance of shampoo mixed with dried sweat.

It made me throb in a way it shouldn’t have.

My hands eased down to her arms and I started to rub, anything to settle her emotions and pain.

“You miss him?” I asked.

“No,” Winter whispered. “That’s the thing, Tripp. I don’t. I never really wanted it. It was just convenient. My chance to hide from the world. Like I’m doing right now.”

She lowered her head and let out a cry.

“Jesus, darling,” I whispered. “You don’t have to feel that way.”

I brought my left hand up and pulled her hair from her face, gently brushing it all to the right side of her head and right shoulder. I caught sight of the side of her cheek. And then she curved her neck, just a little, exposing skin, testing my hunger to taste her.

“I’m right here,” I said. “I’m not going to lie to you. Expect that from me. And if you don’t want to open up to me anymore than you have, that’s fine. I’m just trying to help you. To protect you. You could have been killed today. If you were alone… and you hurried to your car to get away. I mean, it was a terrible set up because your car wouldn’t have been there if you were alone. Even still. Someone was there. Where was the f*cking MC then?”

“Probably drinking. Worried about who gets to f*ck me next.”

I felt a rage of jealous anger surge through my body. I squeezed at Winter’s arms. She let out a purring sigh. I shut my eyes and told myself no. The women I f*cked were one night stands. They lingered after the fights and sometimes were paid for by Aldo as an extra prize for me.

This couldn’t…

My lips brushed Winter’s neck. The tip of my tongue flirted with her skin. I pulled my mouth away. I saw Winter’s bottom lip tremble. I kissed her neck again. I pulled her body tighter to mine. My cock thickened, pressing hard against my jeans and just as hard against Winter’s lower back. I knew she could feel me and she didn’t jump away in shock.

Fuck.

I flickered my tongue at her neck and kissed one last time.

I then opened my hands and stepped back.

I let out a long breath. “Shit. Darling.”

Winter turned. She put one hand to my face. Then in a bold move she put her other hand between my legs and tried to cup my hard dick.

“Don’t fight it for too long,” she whispered. “We might be dead soon.”

Christ, if that wasn’t the most desperate and romantic thing I’d ever heard in my life.