Fight(40)

“Autumn. He wants her. That’s his granddaughter. He’s forgoing the family idea and wants his granddaughter. And he believes you know where she is.”

“I don’t,” Winter said. “I swear.”

“He painted a really different picture,” I said. “What happened with Endo. With Rocky. The Red Aces. And then me. Aldo sent me, knowing what would happen between us. That I’d f*ck you. That you’d let me.”

“Fuck you,” Winter said.

“Is that your game here?”

“My game? There is no f*cking game, Tripp. My life is in danger.”

“So is mine.”

“I don’t know what you want from me.”

“The entire truth,” I said. “Not just bits and pieces.”

“What do you… I don’t have her. I gave her up. Thanks for bringing that up again. Do you have any idea how much that hurts me to think about it? To talk about?”

I put the gun down and walked toward her. I didn’t touch her though. I kept my distance at about an inch. I stared down at her.

“Do you have any idea what it feels like to meet someone… you know what? Screw it. It doesn’t matter. I came here to tell you that I’ve only lost two fights in my life. The one that brought me here. The first one cost my best friend his life. And it was made very clear to me then that if I stood in the way of anyone in the family or lost a fight, it was my ass on the line. I came here to protect you, darling, and now I’m wondering if I should have been protecting myself.”

“Then don’t be here,” Winter whispered. “Leave. I don’t give a shit.”

“I’m not leaving without knowing where Autumn is.”

“What are you going to do? Threaten me with a gun? Slap me? Punch me around?”

I shook my head. “No. I’d never do that to you.”

“Even if it cost you your life?”

I gritted my teeth so hard, my jaw hurt.

Was I willing to die for Winter? Or because of her?

Man, that was a hard question to answer.

I touched her face, hating that I was doing so. She looked ready to collapse into tears, but I had to hold off with her.

“I need to know,” I said. “Goddammit, darling, you don’t realize what he has planned.”

“He’s going to kill me, isn’t he?”

I wasn’t going to be a hypocrite and lie to her. “He’ll kill anyone who gets in his way. Or anyone who he thinks is lying.”

“And I’m a f*cking liar, right?” Winter asked.

My hand slid around to the back of her neck. She put her head back, her mouth slightly parted. “Then stop f*cking lying.”

“I’m not,” she whispered.

Then I kissed her.

It was a desperate kiss, a hopeless kiss. My addiction to her lips was so obvious and unruly. Maybe it was our last kiss, so I had to make it count.

I managed a few seconds before Winter broke it off. She clawed at my chest and pushed me away. Then her hand swung and slapped my face.

It stung. It surprised me.

“Just f*cking leave then,” Winter said. “I’m sorry for everything.”

My rage started to boil over. I had two choices again. I could either grab her and carry her to the bedroom, or I could really leave. Once and for all. Just be done with it. If she wasn’t going to tell me everything, what did it matter? We would both end up dead anyway.

So f*ck it.

I nodded and then walked away.

I left the house and went to my car. I stood there and then swung my hand at it, hitting the side. I got in the car and started to drive.

I didn’t look back.

I was done.

And that’s when I knew what heartbreak felt like.

It didn’t feel good at all.





24.


(Winter)



He left.

He didn’t just walk away. He didn’t just leave the house. He left the house and kept going. I hurried to the kitchen window and watched him go. Pausing at his car, I feared the worst. I feared that he was going to get in the car and leave forever. That would be the death of both of us.

Tripp punched the car and walked.

I watched until he disappeared. Then I watched some more.

I had no idea what his boss had said to him. I didn’t know where Autumn was. I never had anything to do with her precious life other than carrying her in my belly and giving birth. After that she was in the arms of someone I trusted. Someone Endo trusted, too. Someone he paid to take Autumn and give her a good life.

Tears filled my eyes and I started to shake. Going back in time was not the way I intended on living my life. That meant I only had one choice.

I had to leave.

If Aldo thought Tripp was going to muscle information out of me, I had no choice. If I stayed, I was going to die. Or Stoney and the Red Aces were going to stake their claim on me. And everything had all become tied together with a neat ribbon on it, didn’t it?

In the bedroom, I ran to the box of pictures that were mostly burned. One swing of my foot sent the remaining pictures scattering. Another kick sent the bowl and the ashes floating through the air. I grabbed a bag, some clothes, and packed up.

There was only one person in this situation that deserved hell. It wasn’t me. It was Endo. For everything he’d done to me. Making me feel bad that I got pregnant. Forcing me to hide it from the world. Taking my baby away. And now, with him in a coma, I was the one who was going to pay for it.