Lyric shakes her head. “We need to get Badger’s old lady in here. She needs to check Winnie out medically. Once she is awake, I’ll check on her about the other stuff.”
“When will Badger get here?”
“I already called him. He and Hope are on the way,” she answers.
“Did you know?” I turn to her and watch as she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth.
“I hadn’t heard from her in a few months. The last I knew she was providing home care to Marco, but that was it. It was just a hunch.” Her shoulders lift.
I squeeze my eyes shut, wanting to be mad at her for hiding that she talked to Winnie. That she knew where she was while I had been going crazy trying to find her over the past few years. At the same time, I know I didn’t deserve to know.
“She never told me where she was, Dodger. I think she felt guilty that she was already putting me in a position to hide something from my husband. But we did talk, and I’m sorry I hid that from you and Karma,” Lyric presses on.
“She’s entitled to privacy,” I say, even though I know it's bullshit coming from my mouth. The way I’ve been seeking her out is anything but healthy or respectful of the space Winnie put between us when she left. Not that I plan to tell Doc any of that. Now that I have Winnie in front of me again, the alliance with the Mafia might as well burn. All the plans we had for the asset go up in smoke, and a new plan is starting to form. One where Winnie is my future. She doesn’t belong to Bianchi. She’s always been mine.
Chapter 20
Winnie
It's not the murmuring or the low voices that cut through my deep sleep and wake me. It’s not the bright light shining a few feet away from me either. No, it's the smell of leather, bike exhaust, and a spicy maleness that makes me want to curl up next to the source and inhale deeply. The smell is so familiar that for a few seconds, I let my mind pretend I’m safe again. I let the memories of those times I was happy, of when Finn would wrap his arms around me and hold me tight. Back before the club and all the expectations. I want to hold on to it, to not rise to the surface, but I can feel the voices getting louder, my senses coming back. Soon, my protective bubble will burst, and I’ll be faced with reality.
“I think she’s waking up,” a voice I recognize says, and there’s movement underneath me. My body shifts, and the warmth I had been feeling seeps into my bones.
“Win? Come on, Daisy, open your eyes for me.”
Only one person calls me that. Only one person smells this good, and only on one person could I sleep for hours at a time while his chest cuddled me. “Finn.”
Warm lips press against the top of my head. “Wake up, Win. Please.”
Finn. Here. My eyes snap open and right into the intense blue gaze of the man I left five years ago. Shifting, I realize I’m lying half sprawled across Finn’s body, my hand resting on his chest and my legs tucked in between us. My heart races, and panic overtakes me. I practically fling myself off of him.
“Win, easy.” His voice is calm, controlled, while I’m freaking out on the inside. How did I get here? I go to stand, but my knees quickly buckle, and Finn’s hands are reaching for me in the next second. “Easy. They drugged you; you’ll probably be unsteady.”
“Drugged me?” My mind feels groggy while I’m trying to make sense of everything. The last thing I remember was sitting down to eat lunch with Marco.
“Who? What?” My mind spins, and my hands run through my hair. I feel like I’m going to be sick. My eyes land on the trash can, and I reach for it just in time to heave the contents of my stomach into it.
Finn kneels beside me, one of his hands going to my hair, holding it back, as the other runs in circles over my back. “You’re okay, baby. Get it all out.”
I don’t think his soft, sweet voice is reserved for me, at least I don’t understand why it would be, and I’m going to pretend that I don’t care. I shouldn’t care about anything where this man is concerned. The door to the office opens and closes, but I can’t look to see who it is, my face still hovering over the trash bin.
“She’ll be fine,” Finn says. “I’m sure it's the drugs in her system.”
“Hope said it could happen. Here’s some water.” Lyric’s voice reaches me, and I instantly feel a little more relaxed.
Once I’m convinced I’m good, I fall back onto my butt, bringing my knees up under my chin. My friend’s eyes land on me, and mine instantly start to fill with tears.
“Lyric.”
She smiles, but it's watery, and reaches out her hand, resting it over my arm. “You scared the shit out of me, Win. I hadn’t heard from you in months, and I was scared.”
I nod, knowing exactly how she feels. The night I saved Marco’s son was the same night my world stopped. I became a prisoner, dressed in silk and pretending to play a part that I never wanted. “They took my phone.”
Fear claws its way back up my chest, gripping my lungs and making it hard to breathe. I feel Finn’s body stiffen next to me, his eyes running all over my body. I shift, pushing myself to stand, and he’s right there too, his hand reaching out to steady me. “I got it,” I tell him.
Finn laughs darkly, his hand curling around my elbow. “Humor me, Daisy. It's either I help you, or I hunt down Bianchi and murder him.”
Rolling my eyes, I let him help me stand. I can tell Lyric is taking this all in and probably psychoanalyzing the entire situation. I’m sure we’ll discuss it later, but for now, I’m going to let my ex support me at my side because my legs do feel shaky and my stomach still rolls when I take a step.
