“I doubt that very much, considering my standing when I left him,” I scoff, my arms wrapping around my waist.
“Dodger has things to own up to. Regardless, he’s my cousin. I saw what he was doing and how it affected you. I chose to stay loyal to him, going at his speed. I should have watched out more for your feelings, and I’m sorry I ignored you rather than stepped up.” His head bows with his apology.
I’m stricken on the spot, not used to having these big, gruff men acknowledge me without Finn around, much less apologizing for things from the past. I glance at Lyric, who looks just as shocked as me.
“I don’t know what to say, Bullet.”
“Nothing to say, sweetheart. I don’t expect to be forgiven. I just want you to know that this time, I’ve got your back. We’ll get Bianchi, and I’ll do whatever I can to help keep you safe.” Heglances at me, his eyes solemn. I believe him. Maybe that makes me naive, but I can feel his sincerity. It doesn’t erase the past, but right now in the present, I think he’s telling the truth.
There’s a throat cleared behind us, and when I look over my shoulder, I see a few of the other brothers watching, listening, and nodding in agreement. “Thanks, Bullet.”
Lyric, seeming to sense my need to run, slips her arm around me again. “I’ll show you where you can relax,” she says as she leads me down the hallway and toward a set of rooms I’m more than familiar with. My heart starts to ache for a whole new reason.
“I don’t know if Dodger would appreciate me in his room,” I point out to her.
Lyric scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Win, that room is the most comfortable room in the whole place. Besides, Dodger doesn’t stay here. He lives out of the compound.”
“Oh.” My gaze drops, and my stomach coils. “I should have expected that, I guess.”
Even though the words come easily, it does nothing to stop the pain that laces through my heart. It's been five years. I was the one who walked away and ended us. Still, knowing that Finn eventually settled down enough to build a house off the compound irritates me. It hurts to admit that he clearly wanted an old lady, probably even a family, but it just wasn’t what he wanted with me.
A soft laugh comes from Lyric, and my gaze shifts back to her. With a shake of her head, she opens the door for me. “You two” is all she mumbles before stepping inside after me.
The memories that hit me as I walk in are as painful as they are beautiful. I still remember the day Finn showed me all the changes and upgrades he made so I’d be comfortable. It was just a starter for us while we settled in. While we grew and saved for the house we would one day have. The echoes of our laughs, ourtalks, our dreams haunt the space around me. Everything inside of my body clenches tight, holding the eventual pain that comes with those thoughts at bay.
“It will be a while until Rosie can get here. You should take a bath. Relax,” Lyric says, giving me a side hug. “I’m so happy to see you, even though it’s under these circumstances.”
“I’m just happy to be out of that house. To be alive,” I whisper back and feel her hold tighten.
“You’re a warrior, Win. I’ll be back. Rest. That's the best you can do right now for your body and for your mind.”
I salute her and wink. “Yes, Doc.”
With a wiggle of her fingers, she slips out the door. My first instinct is to flip the lock. To create a barrier between me and anyone on the other side of the door. A habit I’d formed after living months in Marco’s mansion. My fingers clench at my side until my nails are digging into the skin.
“They aren’t them,” I whisper into the empty space. “You’re safe.”
Suddenly, the weight of the day, of the revelations spilled, hits me hard. My eyes feel heavy. I want nothing more than to burrow under the covers and rest. Lying down on the bed, my eyes lift up, searching the ceiling to see if it's still there. My breath catches when I see it. Still carved into the molding, like he promised it always would be. F +W. A ghost of a smile touches my lips before my eyes close. I’m safe.
Chapter 21
Finn
“Over my dead body is Inspector cutting into her. I’m doing it. She’s mine.” I lay it out the second the door closes, and the girls are far enough down the hall.
Prez grunts. “I think she would have something to say about that.”
I shake my head. “She probably would. Her actions spoke louder than words five years ago, and I heard them loud and clear. But in my heart, in my mind, Win is still mine. She always has been.”
Karma folds his arms over his chest, eyeing me thoughtfully. “This puts our alliance in jeopardy. I’m not saying she isn’t worth it, because she is. Not only is she Lyric’s friend, but she’s family. She admitted she was a prisoner. I can only imagine what Bianchi did for her to request what she did.”
My hands clench into fists. My chest hollows out, and a red mist fogs the corners of my eyes. Fuck the alliance. Fuck the Bianchis. He took my girl, and he hurt her.
“Winnie is family,” Jester agrees, his knowing eyes bouncing between me and our prez, “I’m not disputing that she isn’t, kid. But she also left. She has zero legal or blood ties to the club.”
“She’s mine,” I repeat, glaring at the men I respect.
“In your heart, yes. On paper, or in the eyes of the club, she isn’t. No ring, no property patch, no ink. And that is what the Bianchis will care about. We’re breaking an alliance if you try to steal his woman, because to him, that's who she is. In his mind, he has a claim, and by protecting her, he placed an importance on her. The same as we would an old lady,” Jester grits out, his hands gesturing wildly with each word.
