“I’m not sure I get the difference.”
“Daddy’s girlimplies I was indulged and pampered.”She let out a wry laugh.“It’s almost like a daddy’s princess.He gives her whatever she wants, or nearly, and does everything he can to shield his princess from the harsher side of the world.”
“Your dad didn’t do that for you?”‘
“Fuck, no.I might have been a daddy’s girl once, but I knew more than I wanted about the harsher side of the world before I turned eleven.After that, I became my father’s daughter.He taught me to survive.I can do whatever I need to do, or figure it out.It’s almost like he knew he wasn’t going to have a son to pass on all his knowledge so he gave it to me instead.”She didn’t look at him but kept her gaze on the city stretched out below them.He suspected it was easier for her to talk about this without looking at someone, without knowing someone was watching her expression.
“Can I ask what happened, or is it too much?”He kept his voice soft so they wouldn’t be overheard and she wouldn’t feel like he was putting her in the spotlight.
“The Angels had an ongoing rivalry with a couple of clubs in neighboring counties, one of them found my mom when she was in town, in Craven’s Creek—not their town—and he took her.”Her voice had taken on a distant, neutral tone, as if what she was saying didn’t matter.He knew it wasn’t true, but it was likely the only way she could tell the story, by distancing herself from it.“There’s a lot more to it, but the short answer is they killed her.I didn’t know the details at the time, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but as I got older, Dad didn’t hide shit from me.I was fifteen when I found out some of the details, eighteen when I learned the rest.She didn’t go easy.”She took a deep breath and stepped forward.Bishop let his hands slide off her shoulders.
Winter seemed to want to stand on her own, to prove she could do it.Bishop didn’t want to stop her.He just wanted to stand between her and the harsher elements.Be the shelter that keeps the world from crushing her.
Chapter Seven
Winter wrapped herhands around the rail and held on as she leaned against the barrier and forced herself to breathe.She hated talking about her mother and what had happened to her.It was a wound that had never healed.Fuck.It had barely scabbed over, and every time it was brought up, it broke open and bled like it was fresh.Losing her father was fresher and still hurt just as much as the day she’d watched as they lowered his casket into the ground.He’d done his best to teach her everything she needed to live without him.And he hadn’t failed, but she wished she’d had another twenty years to learn, to ask questions, to love him.
She hadn’t had to tell Bishop.He had only asked, and had given her an out.But something told her he needed to know.Still, after telling him the worst thing she’d ever been through, she couldn’t stand the weight of him behind her.She had moved away.
Now, standing at the railing, staring unseeing at the city surrounding them, she missed his warmth and presence behind her.She was lost in her head, wondering if maybe she shouldn’t just go home, not to her apartment here, but all the way back to Montana.
But there was nothing for her there.It was a small town and while the Angels would welcome her back, she would be back where she started with memories of both her parents and what she’d lost.
Bishop stepped up to the rail beside her, not touching her, but not leaving her alone either.She wondered what was going through his head.Had she scared him off?Not that there was anything between them but his protecting her like he’d promised Raven he would.Did he wish he’d kept his mouth shut and could just take her back to her truck and be done with her?
“I’m sorry, Spitfire.”He reached over and covered one of her hands with his.That was all.He didn’t push, didn’t try to take over.Just let her know he was there.
After a few minutes she sighed and turned away from the view.There was no point in dwelling on the past, the things she’d lost and couldn’t have back.Instead, she had to move forward.She took another pull from the water bottle Bishop had brought her, then turned to look at him.
“What’s the plan?”
“I don’t really have one yet.Let’s go sit in the shade for a bit, I’m sure between the five of us, we can come up with something.”
Winter looked over her shoulder at the city and wished she could get away.She could, but would Kevin let her leave or would he follow her?Did she want to give up the few friends she’d made here on the chance he’d leave her alone once she left?
Nope.She wasn’t a runner, at least not past the time it took to make a plan and set it in motion.
