Winter's Touch (The Last Riders Book 8) (5 page)

The sadness that was apparent had Winter coming to a sudden decision. “How about we finish dinner and then watch your favorite movie,
Pride and Prejudice
?”

“That would be great. Are you sure your husband won’t mind?”

“Viper won’t mind at all,” she assured her, looking down at her own uneaten plate of food. According to Sasha’s text, Viper wanted to get rid of her, anyway.

Her aunt’s face brightened, as she said, “Except, instead of the older version, I want to watch the new one.”

“Which one?”

“The one with the zombies. I’ve been too afraid to watch it by myself.”

“Sure. I’ll even stay the night to make sure you don’t have nightmares.”

“No, no. I couldn’t ask—”

“I insist. I don’t have to work tomorrow. It’ll be like when I was little and I came to spend the night.”

Shay smiled. “I remember. Okay, then, if you don’t mind?”

“It was my suggestion, so of course I don’t mind.”

Winter was happy when Aunt Shay began eating her food, talking about Ton, Viper’s father, and how he was planting a garden and had promised to give her the first tomatoes when they grew big enough. Then Winter carried the dishes inside when they finished eating.

“I’m going to get showered and change into a nightgown. We can watch the movie on my bed. I even have an extra nightgown you can wear,” her aunt offered.

“I’ll do the dishes and be right in. Do you need any help?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I won’t be long.”

“All right. Just yell if you need anything.”

“I will,” her aunt said, as she walked toward her room.

Winter loaded the dishwasher then called Viper.

“Hey. You ready?” Viper answered. “I’ll be there in a minute—”

“Not yet. I decided to spend the night with Aunt Shay. She’s lonely, and I want to spend some time with her.” She was taking the coward’s way out, but she needed the night away from him to ready herself for his answers about Sasha’s texts.

“Is she sick?” His concern only increased her guilt.

“No, I think she’s just feeling lonely. She wants to watch the zombie version of
Pride and Prejudice
, but she’s been too afraid to watch it by herself.”

“I bet Diamond’s been visiting her.” Viper’s laughter sounded across the line, making her wish she could reach out and touch him.

“I think Beth was the culprit this time.”

Viper sighed. “I guess I can spare you for a night. I have some contracts to look over before I email them to Moon. That’ll keep me busy tonight.” Viper was silently telling her that he wouldn’t stay downstairs for the Friday night party. “I saw you left your briefcase. I tried to call to see if you needed it. I could have it brought to you.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Pretty girl, is something wrong? Rider said he thought you didn’t look good this morning.”

“Just tired. You kept me up late last night.” Her voice sounded hollow to her own ears.

“Let me finish up my paperwork, and I’ll come and watch the movie with you.”

“Don’t. Aunt Shay will fall asleep during the movie, and I’ll just go to bed. I’m tired, Viper.” Winter struggled to keep the heartbreak at bay long enough to finish their conversation. “We can talk tomorrow. Aunt Shay is in the shower. I need to go check on her. Good night.” She hung up before he could say anything else.

She would deal with Viper and Sasha’s texts tomorrow. Tonight, she was going to enjoy her time with Aunt Shay.

When Winter went into her aunt’s bedroom, which was on the first floor since Aunt Shay couldn’t manage the stairs, Shay was just getting in bed.

“I’ll only be a minute,” Winter said, before using her bathroom to change into the nightgown her aunt had lent her. Then she climbed into bed with her.

Starting the movie, she was surprised by how gory it was and how her aunt was engrossed in it, while Winter had to turn away during the most gruesome scenes.

Winter dropped her head to her aunt’s shoulder, mumbling, “I’ve missed this.”

“Me, too,” Aunt Shay agreed, not taking her attention away from the television set.

Despite what she had said to Viper, Aunt Shay wasn’t the first to fall asleep.

“
A
re
you sure you don’t want me to stay?” Winter asked. Cash was waiting outside, but her aunt’s sorrowful expression had her hesitating to leave. She had stalled, waiting to leave until after dinner, before going home to confront Viper.

“I’m sure. You need to get home to that good-looking husband of yours.”

Winter nodded. “Aunt Shay, promise me you’ll think about taking Viper up on his offer. I’d feel better if you were closer, in case you needed me. I know you and Beth have grown close, and she does a great job of taking care of you, but I’ll help out more if you want me to.”

“Darling, I know that. I told you when I first hired Beth that I like my independence. I don’t like to be a bother.”

Winter blinked back tears, not wanting to upset her. “You couldn’t be a bother if you tried. I’ll stop by to see you after church tomorrow.” She hugged her goodbye before going outside and getting into her car. She was going to have to talk to Beth. Together, maybe they could convince her to live closer.

As she drove closer to the clubhouse, Winter’s worry switched from Aunt Shay to Viper.

Cash waved as she walked up the hill when he saw Viper waiting at the top of the walkway he had built for her. She stopped when she saw him, and they stared at each other. The walls she had built to protect herself over the night came crumbling down.

“There isn’t one single time you told me you love me that I doubted you. When you told me Sasha was leaving, why didn’t you tell me she would be coming back?” She could easily see inside the window and saw the kitchen was filled with members.

“How did you find out?”

“Does it matter?” She brushed by him, continuing up the walkway. Before she could enter the back door, though, Viper took her elbow.

“Yes, it matters. I was going to tell you.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me when she left that it wouldn’t be for good?”

“To tell you the truth, I thought you would change your mind about her after you cooled down. I had already told Sasha she could switch places with Raci. The members are still mad at her about Genny, even though they don’t want her thrown out of the club. They all trusted her, but she didn’t trust them to help when her cousin was kidnapped.

She could understand his decision about Raci—Winter was still pretty mad about it herself.

“Have you touched Sasha?” She stopped tiptoeing around the subject and went right to what concerned her the most. “Why we’re you hugging Sasha in the kitchen the night she left?

“No, I’ve never touched Sasha. How do you know I hugged her?”

Winter didn’t want to tell Viper how she knew, but four people were in the kitchen when it happened: Viper, Moon, Sasha and Jewell. The first three wouldn’t have mentioned it to her, that only left Jewell. She wasn’t going to be happy that Winter had told Viper they had been gossiping behind his back.

“Jewell.”

Viper was clearly unhappy about being the topic of between the two women. “Sasha was upset about going back to Ohio. I hugged her, she was confused thinking that we didn’t want her in the club there either. Which wasn’t the case, and I told her that she was welcome there.” Viper’s stern expression left no doubt that Sasha was going to remain with the Last Riders. He may not have voted her in but she would be allowed to remain as a hanger on.

“Sasha is no different than any other woman in the club. You don’t get jealous or possessive when you see Rider fucking Jewel, or Crash fucking Stori. Hell, Ember I’ve seen in positions that even Sasha wouldn’t attempt, and it’s never bothered you before.”

Winter wiggled away from Viper’s touch. She walked to the picnic table and sat down on the bench to support her trembling body. Men were not known to tell the truth about other women, but she had seen the truth in his eyes. The relief she felt showed how afraid of his answer she had been.

“Why can’t Sasha just stay in Ohio?”

“Moon made an enemy of the mayor. He has the cops watching the club, the only reason I let him take Sasha back is because he wants to talk to the Mayor’s daughter. He’s trying to find a way to get the heat off the club.

She looked up at him in confusion. “Why does that matter?”

“Sasha has been in trouble with the law a couple of times. Every time she goes out, the police give her a hard time.”

“Oh.”

“She’s had a rough life. She’s clean now and plans to stay that way, so she doesn’t need to be reminded of it every time she wants to go out for a hamburger or get her nails done.”

Winter felt like a bitch. She worked with troubled teenagers; some even already had police records. She offered each student a second chance, so she couldn’t do any less for Sasha.

“I’ll give her another chance when she comes back, but since we’re being honest, I really don’t like her.” She didn’t put her foot down often, but this time, she knew what she could handle and what she couldn’t.

“When she comes back, if you can’t learn to have her in the club, I’ll send her back. That’ll give the other members time to get over Raci, and maybe she can come back with a fresh start.”

“That’s reassuring,” she said sarcastically, as she started to get off the picnic table.

Viper’s hands pressed her back down. “You’re the only woman I want in my bed.”

“A bed doesn’t make a difference to the Last Riders.” Winter rolled her eyes. The text Sasha had sent proved that fact.

She stared down at the grass. She wanted to ask about the texts, but she didn’t want to admit she had been snooping in his phone. The other thing she wanted to know if Viper had been lying about was going on vacation with her.

He laughed. “You’re the only woman I want to be with, in a bed or out.”

She looked away. “I know I’m being a bitch. I let Train touch me, but I can’t even bear Sasha to be in the room with you. It makes me sick the way her eyes watch you.”

Viper brought his hand to her cheek, turning her to face him. “It was fucking hot watching him lick your pussy. I wasn’t jealous of Knox or Train touching you, because of how they are with women. It was about your pleasure. Knox and Train would fucking die for you if you ever needed them to. Now, if Rider or Moon came near your pussy, I’d have a problem with that.”

Winter gurgled with laughter. “Why not Rider or Moon?”

“Because, if those two assholes tasted your pussy, they would try to steal you away from me.”

She looked down to see he was serious. Viper honestly believed that Rider or Moon could steal her away from him.

She leaned down, placing her forehead against his. “What are we going to do?”

“Right now, we’re going inside to spend alone time together, just me and you.”

“That sounds really nice.” She laughed, getting off the picnic table. He had answered questions, yet Winter felt like she was on the same slippery slope she had been during the two years she had dated him before she’d found out he was the president of the Last Riders. She had believed every word out of his mouth then too.

He took her hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“Viper…” Winter was just about to ask about the texts, but her husband opened the door right when Rider and Ember were about to open it.

“Hey, Winter, Viper. Mick called and said you weren’t answering your phone. Ton is at Rosie’s, and he’s trying to pick a fight with Greer.”

“Dammit.” Viper brushed his hair away from his face. “Sorry, pretty girl, I’ll go get him and be right back.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Viper’s father could be a mean drunk.

“No. If he acts like an ass in front of you, he’ll be getting his ass whipped from me instead of Greer. Go on upstairs. Keep my side of the bed warm until I get back.”

“All right.”

Winter watched her husband walk down to the parking lot before going inside where the members were just sitting around, playing cards or pool. She went upstairs to shower before climbing naked into bed.

She started to watch a television show, expecting Viper to come in any minute, but when the show went off, she picked up her phone, getting worried. Rosie’s was only a few minutes away from the clubhouse, and Ton’s house was close to town.

She pressed Viper’s number, and her call rang and rang before it went to voicemail. She left a message then lay back down, waiting for Viper to call back. When half an hour had passed and she hadn’t heard from him, she called again. Once more, her call went to voicemail.

Getting out of bed, she pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Then she went downstairs and saw someone had turned the lights down low. Several of the members were dancing.

Seeing Rider standing at the bar, she tapped on his shoulder. “I’m worried about Viper. Has he not come back from picking Ton up?”

Rider gave her a puzzled frown. “He came in around twenty minutes ago. Have you checked the kitchen?”

“No, but thanks. I’ll check now.”

Turning, she went inside the kitchen, not seeing him there or in the family room. When she didn’t see him in the dining room, either, she decided to check the backyard. Frustrated from not seeing him out there, she wondered where he had gone and why he hadn’t returned her calls.

The kitchen door swung open, and Rider came in with a red face. “My bad. Viper was here, but he took off again when he found out Jo had called him. She said Ton drove off again as soon as Viper left.”

“Oh… I guess I’ll go back to bed then.” She released the door handle, not missing the relief that came over Rider’s face.

“I’m sure he’ll call you when he gets Ton under control.” Rider evaded her questioning look, going back into the living room.

She went back to her room, her cell phone clutched in her hand. If Viper had the time to call Rider about his whereabouts, why hadn’t he called her?

Winter went to the bed. Settling down, she turned the light off then went to the window, thinking of how Rider had been relieved when she hadn’t gone outside.

The backyard was dark, but there were lanterns lining the walkway. She could make out two people standing in the shadows of the gazebo. The man was Viper’s size, and when he moved deeper into the shadows, she recognized it was her husband from the way he moved. The figure following him into the gazebo was a woman, and Winter had a sinking feeling she knew who it was.

Sasha was back.

She would never forget the image of the two of them going into the gazebo.

Unable to look any longer, she moved away from the window. She couldn’t bring herself to get back in their bed. Instead, she sat down on the chair, waiting for her husband to decide to come back.

Her cell phone rang, and she looked down at it, expecting it to be Viper making another excuse for why he wasn’t back yet. When she saw Beth’s name, she answered.

“Hello?”

“Winter…”

“What is it?” She could tell from her tone it was bad.

“It’s Mrs. Langley. She’s had a heart attack.”