Winter's Touch
Page 24
“I don’t care. I only want to talk to him.”
“He’s not at the clubhouse.”
Winter’s stomach sank. Had Viper taken off to Ohio?
“Where is he? Rider, please tell me. I know he’s upset—”
“That’s an understatement. He gave Moon a black eye when he asked where Viper was going after he told me to come here and watch Mrs. Langley’s house.”
“Why didn’t he just call you?”
“Because Viper said he broke his phone. It’s sitting in the middle of the road.”
“Where could he be? Did he go to Ohio?”
Rider turned on the overhead lights. “Did you two have a fight?”
Winter nodded, holding back her tears. “I told him I’m pregnant, and he freaked out.” Afraid she couldn’t keep her tears at bay much longer, she began pleading. “Will you drive me to Ohio?”
He turned to face the front of the truck. “He’s not in Ohio. I’ll take you to where he is.”
Starting the truck, Rider picked up his cell phone that was lying on the dashboard while she buckled her seatbelt.
“Knox, I’m driving Winter to Viper. Have one of the deputies watch Mrs. Langley’s house.” Rider shook his head at something Knox said. “It’s cool. I found out what set Viper off. Winter told him she’s knocked up.”
She didn’t care that he was driving; she punched his shoulder, wishing Knox was there so she could punch him, too, when she heard his laughter through the phone.
“See you in a minute.” Rider leaned toward the steering wheel as they passed Rosie’s bar.
Winter looked out his window at the movement, thinking he was trying to hide Viper’s bike sitting out front.
“Why are you acting so weird?” she asked suspiciously. “Is Viper at Rosie’s?”
“No. I was just holding onto the steering wheel in case you decided to punch me again.”
“Wimp.”
“I heard that.”
“Good. At least nothing’s wrong with your hearing.”
As they neared the curve of the clubhouse, Rider pointed out her window. “That’s the biggest herd of deer I’ve ever seen.”
Winter looked out her window, trying to see in the pitch dark. “I don’t see them.”
Rider leaned back as they came up to another curve, taking them past the club.
“You must have missed them. It must be mating season.”
“Must be.” Where in the hell was he taking her?
As he made the turn onto Cash’s property, she relaxed. Viper must be spending the night there. It was where Cash’s grandparents had first built their home. The Last Riders used it now to have bonfires and parties, since it was hidden from view from the road by huge oak trees.
When he made the turn and brought the truck to a stop, Winter was shocked to see the Last Riders sitting on their bikes, several with their headlights on.
“Viper’s here? I don’t see him,” she said, getting out of the truck.
Rider got out, too, meeting her in front of the truck. “See the path that Knox is blocking? He’s up there.” Rider walked past her to the beginning of the path, where Knox was standing.
Winter knew where that path led. It was the small cemetery where Viper had buried his brother.
“You don’t want to go up there.” Shade’s voice came from behind them. He moved to stand in front of them, next to Knox, blocking the path.
“Move, Shade. I need to talk to Viper.” She didn’t back down, taking a step forward.
“Right now, you need to wait until he comes down from the hill.”
“You both need to move now. That is my husband up there. He may be your leader, but he is my husband. Move!”
Shade raised a brow at her fury. “I guess we need to move, then, Knox.”
Both men stepped to the side, and Winter stepped between them. She was still wearing her sundress and the flimsy sandals.
Shade took her arm as she stepped up onto the path. She wanted to knock him away, but she accepted his help when the path grew steep.
His hand tightened on her arm when they neared the top. “He took two six-packs when he left the club, so he’s been drinking and is probably shit-faced.” His voice was so low she could barely hear him.
“You let him leave drunk?”
“He didn’t start drinking until I got here. I followed him—we all did. We knew something was wrong when he hit Moon for no reason. Viper doesn’t do that.”
“I know.” She wanted to cry at how upset he was about her pregnancy.
“I’ll wait here. If you need me—”
“Viper would never hurt me,” Winter protested.
“I don’t think he will, but he might need someone to carry him down.”
“Go on down. He can lean on me if he needs help.”
Shade gave her a searching look before going down the path.
She took a deep breath then walked toward the cemetery, coming to a stop, her hand going to her mouth and biting down on her knuckles. He was sitting beside Gavin’s grave, leaning against the gravestone.
The moon shone down on the graveyard, giving it an eerie feel that had her crossing her arms in front of her breasts.
Winter moved closer to stand a foot from Gavin’s grave. “Viper—”
“Go away.” He didn’t bother to turn his head at the sound of her voice.
“I’m going to give you the same answer I gave those cavemen at the bottom of the hill. No.”
Viper took a drink of his beer then tossed the empty can onto his brother’s grave. He twisted another one from the plastic ring, popping the can, ignoring her.
Delicately, she stepped around Gavin’s grave to stand by Viper’s boots. “I didn’t deliberately get pregnant.”
“I know.” He still didn’t look at her.
“Then why are you so angry?”
Her question finally got a reaction from him, but it was more than she had bargained for.
He stood up, slamming the still full beer can onto Gavin’s headstone. “How do you want me to act?” he yelled at her, fury in his taut body. “You’re thinking about the morning sickness, and the cravings, and baby showers. Do you want to know what I’m thinking?
Hesitantly, Winter nodded.
“I’m wondering if you’re going to be able to carry our baby to term, the complications our child could have, and how you are going to be handle it if something happens and we lose the baby.”
Winter gasped, taking a step back.
“Exactly,” he said when he saw her reaction. “Ton raised me to be a man who can take of his woman. I would give my life to make sure nothing and no one will ever hurt you, but no matter how much I love or try to protect you if anything goes wrong, I will be powerless.”
“Viper, that’s every parent’s nightmare. But even if my spine were perfect, we would still have the chance of something going wrong. Women have miscarriages every day. You’re not God, Viper. You can’t prevent bad things from happening, no matter how hard you try.”
“Yes. I. Can.”
In the military, he must have been a force to be reckoned with. Winter stared and realized her husband had never truly been vulnerable before. His confidence had become shaken, knowing that hers and the safety of the child she carried was in someone else’s hands.
“He’s not at the clubhouse.”
Winter’s stomach sank. Had Viper taken off to Ohio?
“Where is he? Rider, please tell me. I know he’s upset—”
“That’s an understatement. He gave Moon a black eye when he asked where Viper was going after he told me to come here and watch Mrs. Langley’s house.”
“Why didn’t he just call you?”
“Because Viper said he broke his phone. It’s sitting in the middle of the road.”
“Where could he be? Did he go to Ohio?”
Rider turned on the overhead lights. “Did you two have a fight?”
Winter nodded, holding back her tears. “I told him I’m pregnant, and he freaked out.” Afraid she couldn’t keep her tears at bay much longer, she began pleading. “Will you drive me to Ohio?”
He turned to face the front of the truck. “He’s not in Ohio. I’ll take you to where he is.”
Starting the truck, Rider picked up his cell phone that was lying on the dashboard while she buckled her seatbelt.
“Knox, I’m driving Winter to Viper. Have one of the deputies watch Mrs. Langley’s house.” Rider shook his head at something Knox said. “It’s cool. I found out what set Viper off. Winter told him she’s knocked up.”
She didn’t care that he was driving; she punched his shoulder, wishing Knox was there so she could punch him, too, when she heard his laughter through the phone.
“See you in a minute.” Rider leaned toward the steering wheel as they passed Rosie’s bar.
Winter looked out his window at the movement, thinking he was trying to hide Viper’s bike sitting out front.
“Why are you acting so weird?” she asked suspiciously. “Is Viper at Rosie’s?”
“No. I was just holding onto the steering wheel in case you decided to punch me again.”
“Wimp.”
“I heard that.”
“Good. At least nothing’s wrong with your hearing.”
As they neared the curve of the clubhouse, Rider pointed out her window. “That’s the biggest herd of deer I’ve ever seen.”
Winter looked out her window, trying to see in the pitch dark. “I don’t see them.”
Rider leaned back as they came up to another curve, taking them past the club.
“You must have missed them. It must be mating season.”
“Must be.” Where in the hell was he taking her?
As he made the turn onto Cash’s property, she relaxed. Viper must be spending the night there. It was where Cash’s grandparents had first built their home. The Last Riders used it now to have bonfires and parties, since it was hidden from view from the road by huge oak trees.
When he made the turn and brought the truck to a stop, Winter was shocked to see the Last Riders sitting on their bikes, several with their headlights on.
“Viper’s here? I don’t see him,” she said, getting out of the truck.
Rider got out, too, meeting her in front of the truck. “See the path that Knox is blocking? He’s up there.” Rider walked past her to the beginning of the path, where Knox was standing.
Winter knew where that path led. It was the small cemetery where Viper had buried his brother.
“You don’t want to go up there.” Shade’s voice came from behind them. He moved to stand in front of them, next to Knox, blocking the path.
“Move, Shade. I need to talk to Viper.” She didn’t back down, taking a step forward.
“Right now, you need to wait until he comes down from the hill.”
“You both need to move now. That is my husband up there. He may be your leader, but he is my husband. Move!”
Shade raised a brow at her fury. “I guess we need to move, then, Knox.”
Both men stepped to the side, and Winter stepped between them. She was still wearing her sundress and the flimsy sandals.
Shade took her arm as she stepped up onto the path. She wanted to knock him away, but she accepted his help when the path grew steep.
His hand tightened on her arm when they neared the top. “He took two six-packs when he left the club, so he’s been drinking and is probably shit-faced.” His voice was so low she could barely hear him.
“You let him leave drunk?”
“He didn’t start drinking until I got here. I followed him—we all did. We knew something was wrong when he hit Moon for no reason. Viper doesn’t do that.”
“I know.” She wanted to cry at how upset he was about her pregnancy.
“I’ll wait here. If you need me—”
“Viper would never hurt me,” Winter protested.
“I don’t think he will, but he might need someone to carry him down.”
“Go on down. He can lean on me if he needs help.”
Shade gave her a searching look before going down the path.
She took a deep breath then walked toward the cemetery, coming to a stop, her hand going to her mouth and biting down on her knuckles. He was sitting beside Gavin’s grave, leaning against the gravestone.
The moon shone down on the graveyard, giving it an eerie feel that had her crossing her arms in front of her breasts.
Winter moved closer to stand a foot from Gavin’s grave. “Viper—”
“Go away.” He didn’t bother to turn his head at the sound of her voice.
“I’m going to give you the same answer I gave those cavemen at the bottom of the hill. No.”
Viper took a drink of his beer then tossed the empty can onto his brother’s grave. He twisted another one from the plastic ring, popping the can, ignoring her.
Delicately, she stepped around Gavin’s grave to stand by Viper’s boots. “I didn’t deliberately get pregnant.”
“I know.” He still didn’t look at her.
“Then why are you so angry?”
Her question finally got a reaction from him, but it was more than she had bargained for.
He stood up, slamming the still full beer can onto Gavin’s headstone. “How do you want me to act?” he yelled at her, fury in his taut body. “You’re thinking about the morning sickness, and the cravings, and baby showers. Do you want to know what I’m thinking?
Hesitantly, Winter nodded.
“I’m wondering if you’re going to be able to carry our baby to term, the complications our child could have, and how you are going to be handle it if something happens and we lose the baby.”
Winter gasped, taking a step back.
“Exactly,” he said when he saw her reaction. “Ton raised me to be a man who can take of his woman. I would give my life to make sure nothing and no one will ever hurt you, but no matter how much I love or try to protect you if anything goes wrong, I will be powerless.”
“Viper, that’s every parent’s nightmare. But even if my spine were perfect, we would still have the chance of something going wrong. Women have miscarriages every day. You’re not God, Viper. You can’t prevent bad things from happening, no matter how hard you try.”
“Yes. I. Can.”
In the military, he must have been a force to be reckoned with. Winter stared and realized her husband had never truly been vulnerable before. His confidence had become shaken, knowing that hers and the safety of the child she carried was in someone else’s hands.
