57. Wynn
WYNN
H earing what Leona had been through was like taking a dagger to my chest.
It was a thousand times worse than the pain of that gunshot.
The shadow behind my sternum bloomed and writhed within me, screaming to get out. Screaming at me to do more , to be better .
If I hadn’t let her be taken, she never would have gone through that. She wouldn’t have to carry the pain in the first place.
But the way the guys had come around her and supported her…the way Ciel had held my hand…maybe they had a point. She needed to share that pain with us, and all of us would carry it for her.
Maybe this guilt constantly choking me didn’t have to feel like a vice around my neck.
The next morning, she seemed lighter. She slept better, all of us piled on the big bed together.
She and I met at the gym to work out, but our training wasn’t as desperate as it had been.
This time it felt more like we were meeting each other head on, rather than using one another to get vengeance.
We were both getting stronger, especially together, and I was riding the endorphin high throughout breakfast.
Until she asked me to take her to Willow’s haven.
At first, I froze. The two of us had secretly, wordlessly, agreed to avoid it. On top of that, I didn’t trust myself to take her anywhere.
But Leona was no longer shying away from going to speak with the girls. She was determined to see what else they knew about the Albanians. It was something she had to do—even if she learned nothing from it.
So I told her yes.
This time, I woke Ciel up and told him what we were doing. He gave me two extra trackers, one for my person and one for my bike. Leona still wore hers in her engagement ring. He’d looked so cute sleeping that I’d even surprised myself by pressing a kiss to his cheek before we left.
We also stopped at the library to let Obi know, only to find Cas completely engrossed in a book. He’d commandeered Obi’s desk and strewn papers all across it, taking furious notes.
I’d asked him if everything was all right, and he’d only stared at me with bloodshot eyes. He waved me on, saying he needed to get some sleep, but that he trusted me.
When it came to Ryuji, we let him sleep. Despite his earlier apology, the accusations he’d flung at me before still stung. Even if he was coming to terms with his own fears about losing Leona, the fact remained that I should have protected her. I could have done better. He wasn’t wrong.
This was another chance to earn both of their forgiveness. To prove to them all, and myself, that I could be responsible for her safety. I’d bring her home.
My motorcycle raced across the bridge, leaving the city in my rearview. Leona’s grip around my waist was firm as I sped to the south, as civilization fell away and I drove us toward the woods.
It took almost two hours to reach the edge of the compound. My bike slowed while I turned down a dirt road that twisted farther into the forest.
“We’re here?” Leona asked. The comms radio system connected our helmets, so I heard her loud and clear.
“A few more minutes,” I said, squeezing her hand around my waist before gripping the handlebars again. The road wasn’t terrible, but it was unpaved for a reason. I kept my bike slow and tightly controlled on the smoothest parts. “Keep an eye out for the cameras. You’ll see them in the trees.”
The haven was seventy-five acres of land in the middle of nowhere farm ground.
Covered by forest on all sides, the main buildings were protected from outside prying eyes.
The forest opened up to rolling fields that stretched for dozens of acres before we even got close to the main buildings.
Most of the land was used for farming, contracted out to trusted and fully vetted local women-owned farms.
I could feel Leona shifting, looking over my shoulder as we got closer to the fences.
The inner compound was surrounded by a high chain-link fence and patrolled by the women who stayed and worked here.
The fence was to keep people out, not in, and the people who lived here were welcome to come and go as they pleased so long as they told no one where this place was.
“We’ll check in at the guardhouse,” I said when we got close. “Willow texted me they’re expecting us, but they’ll still want to double check our identities.”
Despite everything I did to track down and free the victims who lived here, I’d only actually been here a handful of times. The last time was over a year ago. Willow visited multiple times a week to provide care and drop off supplies.
I pulled up to the guardhouse and flipped open my visor. Leona did the same behind me.
A woman dressed in tight combat clothes stepped out carrying an automatic rifle. Her black hair was twisted into long braids, and her brown skin glistened in the sun. “Wynn? ”
I smiled. “Gloria. It’s good to see you.”
“You too. Been awhile.” She looked between me and Leona. “Willow said you were visiting to talk to some of our girls.”
I nodded. “This is Leona. We won’t stay very long.”
“Hi,” Leona added. “Thanks for letting me come.”
Gloria looked her up and down before giving us a small, wary smile. “Welcome. Can you both take off your helmets, please?”
We did as she asked, and she pointed a scanner at our faces, one at a time. The machine beeped a happy noise and Gloria nodded. “Just verifying your facial recognition. Tell Ciel these scanners work great, would you?”
I grinned while Leona squeezed my waist with pride. “He’ll be happy to hear it.”
“Hang tight for a second.” Gloria stepped back inside the guardhouse and spoke into her radio for a few moments before nodding and returning. “Okay, you’re cleared to go in. Willow is here and waiting for you.”
Leona bounced on the back of the bike. “I can’t wait to see her. Your sister is amazing, Wynn.”
“She really is,” I answered.
We drove up the rest of the road to the main compound buildings. Willow stood outside the medical ward, waving and smiling. Her hair was pulled back into a braid that swished down her back.
“Willow!” Leona called, returning the wave as I shut off my bike and pulled off my helmet.
Willow and I had bought this land after coming to the States, when she decided to create a haven for people who had been hurt like we had.
When we were with the Irish, she’d become a doctor to help heal these wounds—a way for her to compartmentalize what happened and put her feelings into something good.
This compound was just another way for her to do that.
Willow had a bad habit of taking care of everyone else around her, yet never herself.
That’s why I’d done my best to help her and look out for her whenever I could spare time from my work with the Shadows.
The money I’d made funded this place, and she ran it with the help of the Irish and the women who’d undergone treatment here.
“Leona.” Willow enveloped her in a big hug. “How are you doing?”
Leona gave her a crooked smile. “I’m doing okay, actually. The guys and I talked about what happened.”
Willow gripped her shoulders. “I’m glad. The girls chat is always open, if you need anything.”
Leona laughed. “More memes, please.” She stepped back, looking around at the buildings. “This place is incredible.”
“Thanks,” Willow replied before giving me a hug. “A lot of it is thanks to Wynn and his money.”
I rubbed my neck. The money I got from assassinating people. I hoped that one day, the weight of the good I’d done in the world would outweigh the bad, but I still had a long way to go. “You’re the one who does all the hard work.”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be able to do this,” Willow said softly, hand on my shoulder. She turned back to Leona. “If I’m not at the clinic in Philly, you can usually find me here. I love this place.”
“Is Zoya here?”
Willow shook her head. “She’s managing some patients, but she wanted me to tell you a very begrudging hi.”
Leona laughed. “Hello to her, too. How have Konstantin and Kolya been with her in Philadelphia for so long? Helicopter brothers?”
Willow shrugged. “I haven’t met either of them yet. Apparently, they’ve been busy with your joint problems in New York. Zoya is happy to be out from under Konstantin’s thumb, and that’s all I need to know.”
Leona whistled. “Good luck when you do meet him. There’s a reason he and Ryuji are best friends. ”
Willow rolled her eyes. “Oh, so he’s another idiot that I’ll be roped into taking care of, won’t I?”
“Probably,” I laughed.
“Great,” she said with a sigh. “Well, I have some good news. There are a few women who have agreed to speak with you both. They’re inside the main hall.”
She walked us through the compound, pointing out the different places and giving Leona a brief tour.
There was a dorm building, a recreation building, a main hall for social gathering and food, and a medical ward. On the edge of the compound were the armory and gym.
“How many people live here?” Leona asked.
“Right now we have sixty-five recovering survivors, many from the work you’ve been doing in New York.
Some stay longer than others, but we hover around thirty to forty, so we’re a little on the full side.
On top of them, we have twenty full-time employees who live and work here, anywhere from cooks and housekeeping to security and medical staff. ”
“And the survivors can stay as long as they like?”
“As long as they like,” she said. “When they’re ready to leave, we help them find new homes or return to their old lives. If they want to stay, we train them to work around the compound in whatever capacity they like.”
“How many stay?”
“A few. Most people just want to move on.”
“I can understand that,” Leona said quietly. I slipped my hand into hers, squeezing.
I was well-acquainted with running and hiding, but I hoped to become the kind of man who could stand strong for her.
My eyes caught a group of three women waiting at the entrance to the gym. They watched warily before one pointed at me and then all three started walking toward us.
“Willow,” I started, expecting to tell Willow that if my presence was bothering them I’d leave, but then the three broke into a jog. They had smiles on their faces, and so did Willow as she watched them hurry over.
“Is this him?” one asked.
Willow nodded.
Before I could blink, all three practically tackled me in a giant bear hug. Their arms wrapped around my body, covering me on all sides. I stood paralyzed and smushed.
“What—?”
“Thank you,” one said.
“Wynn, right?” another said, looking up at me. She had to be in her early twenties, with black hair and brown eyes. They crinkled as she smiled. “Thank you.”
I looked at Willow, mouth agape in surprise. My heart pounded in my chest. What was going on? Two more women rushed over, and they all started pointing and shouting.
“You saved me,” another said. “I remember.”
“Me too. In New York.”
“You freed me in Texas.”
“Florida.”
Willow and Leona smiled widely, even as I stood paralyzed. My heart choked my throat, and I’m sure the heat on my cheeks extended all the way down my neck. I had no idea what to say, what to do.
“All right, all right,” Willow said as she clapped her hands. They stepped away and gave me space to breathe. “My brother is in shock. Give him some room.”
They beamed at me. Why were they so happy?
“We just wanted you tell you that without you, we’d be stuck. Or dead. Or worse,” the first one, the one with black hair, said with a massive grin on her face. “You never come visit, so none of us have seen you since you broke us free.”
All eyes were on me. My mouth was dry. I had no idea what to say. My chest warmed knowing that they were here and happy… because of me .
“Thank you,” I replied. “I didn’t realize…”
I didn’t realize that they would want to see me again. That they might be grateful.
There was nothing to thank me for. They were the ones who survived hell. I knew. I’d lived through it.
Leona pushed her way to my side and slipped her hand in mine. “He didn’t realize that you might actually care about him.”
They all smiled. “Of course, we do.”
“Why do you think I pass along all those little gifts and trinkets?” Willow said, scoffing. “This place exists because of you, Wynn. Because you helped enough people to fill it up.”
My lips pressed together while emotion welled inside and moisture gathered in my eyes.
“Did Wynn save you, too?” one of the girls asked Leona.
She smiled up at me, the sun catching in the braid hanging over her shoulder. Her face shone with pride.
“Yeah. Yeah, he did.”