Chapter 30
Finn
We drive for six hours straight before I feel there is even the smallest smidge of distance between Bianchi’s men and us.
Winnie eventually falls asleep on the drive while I remain vigilant.
I second-guess every vehicle that comes near us, my hand always on my back waistband, ready to grab my gun and shoot.
At some point, I’ll need to ditch my truck as well, though I hate that idea at the same time because I know Squirrel is probably helping track us.
If it wasn’t glaringly obvious that someone in the club was a rat, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Given the day's events, I need to get rid of it before this second leg.
It's dark before we roll into a small town just outside of Columbia, South Carolina. There's a small motel where I pull in, on the darkest side of the building. Glancing over at Winnie, I reach out and touch her shoulder. She jolts out of sleep, eyes wild.
“It's just me, Win,” I rush to settle her. “You’re okay.”
She breathes deeply, her eyes closing while running her hands through her hair. Once she’s calm, she turns to me. “Where are we?”
“Thought we could catch a couple of hours of shuteye here. I need to ditch the truck,” I explain.
She nods silently and reaches for the bag with our stuff before sliding out.
I follow her, and we head toward the front desk.
Keeping my eye out for cameras, I don’t know if I’m relieved or not to not find any.
We’re able to get a room, paid for by the hour.
I slide the greasy man cash, and he grunts in response before winking at Winnie.
Her lip curls, and I place a possessive palm on her elbow, bringing her body to mine.
“Your eyes stay off her,” I practically growl at the man.
He turns red, handing me a key, and raises his hands. “No beef with ya, big guy.”
I grab the key and start walking Winnie outside toward the rooms. My gaze sweeps the parking lot and the road that travels past here.
It's been over an hour since I noticed anyone even behind us.
We get to the room, and Win instantly goes about grabbing towels from the bathroom to lay down on top of the bed.
“This is the only part I did not miss about club life.” She sighs and shoots me a snarky smile.
I laugh in response. “Remember those prospecting years?”
“I could never forget them.” She shrugs. “Motel stays weren’t great, but the rest...we had fun, didn’t we?”
I take her hand in mine, forcing her eyes to me. “Every time I’m with you, it's the best time of my life.”
Her eyes water, and she moves into me, folding her body against mine. I hold her tight, my hands running gentle circles over her back. “Let's get some rest. We got maybe three hours tops.”
She’s about to speak when my burner phone vibrates in my pocket. I grab it, answering the call and hitting speaker phone. “Talk.”
Bullet clears his throat. “Are you good?”
“Sort of. Any info on the rat?” I demand, my voice rougher than intended.
Bullet sighs, the noise loud and aggravated. “It was one of the club whores, Cali. Apparently, she thought you were moving on when Winnie came back and ruined her plan to get your patch.”
My hackles rise, and my face flushes. “What the fuck? I’ve never let a club whore touch me.”
“I told ya, man, when you patched in, if you don’t give your property patch, all the women are going to assume it's open hunting season to earn it. Like fucking sharks in the water,” Bullet reminds me.
“Fucking viper snakes,” I huff out, and my eyes swing to my girl, hoping like hell she isn’t pissed.
Winnie’s arms crossed over her body, her hip popped, and the brow raise she gives me lets me know she isn’t threatened. But she definitely has some feelings I’m going to hear about.
“Anyway, she’s been dealt with. Her and her brother, who helped her find the deed for the land you bought in your dead mother’s name,” Bullet continues.
Some form of relief courses through me, at least knowing that the loose end is tied up. “How is the rest of the situation at home?”
Bullet is silent for a beat, and I feel a sense of dread curl in my gut. “Don’t try to come back right now. We don't have a hold on the situation, and there were shots fired at a few members. It was touch and go for Pointz for a second there.”
It feels hard to breathe, and I have to lower my head. We knew this was a possibility and did everything we could to prepare. Pointz isn’t dead, and that might be all I can ask for. Winnie slides to the bed, her head in her hands.
“Tell him I hope he recovers quickly. If I can do anything, let me know.”
“Just stay alive. Our allies will be your best option right now,” Bullet says, confirming the plan I already had plotted.
“Copy,” I tell him before hanging up the phone.
The second I set it down, a small sob escapes from Winnie’s chest. I reach for her, and she bolts to her feet, pacing the room. “Win—”
“It's my fault,” she whispers, scrubbing a hand down her face.
“None of this is your fault. This is on Bianchi. He’s unstable, and he’s psychotic. He took you prisoner, Win. He thinks he owns you,” I remind her.
Winnie stops moving and turns to me. Our gazes collide, and the empty look on her face nearly takes me out. “The club is your family, Finn. I can’t let anything happen to them because of me.”
I prowl toward her until we’re standing toe to toe, and she’s forced to tilt her head back to look at me. “You are my family, Winnie. I will not let that psycho near you.”
She swallows, her throat working over a ball of emotion that she shoves down, before lowering her eyes. “I’m tired.”
Releasing the breath I was holding, I rub my hands up and down her arms. “Let's get some sleep. Things will feel better once we do.”
She nods but won’t look at me. It bothers me further when she skirts my touch and lowers herself to the bed, turning to her side instantly.
The pain of her dismissal lashes across my heart, but I force myself to remember that she’s exhausted and she’s scared.
I can’t read too much into it, knowing what she’s been through because of that man.
Still, my gut twists and my senses tingle.
Winnie falls asleep instantly, her breathing deep and even.
Only then do I lie back against the headboard and close my eyes.
The bed shifts. It's slight, barely any movement because the mattress is harder than a damn rock, but it's there. Keeping my eyes closed, I listen, my pulse spiking when I realize it’s Winnie.
Her feet pad softly to the chair across from the bed.
There's a slight rustle as she puts on a flannel shirt of mine. My eyes snap open in the dark when I hear her grab the truck keys off the table. I watch as she moves toward the door. Her hand hits the handle, and then I’m on her, caging her against the dusty pink colored metal door.
“Tell me you aren’t actually thinking about leaving here on your own,” I demand, my voice coming out on a growl.
Her back heaves against my chest, her words coming out choked, as she cries. “I love you so much, Finn. I can’t stay here and let everyone sacrifice for me. I’m going to leave because I’d rather he take me than chance having anything happen to you.”
My hands land on her arms, and I turn her around to face me, looming over her and trying to rein in the anger pounding in my veins.
She tried to leave me. Again. “You are my heart, my soul, the reason I breathe, Win. Do you honestly think I’m going to let my wife walk out the door and risk her life? I can’t live without you.”
“Finn—”
I slam my mouth on hers, swallowing her excuses, tasting her tears, and taking in her jagged breaths.
Her hands fist the front of my t-shirt as I press my body into hers, grinding my cock against her core.
She breaks away, her lips red and swollen.
The tears in her eyes kill me. My thumbs run across her cheeks, swiping the moisture away.
“Promise me, you won’t leave. Promise me you won’t sacrifice yourself for me.”
She shakes her head, biting on her bottom lip. “I can’t. I love you too much.”
“You love me?” My forehead rests against hers while we breathe together.
I know I have to play dirty to keep her this time.
“If you love me, you won’t leave. We’re going to handle this my way.
You’re going to listen and stay by my side, and eventually we’ll return home when Bianchi is no longer an issue.
You aren’t leaving me, Winnie. Only a bullet could keep me away from you.
One right to the heart. That's the only way this marriage ends between us.” I slide my gun handle into her hand and clasp her fingers around it.
“What are you doing?” She meets my gaze, her eyes searching with a hint of frantic energy.
My hand raises her wrist, bringing the barrel right to my chest, hovering over the organ that beats just for her. “Are you going to leave me?”
Her pulse flutters against my fingertips. She never breaks eye contact, though. I watch all her emotions, panic, confusion, acceptance, and devotion, flitter over her face. “No.”
She lowers the gun to her side, and I instantly slide it back into my hand and then into my waistband.
My hand cups the back of her neck, dragging her body into mine.
Blindly, I press my lips to her forehead, kissing her with harsh determination.
“Good fucking girl, Daisy. You’re all mine. Now we have to go.”
Her voice hitches in her throat, and all she can do is nod her head in agreement.
Quickly, we scoop our things into the bag.
I take the truck keys from her hand and leave them on the bedside table along with the room key.
Together we walk out into the dusky light of morning.
Winnie follows me through the parking lot and over to the truck stop.
For a couple hundred dollars, we’re able to secure a ride to Charleston.
The next phase of my plan is working out. I just have to get us on the water.