Hurricane Hearts (Storm MC Reloaded 1)

He turned silent for a beat, emotion filling his eyes. The kind of emotion that caused warmth to pool in my belly. Winter didn’t often do soft, but the way he was looking at me was every kind of soft a girl could ever want. “She hasn’t changed, Birdie. The only thing that’s changed is the fact I don’t have you to run interference anymore, and fuck if I haven’t missed that.”

I forgot my left from my right.

The warmth in my belly spread.

Every skin cell tingled.

Shit, this isn’t the time to feel all these feelings. Not when his dad just died and he needs to focus on that.

Doing my best to push my feelings to the side, I spun around to face the drink fridge and grabbed a bottle of water out before looking back at him. “We should get back on the road.”

The words blurted from me in a bewildered mess. Winter didn’t miss any of it. As I tried to push past him to walk to the counter and purchase my drink, his hand curled around my arm. “Don’t shut down on me again, Birdie.”

Not wanting to make eye contact with him, I glanced at his hand where it burned heat into my skin. The timing for this was all off. After trying to push Winter away, I was ready to open myself up to him, but I didn’t want to go down that path and distract him from dealing with his father’s death.

Taking a deep breath, I met his gaze again. “I’m not shutting down on you. I just don’t think now is the time to get into this.” Not even when every fibre of my being is drawn to you and screaming at me to throw myself at you.

Winter’s eyes didn’t give me a second of reprieve. They refused to let go of mine as he angled his face down. “I need you like I’ve never needed you.” Grief clung to every syllable he uttered. His words bled with anguish. “In every way, Angel.”

Time stood still as the harsh white lights in the service station faded into oblivion. The stark silence surrounding us also ceased to exist as Winter’s pain became my pain. This man carried his suffering deep inside. He never asked for help and he sure as hell never laid himself open like he just had.

God, how I didn’t want this for him.

All I wanted was to take his hurt and heal his heart, but I knew that wasn’t something I could do. What I could do was give him what he asked for. Where that would take us, I didn’t know, but saying no to him again wasn’t something I was capable of. Not now. Not when he stood in front of me, a broken man.

Placing my hand over his, I said, “I’m here for you, Winter. However you need me.”

11

WINTER

Family was everything even when it was the hardest thing in the world. As I pulled my brother in for a hug when we arrived at his place after the nearly twelve-hour ride to Brisbane, I knew a storm was coming. The way Melissa greeted me coolly gave me that heads-up. And having an idea of what was in Dad’s will meant I knew the storm was going to get wild. As far as I was concerned, though, family was worth fighting for, and I’d go down swinging if I had to.

“Good trip?” Max asked when I let him go. He wasn’t big on displays of affection and looked uncomfortable after I hugged him. That trait wasn’t one I’d inherited or learned from our father like he had, and since I liked to push my brother, I pulled him in for a hug as often as I could when we were together.

“Yeah, good trip. There were no assholes on the road,” I said.

His attention shifted to Birdie who moved next to me after saying hi to Melissa. “Hey, Birdie. Long time no see.” Glancing between us, a look of confusion on his face, he added, “Winter didn’t tell me you guys were back together.”

I waited with interest for her response. Not that we were back together, but I wanted to see if she’d trip over the thought. If she’d rush to deny it.

Hitting him with an easy smile, she shook her head. “We’re not.”

She didn’t stumble over it for a moment, didn’t deny it like it was the last thing she wanted, and in the midst of darkness, I glimpsed some light. Hell, just having Birdie by my side for this trip let me breathe a little easier. Although I hadn’t wanted to say yes to her coming, now that she was here, I couldn’t imagine doing it without her. The last twelve hours had been hell as I’d turned everything over in my mind, but Birdie sitting on the back of my bike with her arms wrapped tightly around me had gone a long way to easing some of that hell.

Melissa eyed me one last time before turning to face the hallway and calling out, “Boys, it’s time to go.” The look she gave me matched her cool mood, and I got the distinct impression it didn’t have anything to do with Dad’s death.

Jesse and Thomas trudged into the living room where we stood, sadness etched into their features. They’d always been close with their grandfather, so I’d expected his passing to hit them hard, which it appeared it had.

They both perked up a little when they saw me, but after we exchanged hugs, they grew despondent again.

“Do we have to go?” Jesse asked his father, his voice as flat as he was. When I looked closer at him, I noticed his red-rimmed eyes.

Fuck, he’s too young to lose his grandfather.

“Yes.” Melissa gripped his arm and directed him to the front door. “Your coach expects to see you for practice today.”

I was unable to stop myself from suggesting, “Surely one day off practice is acceptable.” Fuck, he was only ten and grieving. He didn’t need to be there today.