“Well, it’s too late now.” With a swift movement he had her up in his arms packing her up the large flight of steps.
“I could have done it.”
“There are seventy-five steps, everyone has counted them. Twice. There is no need to put that kind of pressure on your back.” Winter gripped the cane as he effortlessly packed her inside the house before setting her down on her feet inside the doorway.
“Thanks, I appreciate the lift.”
“Anytime.” He said before going back out the door. No one could say Shade was a man of words, Winter laughed to herself. Excited about telling Viper the good news, she went into the kitchen to see if anyone knew where he was. He was sitting at the table with Knox and Jewell finishing lunch.
Not wanting to interrupt their lunch, she went to sit at a chair next to Viper.
“Doctor’s appointment go okay?” He questioned.
“Yes, he signed my work release. I’ll take it by the business office tomorrow.”
“I still think it’s a little soon, but I know you’re bored around the house all day.”
“Not really, I have all your paperwork to keep me busy. I think you need to hire someone fulltime to do the paperwork and keep the ordering on schedule.”
“Nope. It is a club business, only a member is allowed access,” Viper said firmly.
“I’m not a member.” Confused at his words, Winter was surprised he had allowed her to do the paperwork for him.
“That’s a different situation.” He said getting up from the table to get himself another bottled water and handing one to her before sitting back down at the table.
“Why, because I’m sleeping with you?” Winter started to get angry, she was still upset with herself for not going by her house. She had thought to herself earlier that The Last Riders were taking over her life when in fact she wasn’t ready to admit that she was letting herself become too attached to Viper.
“We don’t do much sleeping anymore, plenty of fucking going on though,” Viper teased her.
Winter flushed with Knox and Jewell listening closely.
“But that is not why,” he continued.
“Well?” Winter asked.
Taking a drink of water Viper answered. “Because you are a probate, that allows you access to almost anything.”
Winter gave him a glare. “I thought you were joking when you said that to Tara and Stacy.”
“Tara and Stacy?” Jewell butted in enthralled with the argument going on in front of her.
“The fuck twins.” It was Knox who answered.
“Oh.” Jewell nodded her head.
“You know them?” Winter asked surprised.
“Yes. Everyone does,” Jewell answered not knowing she was walking into quicksand.
“Is there anyone that walks through the door you guys haven’t fucked?” The three members at the table wisely remained quiet.
“Winter,” Viper tried to head off the eruption that he could see coming towards them.
“Don’t Winter me, you manwhore. I told you that I wasn’t going to become a member and I meant it. I am not going to fuck any members and I am certainly not getting a tattoo branding me as your club’s whore. I have no idea how Beth allowed herself to fuck eight different men,” Winter said angrily.
A gasp from the doorway had Winter turning in her chair to see Beth and Razer standing in the doorway. Her face was pale and she looked like she was about to cry.
“Beth, I am sorry I didn’t mean anything. I was just angry at Viper, I let my tongue run away from me,” Winter apologized.
Beth turned and left the room and with an angry glare Razer followed her.
“Winter.”
Winter turned to look at Viper who gave her an angry stare.
“I’m sorry,” Winter wanted to cry, she felt terrible at what she had said.
“That won’t do this time. You insulted not only Beth, but also every member of the club. You have to make amends or you need to leave,” Viper said sharply.
Winter’s heart sank. She had let her mouth run away from her, insulting everyone that had helped her through recovery. They hadn’t deserved the judgmental attitude she had been throwing at them since the day she had arrived.
“Both. I’ll do what I have to do to make amends then I will leave.” Winter didn’t know why it felt as if her heart was ripping in two. She had wanted to leave since the day she had arrived.
Viper held his emotions in check, angry with himself for pushing her in front of the others, but being President meant he had to hold everyone responsible for their actions.
“We are giving out punishments Thursday.” Today was only Monday. That gave her three more days with Viper. If he even still wanted anything to do with her after the way she had acted.
“Okay, there is something I want to tell you. I don’t expect it to make a difference as to my punishment.”
Viper nodded his head, his anger unrelenting. Winter swallowed down the tears threatening to fall. Opening her purse she took out the slip of paper that her Aunt Shay had given her and handed it to Viper.
“That’s the doctor who Sam went to when she was pregnant. She confirmed Gavin wasn’t the father, she didn’t become pregnant until after Gavin had been killed. Both Sam and her father knew the truth.”
Viper sat stunned, no one had even thought to question Sam’s grandmother, thinking she would have hidden it from her. It had been a stupid mistake. If not for Winter, it would have taken them much longer to figure out the truth.
“This won’t take away the punishment, but it will lessen the severity. You’re welcome to stay as long as you want. Thank you Winter, it was eating me alive thinking that Gavin’s child was out there somewhere.” Viper never had any intention of letting her leave, but this way he was able to relent without showing favoritism. Everyone in the club was held to the same rules, even himself. Winter had to learn that in public he was the President of The Last Riders, that only in their bedroom could she have more leeway.
“I know,” Winter said softly.
“Did she say who the father was?” Jewell asked.
“No, but I didn’t ask, I was afraid to push for too much information.”
“I’m going to call and tell Ton, then the Sheriff. Maybe now that we have a doctor’s name there is hope of finding the kid.”
“You
’re going to keep looking even though the child isn’t Gavin’s?” Winter asked in surprise.
“It’s someone’s child and we have a responsibility to make sure that the child is safe and cared for,” Viper said.
“How is it your responsibility? The baby isn’t Gavin’s you have no connection to the child.” Winter had planned on beginning to search for the child herself. However distant the child was, it was a relative of hers.
“I do as a human being. There is a child out there who has disappeared and no one but a bitch of a mother and a murderous grandfather knows what happened. I think we all have a responsibility to make sure the kid’s in a safe environment.”
“Me too.” Winter lowered her head in shame. She had misunderstood this group of people from the beginning, she deserved whatever punishment they gave her.
Chapter 12
Winter went upstairs while Viper made his calls. She thought he might come upstairs when he was done, but he was conspicuously absent until dinner. Winter went downstairs to the kitchen and wasn’t surprised when the conversation quieted when she entered. Fixing a plate of food, she went to sit at the table with Evie and Knox, but they threw her a dirty look before taking their plates and moving to another table.
She sat down at the empty table forcing the food down her throat so that she could escape, when she felt a chair pulled out beside her and someone sat down next to her. Winter looked up to find Beth staring back at her. A chair scraping had Razer sitting down in tight-lipped anger. Winter couldn’t blame him.
“I am so sorry Beth, I was angry at Viper and took it out on the club, you in particular,” Winter apologized.
Beth picked up her fork. “Don’t worry about it Winter, it was only a few months ago that I believed the same thing. I have become very close to The Last Riders and now I can’t imagine my life without them. When Razer and I get married, we still plan on going back and forth between my house and the club until Lily graduates, then I plan on giving her the house. Razer and I want to build a house for us behind this one. They are his family and they have become mine. If you let them in, they can be the very best thing that could happen to you,” Beth advised.