XOXO, Winter

by Bloom, Nikki

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” he repeated, mocking me with his tone. “I think you’re lying to me now and I don’t like it when people lie to me.”

  “I’m not lying,” I said as I planted my feet firmly on the ground. This was definitely a bad idea. I could almost feel the sting of this guy’s fist against my face.

  He threw his cigarette to the ground and snuffed it underneath his heel. The force by which he did so made me flinch. He laughed. “And here I thought we were going to have a problem, but it looks to me that you’re just a rich boy who doesn’t know what’s good for him and what’s not.” He glanced over at Winter, and instinctually, I shielded her behind my body as best as I could. “And trying to protect a girl without the balls to do so will get you killed.”

  He halted once he was about an arm’s length away, way too close for comfort. I thought about backing up and creating some distance but for some reason, I was hellbent on holding my ground. This guy wasn’t about to push me around.

  “Ah, would you look at that? Today must be my lucky day.” He narrowed his eyes at Winter and nodded his recognition. “I’ve been looking for you.” He pointed his finger in her direction and I slapped it away.

  He looked at me like I had a second head sprouting from one of my shoulders. A smile stretched across his face. “I’m glad you did that because now I have a reason to come after you, too.”

  “Please…” Winter found her voice. “Just leave us alone. I’m sorry about Victor–”

  “Leave us alone?” He chortled. “That’ll be the day. Your bitching to the police had some dire consequences for me and my business. Victor was about to make a deal with a client of mine when the cops showed up, sticking their noses where it didn’t belong. Now, do you think I am just going to let that slide unpunished?” He cracked his knuckles and my whole body went stiff in anticipation. I was ready for a fight to break out at any moment. “Now, it isn’t entirely your fault. My idiot brother doesn’t know how to keep his cool when it comes to the fuzz. That’s why I haven’t initiated him into the family business just yet. But he’ll learn.”

  I didn’t want to listen to his story, but given the fact that he had a gun, I didn’t think that walking away was much of an option.

  “I managed to get my lawyers on the case, but for some reason he’s still being forced to serve 60 hours of community service like some kind of a pansy.”

  “You mean… he’s out?” Winter stammered. “Already…?”

  “Assaulting an officer isn’t so bad when you’ve got connections.”

  “That’s obstruction of the law!” I protested. “You can’t–”

  The rest of my sentence fell away as the drug lord took a step forward until we were chest to chest. “Let me tell you something: Around here, I make the rules. If you don’t like it then I suggest you go back to Boston.”

  My eyes widened. How did he know that about me?

  His grin deepened. “I know exactly who you are and what you do and where you sleep. But, despite what you might think, I won’t be the one dealing with you. Oh no, I’ll let my brother handle his own dirty laundry. What he wants to do is completely up to him. I’m just here for backup.” He curled back his upper lip revealing some gold-capped canines. “So, I wish you a goodnight and good luck trying to sleep knowing the two of you are being stalked like prey.” And with that, he disappeared into the restaurant and I was left standing there feeling completely and utterly helpless.

  How was I supposed to protect Winter from some gang leader and his deranged brother?

  25

  Winter

  To say I was upset would be an understatement. I was scared out of my mind. “You heard what he said.” I quivered in the passenger seat. “Victor’s a free man and there’s no telling what he’s going to do to me.”

  “He was bluffing.”

  “How do you know?” I snapped. “He had this coldness in his eyes, Reed, like he didn’t care whether I was dead or alive.”

  “Look, I need you to relax for me, okay? Nothing is going to happen so long as you’re with me.”

  “But I can’t be with you every second of every day.” My chest tightened as it became harder for me to breathe. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. The police won’t be able to do anything…”

  “Of course they will–”

  “You heard Monroe. He has connections. If he can find himself some lawyers then I bet he has some cops working for him, too.” I shook my head nearing a state of panic. “No matter what we do, he’ll always have his way… that’s how the mafia work. They get away with murder.”

  “Winter.”

  “I can’t just get up and leave – my whole life is here. I’m in the middle of becoming a veterinarian. I can’t give that up – not when I’m so damn close.” Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. “This can’t be happening.”

  Reed pulled over and took my face in his hands. “Winter, look at me.”

  His face was made blurry by my tears. I blinked them away as he pulled me into a tight embrace. “I swear on my life that nothing is going to happen to you. I don’t care the cost – I’ll keep you safe.”

  “But what are you going to do?”

  “We talk to the state district and tell them that we believe that the local officers are corrupt. They’ll put you under protective custody so no matter where you go, there will always be an officer there to protect you even when you’re at school or I’m at work.”

  “And if they don’t believe us?”

  “Oh, I’ll make sure of it.” He ran his fingers through my hair and rested my head on his chest. “We’re going to make sure that they end up behind bars where they belong.”

  “I’m just…scared.”

  “And I understand that,” he cooed against my ear. “But right now, I need you to trust me.”

  I wiped away my tears, looked into his eyes and saw a man that wanted nothing more than protect me.

  “Okay. I trust you,” I said with a nod.

  “Good.” He kissed my forehead. “That’s what I want to hear.”

  As he eased back onto the road, I turned on the radio, hoping that it would help calm my mind from gut-wrenching chain of events. I hummed along, but still, the nerves lingered.

  By the time we reached the mansion, I was all wound up. I couldn’t help but feel like there was someone watching me. If Monroe had found us at the restaurant then he probably knew where we lived. No, he definitely knew where we lived. Would he give that information to Victor or did he already have it at his disposal?

  Reed helped me out of the car and instead of letting me walk, he swept me off my feet and carried me all the way to the bathroom. There, he set me down on the sink.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I figured you would benefit from a warm bath,” he answered as he turned on the tap. I could see the steam rolling off the surface.

  “You don’t have to bother–”

  “Of course I do.” He returned to the sink and placed his hands on my hips. “It’s my job to make you feel better. We’re partners, Winter, or at least, I’d like to think we are. And by being partners, we’re supposed to shoulder our burdens – together. There’s no need for you to go at this alone.”

  As he spoke, he slowly unzipped the back of my dress. Once my spine was exposed, his fingertips danced along each individual vertebra. Then came his lips. They were nice and gentle as they floated atop the curve of my neck. Reed followed that curve until he grazed my collarbone. There, he settled between my cleavage while rolling the dress from my torso. It was gathered into a crumbled mess at my hips. Vera Wang would murder us if she saw what we were doing to her lovely creation.

  But that thought was quickly pushed from my mind as his lips wandered onto my breasts. They lingered for but a moment before he pulled away.

  He offered his hand and I took it.

  I jumped to my feet and the dress fell away so I was wearing nothing but a pa
ir of black lace panties. His eyes drank in the sight, but he did not say a word. The sparkle of his expression was enough to tell me that he liked what he saw.

  He stepped forward and hooked his thumbs into the waistband. Slowly, he pulled them down and kicked them aside. I anticipated that he would touch me then – the lips between my hips were slick just waiting for it, but instead, he eased me into the bath where the water melted over my skin.

  I sighed with contentment and allowed my body to sink until only my head remained above the surface.

  When I next opened my eyes, Reed was stark naked. I didn’t have much time to admire the sight because he joined me in the tub. “Come here,” he purred as he took me into his arms and cradled me against his body. “Now, I want you to forget about what happened tonight. One way or another, we are going to get through this, I can promise you that. I’m taking the day off tomorrow and we’ll drive down to the district office to have a personal word with whomever’s in charge, okay?” I could tell by his tone that there would be no changing his mind, so I nodded my approval.

  “Thank you,” I whispered as I leaned my head against his shoulder. “I don’t know what I would do right now if you weren’t here to support me.”

  He quietly grabbed some soap and ran it along my body, taking his time to thoroughly wash every inch of me. I planned on saying more, but his ministrations just felt so good that I melted into oblivion.

  26

  Reed

  The following morning.

  I woke up to find that Winter was still fast asleep. Her limbs were locked around my body and she was drooling on my chest a little bit. It brought a smile to my face to know that she was comfortable enough with me to be this vulnerable. Gently, so as not to wake her, I ran my fingers through her hair.

  She nuzzled into me a bit more, making it all the more difficult for me to pry myself away. Had I the choice, I would have stayed in that bed with her for the rest of my life. But if her stomach functioned anything like mine then she was bound to be famished. It was time for me to work my good ol’ breakfast charm.

  As soon as I got to my feet, Winter rolled over and cuddled my pillow. I stood there and watched her sleep for a moment. She had this innocent look on her face that made my heart melt.

  I promise I’ll keep you safe, I thought to myself. No matter what.

  Once I was in the kitchen, the first thing I added to the stove was some bacon. It sizzled and filled the room with that unmistakable scent of a breakfast diner.

  My stomach growled.

  Following my instincts, I decided to make some French toast. I sliced some leftover pieces of bread into long, thin pieces and soaked them with an egg mixture. They turned a beautiful golden brown as the bacon came to the perfect level of crispiness. Everything was coming together.

  Just as I finished up, I heard Winter’s footsteps. She stood there wearing nothing but a t-shirt of mine. I wanted to let out that classic cat call whistle, that’s how good she looked, but I thought she might take offense to that so I just kept my naughty thoughts to myself. “Good morning, Sleeping Beauty,” I said with a smile. “I thought you might be hungry after all that wine last night.”

  “Definitely.” She grabbed a French toast stick and popped it into her mouth just as I pulled out her chair.

  “My lady.”

  “You really need to stop pampering me like this or I might become addicted.”

  I chuckled. “It seems you’re feeling a little better.”

  “A little,” she admitted. “But I’m still pretty freaked out about what happened. I keep getting the feeling like someone’s watching me – us. Do you think Monroe has eyes on us?”

  “Even if he does, he doesn’t stand a chance stepping foot on my property. I have one of the best security systems money can buy. It’ll be screaming like a banshee if he even steps foot on a single blade of grass.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I mean, it might not be that sensitive, but the motion detectors are pretty good about notifying me if there’s someone unwanted on the property. All I have to do is press the panic button and the authorities will be notified.”

  “I’m so glad I’m living here and not my dinky old apartment.”

  “So am I,” I said. “Now, eat up, you’re going to need all the strength you can get.”

  She frowned. “Do you think this is going to be a hassle?”

  “Working with the police department always is.” I sighed. “I’ve had to work with them in the past as some of my patients were criminals, and I can tell you that it wasn’t a walk in the park.”

  “You’re worrying me.”

  “That isn’t my intention,” I clarified. “I just want you to be prepared for the day to come. It might wear on you both mentally and physically.”

  Timber emerged from the woodwork and rested his head on Winter’s lap. What he did with all his free time, I had no idea, but for the most part, he just liked to be left alone and I was okay with that because I hardly wanted him watching while me and Winter… you know.

  She ran her hand across his soft fur. “Thanks, buddy, I needed that.”

  “But I’ll be there every step of the way, so you have nothing to worry about. You just have to tell them the truth and justice will be served.”

  “I hope so.”

  * * *

  As I thought, getting through to the chief of police was a difficult task. We were given every excuse in the book, but I just wasn’t having it.

  “My girlfriend’s life is in danger and I won’t have you make a mockery of that,” I said to the deputy, who was trying to convince me to file another complaint– this time against Monroe.

  “That isn’t going to mean jack shit to a gang leader–”

  “And how do you know he’s a gang leader?”

  “Rumor, mostly,” Winter answered. “That’s what everyone is town says.”

  “So, speculation?” the officer said. “I’m sorry, but unless you’ve explicitly seen him do something illegal–”

  “Sir, I don’t mean to interrupt–”

  “Let me finish,” he said in a tone that left absolutely no room for argument. “As I was saying, the law doesn’t work on speculation. You’re going to have to give me some hard proof before I send my men out there to investigate. Have either one of them physically assaulted you?”

  “Victor has cornered me against a wall a couple of times, and he’s threatened me verbally,” Winter said, looking down at her hands to keep the officer from seeing her tears. “I filed a complaint against him the last time I was here, and you promised to investigate if there were grounds for harassment charges. That’s when he assaulted an officer and got arrested… I think that should be proof enough that we’re dealing with someone unpredictable and dangerous.”

  “I don’t understand why she needs to tell you all this. Just pull up the records and we can cut down our time here.”

  “I understand your frustration, sir, but I am only doing my job,” he responded.

  It was difficult to hold my tongue, but losing my temper wouldn’t accomplish anything. “All I ask is that you look into the situation right away and that you keep my girlfriend safe until you get some answers.”

  “Give me a moment, please.” He excused himself.

  “This isn’t going to work,” Winter said as soon as he was gone. “They don’t want to help us.”

  “Hey, we’ve only just started. Don’t give up yet. I’m not leaving here without a police escort, you hear me?” To help ease her anxiety, I got up and poured her some of the complimentary coffee. I loaded it with sugar because I had no doubt that it would taste like liquid dirt. “Here,” I said. “Drink up.”

  She held the paper cup in her hands, and I saw that she was trembling. “Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?”

  “You didn’t do anything, darling,” I assured her with a softness to my voice. “Sometimes, people are just bad. There’s something wrong with them u
pstairs and then they act this way.”

  “But why am I a magnet for them? Why can’t they just leave me alone?”

  “They will.”

  She wiped her nose with a tissue. “Will you promise me that you’ll never turn out like them – that you’ll never scare me as much as they do because all I want is to feel safe in your arms.”

  “I promise.”

  * * *

  That night.

  After a hot chocolate, Winter had fallen asleep on the couch with Timber by her side. I was responding to some emails and looking over my schedule for the rest of the week. I had already postponed the surgeries for the following day, and I felt horrible doing so because some of my patients really needed to go under the knife sooner rather than later. But with this situation with Winter fresh in my mind, I was in no condition to operate.

  It was better for everyone if we waited for a day or two.

  My neck cramped up and I cracked it by turning my head sideways. The sound echoed against the crackling of the fireplace.

  By the window, I moved aside the curtains and in my driveway were two police cruisers. The officers themselves seemed busy with conversation, and it infuriated me that they were not taking their jobs seriously.

  A notification on my phone alerted me that the food delivery guy was at the front gate. I buzzed him in and paid him at the door.

  Timber was already bouncing around by my feet, trying to get at the Chinese food.

  “What’s going on? What time is it?” Winter rubbed the sleep from her eyes and scratched at her head.