Winter's Touch
Page 33

Aunt Shay and her great-grandson played in the water as Holly lay on a floating lounger, watching them. Winter liked the sweet woman. She was more a mom to Logan than her cousin had been. Dustin and Tate had accepted her as his mother, yet Greer had not. If anyone asked who the biggest asshole in Treepoint was, Greer Porter would win the title.
Sex Piston and Killyama came outside, swinging Sex Piston’s little boy between them, and a dainty Star was by their side with a pink noddle.
“I thought Meri and Keri were coming too?” Winter tried to adjust her position on the lounger to make herself more comfortable, but no matter how she moved, she felt a nagging pain in her lower back.
“Stud took the day off so they could practice driving. I’d rather wrestle a chicken leg out of Fat Louise’s hand than teach them how to drive.”
Sex Piston’s humor on teaching her stepdaughters to drive had Winter sympathizing with her. She still remembered her own mother having to drink a glass of wine when they returned home. Winter had to admit she had been a terrible driver.
Sex Piston pulled off her cover-up, exposing a blood red bikini. Killyama had on a blue halter-top and a pair of shorts. She was wearing a pair of flip-flops that smacked the tiles as she walked the little girl to the pool.
Sex Piston slipped into the pool as her stepdaughter paddled around, splashing Sex Piston and Holly with water.
“I put a cooler in the kitchen with drinks and sandwiches,” Sex Piston told her. “We may have come uninvited, but we didn’t come empty-handed.”
“I told Sex Piston you and the crew could come by any Saturday until the house is sold. And if we run out of drinks, I can ask Viper to bring some when he picks me up.”
“You don’t look so good today. You need some help getting in the pool?”
Winter had never experienced this nice side of Killyama. “Would you mind? Beth should be here any minute, but I don’t want to wait any longer. The water eases the pain from sitting too long.” She immediately rose, holding out her arms, and Killyama grabbed them, lifting her.
Killyama was surprisingly strong. Winter could feel the taut muscles in her forearms.
She helped Winter down the steps, and then Winter sunk to the bottom, letting the water relieve her aches and pains.
Winter expected Killyama to get in, too, but she sat down at the edge of the pool, instead.
“You’re not getting in?” Winter asked through gritted teeth. Her pain was escalating. Each day was becoming a trial of endurance.
“No. I want to keep my eyes on the kids.”
“Oh.” She tried to make herself take a few steps on the pool floor.
Beth’s arrival distracted her for a couple of minutes as she called out hellos, laying her towel down. She then slid into the pool, swimming to Winter’s side.
“I’m sorry I’m so late. Chance and Noah wanted to come when they found out Logan was going to be here, and I had to console them.”
“You should have let them come.”
“Razer already planned on taking them with King and Shade to go fishing. How are—”
“Fine.”
Beth laughed. “Getting tired of everyone asking?”
“Yes.” Winter lifted her arm onto the deck to hold herself steady.
“Sorry. It’s just you—”
“Look terrible. I know. Right now, my bladder is fuller than my hips.” Winter gave up waiting and decided to go to the bathroom. If she didn’t feel better then, she would ask Beth to drive her home.
“I’ll go with you.” Beth started to get out of the water.
“Stay. I forgot my suntan lotion in the kitchen.” Leisurely, Killyama rose to her feet.
Killyama helped her step out of the pool. Each step was agony. It wasn’t even a big step, but it felt like she had climbed over a boulder. She couldn’t help leaning on Killyama as they walked across the deck.
“Can’t you take something for the pain?”
“I don’t want to. I’ll feel better after I use the restroom.”
Winter and Killyama went through the kitchen then to the small hallway that led to the downstairs bedroom and bathroom. All the furniture had already been sent to the church store other than the things Aunt Shay wanted to take with her.
Killyama stayed in the bedroom as she used the bathroom. When she was finished, she washed her face, noticing she had worked up a flush just from making it to the bathroom.
“You changed out of your suit?” Killyama studied her face as she offered her arm to lean on.
“I’ve decided to ask Beth to take me home. I want to take a nap.”
They returned to the kitchen, where Winter grabbed a bottle of water she had placed in the freezer. It had frozen solid since she had put it there. Deciding to take it, anyway, she knew it would be icy cold when it melted.
“Why did you get Train away from me last night?”
“Because I know what it’s like to love someone when they don’t love you back.”
Winter was staring up at her when the front door fell open. One man she recognized was bleeding, but the one pointing a gun at Jackal’s head was someone she had never seen before.
“Don’t move.” His Spanish accent left Winter with little doubt of whom she was looking at.
He slammed the front door with his foot, throwing Jackal to the floor when he did so. The movement showed he was holding a second gun in his other hand.
In terror, her hand on her belly froze, as well as every muscle in her body.
Killyama shifted on her feet, the tiny movement barely discernible as Raul kicked Jackal out of his way.
He darted into the room to make sure no one else was inside while Jackal groaned.
Winter tried to move toward him, but Killyama held her back.
“You are Viper’s woman?” Raul asked.
Winter knew her answer was a death sentence for her and their child.
“What’s it to you?” Killyama said.
The gun that had been trained on her swung toward Killyama. His hate-filled face snarled as he shot her, and Killyama’s hand dropped from her arm. Blood poured out of her shoulder, trailing down her arm.
Winter’s apprehensive gaze swung toward the sliding glass door, afraid that Sex Piston or Beth would come into the room.
“Please, there are children outside.”
“I do not give a fuck! I will kill them all. When Viper arrives, he will find his wife and child dead.”
Just as she had feared, the sliding glass door began to open. Raul turned his head, keeping one gun pointed at her and Killyama and the other at the door.
“Throw the water.”
Without thought, Winter obeyed Killyama’s order. As the woman jumped in front of her, another shot rang out. Winter screamed, dropping to her knees and holding her stomach as agony traveled from the tips of her toes through every bone in her body. She continued screaming, unable to bare the pain.
Miserable, she could only watch as Killyama took a running jump, yelling at Sex Piston to run. The woman had been shot twice, but she threw her foot out, kicking and knocking Raul against the door. Blood ran from his forehead as he lifted the guns to point them at her again, and she struck out in a blur. One fell to the floor; the other was twisted out of his grip.
Raul leaned down to pick one of the guns up, but Killyama jerked her knee up, slamming him in his face. He fell back against the door again. Spit dribbled out the corner of his mouth as he attacked her, his face filled with rage.