Chapter 272
Chapter 272
Winter had already made it to the van, but the moment she heard that, she stopped in her tracks and turned back toward the two men standing in the middle of the road.
Right then, after Sean said it, Chris looked over at her.
His features were sharp and striking. Now that his eyesight had returned, there were no lenses left to soften his gaze. His eyes were dark and cold, like a predator lying in wait under the cover of night.
The tall streetlights along the drive cast thin bands of light through the bare branches overhead, falling across him in scattered streaks. But his eyes seemed to let in none of it.
Maybe his gaze lingered on her for a second. Maybe it only brushed past her before he looked away.
Standing by the van door, Zion spoke up to remind her, “Ms. Scott, it’s cold. Get in first. William’s inside p>
She snapped out of it, stepped up into the van, and climbed in.
Zion got in behind her and shut the door.
The heat was running inside. The first thing Winter saw was William lying there under a blanket, his lips pale and his face just as drained of color.
When he saw her, he smiled.
He looked like he barely had the strength for it, but he still managed to lift the corners of his mouth. “What’s with that look? Come here p>
“The doctor let you leave the hospital p>
“I signed myself out p>
Unbelievable.
Winter walked over and sat down beside him, then tugged the blanket a little higher over his chest, fussing over
him like he was a child.
Suddenly, William caught her right hand. The smile vanished from his eyes, replaced by a sharp, icy look. “What happened to your hand p>
The bandage wrapped around the web between her thumb and index finger had obviously been done by someone experienced.
If she told him Chris had shot the gun out of her hand and the recoil had split the skin there open, William would drag himself back out there and go after Chris on the spot.
And if he ended up back in surgery again, he might not make it.
So she kept her voice calm. “I just scraped it a little. It’s nothing. The bandage just makes it look worse than it is p>
To make it more believable, she quickly flexed her hand a few times.
William frowned and caught her hand to stop her. “Okay, okay. I believe you p>
He let go, breathing a little harder, like even that small movement had pulled at his wound. There was none of his usual swagger left.
172
+25 Bonus
Winter’s chest tightened at the sight of him. She had never been good at hiding how she felt around William. Everything always showed on her face.
“Couldn’t you have just stayed in the hospital p>
William clicked his tongue. “I came to pick you up. I’d already wrapped filming and rushed back. How could I just sit by and let anyone mess with you p>
Winter shook her head. Then, thinking of what she had just heard outside, she looked at him and asked, “That deal Sean offered Chris. Whose idea was it p>
William’s throat bobbed once. “Mine p>
Of course it was.
“You say you don’t want anyone pushing me around, but I’m supposed to just sit here and watch you take the hit for me p>
“What hit?” William said. “It’s just a temporary compromise. Give it time. One day, I’ll make Skyla pay for this myself p>
He got too worked up and pulled at the wound in his abdomen. He sucked in a breath, and his face went even paler.
“Don’t get worked up,” Winter said quickly, pressing a hand to his shoulder to keep him still. Her voice turned serious. “If your stitches tear, they’ll have to sew you up again p>
Then, more softly, she said, “But I don’t want you taking that kind of hit for me p>
Chris hadn’t tried to stop her, which meant he had agreed to Sean’s deal.
So Skyla really was that important to him.
“Relax,” William said, giving her a reassuring look. “Let her have two more days p>
Comments
Support
1
Share
212
+25 Bonus
Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.