“Too late,” Dmitry said. “And if it matters, you’re going to die too.”
There were literally two seconds of silence. In that time, I somehow managed to look around the warehouse and assess everything. Tripp on his knees, hands out. Being in a position he would have never accepted before meeting me. But because he wanted to protect me, like he was meant to do, he was on his knees. Dmitry stood with too much power. And he was going to kill my daughter… if she wasn't already dead…
That’s when I snapped. I knew there was a gun pointed at me but I ran at Dmitry anyway. He looked surprised. I swung my hands like I knew what I was doing. But I didn’t. I was just trying to help Tripp.
Dmitry was smart and strong though. Maybe someone else would have stumbled back or panicked, but not him. He pulled the trigger of one of the guns…
The one pointed at Tripp.
~
Tripp was on his back. I cut to the right and a gun went off again. That bullet was probably meant for me, but my quick move saved my life. In reality, I was now going after Tripp. I collapsed before him, watching him touch his shoulder. There was blood seeping through his shirt already.
“You’re not dead,” I whispered.
“Fuck, no,” Tripp groaned.
“Not yet,” Dmitry said.
“Tripp, I love you,” I said. “I’m sorry this all happened. Stoney called me. He said you tried hurting everyone there. He came to get me…”
That’s when everything hit me.
Terror ran through my body. I leaned forward and kissed Tripp. Then I stood. Tripp called for me and was already fighting back to his feet.
I looked at Dmitry. He was sweating. He may have been smart, but he was out of his normal element for sure. He wanted to kill us, but he just couldn’t pull the trigger yet.
“That’s why Rocky’s dead,” I whispered. “He found out.”
“And if you figured it out, then you’re going to join him,” Dmitry said. “I’ll give you one chance to shut your eyes and turn around. Then you can take the bullet just like your daughter did.”
“Winter!” Tripp yelled.
I was lunging at Dmitry again. There was no stopping me. My mind replayed every damn moment with Endo. His money, greed, manipulation. The way he made me feel, the things he did to me.
Dmitry could have shot me. Instead, he swung the gun and smacked me in the mouth. Hot pain shot through my jaw and I left my feet for a second. I came down, my knees bent and twisted, and I was on the ground. I pushed with my hands and turned, on my ass, looking up at Dmitry.
Now he had the power again with a gun on each of us. Tripp’s shoulder bled. He lifted his hands and balled them into fists. He was going to fight a man with a gun? He had already beat a man with a knife, so why not?
Endo and Stoney were tied together in this, with Skull X. With Dmitry. That meant the President of the Red Aces was a two faced guy. Working for two crews at once. Which meant Stoney set up Rocky to be killed. While I didn’t love Rocky, it wasn’t right. He sent Rocky right into the dark shadow of death.
“Now,” Dmitry said, “let’s get back to our business here. Tripp, nice meeting you. Great fight. You’ve got solid feet and solid fists. Winter, I wish we could have met under different terms. I would have loved to fuck your brains out. But sometimes fate just dictates… eh, who the fuck cares? I take what I want, when I want. And I’ll never stop. Know that as the last words you hear. Nothing will ever stop me.”
I braced myself to actually die. I looked at Tripp, wanting him to be my last sight.
I heard a gunshot boom through the warehouse.
Tripp wasn’t dead though.
I wasn’t dead either.
I slowly turned my head and realized… Dmitry’s face was missing.
37.
(Tripp)
Dmitry fell to the ground. I saw Winter looking at him, trying to process what had just happened. I sure as hell didn’t shoot the guy, but someone did. The need to protect Winter took over again and I jumped toward her. I grabbed her, hugged her, and spun her around so she couldn’t see anything.
I held her tight and rubbed her back.
“It’s okay, darling,” I whispered. “It’s all going to be okay. I’m right here with you.”
Winter let out a soft sob. I squeezed her tighter.
From the shadows of the warehouse, I saw a figure approaching. Tall and wide, I realized it was Stoney. A gun in his hand, a sad look on his face. He was in a black t-shirt and had no leather cut on. Nothing to represent himself as the President of the Red Aces MC.
“I’m not going to kill you,” Stoney said.
Winter jumped and tried to turn. I held her close, never wanting to let her slip away from me again. I needed her. Without Winter, I had no purpose to exist. I was better off taking that bullet Aldo owed me for losing that fight.
I stroked her hair and kept my eyes locked with Stoney’s.
“It’s done now,” he said. “You two need to get out of here. Police are on their way.”