Page 39 of Winter's End

Before I could change my mind, I shoved the baggie into his hands.

“I need you to get rid of this for me.”

He looked down at his hand and his face filled with recognition. Then he looked back at me like I had three heads.

“Is this a buyer’s remorse kind of thing? Have you been using again?”

“No,” I barked out in annoyance. “That was Georgio’s parting gift when I paid up today, the fucker. And I’ve been fighting myself all day.”

His suspicious gaze turned to understanding, and he shoved the drugs into his pocket. “I’ll get rid of it,” he promised. “How close were you to giving in?”

“Close enough to text your ass,” I admitted. I tossed a glance at him from the corner of my eye. “Consider this my desperate attempt at sobriety.”

He surprised me with an outright laugh. “I’m glad you did.” His smile disappeared. “Winter would have been upset if she knew you’d relapsed. She worries about you.”

I didn’t respond, but I didn’t need to. They all knew how I felt about her after our jailroom friendship party, but I wasn’t going to confess my adoration at every fucking turn like a sap.

Still, I felt the need to say something. After a small silence, I managed, “Yeah, I know.”

“Don’t do it for her, though, man. Do it for you. None of us wants to see you out of commission.”

Now it was my turn to laugh. Yeah, right. They tolerated me because Winter had tolerated me. That was the extent of it.

He pushed off from my Audi and stood, then turned around to face me.

“Take care of yourself tonight. I’ve got to get to work.”

I watched him step into the metal deathtrap before I shoved off my seat and stopped his door from slamming shut behind him.

“Thanks for saving my life.”

A slow smile spread across his face. “How hard was it for you to saythat?”

Was he … teasing me? The friendly smirk morphed into the face of a concerned parent. “Stick around, Logan. There’s lots to live for yet.”

I lowered my chin in the ghost of a nod before shutting the door.

I slid back into my heated leather seat and turned up my music, melting into the chair and closing my eyes.

Today, I had won the battle. Next, we’d have to winthe war.

CHAPTER 11

TRAVIS

“Husband-brother half-Uncle,” I rolled the words over my tongue and made a face as Cam snorted beside me. “Uncle-Husband-Brother?”

“That makes us sound gayandincestuous,” Cam mused as he moved to adjust the temperature in my car.

My decrepit Daytona chugged along as we drove through a small town just past Kensington to meet Kellan at a private shooting range. To discuss our newfound familial situation. Cam was taking the news pretty well, considering, but I was struggling to get past the fact my best friend was actually a blood relative, and a son of the biggest cartel king on this side of theworld.

While I was the grandson of the same cartel king.

Life was fucked.

“We’d fit intoGame of Thronesjust fine,” I joked, hoping to lighten the gray clouds sitting over my head. “Just don’t think that you can start bossing me around in the bedroom with our girl because of your new title.”

Another snort. Winter had been the one to let slip Cam had finally taken that step with her, and I couldn’t have been more pleased for my uncle-husband-brother. Cam needed more love in his life, and Winter was the perfect puzzle piece to fit into the hole in his heart.

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