“You should have gone with them.” She shook her head at him. “When you’re done, put the dishes in the sink and let yourself out.”

“How’s Aunt Shay doing?” he asked, ignoring her dismissal. His dark brown eyes traveled from her bare feet to her breasts that were pressed against her tank top.

Self-consciously, Winter crossed her arms over her chest. She’d had the top since she was in college and usually only wore it when they were alone in their bedroom because it was too tight.

“She’s doing much better. I took the remainder of the school year off.”

Viper nodded. “I know. The school board approved Tracy Ross to replace you.”

“Why, so you can get rid of me longer?” Winter responded bitterly, dropping her arms to her sides.

The fury emanating from him was palpable. Her instincts screamed at her to run. Instead, she froze as if she had been cornered by an angry bear.

“Go back to your aunt’s room. If you stay here, I’m going to give you a spanking you’ll never forget.” He went back to his food, not looking at her. “I’ll turn the alarm on when I’m done.”

Winter blinked back her tears. After nodding her head, she fled before Viper changed his mind, practically running to her aunt’s bedroom then crawling beside her on the bed.

“Did Viper get plenty to eat?” Aunt Shay asked her absently, her attention on the movie.

“Yes, he’s done.”

After her hateful words, she was sure Viper was done with her, too.

9

“Did he save me some pie for tomorrow?”

Winter gave her a mirthless smile she couldn’t see in the dark. “Yes, enough for lunch and dinner.”

Sightlessly, she stared at the television. She no longer worried about Sasha destroying her marriage; she was doing it herself.

The red light on the alarm lit up beside her aunt’s bed, meaning Viper had left and reset the alarm.

She made up her mind to call him. They needed to talk so they could figure out where their marriage was heading. The thought of it ending was unbearable, yet living in the same house and seeing Sasha constantly as a reminder of his infidelity was just as intolerable. If he hadn’t been unfaithful, then she had made a terrible mistake and her own insecurities were to blame. She had let her emotions get the better of her since finding out Viper had given Sasha the vote she needed to get in the club. Instead, she had escalated the tension between them, rather than trying to find out why he hadn’t told her.

Winter checked to see if her aunt had fallen asleep. Then she turned off the light before slipping out of the dark room. After turning the light off in the kitchen, she went upstairs.

Her hand was on the doorknob to her bedroom when an arm circled her waist.

She kicked her feet backward as she was lifted up, pressed against a hard chest.

“Calm down. It’s just me,” Viper drawled, as he opened the bedroom door.

“If you want to get rid of me, just divorce me,” she snapped, struggling to free herself. “I don’t want my aunt to be the one to find my body when you scare me to death.”

“I’ve had more than enough of your bullshit,” he growled angrily.

Winter expected him to toss her angrily on the bed. Instead, he tossed her over his shoulder then strode out into the hallway and down the stairs. She beat on his back, too angry to care if he dropped her.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and she twisted to see what he was doing. She saw him turn off the alarm before he carried her into the living room.

“What are you doing?” She stopped fighting, becoming frightened of Viper’s intentions. Still, she didn’t want to yell and wake her aunt. If Aunt Shay awoke to see her husband had lost his mind, the woman would die of fright.

He didn’t answer. She felt how angry he was with every step, mainly because, with every step, he spanked her ass.

“Stop that!”

“Pretty girl—”

Viper grunted when she sank her teeth into his back.

Winter heard him opening the sliding glass door that led out to the pool. The sound of the door sliding shut had her blood pumping in panic.

“You need to learn to have some respect for your husband.”

One second, she was biting Viper, and the next, she was flying through the air before the water enfolded her in its lukewarm embrace.

She kicked herself to the surface.

The backyard patio was dark, but the light he turned on in the living room bathed him in eerie shadows as he paced back and forth beside the pool.

“I knew men in the service who would piss on themselves when they made me mad. I’ve killed men who showed me more respect than my fucking wife does! How do you think I became President of the Last Riders? By being a pussy?” he ranted, while Winter doggie paddled as he let off the anger that had boiled over to a point he could no longer control it.

He squatted down beside the pool. “In the years we have been married, have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?”

She pulled damp tendrils of hair out of her mouth to answer him. “No.”

“No,” he emphasized. “Then where is this crap coming from? Because of Sasha and a fucking text?” Viper stood up to begin pacing again. “If I was worried about you seeing my texts, why would I have given you my fucking password?”

“I thought it was because you know I don’t usually read your texts.”

He stopped to glower at her. Winter had never seen her husband so angry.

“You thought wrong.” His cold words hit her like a whip. “Just like the other bullshit you keep spouting off over. I have never been unfaithful to you, nor have I wanted to. Sasha came back early, because a search warrant had been served on the clubhouse thanks to the mayor’s interference, and she didn’t know where to go. I found out when I came back from taking Ton home. Sasha and Moon tried to call me to tell me that she was on her way back, but I was too busy dealing with piss-ass drunk Ton to answer my phone, which is why I didn’t answer your calls. When we were outside, we were talking. I hired Diamond to help her out of her tough situation. She has an ex-boyfriend who blames the Last Rider’s for their breaking up, even though they ended before she started hanging out at the club. He accused her of stealing some jewelry she sold. He pressed charges against her, saying it was his mother’s and she stole it when she visited. His mother is, of course, taking his side. The cops are pressuring the Ohio members to give her up. I was going to tell you she was there when I went upstairs. When I gave Sasha a chance, I made it conditional, that she had to earn your vote, or she couldn’t stay in Treepoint. Once Diamond can get the charges dropped, Sasha can go back to the clubhouse in Ohio, and she can stay there until she earns your vote. Do you have a problem with Sasha if she stays in Ohio?”

“No.” Winter’s conscience was stricken. Viper had been dealing with Moon and Sasha’s problems, as well the Last Rider’s business. All the time, the accusations she had been throwing at him had only made matters worse as he tried to keep her happy.

Viper’s anger didn’t lessen, as he barked, “You’ve known me long enough to understand, if I wanted you gone, I would divorce your ass and tell you not to let the door hit you on the way out!”