Holder's body goes limp, sinking to the ground, and I go with him. I hold him as tears slide down his face. This is not sadness. This is the celebration.
“Thank you for that.” He says, squeezing my hand that's curled in the front of his shirt. I don't want to let him go, but we have others to worry about, and I’m sure he wants to check on them just as much as I do.
“Let’s go brag to the guys how we killed someone together. Clint will be so jealous.” He laughs as he wipes away his tears and stands up before offering a hand to me.
“So fucking jealous. Poor thing.” I smile. "And as much as I want to go brag, we need to tend to your leg first." I finish while finding the discarded switchblade and cut part of Dick’s shirt off him. I then kneel in front of Holder and cut his pants around where the knife landed. The wound isn't bad, but it is bleeding and needs to be wrapped before he walks on it too much.
"This should do until we can get to the hotel." I smile up at his handsome face as I wrap the cloth around his leg and tie it off.
"Let's go make some guys jealous." I say as we link arms and leave Richard Broussard, not even looking back.
Chapter Twenty-One: Ayida
We make our way back to the bridge walkway onto the platform to find Dante kissing Winnie like she’s his last breath, with a passion I wasn’t quite expecting, like she’s his everything.
Winnie breaks the kiss to say something to him, staying so close that it’s like they are murmuring into each other’s mouths. I dare not ask what these sweet nothings, or promises to each other, are. This seems like a private moment so instead, I turn to Holder for my own.
Holder grips my hips and pushes me against the wall giving me a small kiss. Before I take charge, grasping his hair and pulling him closer to me so that I can bite his neck before he pulls away again, feeling the goosebumps taking over his body and the husky moan breathed out of his mouth. He meets me kiss for kiss with a ferocity only he and I share.
Clearing her throat to get our attention, “Sorry to interrupt, but we should probably clear out of here, yeah?” Winnie asks.
Tucking Winnie under his arm protectively, Dante refocuses on Holder and me.
“It’s done?” he asks us.
“All good on our end, yours?” Holder asks in return.
“Yeah. I’m sure the other guys can fill you in on the container situation, but as far as my father goes- I have a few trustworthy and loyal to only me, crew members coming in to take him back to New Orleans where we will deal with him there… It's about time we cleaned house.” Dante winces.
“Well, congrats on your new promotion then.” Holder extends his hand to Dante.
“And to yours.” Dante says, grasping Holder’s hand in a firm handshake.
__________
Holder calls in a cleaning crew while I text Ahmya to give us an hour to clear out, and then she needs to bring her ass here ASAP to take care of the container and its occupants. She can leak her own press coverage. That’s below my pay grade. She assures me she is having food and drinks, changes of clothes, and setting everyone up in a nearby hotel for safety and containment once the police and camera crews get their statements. She promises again she will do right by these women and children and either get them back home, if that’s where they want to go, or help them seek asylum here in the U.S. if they wish to remain.
Avoiding the lower warehouse where the container and bodies are, we steer Winnie straight out front to meet up with Clint, Fletcher, Cole, his extra guys, Augustine and Bastien.
Once outside, I notice the sun has started to set. Very symbolic in its own way of ending one dynasty and starting afresh with a new one.
The guys all look bloodied, but I don’t see any major injuries to my men as I study each of their bodies from the distance. We will have to discuss ‘the incident’ once we are back in the hotel room and away from Winnie’s innocent ears, but for now, I can sigh in relief being reunited with my loves again.
As we start walking towards the group, Winnie breaks away from Dante and runs towards Augustine, who sweeps her off her feet, literally despite his bum leg, before giving her a punishing kiss. Once she’s set back on her feet, Bastien pulls her out of Auggie’s arms and puts his forehead against hers before dipping down and claiming her mouth as well.
Didn’t see that one coming, but ya know girl power- Go, Winnie! I can’t help but cover my mouth behind my hand to hide my smile and tinkle of laughter as I look between Dante and Holder beside me with matching looks of shock.
Three of Cole’s men show up in more unmarked vans, and we all pile in and spread out. The cleaners are on the way, and then the news crew, police, and Ahmya will be in tow. Time for us to get out of Dodge. Maybe a quick dip in the ocean to wash away these sins and blood will be in order before we scare the front desk at our fancy-schmancy hotel… though money might buy us some time and silence.
Cole gives his men the directions to our hotel and has them drop us off at the beachfront before his men leave to scrub and wipe our existence away from these ‘borrowed’ vehicles.
__________
Stepping onto the white sands of Miami Beach, in the twilight, really does feel like a vacation. We all strip off our burned, bloody, and torn clothes. The guys get down to their boxers, briefs, or in Holder’s case letting his pierced dick freak flag fly all naturelle—much to Winnie’s gag of disapproval.
Dick is gone along with his sex trafficking plans. Dante Sr. is being dealt with. Ahmya will get her credit due. Winnie is safe and apparently has three new very attentive boyfriends. Holder is about to be a new head right alongside me. Life again seems back on track, and I am grateful for it. Now all I need is some kinky sex with my Sons of Fortune, some food, some sleep… more kinky sex. Oh, and I guess I better start looking for a new car sooner rather than later. Damn the devil in the details.
__________
Returning back to the hotel, practically us all in just our underwear, covered in salt water and sand, is a small price to pay in embarrassment for the staff not to question our bloody street clothes. Luckily, Cole’s giant undershirt was enough for Holder to slip on to cover up his junk, last thing we need is to be ticketed for indecent exposure before we get safely locked in our hotel room. At least we have our suitcases and duffle bags to change into fresh clothes before our flight leaves tomorrow at lunch time. Winnie will just have to borrow something of mine to make do.
Cole is already on the phone with the pilot by the time we get to the elevator, and Clint is texting his mom to set up an emergency head meeting for tomorrow evening. So much for a vacation, but the longer we are down here the more it will seem we have something to hide, and it’s time the Saupoudrer syndicate really learns what Richard Broussard, Jimmy, and the rest of his crew have been up to over recent years. Maybe I’ll take a page from Dante’s playbook and suggest we ‘clean house’ too.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Fletcher
With plans to talk more ‘business’ on the flight back tomorrow, Blue leaves Winnie with a change of clothes for tomorrow, and her three guys promise to watch her for the night, putting their differences behind them for now. I escort Blue back to our oceanfront Presidential Suite. Cole was right in booking this place. Blue definitely deserves the best.