Page 28 of The Tempo of Truth
I knew who I was to him.That was enough to keep me rooted right where I was, even though Win was doing his best to lure me back to the dark side.
“The caveat of taking you up on your more-than-generous offer is that I never see Winnie or Lowe again, right?”
Win nodded, his gray gaze sharp as a knife.“You have to give up your parental rights before you go.You’ll need to sever all your ties to my family.It’ll be easier for Lowe to forget about you while he’s young and not too attached.As for Winnie,” he sighed while staring at me like he had no idea what his niece saw in me.“It’ll be your job to make sure she’s done with you.She has always been a bit dumb with her infatuation toward you.You’ll have to be heinous to have the intended effect.This is a one-time offer.Think carefully about what you want to do next.”
I sat back in the uncomfortable chair and let out a bitter laugh.“Last time I used your money to get onto a team, everybody—from my teammates and coach to the fans—made sure I knew they felt like I didn’t belong there.I was fortunate that I’m great at the game.If I sucked, I wouldn’t have known a minute of peace.I witnessed how quickly people turned on me once I started losing.If I let you buy my way back into the professional league, no one is going to want me on their team.The offer isn’t as appealing as you think it is, Win.”
“If you can name something you want more than Winnie and Lowe, let me know immediately.”
I rolled my shoulders and winced when the still-healing side ached.“I don’t want a damn thing from you, Winchester.”
The older man gave me a contemplative look and tapped his finger on the table.After a long period of awkward silence, he gave a barely noticeable nod.“Very good.I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me regardless of your questionable choices over the years.”
Win’s apparent approval took me aback.“What?How did you know I wouldn’t take your offer?All I’ve wanted since coming to the city is to get my old life back.”
Win brushed an invisible piece of lint off his pant leg.“You bought Lowe a soccer setup.Out of all the gifts you could’ve given him to blow his little five-year-old mind, you got him something you both love and can use together.You may be adjusting to being a father, but you’re already putting your kid’s wants and needs ahead of your own.”He must’ve seen the surprise on my face because he quickly explained, “I put Lowe to bed last night and waited for Winnie to come home.I had a nightcap on her roof terrace and saw the nets and a soccer ball.”
I sighed and let my head drop.“It doesn’t matter how good my intentions may be.We both know I don’t belong in your world.When it comes to what I want and what Winnie may want, there are some real obstacles we’d have to overcome.”And there was no guarantee of success.The odds were insurmountable.
Win reached out and clapped a hand on my shoulder.He squeezed it and told me, “You’re not alone.You’ve got a team rooting for you.I know it’s not the type of team you’re used to, but it wants nothing more than for you and Winnie to be victorious.This family will fight for your happiness until the end of time if you’re one of our own.I was willing to protect you just because you’re Lowe’s father, but now I’m willing to go all out since I can see that you’re willing to put Winnie before your desire to get your previous life back.”He got to his feet, and I felt like a heavy pressure was lifted.I’d never met anyone with a more intimidating presence than Win Halliday.He was much scarier than the police who had cuffed me and locked me up.It baffled me how anyone was brave enough to oppose him and threaten the niece he’d raised as his child.
I knew he couldn’t stand in front of Winnie forever, that she had to take a few hits and learn how to recover, but Win would never let the ship sink.And now I felt like he was letting me aboard to man the cannons as she navigated stormy seas.
The police let me go, but not without speculative looks and a stern warning to keep my nose clean and to stop fishing in troubled waters.I knew without Win’s connections and his lawyer’s help, I would’ve been tied up within the faulty legal system for months and might’ve been convicted of a murder I didn’t commit.
Once we were back on the street in front of the police station, I saw several media outlets waiting for the story to break.I knew they were there for Win; I was nothing more than a bonus that would make any statement or photograph worth even more money.
“I was serious about a lifestyle change, Mr.Kent.”The lawyer narrowed his eyes and subtly gestured to the gathered press.“Nothing good will come from the path you’re currently on.”After dropping that sage advice, he told Win he would be in touch if any follow-up was needed before blending in with the morning commuters on the sidewalk.
I rubbed the back of my neck and tried to stretch out the kinks left over from being in a holding cell all night.I thanked Win for busting me out while staring at the reporters, practically salivating to interview me.“The guy Winnie is currently doing business with is bad news.He would’ve murdered me on the spot last night if it wasn’t considered uncouth.”I couldn’t ignore the warning bells jangling in my brain when I saw the way he watched Winnie leave with me.If he were my opponent in the ring, I’d be on guard for him to fight dirty as hell.
“Oliver Byrd.His company is merging with the new hotel branch of Halliday Inc..It’s newer territory for our business.Alistair is the one who expanded into that area of real estate, and that’s who the Byrd Enterprises planned on negotiating with.I’m certain the only way Oliver got the major shareholders to agree to the merger was by making Winnie part of the deal.They’re the same age and have similar backgrounds.He probably assured them he could successfully seduce her and gain an in with the Hallidays, so that the negotiations would favor their side.Oliver is savvy and has several billion dollars on the line.Sending your happy ass to prison because you’re messing up his play for my niece wouldn’t be out of the question.”
I scowled and kicked at the dirty sidewalk in frustration.“I guess beating his ass is out of the question.”The dude looked like he had no idea how to throw a punch.I would destroy him if it came to a battle of strength and ruthlessness.
“I’d keep your fists to yourself and inside the boxing ring at the Russian’s gym if I were you.”Win’s warning was pointed and left no room for argument.
I grunted my agreement.“If I stop fighting for Lev, I’ve gotta find another way to pay the bills, which is easier said than done, considering my particular skill set.”I could kick a ball and fight.That was about it.“I guess I could help out in my friend’s Korean restaurant.”However, my customer service level was subpar.
“Be patient.I have a feeling the right opportunity will find you sooner or later.”
I felt like I needed to fully clear the air with Win since he’d saved my ass from being sent to prison.“You know, I didn’t have anything to do with Winnie getting kidnapped that night.I didn’t tell her grandfather to drop her at the docks or to hide her away in a dry-docked boat.I also didn’t tell him where she was going to be that day.All I did was suggest to her that she might want to give him a chance, and I urged her not to let her opinion of him get clouded by others around her.I didn’t realize he was dangerous.I never thought he would take Winnie to hurt Channing.At the time, I was holding a huge grudge against anyone who was wealthy.I really thought that if Channing was my biological mother, my life was over, so I made some bad choices to prove I was loyal to my mom.To this day, I resent letting that asshole manipulate me.”I swore under my breath and wanted to kick my own ass when I thought about how easily I let myself be used.
Win stared at me intently without speaking for a long moment.Eventually, he told me, “I know all of that.Do you think I would’ve allowed Winnie to chase you all over Europe if I thought you were capable of handing her over to a madman?Even if she hated me for the rest of her life, I would’ve locked her up to keep her away from you if I thought you were capable of hurting her without remorse.”
The truth was,shehurt me by thinking I had it in me to harm her.I wasn’t a good guy by any stretch of the imagination.But the only person I hurt on purpose was myself.Win motioned to the waiting press and quietly said, “Cages aren’t always gilded, Ky.Sometimes they are rusted and bent and have been kicked around.But the bars that keep the birds trapped inside serve the same purpose.Don’t forget that you deserve to be set free and fly high, just as much as my niece does.”
Win gave me a brief goodbye after those profound words, shaking me from my swirling thoughts.He stepped toward the circling reporters to give a statement, clearly offering me a chance to escape the feeding frenzy.I heard several of them calling my name, but I hunched my shoulders, averted my gaze and ignored them.A few were extra persistent and started to follow me down the street.Once I started running, they eventually fell behind and gave up the chase.
When I finally got a chance to look at my phone, I had a bunch of missed calls from Lev and Mino.There was also a message from Winnie apologizing for sending her uncle instead of coming to get me out of trouble herself.I thought it was sweet that she never hesitated to show up for me when my world was collapsing.No one else in my life ever showed me such unwavering support.Not even my mother.She still questioned my awful decisions, even though I’d made them to protect her.I knew she appreciated the sacrifice, but I could tell she resented that I took the fall without discussing things with her first.I unilaterally destroyed my life, and all she could do was watch me stumble through the wreckage.
I had a lot of emotions boiling under my skin and making my brain buzz.I settled on the feeling that resonated the loudest within my chest when I responded to Winnie.
~ Winnie.I want to tell Lowe that I’m his father.
I wanted to publicly stake my claim and let others know that if they wanted to get to Winnie Halliday and my son, they would have to go through me first.I’d failed at a lot in my life, but I had a gut feeling I was finally about to score in an epic way.After all, a guy couldn’t ask for a better teammate than Winnie Halliday.
We were no longer spectators watching one another’s lives pass by; we were playing the same game.And both of us were the type who only played to win.
