CHAPTER 224: I’M NOT LETTING YOU GO

Sam.

Sam reminded Winn of his grandfather—stern, wise, loving, irritatingly intuitive. A man who could scold you and hug you in the same breath without blinking.

Winn dialed.

"Hey, Sam. You in for a game of golf?"

A beat.

"...Great."

"You want me to pick you up?"

Another beat and a warm rumble of a chuckle.

"Great."

He hung up and dropped into the driver’s seat of his car, letting out a rough groan as he rested his head against the steering wheel. What the fuck was he doing? Who ran to their girlfriend’s grandfather for comfort? What kind of man did that?

A desperate, exhausted, guilt-ridden one, apparently.

In his defense, Sam was an amazing man.

*****

"I’m not letting you go, Dad!" Evans shouted.

"What are you going to do? Nail me in a coffin?"

"Don’t tempt me," Evans snapped, pacing. "Dad, can you not see that they are all the same? I gave Winn the benefit of the doubt, and look what he did?"

Sam blinked slowly, unimpressed with the theatrics. "What did he do?"

Evans threw his hands up. "He executed a man in cold blood, Dad!"

"And what were you doing? Tiptoeing around the matter."

"You want me to go around shooting people?" Evans demanded, incredulous. His face was flushed, his hair sticking up from running his fingers through it too many times. "Is that what you want? For me to be like... that?"

"You protected Ivy after the fact. Winn went after the source."

Evans dragged a hand down his face. "You can’t possibly be taking his side."

"I am taking Ivy’s side," Sam said.

"He scared her, Dad."

"Being scared of the fire doesn’t mean you don’t need it."

"YOU’RE NOT GOING TO PLAY GOLF WITH HIM?!"

Sam sighed—a deep, weary breath.

"You are a good man, Evans," Sam said gently. "I can’t change that. I will not change that. I love you for it. You’ve always had a strong sense of justice, a strong heart. I know you would’ve gotten these people in your own way eventually. Winn’s way just happened to be faster."

Evans dragged both hands down his face, still vibrating with anger and helplessness. "Dad, I am not against what he did," he said. "I’m not. God knows I wanted blood too. But not in front of Ivy. It means he doesn’t care if he scars her even further. I warned him to be gentle with her. I begged him."

Sam nodded solemnly. "On that," he said, "we agree." Then he shrugged, casual as ever. "Doesn’t mean I’m still not going to play golf with the man. You can come if you want."

Evans groaned and flopped into the chair. "I am not letting her anywhere near him anymore," he muttered. "Not happening. Over my dead body."

Sam snorted. "She is not a child, Evans."

"To me, she is!" Evans shot back immediately, chest heaving.

"And I get that," Sam replied calmly. "But learn from my mistakes with Mary. It is ultimately her choice if she wants to be with him or not. That girl’s heart is her own to burn. And truth be told, even they have no control over it. Not him. Not her. That bond—it’s bigger than both of them."

"Dad—"

"Listen," Sam interrupted. "Ivy has been through a lifetime of hurt, pain, and responsibilities too great for her age. She carries wounds you and I can’t even begin to stitch up. So you let her have whatever she wants. You hear me? Understand her, guide her, but do not control her."

Evans swallowed, throat tight.

"If she is making a mistake," Sam continued, "let her. Let her stumble. But be there for her to fall back on. That’s your job. That’s all you can do."

"I don’t want her to get hurt again."

"She will," Sam said softly. "Life doesn’t spare anyone. Not even the strongest."

"Someday soon, death will call me. And it’ll be up to you to run this family. To lead it. And you’re good at that. Better than you think."

"In my opinion," Sam said with a small smile, "you are the scalpel. Precise. Careful. Surgical. Winn... would be perfect as the sledgehammer of this family."

"Think about it, uhn."

John entered then and announced that Mr. Kane was waiting right at the gates.

"I’ll walk with you," Evans suggested.

"Sit your ass down. I’m not a cripple." Sam snickered, pushing up from his chair with the stiff determination of a man who refused to admit age had started tapping him on the shoulder. He adjusted his collar and strolled out of the house.

Evans threw his hands up in the air. "At least go with your goddamned bodyguard!!!"

"Don’t need him!" Sam shouted back, already halfway outside.

Evans groaned into his palms.

*****

"Who ordered a dose of Sylvia Kane?!" Sylvia shouted as she entered the Orchard mansion.

The doors swung shut behind her

Winn was sitting in the living room, buried under a mountain of work files. When he heard her voice, his head snapped up.

"Sis!" He practically launched himself to his feet. "You crazy woman!"

"Really? You called for me and you call me crazy?" Sylvia lifted her chin with royal indignation. "I am taking the next flight back."

Winn strode over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in with a force that nearly lifted her off the ground. "Oh God, I missed you," he murmured, burying his face into her shoulder.

"I missed you too." Sylvia softened, her hand rubbing his back.

"How is the restaurant coming?" Winn asked, stepping back but keeping a hand on her arm.

"Whew! It’s doing good," she said with an exhausted but proud grin. "Early days, but I have a good handle on it." She shrugged. "Everything okay here?"

"You do not want to know," Winn sighed, dragging a hand down his face. He looked exhausted.

Sylvia dropped her bags at the entrance with a thud, her eyes narrowing as she stepped deeper into the house. "Were you robbed?" she gasped. "Winn, what happened to everything?"