“See you then,” I confirmed, and Jasper stepped aside.
I found Addy, ascertained she was pissed and didn’t want to discuss what happened, and like her father, she was firm. I pushed just enough for her to explain that her feelings were hurt and being that they were she needed to hold onto the anger so she didn’t cry. Something she didn’t want to do at the office where someone could see her, and certainly not right before a patient met her in the Triple Canopy gym for PT.
I walked her to the new building, got her situated, and went back to my office to wait for Jasper. He didn’t make me wait long, but while he did I thought about my future and what it would look like if Jason, Nick, or Carter pushed to have me fired. Or if one of the original four principals one being Jasper, the others Addy’s uncles, wanted me out. Financially, I’d be more than fine. I’d invested wisely. And with Matt’s help, I’d followed his lead buying and flipping houses. Though, I’d kept a few after I’d fixed them up and they had renters in them. If I had to, I could sell my house, downsize into something more appropriate, and use the profit to buy a few more houses.
I’d be fine financially. But mentally, losing Triple Canopy would cripple me. I needed the routine, the brotherhood, the teamwork, the training, and it was worth repeating—the brotherhood. I held guilt for what happened in Bruit, Luke’s injury, my monumental fuck-up. For my own peace of mind, I had to find a way to make that right. But more, I needed my brothers. We were a team in more ways than blood, sweat, and battle. They were my family, my real family, not like my father and brother. I would be fucking lost without them. So, I needed to keep my calm and I probably needed to apologize to Jasper for a few things I’d said to Jason, though it would be a cold day in hell before I gave Jason a free pass—he needed to make shit right with Addy, then I would think about forgiving him for the bullshit he spewed at her.
There was a knock, then the door to my office swung open. Jasper silently entered, lifting his chin in greeting. I kept my seat and waited for him to pull a chair around the front of my desk and settle into it.
“Few things about Belview,” Jasper started and I perked up, wanting all the intel I could get. “I knew he was SF when he was dating Addy. I also knew what assignment he was being sent on. And I knew before he broke it off with her, he was going to do it.”
So much for remaining calm.
“Did you encourage him to break up with her?” I asked.
“If by ‘encouraged’ you’re really asking, did I demand it, then no, I didn’t. But when he came to me, I certainly didn’t persuade him to stay with her, which I could’ve easily done.”
Fucking shit.
“Does she know he came to you?”
“No. And I don’t want her to know.”
“Then we need to stop this conversation here,” I told him.
“Because I can’t trust you to keep a confidence?”
Was he for real?
“No, Jasper, because you can trust I will not lie to Addy.”
He nodded and his stare turned knowing. Jesus, fuck me, I had to hand it to him. The man had been out of the game for a long time, yet he still had it. I fought the urge to squirm under his heavy scrutiny and wondered if that was the father in him or the warrior. My guess—both. He’d found a way to mold those two together and the effect was enough to make me want to look away.
“I’m gonna be straight with you, Trey. I like you. I think you were a good operator, you served honorably, I’ll forever be grateful for your role in saving Liberty, and I think you’re an asset to Triple Canopy.” Jasper paused and I braced for the ‘but’ I knew was coming. “My son was out of line, but he was not wrong.”
There it was.
I wasn’t good enough for Adalynn.
Fuck, that stung. And before I could stop my hand from moving as if it had a mind of its own, it left my desk and landed square in the middle of my chest.
“His delivery was piss-poor, but his concerns valid.”
“Right,” I ground out through gritted teeth. “Just so you know, she’s staying with me until this is over.”
“I’m thinking she should come home and stay with her mom and me.”
He would think that, but he was wrong.
“Obviously, you can talk to Addy about that, but she made herself clear so I’ll reiterate what I told Jason and what I promised her. No one, including you or her brother, are going to make her do a damn thing she doesn’t want to do. She didn’t want me to bring you in on this. Please don’t make me regret my decision.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
Well, here goes nothing.
It wasn’t like I had to worry about Jasper’s approval. I didn’t have, nor was I ever, going to get it.
So, really, I had not a damn fucking thing to lose.
Except Addy.
Christ.
“It means she knows you love her. She knows the man you are, the father you are, so she knew the second you caught the scent something was wrong you’d make moves to protect her. That is exactly what she doesn’t want. She expressly stated she was not going into lockdown. It took Hadley guilting her for Addy to take Jake’s threat seriously. Which, I know Jason thinks I’m blowing smoke, because he has it in his head I’m jacking his sister around, but I’m telling you, Jasper, the motherfucker is deranged. I cannot put into words what I saw in him, except to say he’s vacant. He will not get another shot at ripping Addy apart. She’s agreed to stay with me so that’s where she’s staying. I’ve also asked her to change all of her PT appointments to the Triple Canopy gym, which she’s done. She also agreed she won’t be going near the VA until Jake is dealt with.
“One last thing—this morning on the way over here, Addy was struggling. To ease that I promised her I wouldn’t let anyone make her do something she didn’t want to do. The same way I will not lie to her, I sure as fuck will not break that promise.”
“That a threat or a warning?” Jasper grunted.
Mother fuck, the Walkers and their goddamn stubbornness.
“Wouldn’t dream of doing either of those two things to you.”
“But you have no problem threatening to bury my son?”
“Nope,” I told him honestly. “Tell me something, Jasper, you heard a man talking ugly shit to Emily, you wouldn’t make your displeasure known?” Considering the question was not one I needed an answer to, I didn’t wait for one. “Actually, you wouldn’t have bothered with a warning, you simply would’ve buried him. Brother or not, I got a serious issue with my woman’s face turning red with embarrassment, her body strung tight, and her eyes full of hurt. All of that caused by a man who has her love and trust, one that should always handle her with care. Jason doesn’t like me, doesn’t want me with Addy, then he should’ve found the time to have a quiet word with me like you did. He shouldn’t have done what he did.”
Jasper sat back in the chair, and knowing turned into unease. Normally upon seeing Jasper’s jaw set, eyes glittering, his muscles coiled tight, I’d beat a hasty retreat, not wanting to be in the firing line. But considering I was the one who put him on-edge, I didn’t move.
“And now that I’ve had my quiet word?”
“By that, you mean now that you’ve made it known you agree with Jason and you think I’m not good enough for Addy?”
Jasper dipped his chin and there was more confirmation. I wasn’t good enough, and that didn’t sting, it fucking hurt.
Never good enough.
Not for my dad. Not for Addy’s family. Not even good enough for my little brother.
“Now nothing,” I returned.
“Nothing?” Jasper asked.
“What were you expecting? Respect, Jasper, but Adalynn is a grown woman. For her sake, I hoped this would go smoothly and you’d give me an honest shot at proving to you I love your daughter. But she’s not of an age where I need to ask your permission to date her. As much as I respect you, Emily, Jason, and the rest of your family, I’d be a punk ass bitch if
a few words and a scowl veered me off-course and made me break my promises to Addy. We both know I’m not that. And we both fucking know that you being the type of father you are, it hasn’t escaped you that your other daughters didn’t choose punk bitches to spend their lives with, so it baffles me as to why you’d think Adalynn would.”
Something passed over Jasper’s expression, but like the master he was, a nanosecond later it was clear.
“Adalynn is not like her sisters. She’s special—”
“She sure as fuck is. But what she absolutely is not, is naïve. Your girl knows her mind and has no issue communicating exactly what she wants and doesn’t want. She might be the youngest but she’s not a baby. And she might be shy but she sure as fuck isn’t stupid. I’ll give you this and hopefully, it will give you a sliver of peace. I know how special Addy is. I know the beauty she brings to my life and I’ll do everything in my power to protect it. What I will not do is give her up because her brother has a problem with me. And no bullshit, Jasper, I wish you had it in you to see past a reputation I earned when I was unattached, had no commitments, and made no promises. But you don’t, you don’t. That’s on you, and it will not stop me from giving your daughter everything she needs and deserves.”
“I think we should end this conversation here.”
“Sure,” I agreed. “Anytime you wanna talk, you know where to find me. Now that that’s outta the way, I have a favor. I need information on Jake Belview. Dylan’s looking into him but we both know he’s not gonna find dick, because there’ll be nothing but bullshit in Belview’s service records. You have contacts none of us do—I’d appreciate it if you can make some calls.”
“You don’t have to ask that shit,” Jasper grunted.
“Sorry, but I feel like I do have to ask. Jason’s made it clear he’s not taking this seriously. I cannot stress this enough; I’ve faced down my fair share of soulless men. Never once did I flinch. Jake Belview gave me a shiver. Here’s the thing that worries me—you know him, he dated your daughter and lived to tell about it, which means he’s changed. You confirming he was SF means he didn’t change, something inside him broke. He was looking at Addy like he wanted to tear her head off and he had no problem doing that right there at the table, then sitting back down and finishing his meal. I want to know why that motherfucker is in Georgia and what he was doing at the VA. I also think it’s important to find out if his superiors know there’s something seriously fucking wrong with this guy before he’s sent back out.”
This time Jasper didn’t try to hide his anger. He leaned forward, narrowed his eyes, and spat fire before he stood.
“You better fucking have this, Durum.”
I didn’t get a chance to answer before he was gone.
Fucking shit.
I held open the door to my truck and waited for Addy to get in. When she didn’t move, I stopped scanning the parking lot and looked at her.
“You’re quiet,” she said. It wasn’t lost on me that eight hours ago, I’d been the one to note her silence. “Everything go okay with my dad?” she inquired
I felt my brows pull together and asked, “You didn’t talk to him?”
“No. I saw him walk past the gym but he didn’t stop in.”
Interesting. I figured after Jasper left my office, Addy would be his next stop.
“We’ll talk when we get home.”
Addy dropped her chin and looked at the tarmac when she muttered, “It went bad.”
“Baby, look at me.” When her gaze lifted, my heart constricted painfully. “I told you he wouldn’t be happy. I also told you I didn’t give a fuck. Thinking on that, without meaning to, I lied. I do care, because obviously, you care. I know your dad, it’s gonna take a while before he’s ready to give me a chance. There’s nothing I can do about that. But I promise you, I’ll put the work in. In the meantime, nothing changes for me.”
“Okay.”
“You gonna be able to wait that out with me?”
“Yes.”
Thank fuck. Some of the pain in my chest started to recede.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk since it went down, but you okay after that scene with your brother?”
“We’ll talk when we get home,” she repeated my earlier response.
“Okay, baby, hop in.”
“Trey?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you,” she whispered, and rolled up on her toes.
Her soft lips brushed mine and I was lost. So fucking lost I was oblivious to my surroundings.
Which was unfortunate.
Jasper Walker watched, feeling no remorse for intruding on his daughter’s privacy.
He knew what was coming but forced himself to watch.
Trey brushed Addy’s hair off her shoulder, craned his neck forward, and kissed the side of her neck before his hands framed her face. He said something that made her smile—that was his Addy, always smiling to hide her pain.
Jasper’s gut tightened as it always did when he thought about his girl keeping a secret—one that meant she was suffering alone, keeping things that troubled her bottled up. It had been years and he expended no small amount of effort to draw that secret out, to no avail. Whatever was eating away at her, she wasn’t talking. Not to anyone.
He continued to watch as Trey dropped another kiss, this one on her forehead, then straightened. As he did, Trey shifted his weight to his good leg, hiding his pain.
Fuck.
He did not want this for his girl—not his Adalynn.
He wanted her to have easy. Soft. Gentle.
She needed someone who could heal whatever caused her to bury the pain that had been etched onto her soul.
It was a toss-up which one of the two was hiding more than the other.
Jesus, fuck.
Jasper Walker did not want this for his girl, and he wasn’t sure he had it in him to accept Trey Durum into her life.
He closed his eyes and clenched his fists in an effort not to intervene. Therefore, Jasper missed it when Trey spotted him. He also missed the hurt and determination Trey didn’t hide.
17
“I can help,” I told Trey as I sipped my beer, even though I didn’t actually want to get up.
What I wanted to do was continue to sit my booty on the stool he’d pulled out for me, placing me on one side of the big island in his kitchen, him on the other with his back to me as he cooked. I wanted to continue to do this because I found it fascinating Trey knew how to cook. Not mac-and-cheese-from-a-box kind of cooking, but chop up vegetables, dice chicken, and make his own stir-fry sauce kind of cooking.
“Rather have you sit where you are and stare at my ass while I make you dinner.”
I choked down a gulp of cold liquid and sputtered, “What makes you think I’m staring at your butt?”
“Cute,” he muttered back.
“What’s cute? Your butt?”
“No. You.”
Trey craned his neck to look at me, and when he did, I caught that shine in his eyes. It’d returned now that we were back at his place. It wasn’t as bright as it was last night. But nonetheless, it was still there, and for whatever reason, he was grinning at me. I liked Trey grinning at me—couple that with the shine and I was in heaven. I could sit my behind at his island watching him cook me dinner for the rest of my life and be happy.
I didn’t know what it was about him that made me feel that way. I just felt it and I felt it from the very beginning. It was weird, it made my stomach cramp, and it scared the heck out of me. The two times I’d opened myself up to a relationship, I’d been burned. The first time hurt. The second time left thick scar tissue around my heart.
Yet Trey got through. That was the weird part. Not even Bass, who I did have a mild crush on when I first met him, was able to peel back even the thinnest of layers. I wasn’t dumb or naïve like my brother accused me of being. I knew Bass asked me to lunch in an attempt to ‘get in there’ as Trey called it. He was a nice enough guy, but
I knew from the first lunch I’d never let my guard down and let him in.
“Babe?”
“Huh?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Bass.”
“Come again?”
Mother trucker. My hand slapped over my mouth and I closed my eyes, praying I did not just say that.
“Adalynn.” Trey’s voice rumbled and my prayers went unanswered.
Crappity, crap, crap.
“I was thinking about how you were right. Earlier, you said Bass wanted to get in there. You’re right, he does.”
“Okay.”
Trey leaned his hip on the counter and settled in. That meant he was waiting for me to explain further.
“I was thinking about that because I was thinking about how much you scared me.”
Trey’s eyes got squinty and his lips formed a flat line as he silently waited for more.
Darn it all to hell.
“I was remembering that I’d tried this relationship stuff twice before and it didn’t go too good for me. Both times I got hurt, and after the second time, I wasn’t all that fired-up to try again. Bass is a nice guy, good looking, sweet…” Trey grunted something I didn’t catch but I didn’t need to, to understand he was seriously unhappy, so I rushed to continue. “Anyway, point is, he’s nice and he tried to get me to open up to him, or at least be open for a date, but I never gave it to him.”
“Let’s get back to the part where I scare you,” he suggested.
I wasn’t a fool so I read his demand, even if he tried to disguise it.
“Since the day I met you, my stomach’s been in knots. You frustrate me to no end. You make me lose my temper. You excite me. And that scares me. But the other times when I know you let me see a side of yourself you keep from everyone else, that you trust me with that part of yourself, when the real Trey breaks through—those times scare the bejeezus out of me. Those are the times when I want to wrap you up and run away with you. When I wish you knew how strong I was so you’d let me battle by your side to beat back all the garbage in your head. But times like last night, when you open yourself bare and let me see all that light you’re hiding and I feel how warm it is, freaks me the frick out because I want that so bad, to feel it for the rest of my life, I forget to be scared. That’s—”
Flawed (Triple Canopy Book 2) Page 14