Flawed (Triple Canopy Book 2)

by Riley Edwards

  I knew this, one-hundred percent, without a doubt. It was what she’d done for my father. It was what she’d preached to me and Hadley.

  There was a knock at the gym door and I closed my eyes, not ready to face my mom. But when my lids opened, both Hadley and Quinn had big eyes and worried expressions.

  Oh, crap.

  I turned, fully prepared for a firing squad. But instead, I saw Bass with a big, wide smile on his face sauntering across the open room.

  “Hey,” I greeted. “In the neighborhood?”

  His smile got bigger and he jerked his chin.

  “No, honey. I wanted to check on you,” he drawled.

  Honey?

  Oh, crap.

  I got it, why my sisters had big eyes and worried expressions. Bass was here out of the blue and Trey was somewhere on the property. No doubt he would’ve been alerted to Bass’s car pulling into the lot.

  Crap.

  Bass was approaching and I was stuck, rooted, not knowing how to handle the situation. On one hand, Bass was a friend. On the other, Trey had been right that there’d been some mild flirting in the past. Obviously, that was over, and even before I was with Trey I knew nothing would ever become of me and Bass but…damn…what was I supposed to do?

  Please don’t hug me.

  Drat.

  As soon as he got close, his arm went around my waist and he pulled me into a bear hug, smooshing me against his wide, muscled chest. My mind drifted to Trey and how much better it felt being held against his. However, that thought was fleeting and I was in the process of breaking the hug when I heard Hadley make a strangled noise from beside me. Then Quinn muttered, “Oh, shit.”

  And that was right before I heard Trey’s voice boom and bounce around the room before the sound hit my ears. “You must be Bass.”

  Double drat.

  Bass’s arms tightened around me and my brain came unstuck. But before I could push away, Trey continued. “You mind.”

  It was not a question. Not even close. He didn’t care if Bass minded, it was an order to let me go. Something that Bass didn’t do. Instead, he turned slightly and bent his neck to look down at me.

  “Who is that guy?”

  My body went unnaturally stiff at Bass’s tone and stiffer still at the stern look in his eyes.

  “Let go of me, please,” I whispered, and Bass’s eyes narrowed.

  “That Trey?” he asked but didn’t let go.

  The tremble had started. I knew from experience I had two seconds before it happened. Anger was sliding up my spine. He wasn’t listening. He wasn’t letting go even though I asked. The helpless feeling was swimming below the surface, trying to break free.

  How many times had I asked Keith to let me go, or not hold my hand so tight, or to get off of me? How many times had he ignored my wishes? How many times had I asked and he had not listened?

  “Let. Go!” I snapped.

  His arms released me at the same time I jerked back, causing me to stumble.

  “Damn, Addy, you okay?” Bass asked.

  Mr. Sweet Guy back in full-force. But it was too late. My heart was pounding and that sick feeling had crept up and taken over.

  “When someone asks you to let them go, you fucking let them go.”

  Hadley and Quinn gasped at my outburst.

  Then suddenly I was no longer looking at Bass because Trey was filling my vision.

  “Baby?”

  “Huh?”

  “Look at me.”

  “I am.”

  “No, baby, you’re not.”

  I blinked and blinked again until some of the haze started to go away. Only, unlike the first time I’d had a freak-out in front of him in his kitchen, I didn’t feel embarrassed. I was ticked and I was also lost in my anger.

  “I asked him to let me go.” Trey’s gaze went soft and I didn’t understand that, so I went on so he’d understand. “When someone asks you to let go, you let go.”

  “Adalynn.”

  “What?”

  “You’re not looking at me.”

  “I damn well am,” I told him because I was. I was looking right into his stunning, soft eyes.

  “Okay, then, baby, you’re not seeing me. I need you to see me right now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re scaring me.”

  Scaring him? How was it possible I was scaring Trey?

  “What? How?”

  “Because I’m sensing that what you’re saying doesn’t have anything to do with Bass but with something else. And what I’m sensing scares the fuck outta me, Addy. So, please, come back to the room and see me standing in front of you.”

  That sobered me.

  We weren’t in his kitchen alone. We were in the gym with my sisters and Bass.

  “Trey,” I whispered miserably.

  “There you are.”

  Then he wasn’t there because he turned to face Bass, which meant I lost his soft eyes and had his t-shirt-covered back.

  “Man to man, when a woman asks you to release her, you do it. When that woman is my woman, you do it immediately. I’m guessing you’re here because you rightly assumed what Addy was doing in my kitchen first thing in the morning cooking breakfast. What you don’t know is it says a fuckuva lot more than you assumed. You two are friends and that’s cool. What it means for you from now on is, she takes your class and the two of you go to lunch as friends. What it does not mean is you put your hands on my woman—ever.”

  “Right,” Bass muttered and smartly said nothing else.

  When no one moved, Trey asked, “You done here?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “I came here to ask Addy how she was. I haven’t done that. So maybe you’d like to step aside so I can do that and apologize for freaking her out when that was not my intention.”

  God, that was nice of him to offer after I’d made a fool of myself. “Bass, you have nothing to apologize for. I made a big deal—”

  The rest of my statement died on my tongue when Trey grunted.

  “Don’t let me off the hook, Addy. I was shocked and making a point that very obviously didn’t need to be made. I scared you, and bottom line, the point I was making was a dick thing to do. And in the process, I might’ve damaged a friendship. So let me tell you I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.”

  Trey stepped to the side and his arm slid around my waist. Oddly, this wasn’t done in a “piss on my patch” sort of way. He was lending me his strength and I appreciated it.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled.

  “I hope you know if you need anything, you can call,” Bass went on.

  Jeez, that was super nice and it made me feel like even more of a twit. Bass was not Keith.

  “I do.”

  “Hope to see you soon.”

  And without acknowledging anyone else, Bass turned and left. No one spoke until the front door of the gym clicked shut.

  “Uncanny.” That came from my mother.

  Upon hearing her voice, I turned and shoved my face as deep into Trey’s armpit as I could.

  “It’s a good thing I haven’t worked out yet today.” Trey chuckled.

  “Huh?”

  “Babe?”

  “Hm?”

  I hadn’t moved—not that I’d planned to—so I was really happy I stayed put when Trey’s body started shaking, causing me to feel the rumble on my cheek, because feeling that for some silly reason made my heart swell.

  Last night hadn’t been good for him. His parents and brother had barged into his home and treated him like crap. This morning when they’d left—the same. Not even a “thanks for letting us crash at your house—uninvited,” they’d just said bye and left. It was the most bizarre thing I’d ever witnessed. And all of that happened after my brother had been a royal jerk to him. And, though Trey didn’t say, I knew my dad had talked to him and that couldn’t have been pleasant.

  So I didn’t care he was laughing at my childish attempt to hide from my mo
ther. I was just glad he was laughing the day after he’d had a really crappy day and an equally bad morning.

  “Hope he put on deodorant,” Quinn muttered.

  He had put on deodorant and I knew this because this morning after he got out of the shower I’d watched him do it. I also watched him shave, with a thick navy blue towel wrapped around his narrow hips. He’d tensed when I’d set his cup of coffee on the vanity, then hauled my booty onto the counter to watch. But a few moments later, he relaxed. I knew he’d gone rigid because he was shirtless and I could see the scars on his chest, but more—it was the burns on his back that had his muscles straining. I didn’t acknowledge them, because there was nothing to acknowledge. They were just another part of him.

  It was on those delicious thoughts of Trey shirtless in his bathroom doing something as normal as shaving then putting on deodorant I smiled.

  “Jeez, Addy, get a room,” Hadley teased. “Oh, wait, the last time you did—”

  A throat cleared—the sound very obviously masculine—but just in case my sister missed the meaning, my father finished with a “Hadley.”

  It was a warning not to complete that thought. I didn’t see it because my face was still hidden. And hearing my dad’s voice made me shove deeper.

  Kill me now.

  Trey was no longer laughing. His body had gone just as still as mine and we stood locked together like two teenagers who’d been caught doing something naughty. No, that wasn’t right—two teenagers would’ve had the sense to jump apart. But Trey’s arm had tightened, holding me closer, not letting me go, claiming me in front of my dad.

  So why was I hiding?

  “Hey, Dad,” Quinn chirped.

  “Trey. A word?” my dad clipped, ignoring my sister, which was odd.

  He never snubbed one of his girls. Never. But he just had totally disregarded Quinn in favor of barking a command. One he’d likely expect Trey to obey.

  Um. No.

  I pushed back. Trey’s arms loosened, his chin dipped, and he caught my eyes.

  “Be right back, baby.”

  I was shaking my head when his lips dropped to mine. Soft, short, but again claiming. If his embrace hadn’t communicated his intentions to everyone in the room, that soft, short kiss did. It was sweet, what he was saying to me, reminding me he wasn’t going anywhere even though my brother stated plainly his thoughts and undoubtedly my dad had, too, just not in front of me.

  Being as it was sweet, I appreciated the gesture. But it ticked me right the eff off Trey had to make the statement.

  So when he started to pull away, I returned the favor, only I did it my way.

  “Hi, Dad,” I greeted, and at the same time, I fisted Trey’s shirt, keeping him where I wanted.

  “Trey? A word?” my dad once again commanded and didn’t spare me a glance.

  “Jasper,” my mom gently reprimanded.

  “Be right back, baby,” Trey repeated.

  Days later, I would think back on this moment, and even then after much contemplation, I didn’t know what came over me other than I’d had enough. Enough of being the baby of the family. Enough of being overlooked. Enough of not being listened to. Enough of my dad—who showed me every day he loved me, who was a good dad, a good man, a good husband, but a man who was so over-the-top in that love it was smothering me.

  I wanted to breathe.

  “No.”

  “Addy—”

  “I said no.”

  The creases on Trey’s forehead deepened. Wrinkles that just last night I had smoothed while sitting in his lap. This, after he’d sat sentry next to me through dinner with his muscles coiled tight, waiting to pounce on a member of his own blood family should one of them say something to annoy me. This, after he warned he’d show them to the door if they didn’t treat me right.

  Me.

  Not him.

  From almost the first minute, CJ had been a total ass to Trey and Trey took it. He hadn’t batted a damn eye at CJ talking about the scars on his face. But the second CJ said something mildly offensive to me, he’d flipped and told them they could sleep in the car.

  He’d let them be mean to him.

  But not to me.

  “Adalynn—” he tried again but I pressed deeper and shuffled us so we were facing my dad.

  “Let’s try again, Dad. Hi. Nice to see you.”

  “Not now, Adalynn.”

  “Jasper.” This time my mother didn’t gently scold, she just did it outright.

  “Dad,” Quinn gasped.

  “Addy, baby,” Trey soothed. “I know what you’re trying to do. But it’s not necessary.”

  “Yes, it is. Last night you made your point to your family. Today, I’m making mine. I’m a grown-up. I get to make my own choices, and not everyone has to like them but they better darn well respect them.”

  “Takin’ my back,” he muttered, and started to say something else but I spoke over him.

  “I told Jason I wouldn’t stand for him being a giant jerk, and if he couldn’t find his way to getting over something that is not his business, then he better find a way to hide it because if he doesn’t, I have no problem cutting him—”

  “Absolutely not,” Trey growled and cupped my face. “Baby, love that you’re takin’ my back, love what that says about what you feel for me. But you will not cut him out. Whether he learns to hide it or not, I’ll deal with it—not you. He’s your brother and he loves you. I get why he doesn’t like me for you. If I had a sister who I adored, I wouldn’t like me for her either. Straight up, Addy, we talked about this. I knew going in what I was up against. Just so we’re clear, hear this—I eat shit, you don’t. I’ll deal with Jason, you won’t. Your dad wants a word, I’ll give him that time. And I’ll eat that, too, because, at the end of the day, I’ll take any-fucking-thing so you don’t feel it. But also, because he’s your dad, he loves you, he wants what’s best for you, and as the man in your life, I owe it to him.”

  I was too mindless with irritation for Trey’s words to penetrate. My mom on the other hand had no such problem.

  “It’s like looking through a crystal ball back in time,” she stated. “Here I stand decades later and yet weirdly I feel like I’ve heard those very things a time or two.”

  “Em,” my dad grunted.

  “Did you think she wouldn’t find you, Jasper?”

  “Emily.”

  “Addy?” Trey murmured, and my gaze went from watching my mom glare at my dad back to him. “I’m gonna go out and talk to your dad. Visit with your mom and sisters.”

  “Fine,” I huffed.

  “Cute.” His lips brushed mine, and I feared with all the anger rolling off my dad, Trey was putting his life in danger. But I figured he didn’t care.

  The lip touch was meant just for me, and I was finding Trey would go to great lengths to make sure I knew how he felt about me.

  20

  The burn in my chest grew with every step.

  I’d made it a point to exit the gym from the opposite side from where Jasper and Emily had entered. If Jasper wanted a word, I’d give it to him, but I sure as fuck wasn’t following him like I was a whipping boy being summoned.

  Fuck that.

  I’d eat shit. I’d put in the time. But I could only be me. And the man I was rejected the idea of being paged only to receive a dressing down. In front of my woman no less.

  “Trey?”

  I ignored Jasper’s call and continued to walk farther. I didn’t want anyone to overhear the conversation we were about to have. I was going to have to swallow whatever Jasper had to say but that didn’t mean I’d stand there like some pimple-faced kid and shrink back as Addy’s dad force-fed me some bullshit about how I wasn’t good enough for his daughter because I’d enjoyed the field while it was available to me. We both knew he had better things at his disposal to use against me than how many women I’d taken to my bed. The mere fact I’d fucked up so badly on my last mission was reason enough—yet he and Jason had honed in on my s
ex life.

  Total shit.

  Once I rounded the corner of the shoot house, I stopped and turned.

  Jasper halted and we stood facing each other. Silence ensued and I took the opportunity to tamp down my temper. I also used it to study the other man. Tall. Fit. Even pushing sixty, Jasper still took care of himself. He was an imposing figure. But that wasn’t what I focused on.

  Jasper didn’t look pissed, he looked reflective, and if I didn’t know better I’d add beaten down. But that was not Jasper Walker—the warrior I knew didn’t let anything best him.

  That meant in front of me stood Jasper Walker the father. I was still gauging his intent when he started, and when he did, I was unprepared for what would happen next.

  “Fucked up. Saw it, didn’t push, but I saw it. Knew something happened but I gave her space to work it out, and in doing so I let that fester.”

  I had no clue what Jasper was talking about, like I’d been asleep for the first part of the conversation and when I’d woken up we were somewhere in the middle.

  “That,” he seethed. “I let that shit grow in my girl. Dark. Bad shit.”

  “Jas—”

  “You called it straight back there—don’t give her space.”

  I clamped my mouth shut. Pain and worry etched deep. A father’s anguish exposed in a moment of honesty.

  “I’ve been blessed. There hasn’t been a morning since Em has come into my life I haven’t opened my eyes and not known with soul-deep certainty I have everything a man could want. The problem with that; a man who has it all has everything to lose. This is something you cannot understand until you have it. And you might think you have everything when you look at my Adalynn, but I assure you, you’re wrong.”