by J. L. Drake
“Hey.” I leaned against the bar, curious as to what mood I was going to find Trigger in. “How was the trip?”
“Long.”
“Looks like you had fun.” I pointed to his bloody knuckles.
He cleared his throat and tossed down a shot Cooper handed him. “Mom?” he asked him, which threw me as to what that had to do with anything.
“Okay at the moment.” Cooper shrugged, his playful demeanor lost. “Moved her somewhere safe.”
Trigger nodded once. “Bottle,” he ordered and started to walk by me. “Sounds like you had a good time here.”
I tried to follow his random conversations.
“What does that mean?” I grabbed the bottle out of Trigger’s reach. He glared at me while his thumb ran along his bottom lip. When I thought he was going to speak, he leaned over the bar and grabbed another bottle before he headed to his office.
“Jesus, you have balls.” Cooper let go a breath of air. “Or a death wish.”
“Hey!” I called out after him, stopping the door before it shut. “What did that mean?”
“You screw Loose?”
My head snapped back. “What?”
He moved right in front of me, inches from my nose. “Did you fuck Loose?”
Without thinking, I slapped him right across the face. His eyes flickered as he stood taller.
Oh no.
One minute he was in front of me, and the next he was out the door about to swing at Loose.
Brick tried to intercept but got tossed to the side. Peggy, who of course was here again, smiled as she hopped up on a bar stool, and Morgan shrugged like it was an everyday event.
I ran up behind them and saw blood spray in the air. “Trigger!” Once I was close enough, I yanked on his arm, only to be thrown forward by his swing. I scrambled to my knees between the two of them. “Trigger! Stop!” He suddenly backed off, shaking his head as if to clear it. His eyes looked black as the night.
My chest heaved as I struggled to stand on shaky legs. I stepped toward him to take a moment to allow my head to catch up. “Nothing happened,” I whispered harshly. “If you’ve got something to say, Trigger, say it, but Loose did nothing but be a friend.” I blinked a few times when I realized what I had said. Was I a fucking pawn being used by Loose? Was that his plan all along?
His darkness held me captive as he thought. No one moved or said a word. The tension was so thick I couldn’t think straight.
Just when I thought he was going to say something, he turned and marched back into his office.
“Get this place cleaned up,” he grunted.
What the hell! My nerves were shot!
“What did you do, Tess?” Brick headed over to Loose, who surely had a broken nose. “He needs a clear head tonight. He can’t be trigger-happy right now. He has too much shit on his plate.”
“What happened?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Morgan muttered. “What matters is that you just stirred up the beast.”
Mother of hell!
I grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the bar and headed back to his office.
“Not smart, Tess,” Brick warned.
“I know.”
I didn’t knock. I just went in to find him pacing the room. He was literally vibrating, and his arms were up like he was about to fight.
“Get out, Tess.”
I ignored him and took a long swig of the whiskey. I sat on the edge of his desk and watched his chest move heavily, his eyes shut as his fists opened and clenched. He suddenly picked up a chair and sent it flying across the room. I swallowed back my nerves.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
I waited for him to get closer before I reached for his hand and tugged him toward me. To my surprise, he came. His jacked-up body towered over me.
“I have no idea what you thought happened, but I did not get on Loose’s bike. We just walked to the pier and chatted. He walked me home, and that was it.” And just to drive the truth home, I added, “You have my word.”
His eyes were glued to mine. I couldn’t read his expression, so I decided to show him where my head was. I moved my hand up and slid my fingers to the button of his jeans. Again, with slow movements, I opened his pants and freed his erection. It fell heavy in my hands. He was long and thick, everything I would expect in a man like Trigger. I ran my fingers downward and gave him a little tug.
A hiss of air escaped through his teeth, and he shifted to twine his hands roughly in my hair.
I licked my lips and leaned in without waiting for his command. I pumped it twice and licked the slit. His hips flexed forward as he held my head in place.
“Mm.” I took him to the base without hesitation. I loved the look of pure pleasure on his face.
I sucked deep, twirling my tongue all around. My hand pumped with the rhythm my mouth set. His salty taste smothered my taste buds, and his primal scent made me clench my legs together.
“Fuck.”
My nails drove into his hips, only making him more turned on.
“Harder.”
I did, and turned off all my thoughts. He needed this, because I had done this to him. Whatever his reason was for getting pissed right now didn’t matter. What mattered was making it right between us.
His grip tightened as a warning he was about to come.
“You started this, you better finish it.”
I cupped his balls and relished his groans as he came. I milked every last drop he had for me.
When I pulled back, he was a little calmer. His jaw didn’t tick like it had, and his eye color lightened. He was back to himself, though I knew Trigger wasn’t far beneath the surface.
His fingers slipped up my thigh and cupped my opening. They rubbed my nub and felt how wet I was. It was true blow jobs normally turned me on, but with Trigger I was almost soaked.
Stepping back, he tucked himself back into his pants and handed me the bottle of whiskey. I shook my head. I didn’t want to rinse my mouth out. I swore I saw a tiny smile before he took a swig and watched me intently.
I hopped off the desk, pulled my dress down, and headed for the door, but his voice stopped me. “Stay away from Loose.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
I rolled my eyes and made sure he saw my reaction then headed back to the bar where Peggy tried to whore herself out to Morgan. He ignored her while he loaded ammo into his shotgun.
“Thanks for your help back there, Morgan,” My sarcasm was thick.
“No one gets in between Trigger and his next mark. You notice Loose didn’t swing back?”
“Not that Trigger would even feel it,” Peggy chimed in. “The man’s a beast. He feels nothing.”
I didn’t like how her comment made me feel. I was the queen of turning off my “humanity switch,” but everyone felt something at some point. It was a sad, sick truth in life.
Morgan zipped the duffle bag next to him. “How you didn’t get torn a new asshole for jumping in is a surprise. You gotta be careful, Tiger. Trigger is not someone you fuck with.”
I thought back to my past and allowed myself a moment to feel the pain. It helped me fuel my drive to move on.
“I’ve dealt with worse.”
Morgan stopped what he was doing to face me. “That man in there,” he pointed to Trigger’s office, “was raised by the devil himself.” He ran a hand through his beard. “Don’t play with fire, Tess—”
I sighed. “—’cause I’ll get burned.”
“You’ll get fried.”
I found Brick nursing a beer by the pool. I kicked off my heels and dipped my feet into the cool water. My phone lit up my purse, and I saw another call come through. My stomach turned, but a part of me wanted to know what was on the voicemail.
“Hey,” I kicked my legs under the water and watched the ripples flutter across to the other side. “What’s a zig-zag mean?”
He shifted in the chair. “It’s when someone fucks with your drug route. St
eals it or tampers with it in some way. Why?”
Well, fuck, no wonder Gus went white. I decided not to start anything right now. I wasn’t supposed to be eavesdropping in the first place.
“Just something I heard. So, who’s Mike?”
He rolled his head on the lounge chair to face me. “Bald, tattoos head to toe?”
“Add in terrifying, and that be him. How the hell do you know him?”
Brick leaned back and thought. His leg started to thump, and I knew he knew something.
“Who is he?”
“Believe it or not, but Trigger once tried to join the Army.”
“Seriously?”
“They strung him along for a bit, but before boot camp, they denied him. His record was something else. That’s where he met Mike, but Mike had a clean record. They became close, but, well, you can see they divided them quickly. I know they always kept in contact, helping one another out here and there. Trigger and Cole have some weird understanding-bond thing that I don’t know much about, and, frankly, it’s none of my business. He never talks about it…surprising, I know.” He laughed.
I could barely keep up, but Trigger in the Army completely threw me for a loop.
“Wow, how old was Trigger at the time?”
His lips stretched into a grim line. “Eighteen.”
“He had that bad of a rap sheet at eighteen?”
No way.
“All Trigger was brought up to do was kill.” Brick held my eyes and watched as I absorbed what he had said. “You have no idea how dark his roots actually run, Tess. It’s not like when we were on the streets, dealing with wanna-bes and juvies. This is all real. So, when you get hauled into clubs and beaten or summoned by detectives, it’s a big fucking deal. We run cocaine from Mexico to Seattle constantly. We have the best quality and the best trails. Problem is sixty percent of the money goes to the Serpents.”
“Sixty percent?” I didn’t want him to stop talking. Brick stood, and I joined him. I blocked his path and tried to get him to go on. “Goes to the Serpents? You mean all of that contract stuff with his father.”
“His father made the deal and left Trigger to clean up his mess.”
Loose’s words came flooding back to me. “Brick, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah.”
“Loose mentioned that Trigger cut his father up and buried him under the pool. You believe that? You really think Trigger would kill his own father?”
He leaned in close to my ear. “Would you kill your mother?”
I jerked away and forced that thought out of my head. Because I had thought of it, and he knew it. It wasn’t lost on me that Brick didn’t give me a straight answer.
“Sorry,” he muttered, trying to grab my arm.
“Don’t.”
We stood a few feet away from each other. I tried to fight the horrible feeling that crept over me, and Brick dealt with his own demons.
“Whatever you do, Tess, never bring up his father.”
I nodded, fully expecting to keep that promise. I started to chuckle. The more I thought about Trigger in the Army, the more I couldn’t see it.
“What?” Brick came closer.
“Could you imagine someone in army fatigues barking orders at that man in there?”
Brick chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I really can’t.” He left me by the pool, my reflection mirroring my thoughts of her. I hated that people thought we were sisters. We were nothing alike, nowhere near. She was black, and I was white.
I knew he was in there. I knew she was too. The door was left open a crack, and I pressed my chest to the doorframe and peeked inside. Her long, silky nightgown fluttered in the breeze of the open window. Her blonde hair was styled in her normal fifties ’do, pinned up on one side. She liked to play up the prim and proper look, which was such a joke, considering she screwed more men than a whore with a pimp.
Her hand ran up his arm, along his shoulder, and around his chest from behind. I fought the urge to scream, kick, and cry. I wanted to rip her apart. Why? Why him? Why not anyone else?
Suddenly, as if she knew I was there, she looked directly at me and smirked.
I hated her.
***
Trigger
“You look like death.” Brick set his beer and Cheerios in front of me. “Tammy is here somewhere. You want me to grab her?”
“No.” I rubbed my scratchy eyes and fell forward on my elbows. My head was set in a loop of shit, and nothing could unjam it. Something gnawed at my guts like a tick slowly burrowing into my flesh.
“Too late.” He stole my attention and flashed a forced smile over my head.
Two hands blocked my view, but she didn’t touch me. She knew better.
“Guess who?”
My hand snapped over her wrists, and I pulled her around to the chair. She looked good today. Her fakes were still hanging out, but whatever.
“You look like you could blow off some steam.” She played with a piece of hair before she lifted her leg and placed it on the side of the chair. Pink panties peeked out, but she reached down and pulled them aside and gave me a clear shot of her interest. “No prep work needed.”
Brick snorted some beer and tried to hold it in, but he couldn’t.
“Yuck.” He wiped his face and laughed before he leaned over and asked, “Do you go home and practice the lines, or do they just come naturally?”
“Fuck you.”
“Nah.” He downed his beer. “Thanks, I’m good.”
“Whatever.” She looked back to me. “So, what do you say?”
Brick quivered through a laugh, which made Tammy start up again. My head pounded and muscles ached from the intense workout I had put myself through last night. I couldn’t take any more of their shit banter, so I shoved Tammy’s leg and stood.
“Ready?” Her eyes lit up.
“No,” was all I said before I left for my bedroom. I needed something strong, fast. When I rounded the corner, my pace slowed when I saw my door wasn’t latched. I pulled my gun and pushed it open to hear water running.
What the fuck?
I rushed across the room and carefully turned the knob to a steam-filled room. Kaleo played from a phone on the counter. Then I caught wind of her voice. Tess sang softly into the spray of the water. I kicked off my shoes and moved farther into the bathroom. It was the first time I hated the drawings on the shower doors. They hid her curves.
The heavy weight that had held me immediately lessened when she was near. I opened the door and stared at her long, wet hair that clung to her. The side of her breasts bounced as she rubbed her face. She was still oblivious to my presence, which I rather enjoyed. Her voice rose when the song hit the chorus, and I smiled. She had a sexy rasp that hit right to my painful erection.
“Goddamn!” She jumped when she finally felt my eyes on her. “Are you trying to kill me?” Her chest heaved and glistened under the water.
“My bathroom.” I shrugged, not at all caring.
She didn’t try to cover herself. She just stared right back at me.
“My shower is broken, and Gus caught me on my way to Brick’s room. Minnie was using his, so he told me to use yours. I wanted to ask, but you were busy.” Tammy. Her eyes shifted downward. “Sorry if I overstepped.”
I barely heard what she said because my eyes were glued to the faint hickey on her neck. Fuck, that was sexy.
“I’m almost done, so—” She stopped when I stepped inside and tore my t-shirt off. My jeans instantly stuck to my legs, but her hands were on my belt, freeing me.
My hands slid up her stomach to her perky breasts and cupped them. Her skin was soft and warm, and I couldn’t keep myself off her. I kicked my jeans in the corner and walked her back to the wall. Both arms moved to the wall next to her head as I stared down at her hungry eyes.
Her head tilted to the side, and I could tell she was thinking by the way she squinted. Slowly, her hands rose to show me her intentions. I pushed away my natural urge
to flinch and didn’t say no, to my own surprise.
The tips of her fingers moved to mine, and very cautiously moved to my battered knuckles, wrist, forearm, bicep, shoulders. Her eyes followed her movements, and mine drifted closed. It didn’t hurt, didn’t burn, or make my mind snap back to any haunted memories. No, it felt different, like a warmth that lingered wherever she went. She skimmed past my jaw and brushed my wet hair back from my face.
I heard her whisper something, but I couldn’t make it out. She started to trace the tattoo across my heart before both hands flattened on my chest. She pushed upward and gently kissed underneath my jaw just once before she lowered back down and turned into the spray.
I jerked as I exploded unexpectedly. With a groan, I reached around her middle and hauled her to me. I huffed in her ear and rode out the moment. She ground her hips and reached back for my head. Her lips found mine, and she threw herself into the kiss. Pumping myself to get hard again, I spread her open and slipped in. I moved her hands to the wall to tell her to stay there as I gripped her sides and eased back and forth. The way I disappeared inside her to the root was mesmerizing. Her body bowed into a sexy shape as she climbed her way to a climax. She was beautiful. There was no other word to describe Tess.
“Trigger!” she cried and beat her fist on the wall. “Please!”
I stepped forward to haul her back to me so we were chest to back and held her tightly as I pumped harder. Her arms wrapped around mine as she fell apart screaming. Four more thrusts, and I followed. My teeth sank into her shoulder, and I nearly lifted her off the floor with the force.
With a twist, I sagged against the cold tile and struggled to catch my breath. Tess tried to move, but I wasn’t ready yet.
My head was fuzzy and my body hummed. Tess jerked when I twitched inside her.
“I’m going to be late,” she whispered.
My arms locked around her. “Late?”
“It’s my day off.”
“I don’t remember this.”
She rolled her head to look at me, her eyes lit up, and I saw her feistiness was right there. “Morgan gave it to me.”