by Alexa Rynn
“We went to school together,” he said in the same dark and sexy tone.
“How would you know? We never spoke.”
“Did that hurt your feelings?” he asked me, a smile creeping into his eyes.
He was joking with me. Trigger Ford was trying to be funny with me.
What was this life right now?
“What do you want from me?”
“Can’t I just want to make a new friend?”
“No,” I snapped at him again.
“Okay, well, I don’t want anything from you. I just need to know how big of a mouth you have?”
I practically choked and he busted out laughing.
“Not like that, Jennifer”
His laugh is louder than I thought it would be, more full of life. It took me off guard a little. I guess, I thought someone so serious must not laugh very much but it sounded real and genuine, not fake or calculated like I would have thought it would.
“What I mean is that no one from our class knows that I’m taking any classes and I need to keep it that way.” He tightened his knuckles over the steering wheel of the car and glanced over at me, letting the definition of his arms show more.
I took in the soft trail of his tattoos as realization washed over me. He wasn’t going to hurt me and he didn’t want to be my friend. He was just worried about me keeping his secret. He was worried about his street rep. People from his club didn’t go to college. That’s not how they earned money. They earned money in other ways. Illegal ways. If word got out that Trigger was taking classes the amount of hate he would get would be unreal.
“Oh, I don’t even talk to anyone around here that much. I would never tell anyone.” I crossed one leg over the author and tried to sound like I was telling the truth. And I was. Trust me, no one would believe this shit anyway.
Trigger chuckled and opened his lips wide, letting out a sound of disbelief. “Yeah right, all girls tell at least one person everything. That’s what girls do best; gossip.”
“Well, this girl doesn’t,” I told him sternly.
He looked at me, amused. “You kind of have an attitude problem. Did you know that?” Every time he said my name I felt myself getting hot all over. Something about being near him was sexy and dangerous at the same time. He was clearly crazy as hell, but something about him was appealing to me. No matter how many times I kept pushing those thoughts out of my mind.
Before I had to answer, a loud horn started honking behind us. I swung around expecting to see the cops. I was actually surprised it took so long. I would have thought someone from the bus stop would have called right away.
But it didn’t look like a cop car. It looked like another sports car. This one was bright red and riding so close to the back of us that I felt like it was going to smash into us at any second. I looked at Trigger with fear but he just rolled his eyes, hitting his blinker and pulling over on the side of an off street.
“Who is that?” I asked with wide eyes wide.
The door of the red sports car swung open and slammed shut fast, much harder than necessary. “Trigger,” came a loud and clearly pissed off voice. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Trigger looked at me like the whole thing was no big deal. “It’s just my brother.”
My mind started getting fuzzy for about the 10th time in the last few hours.
Danger appeared at the side of Trigger’s window within seconds. I recognized him from school. He had been a senior when I had been a freshman. But even if I hadn’t been I had seen him around enough times to know who he was.
His face was stone cold with anger and he lifted his hand up and knocked the side mirror off the driver’s side of Trigger’s car in one swift motion. I jumped in my seat a little, but if Trigger was surprised by his brother’s actions he didn’t show it. In fact, he looked bored if anything.
“What the hell is this I hear about you pulling a gun on some guy on the other side of town at a fucking stop light? Have you lost your mind, Trigger? No, really did you fall down and forget who the fuck you are? Anyone could have seen you, ANYONE.”
“But they didn’t, Danger.”
“But they could have! You can’t be so fucking reckless. You aren’t in high school anymore; you need to start acting like it. These little boy impulse games are getting old real quick.”
Trigger looked down at the floor of the car, refusing to meet his brother’s eyes. It was clear even to me that he hated the fact he had let Danger down. Danger was his big brother and he wanted to make a good impression.
Danger sighed, his voice calming down a little bit. “I’m about to send Silk over to your mom’s house to get-“
“Trigger?” A female voice called out. “Are you okay?”
I turned around in my seat to see Kat standing by the passenger side of Danger’s car. The door was open and she was looking around the street, worry on her face.
Danger snapped his head back to look at her. “Get back in the car, Kat.”
“What’s going on? Why are you flipping out?”
Danger looked annoyed. “It’s none of your business! Get back in the car!”
“Tell me what’s going on, Danger!”
“Kat, shut the door, now.”
“Trigger?” Kat called again. “Are you okay?”
“He’s fine!” Danger snapped.
“Then why can’t he tell me that himself?”
Danger sighed loudly and looked down at his brother.
Trigger met his eyes then tilted his head out the window a little. “I’m fine, Kat. Everything is fine, get back in the car.” Kat paused for a second and then jumped back in, shutting the door behind her.
“She makes everything so difficult. I swear with how nosy she is one day she’s gong to figure out-“
Trigger cleared his throat really loud, motioning to the passenger seat for the first time since his brother had come over to the car. Danger peered down and locked eyes with me.
“Oh,” he said, sounding surprised. “Hi there.”
I waved, suddenly unable to speak.
“I’m Danger,” he said, leaning over through the window and sticking his hand out to me. He looked weary like he didn’t trust anything about me for a second and was just being polite because he had to be.
“Jennifer.” I somehow managed to speak and put my hand out to him at the same time. It was amazing how much he looked like Trigger up close. You could definitely tell they were brothers.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he paused for a second, looking back and forth between the two of us. He was probably trying to figure out what his little brother was doing with someone who looked like me. Wonderful.
“Well,” he continued. “I guess I’ll see you later then, bro.”
He looked back and forth between us once more, looking confused. Then he turned around and walked back to his car, springing the engine to life and zooming off past us and down the street.
Trigger waited a few seconds and then started the car slowly, shifting gears.
“Shouldn’t we? I mean shouldn’t we get your mirror off the sidewalk?”
He shook his head. “Na, I have a place I take it. He’s done it before.”
I swallowed, unsure of how to react to that. His whole presentation of himself had definitely changed now. He seemed stiff and angry after the run-in with his brother. I couldn’t help but play the whole encounter over and over again in my head. It was clear that something dangerous was going on with the Ford brothers, something I wanted no part of. It was weird seeing Kat with them, she had always been so shy and sweet in school.
I couldn’t help thinking the way that Danger talked to her was in more than a sisterly manner. In the short exchange I had seen they had seemed almost more like boyfriend and girlfriend than brother and sister.
“Danger and Kat? They aren’t… I mean… are they like together?”
Trigger looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “That’s nasty, she’s our sister.”
“Well she’s like our sister,” he snapped. “And Danger would never look at her that way. She’s not even his type.” Trigger sped up down the road; visibly annoyed at the nerve I had to ask him anything about his brother.
Just like I’m not your type, I couldn’t help but think.
“Sorry,” I said.
But Trigger didn’t answer me.
Instead, he drove on silently toward my house. After a few minutes he pulled up outside of my apartment building, not the street I had given him when we left the bus stop. I looked around, confused. “How did you?”
Trigger half smiled for the first time since we had the run-in with his brother. “I know where you live,” he said simply. “I know where everyone lives in this neighborhood.”
I got what he was saying. These were his streets.
Of course, he covered his bases.
“Well, thanks for the ride home.” I popped the door open and started to climb out when he stopped me.
“Let’s hang out tonight.”
I froze. Was he kidding? Why would I hang out with him? Look at what had already happened in the short amount of time I had been with him. “I don’t think so.” The thought of being caught up in Trigger’s world any more than I already was terrified me.
“We can do whatever you want.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Because I feel like it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, as flattering as that is, thanks but no thanks.” I got out of the car and slammed the door behind me. Trigger was so annoying, implying that him being bored was a good enough reason for me to hang out with him.
“I’ll pick you up at 9,” Trigger called out the passenger side window and then he zoomed off without another word or glance in my direction. I watched him speed away in awe.
He had to be kidding.
***
I obsessed over the time for the rest of the night. This couldn’t be happening. What was wrong with him? Was this amusing to him? I was sure he wouldn’t really show up. He had probably forgotten about it the second he left my building.
I would have left way before 9 so there was no chance of me seeing him at all, but my little sisters and my mom were home that night. The last thing I wanted was Trigger showing up at my door without me being there.
I had talked to my girl Meghan earlier in the day and she told me that she and some of her girls were headed to this 18+ club across town tonight. My plan was to meet up with them there.
Trigger had said we could do whatever I wanted so if by some miracle he did show up here I could make him take me to the club. Then once inside I could ditch him and be with my girls for the night.
I studied myself in the mirror, looking me up and down. I had never been to a club before. I had no idea what to wear, but my mom had helped me get ready. Blowing my long black hair out and straightening it with the iron and lending me a short black dress that made my butt and hips look thick and my stomach small. My makeup was simple but present. I couldn’t help but admire myself in the mirror. It had been a while since I had put much effort into what I looked like. I preferred having little attention on me, never wanting to attract the wrong kind of attention.
I looked at the clock again. Ten minutes until nine. Trigger could be here any second if he was actually showing up. I walked toward the window in my bedroom and glanced out the window.
His black infinity was pulled up next to my house.
My heart started pounding.
I couldn’t believe he was actually here.
I raced out my bedroom door and toward the front of the apartment before he got any ideas about coming in to get me. The last thing I needed was my mom seeing me hanging out with a Blazing Devils member, especially one that was a Ford brother. I didn’t know what she would think. Especially since I was pretty sure she used to score drugs from one of them.
I ran into the kitchen as fast as my heels would carry me without dropping me on my face. My mom was sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper and sipping a cup of tea.
“Okay,” I said slowly. “I’m going now. Are you sure you don’t need me to stay?”
She brushed me off. “Go ahead, baby. I’m fine, the girls are in bed and I’m going to follow soon enough. You go have fun, you deserve it.”
I leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. “Thanks, I love you.”
“I love you, baby. You look beautiful.”
I felt my face get hot at the compliment, even if it was just from my mother.
“Thanks.”
I reached the door before she called after me. “Make sure you text me if you’re going to be late.”
“I will.” I shut the door behind me and took the steps down to the lobby two at a time, praying that Trigger hadn’t decided to come inside and greet me at the door. He didn’t really seem like the type to make a big show of walking a girl to the car but you never knew, guys like Trigger were unpredictable.
To my relief when I reached the lobby he was nowhere in sight. I reached the door and peeked outside at his car. Windows down, night sky shining in through the sunroof of his car and his beauty still struck me.
Why was I even doing this?
How had this happened?
Hours ago Trigger Ford hadn’t even known I existed and now he was here, wanting to take me out on a date. This was a date… wasn’t it? I wasn’t sure anymore, I wasn’t sure about anything. I just knew that somehow I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to go with him.
I took a deep breath and pushed the doors open then stepped outside.
Trigger got out of the car as soon as he saw me and I practically gasped at how good he looked. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a tight red t-shirt that showed off his perfect arms and layers of tattoos up and down his neck. Trigger looked amazing in red, he always had, even in high school. I knew they were The Blazing Devils club color so it made sense he always had a splash of it somewhere on him. Black boots, a loose chain with his club symbol hanging off the end for the world to see, and a diamond watch shine off of him. He really didn’t mess around when it came to looking good.
Suddenly I felt even more nervous than I had a second ago.
He looked me up and down and let out a low whistle. “Damn.”
I allowed myself to smile and looked down at the ground for a second before I answered. “What are you doing here? I told you I didn’t want to hang out.” I hopped from one foot to the other.
“True but I knew what you really meant,” he said, the same sparkle in his eye that was there earlier. “Besides, do you always look that good for things you don’t want to do?”
I bit my lip and blushed, still unsure.
Or maybe I just didn’t want him to know how sure I really was.
“Don’t you remember what happened the last time you refused to get in the car with me?” he joked. He crossed the other side of the street and swung open the passenger side door, waiting. “Jennifer, get in the car,” he said more sternly when I still didn’t make any effort to near him.
I smiled in spite of myself. Ugh, why did I have this overpowering need to please him? And to… to… obey him? I sighed after a few more beats. “Okay. Anything I want, right?”
“Right.” He gestured toward the car again and waited for me to climb in before he shut the door safely behind me. Once he climbed back into the door he smiled smugly at me again, clearly please with himself.
Ugh, even his teeth were perfect.
“Where to, miss?” he asked me, bringing the engine to life and pulling away from my building.
“A few of my girls are checking out Shrine,” I told him.
He shot me a look.
“It’s a club,” I told him.
“Oh, I know what it is. We aren’t going there.”
“You said it was my pick!”
“It is,” he said, sounding suddenly cold. “Just not there.”
/> “Why not? I want to dance!” It was a lie. I didn’t even know how to dance that well, but I figured it was a pretty good arguing point. Wasn’t that what you did at a club? Dance?
“If you want to dance we can go to another club. That place is fucked.”
“No, it’s not! You go there all the time!” It was true. My girls were always talking about seeing the Ford brothers being at Shrine and beating the shit out of people or breaking bottles or whatever other crazy things they were up to on the night in question.
Not that I was going to tell Trigger that.
“Well, not anymore. I know this other club, you’ll love it. It’s way better.”
“But all my friends are there!”
“Well, they should leave,” he snapped. “We aren’t going there tonight, end of discussion.”
“Fine,” I snapped right back at him then crossed my arms over my chest, looked out the window, and didn’t say a word for the rest of the drive.
Going inside a club with Trigger was like going somewhere with a celebrity. Everyone knew him and everyone wanted to talk to him. Every girl in the place was sizing me up, whispering at the sight of me. I didn’t fit in with this world at all. Everyone was staring at us.
Trigger was leaning up against the bar; sipping on some expensive drink I had never heard of. I had no idea how he got served alcohol here since he was only 18 like me. But I guess when you were him things came easy, even things that weren’t supposed to. I was sipping my second gray goose and cranberry. I had been surprised he hadn’t made a comment about me drinking, but he seemed pretty busy with all the celebrity-like attention he was getting.
I normally didn’t drink, but this situation called for it. I was pretty uncomfortable. Being introduced to people who had never given me the time of day before, and being looked at as a hoe by all the girls in the club. Most of them just wished they were here with Trigger instead of me. Which was just fine with me.
Like I wanted to be here.
Okay, I kind of did, but only a little.
I couldn’t help it… something about Trigger was fascinating to me.
Trigger took a step closer to me and leaned in. “What’s wrong?”