by J. L. Drake
Tess dropped her arms and shook them. “How do you guys do that for long trips?”
I swung my leg and offered her a hand. “You get used to it.”
“Your bike is different, not so high up.”
“Just a preference.” I took her hand and tugged her behind me. “Come.”
She dug her heels into the dirt, and I stopped and looked at her. “We are miles from the club. I sure as shit won’t be riding that beast solo.” She shrugged. “I’m not looking for a gentleman, but for once you could say ‘Would you come with me?’”
I wanted to snap back with something, but I thought about what she was saying. As much as it was foreign to me, I gave it a try.
“Tess, I want to show you something. Would you like to see it?”
She bit down on her bottom lip, but it broke free as her grin spread across her sexy face.
“Yes, I would.”
“Good.” Because that wouldn’t happen again.
I helped her up the path and over the rocks to the lookout. Once she got her footing, she gasped.
“Wow,” she sighed at the view. “It’s beautiful.”
I lit a joint and sat on a rock a few feet from her. I liked to stand back and watch Tess. Besides her perfect body, she was easy to be around. She rubbed her shoulders as the breeze picked up. It was cooler up here than down in the city. Which was why I loved it here so much.
She glanced back at me. “You seem to have an endless supply of those.” She pointed at my joint.
I tapped my head. “Helps with the shit inside.”
Her eyebrows rose when she smirked. “I get that.”
“Yeah?” I wanted to laugh, but her expression told me not to. So I went in a different direction, one that bothered me. “Where did you learn how to dance like that?”
Her hand went to her wrist and fiddled with her stack of bracelets. “Not that difficult.”
“No.” I cut her off. “More than half those girls don’t know how to use the pole right. But you—”
“Me, what?” She stepped in between my legs, removed the joint, placed between her pink lips, and inhaled.
“But you know how.”
She leaned down and hovered over my lips. “Beginner’s luck. “
“Don’t,” I warned, but she pressed her body against mine, and I lost it. Grabbing her waist, I hiked her up as I stood and slammed her against the trunk of a tree. “Don’t start something you can’t handle, Tess.”
Her chest heaved, but her eyes were wild.
“I’ll break you.”
“Can’t break something that is already broken, Trigger.” Her hands slipped into my hair, and I fought to flip my switch.
“Don’t use sex as a weapon on me,” I growled while my body vibrated with the need to tear into her.
“Stop fighting this, Trigger, and do it!” She squeezed her legs hard around me, and I felt myself slip closer to the edge.
“Stop!”
“Flip your fucking switch!” she taunted me before she slapped my cheek. “Flip it.”
Flick.
I grabbed her head and smashed my lips to hers. Once I knew she wouldn’t pull away, I used my leg to hold her in place as I grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head. She wiggled them free, and they landed heavily on my shoulders. To my surprise, it didn’t throw me into a memory. They slid up my neck and into my hair, while our mouths were attacking each other. I hiked up her shirt and rubbed her nipple through her bra.
Her lips moved to my neck, and I shuddered at the sensation. I couldn’t remember a time when I allowed a woman to be there. She drew in my skin and sucked with a hum.
“If you want to keep these shorts, get rid of them now.” I bit at her earlobe and pushed back when she tried to move. My jeans were off, and as she kicked off her shorts I had her in my arms again, back in position. “You on the pill?”
She cringed. “Yeah.” I didn’t wait to warm her up; she wanted it as bad as I did. Lining up, I slid her down on me until I was fully in. “Goddamn!” She struggled to adjust to my size, clawing at my arms with a moan.
“I don’t do slow, Tess, so—”
“So, shut up and fuck me.” She grabbed my face and kissed me.
Shit…this woman.
Holding her hips steady, I thrust rapidly, harder than normal to make my point. The entire time, she kissed and panted but didn’t seem to mind that I used her body like a goddamn blow-up doll.
“Harder, Trigger!” she shouted as I lost my head in the moment. She felt tight, warm, and wet, and the combination was overwhelming. My mind went fuzzy and my skin broke out in a wildfire that shot down to my fingertips.
Pound, pound, pound…The sound only made it that much better. Her breasts swung and bounced at my assault, and her grip around my waist cut into my skin. The pain was perfect. Careful to make sure she wasn’t hurt by the tree, I protected her skin with my arm. My head couldn’t focus on anything but the fact I was deep inside this fucking woman.
Just when I thought my knees were going to give out, she broke the kiss to scream and shake. Her head flopped back, and I dove into her neck, nipping at the skin as I followed. My stomach coiled and released with a bang as I shot myself deep inside of her.
“Shit.” I shook out a little more before I felt the effects of what she just did to me. I always knew sex with Tess would be different, but that was something else. Pulling free, I lowered her to her feet and waited until she was steady.
She held on to the tree as she scooped up her shorts and pulled them on. I had to turn my back while I got dressed, wanting more. Just as I fastened my belt, I felt my phone ring.
“Yeah?”
“Fuck, Trigger, I have been trying to get hold of you for a week now.”
I glanced at the number. “Donny?”
“Yeah, we need to talk.” His voice broke in and out.
“I can’t hear what you’re saying.” I moved about to get better reception. Fucking mountains.
“Not…guns…Backs…Priest.” My blood went cold when I caught the last word.
“Donny! Have you made it to California yet?”
No answer. Fuck! I looked at the screen, and the call had dropped.
“Fuck!” I whirled around and hopped on the bike. “Get on.”
***
Tess
The ride back was hard. Trigger was silent as he stewed about his phone call, and I couldn’t get the feeling of him being inside of me out of my head. I would have gone six rounds with him if that stupid Donny hadn’t called. Who the hell was he, anyway?
Trigger picked up speed as we approached the city limits. Four times I had to duck my head into his shoulder because he weaved in between huge trucks. I thought I was going to be sick. Finally, at a stoplight, I unlatched my fingers from their death grip and shook the blood back through my poor limbs.
I wished I knew what was going through his head; his face was so serious. The streetlights only made him look more intense in the mirror.
Just as the bike took off again, my mind slipped away from me.
“What’s wrong?” I sat next to him on the bed.
“I need to tell you something, something that is going to hurt you, but you need to hear me out before you freak out, okay?” I heard him, but his face scared the shit out of me.
“I don’t know if I can take any more hurt.”
His mouth opened and the words came out, but I soon felt like I was falling down a black hole. My stomach dropped. How could this happen? He just kept going, and the last words that ripped me apart were…
“I’m still here, just in a different way now.”
I jolted forward as Trigger slammed the bike to a halt and hopped off. He stopped and looked at me, and I saw what appeared to be regret wash across his face.
“Don’t think that what happened back there means anything—”
It took me a moment to realize what he saw; my eyes were watering.
Oh, for God’s sake!
“Well, then, why the hell are you crying?”
I whirled around, ignoring Big Joe’s offer to hold the door open for me. “You don’t do relationships, but you’re consistently asking me what’s wrong, which would imply you care. So, why don’t we just call this what it is. We had fun. That’s it.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
I looked up at the sky and closed my eyes before I turned. “Thanks, Joe.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart.”
When will that man realize I want nothing more than some fun? Why do men always think women are scamming them? I get I’m not most women, but damn, dude, relax.
“Please tell me you didn’t wreck my bike.” Jace hopped to his feet and rushed by me, knocking over a stool. Morgan tossed me a rag and gestured for me to come wipe down the place.
“Sorry, Morgan.”
“Nope. You were with the boss, no need to apologize.” He glanced over his shoulder. “You good?”
I couldn’t help but smile a little.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I tried to control my grin.
“Spit it out, Tiger.”
“You care about me, don’t you?”
He rolled his eyes and went back to counting the money.
“Aw, Morgan.” I held out my arms. “Come on, give me a little lovin’. You know you wanna.”
“Don’t do contact.”
“Is that the club motto?” I laughed humorlessly before I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and, just to piss him off more, I kissed his cheek. He stiffened but didn’t pull away. “I’m fine, but thank you for caring.”
“I don’t.”
“Okay.” I winked, and he broke his tough act and smiled.
“You are trouble.”
“So I’ve been told.”
I made sure I pulled more than my share of the weight the rest of the night. I felt bad that Morgan couldn’t depend on if I was coming or going.
Brick sat across the table. He was upset with me for riding a bike, even though Trigger was there.
“I don’t like it,” he huffed, pushing the dinner plate away. “I think it might have been a mistake bringing you here.”
“Ouch.”
“I’m nervous for you, Tess. You’re reckless.”
“I am, but I’m aware of it, and I’ve managed to stay alive for thirty-two years, so I’d say I’m not terrible at being reckless.”
“It’s not a joke.”
I took his hand and drew a square over the top with my finger until he finally let the topic go. When we were on the streets, Brick had nightmares about his brother. Nick disappeared when Brick was eight, and he always thought the worst about what might have happened to him. Brick’s night terrors would sometimes get us thrown out of the safe homes, so I’d tell him a story about how we lived in a box where no one could touch us. I’d trace over his hand, and it would calm him. I wanted him to know I was okay. I really was.
“How’s Jilly?” I had to know. I didn’t trust his sister wasn’t after him for money again.
He rubbed his forehead, a telltale sign it wasn’t good. “She’s bad again. I found her with a needle sticking out of her arm, passed out in the bathroom.” Yikes. “She’s in trouble. She wanted money, but I dealt with it my own way.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I found out her debt and took care of it.”
I rolled my eyes, finishing off my rum and Coke. Morgan came by with a fresh one. That was how it worked here. You kept the drinks coming until they passed out. I thanked him and looked back over at my friend, deciding to drop the deadbeat junkie sister topic.
“You seeing anyone?”
He smiled over the lip of his glass. “If I was and you met her, would you be kind?”
“Probably not,” I half joked. His laugh made a few people look over at us.
“Speaking of getting some…” He pointed as my face burned. “When was the last time you got any?”
I pressed my lips together for a moment, curious if he could tell. Images of Trigger clawed their way to the surface, and I had to hide my blush. I could really use another go.
“By a man or a toy?”
His eyes lit up, and I saw him remember something. “Holy shit, do you still buy those?” He grabbed my purse and rooted around inside.
“Brick, I swear to Lucifer, if you pull it out, I’ll sell Jilly on the black market.”
“Ahh.” He held up my purple lipstick with a laugh. “I see Pleasure Pace is still around.”
I snatched it from his grip along with my purse and attempted to change the topic away from me.
“You gonna tell me who you are dating? And, I swear, if it’s Peggy, our friendship is over.”
Brick made a face, clearly disgusted with my comment. “You think that low of me?”
“No, I just witnessed her nasty red nails on more than one person’s lap since I’ve been here.” Well, actually, just Trigger’s, but I wanted to hear what he had to say about her.
“Really?” He shook his head. “She’s been after Trigger for three years.”
“He’s not interested?”
“Nah, you have to be able to touch someone to screw them. Trigger hates to be touched.”
This, I knew, but I wanted to know why from Brick.
“Why is that?”
“Not sure. There’s been talk it has something to do with his childhood.”
“Was he molested?” That would explain it.
“Nah, more like physical abuse.” He leaned in a little closer since the place was getting louder. “He and his father started the Devil’s Reach. They say Trigger was always covered in blood, black eyes, jacked up hands. My guess is he fought a lot, and some say he was involved in some underground fighting thing.”
“Oh.” I nodded, but I really didn’t know much about it.
“Oh…is right. He was only ten, although I think it was earlier than that. But that’s a little fucked up, if you ask me.” Screw off, ten! “They put you in a ring, and you fight with no protection till basically you or your opponent are beaten to a pulp.”
“Bullshit, Brick, no way! Ten years old in a ring, fighting.”
“I know.” The lines between his eyes deepened. “There’s no other word for it but fucked up. His father was a bastard and needed money. Trigger wasn’t a small boy, from what Gus said the few times that he shared a story.” He sighed and sipped his drink to take a moment to think. “Have you heard anything from—”
“Brick!” a female shrieked from somewhere behind, almost deafening me. “You’re back!”
His face dropped, giving me a you better be nice look. “Be good,” he warned.
A redhead came bouncing over, hopped on his lap, and stuck her tongue down his throat. What did I do? I laughed. I laughed hysterically, because I knew my best friend was freaking the fuck out inside that I got to witness this.
Brick was not someone who liked PDA, so being the asshole best friend, I pulled out my phone and snapped a lovely picture and took a five second recording to play back later for pure enjoyment. He gave me the finger as he pried the redhead from his lips.
“Minnie,” he eyed me as I threw my head back and laughed harder, “this is my asshole best friend, Tess.”
“Hi!” She swiveled on his lap and granted me a rather crooked but sweet smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, no, the pleasure is all mine.” I smirked into my cup. Minnie—who had huge eyes like Minnie Mouse—started talking a mile a minute to Brick about her manicure that went horribly wrong.
While I tuned her out, I caught sight of Trigger heading out to the back.
I didn’t bother to tell Brick where I was going. He wouldn’t have been able to hear me over the mouse’s chatter. Blowing him a kiss, I eased out into the midnight air, called a cab, and went home.
Sitting in my window,
I watched for the rooftop boxer, but once again, he didn’t show. I dumped out my purse and found my lipstick. Inching down, I turned it on and lost myself in the memories of Trigger deep inside me.
The next morning, I Google Mapped a different route to the clubhouse. It was an extra thirty minutes, but anything was better than walking by that building. The beach could be seen on the main road, and I couldn’t wait until I had a day off to enjoy it. The Vegas desert made the ocean seem like a dream.
By the time I hit the bar, I was fully awake and ready to start my shift. Morgan eyed me as I got closer. He blocked my path and stared down at me.
“Morning.”
“Good morning, Morgan.”
“The sink needs to be cleaned out.”
“I guess you should let me pass so I can do it.”
He nodded, but I saw a smile when he turned. As I headed for the kitchen, I thought I might have someone who cared about me here besides Brick. Speaking of which, I was curious to know if he was around today.
My phone vibrated inside my pocket, and with wet hands, I pulled it free and read the ID.
Unknown Caller.
I started to answer, but I felt someone sit down in front of me. I tossed it on the bar top and looked up.
Fuck, he was intense.
“Whiskey?” I reached for the bottle, but he shook his head.
“I want to know why you were crying last night.”
Turning to place the whiskey label to face forward on the shelf, I answered. “You guys failed to mention to keep an extra pair of sunglasses on hand for riding. The wind whipped my face and made my eyes water.”
When he didn’t answer, I found his reflection in the little mirror.
“Try again.”
“Not sure what you want to hear.”
“I want the goddamn truth.”
“Funny,” I stuck my hip out and folded my arms, “I could demand the same thing.”
He made a noise before he rubbed his face angrily. “I don’t want to hurt you, Tess. If I made you cry, then I have the right to know.”
Wow, not what I expected.
“You didn’t make me cry, Trigger.” Once again, I gave him the truth, but I could tell it wasn’t enough. “And if you did?” I challenged.