Triton

by Erin Trejo

  “That’s all you’re gonna give him?” Rebel asks, knowing that he deserves to feel all the pain she did. With the gun pressed to his head, I stare into his eyes.

  “She has the world at her fingertips and you tried to take that away from her. What the fuck made you do it?” I roar, wanting to know the answer but in the back of my mind knowing it doesn’t really matter. He’s a piece of shit either way you look at it. Before I can say anything further, Rebel swings the bat and smashes one of his friend’s shoulders.

  “That should be about what she felt!” he growls as the man screams in pain.

  I chuckle and stuff the gun back into my jeans before slamming my fists into Marshall’s face. Ransom moves in on the other guy, taking out all his anger. All three of us release stress like this, and I can’t find it in me to give a shit. I punch until my knuckles are raw and his face is unrecognizable. I punch until he no longer moves and I no longer feel.

  “Well, we fucked them up,” Rebel chuckles.

  I take a step back and look at the mess I made of the man and I’m damn proud of myself.

  “Check for pulses and call in the clean-up crew,” I tell Rebel, watching as he moves in. Shaking his head at his guy, he stops at mine.

  “Faint,” he says before moving to the next.

  I pull my knife from my pocket and flick it open before stepping in closer to Marshall. Leaning down near his ear, I whisper, “You’ll never hurt her again.” Plunging my knife into his chest, I release a breath. Pulling the knife free, I step back and look at the men. They took so much from her but they also gave her strength. I don’t think Say realized just how strong she was until she faced death a second time.

  “You gonna be okay with her leavin’?” Ransom asks.

  I turn to look at him and shrug. “Why you askin’?”

  “Cause she won.” He holds his phone up with a picture of her and Piper hugging and smiling. My heart drops in my chest at the sight. The two most important women in my life, right there hugging and happy.

  “That’s good. Real good. I knew she could do it.”

  “Party at the clubhouse tonight?” Rebel asks. Ransom nods.

  “Neo has the girls settin’ it up. Trin already ordered the cake,” he informs us.

  “I need a drink.” Shoving past them, I head out to the bikes, climbing on mine. The world is tilting and I can’t hold on anymore. I’m losing her whether I like it or not. I knew it was coming, but now that it’s here, I don’t know how to handle it. I pushed her to do it because this is her life, but fuck! Where do I play into this scenario? Where do I fit into the puzzle of her life?

  I rev the bike and take off, needing to feel the air as it whips around me. The ache in my chest is overwhelming. The need to find a release is even worse. I rush down the highway like a fucking crazy man, no destination in mind. Everything fades into a black fog around my mind. What the hell do I do without her? What will Piper do? I don’t know the answer to any of the questions that keep working through the goddamn fog, and I don’t know that I want to. I find the closest bar and pull in, the need to drown my fucking demons overwhelming me. Climbing off my bike, I head inside and drop on the stool and order.

  “You about done?” the bartender asks after my... Hell I don’t even know how many shots I’ve had, but counting the beer bottles in front of me, I’m pretty wasted.

  “I’ll let you know,” I tell him, motioning for another. I drink and drink some more until all visions of Saylor turn into mush. I can’t think about her right now. I can’t think about the pain ripping through me at losing her. All I can think about is the liquor that can wash away the vision of her behind every goddamn blink of my eyes.

  Chapter 27

  Saylor

  I stare at the boxes, the few things that I had left in the back of my truck wondering what the hell I’m doing. Up until today I was eager and ready.

  “You okay?” Trin pulls me into her side, holding me there.

  “I was until now. How do I know this is the right thing, Trinity? It’s all the way on the other side of the country!” My God that’s a long way from home.

  “You won. You rock. You can do this, Saylor. You have always wanted this and now it’s being handed to you on a platter. Don’t throw that away. You can do this,” she reminds me. I take a deep breath before pulling her into a hug. Tears slip down my cheeks when I see Piper. I pull away from Trin and hold my arms out to her. Piper runs and slams into me, crying into my t-shirt.

  “You don’t stop surfing, do you hear me? I want you on those waves every damn day. Practice hard,” I whisper as my lips tremble. I’ve grown attached to Piper over the months, and the thought of leaving her behind hits me as hard as the thought of leaving Trin.

  “I will. I love you, Saylor. Please call me.” Piper pulls back, looking up at me as I wipe the tears that fall down her cheeks.

  God, she looks so much like Triton. I haven’t spoken or seen him since the competition. It kills a piece of my heart but I also know that I’m doing what’s best. Trinity says that he drinks until he can’t stand and passes out nearly every day. Even Piper has been worried about him.

  “Take care of that stubborn ass, would you?” Piper laughs and nods her head, but we both know that Triton is his own man.

  “You sure you wanna leave us?” Spinning around, I look into the eyes of Neo, Rebel, and Ransom as they stand there watching me intently.

  “I need this,” I tell them. They all nod, but it’s Neo who moves first, pulling me into hug.

  “I’m not one for goodbyes, darlin’, and I ain’t one to meddle. I wish you all the luck out there and he does too. He’s a stubborn fuck that can’t see past his own wants to know a good thing when it’s in front of him. Don’t give up on him just yet.”

  His words sting. Triton hasn’t made an attempt to talk to me or even see me since that day. I’ve tried to brush it off and pretend that it doesn’t matter to me, but the truth is, it’s killing me inside to not even be able to tell him bye.

  “I appreciate everything you guys have done for me, Neo. I wish it didn’t have to be the way it is. I still can’t thank you enough for taking care of it.” He pulls back and looks me over once more before he whistles.

  “That man is one stupid fucker lettin’ you leave without at least a kiss.” I giggle when he steps aside and I do the same with Rebel and Ransom.

  “Make sure you check in with Trin when you get there. Don’t need to be worryin’ about your pretty little ass,” Rebel says before smacking me on the ass.

  “I will. Do me a favor, Rebel?”

  He nods his head and grabs my hands in his. “I’ll look after the fucker. He’ll be alright.”

  Giving him a soft smile and a nod, I lean in and press a kiss to his cheek before pulling away. I walk to the truck and climb in, my heart shattering as I do. If I was being honest with myself, I want him with me. I knew that it wasn’t an option. I know that he has his life here and his family, but there for a minute, I thought he was part of my family.

  As I drive through town for the last time, watching as my life slowly fades into the background, my chest constricts. Everything I’ve ever known is here. My mom is here. I think the hardest part of leaving is knowing that I’m leaving her behind in a sense. I let out a breath and follow the highway north with tears stinging the back of my eyes. I’d never wanted to stay more in my life until I met Triton. The hard man who slowly sunk his claws into my heart and made his mark. My phone rings and I answer it quickly.

  “Is it dumb that I miss you already?” I laugh and sniffle when I hear Trin’s voice.

  “Talk to me, Trin.”

  “I have a thing for Neo. I don’t know if you noticed.”

  “Oh, I think everyone noticed. Have you talked to him about it?” God, this makes things so much easier.

  “Hell no! You know what I am. I can’t just tell the prez that I’m into him. Besides, I’d catch shit from all the guys, and you know how they are,” she s
ays with a laugh.

  “Trin, you should tell him. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I think he might just like you, too.”

  “Shut it! I don’t know that I could do a relationship anyway. Or if I want to. I like being me,” she says so happily that I can’t help but smile.

  “I like you, too. I just think that if you’d settle down that you’d be happier. Or hell, maybe even get married!” Trinity laughs on the other end, making me laugh with her.

  “Married? You have hit your head too many times, Saylor!”

  “What? I want to have nieces and nephews one day!”

  “You can just keep on waiting because that isn’t happening any time soon,” she laughs.

  This is perfect. This is what I needed to make my way out of here. I needed my sister and the constant sound of her voice. It’s reassuring me that I’m okay and that I can do this even if my heart is telling me I can’t. I have to try though. I have to give it my best effort.

  Chapter 28

  Triton

  1 year later

  “Triton!”

  Oh my God, if she yells like that again, I swear to fuck I will throw her ass out of here.

  “Shut up!”

  “No! you fucking promised me!” I can hear her getting closer and closer to my room and the words that are coming out of her mouth annoy me even more.

  “Just go yourself,” I grumble, stuffing my face into the pillow hoping that maybe I could suffocate myself before she comes in here. The pillow is yanked from my hands, reminding me that I’m not fast enough. I pry my eyes open and glare up at Piper. The heat in her eyes makes me smile. This girl is hell on earth and I love her for it. She gives me a run for my money and she makes me a better person. Every single day.

  “You are not laying in the bed for my first heat, Triton!” Her hands are on her hips, her eyes flickering with fire.

  It amuses me to see her like this. Piper has come a long way over the last year. She graduated high school and I couldn’t be any prouder. She has taken surfing to a new level, too. I was leery of it when she first brought it up but I’m happy she has finally stuck with something that she seems to enjoy. The downfall? The memories of Saylor. Every time I watch her out there on that board, it reminds me of what I lost. I never went to say goodbye to her because I didn’t think I’d have it in me. I still don’t, which is why every time Trinity or Piper bring her up, I walk away and drink myself to shit. It’s the easiest way to handle my life.

  “Fine! Fuck!” I grumble, throwing my legs over the side of my bed and standing. Piper leaves the room so I can get dressed. I do a half-assed job at it too. Pulling my clothes then my boots on, I head out into the main room listening to the sound of the wind howling outside. I know there’s a storm coming in soon.

  “You sure you’re still surfin’ today?” I ask, scratching at my head. Piper watches out the window next to Trinity before looking over her shoulder.

  “I still have to go down there, Triton. I will have to show so that they can reschedule me.”

  Rolling my eyes, I pop the top off a beer and take a long pull. What a load of shit. Now I have to go all the way down there, and for what? I suppose it’s not that far being only ten minutes but still.

  “Stop bein’ such a bitch, Triton. Take that girl,” Neo snaps pulling my attention to him.

  I get an eye full of his cock as it slips in and out of some girl’s mouth. My head quickly shoots to Trin’s face before moving back to Neo, thanking fuck that she wasn’t looking. I raise my eyebrows, a silent What the fuck are you doin’? Neo shrugs, shoves the girl off his cock, and fixes his jeans.

  Running my hand through my hair once more, I realize this whole clubhouse has gone to shit. Trinity refused to tell Neo how she feels. Neo already knows because I fucking told him, but he won’t take that shit to heart. Rebel is always balls deep in some girl. I shake my head and grab my keys, walking toward the door.

  “Let’s go, surfer girl, before the goddamn storms come in.” P rolls her eyes and follows me out to my truck, jumping in quickly.

  “When are you going to stop sulking like a bitch and call her?”

  I glance over as I pull out on the road. “When are you gonna watch your goddamn mouth?” The banter between the two of us has calmed some. We get along better now than we ever have, but P still knows how to get me riled.

  “Never. You know I learned from the best.”

  I shake my head as she giggles. The rest of our ride goes by in silence. Pulling into the parking lot, I kill the engine as the angry clouds start to work their way closer.

  “I’m going to talk to them.”

  P leaps out of the truck and I climb out behind her. She goes one way and I go another, wandering out into the sand. I watch the angry waves as they race over the horizon and smash into the shore.

  Cocking my head to the side, I mumble to myself, “What the hell is that idiot doin’ out there?” I walk closer to the shore to watch what the dumbass out in the water is doing. I can tell it’s a woman as I draw closer to the water. Her hair is tied up on top of her head, but she just sits on the surfboard as though waiting for something. It isn’t until she begins to paddle that I become nervous. The water is pissed and she shouldn’t be out there.

  “Hey!” I holler but she’s too far out.

  She lays on her stomach and starts to paddle out farther. This bitch must have a death wish. I watch in horror that I’m about to witness a woman die by the hands of the sea gods when she stands and catches a wave. She leans and rides with such perfection that it makes my heart melt missing Say.

  “What the hell is she doing?” P asks the same question I did when she comes to stand next to me.

  “Don’t fuckin’ know. You know her?”

  She looks out, squinting her eyes against the rain as it starts to pound on us. “Can’t tell. I’m going to the truck.” She makes a slight giggling noise before turning and rushing off.

  She runs behind me, the rain is pelting down now, but I’m stuck watching this girl work the water like she owns it. It’s as if she’s a part of the sea and the sea a part of her. When the surfboard comes ashore, the girl behind it, I walk closer.

  “You wanna die or what the fuck was that about?” Her back is to me. When she turns to look at me, I gasp.

  “Not today I don’t. I might have once but not anymore.”

  “You could have been killed out there,” I remind her pointing to the water.

  “Someone once told me that the sea was a part of me.”

  “What are you doin’ here, Saylor?” My heart beats rapidly in my chest as I stare into the eyes of the woman I lost my heart to.

  “I thought I could be something. I thought that I could handle being away from my family, but I was wrong. I can’t fight the storm anymore, Triton.”

  Her eyes are full of tears and it kills me but I can’t do this, not again.

  “You are the storm, Say. You always have been.” I turn to walk away, needing the space to think and let things settle.

  “You’re my lighting, Triton. There can’t be thunder without it!”

  I stop and let my head fall forward before turning back to her beautiful face.

  “I can’t lose you again, Saylor. I won’t. I’ve tried to move on. Every time that TV came on, you were there. When I brought P to her lessons, I saw you. Do you know how much that fuckin’ hurt?” She blinks slowly before I lose myself in those eyes.

  “I wanted to be a pro surfer my whole life, but do you know what I want more?”

  Shaking my head slowly, I have no idea what to say or think. “I don’t know,” I say softly.

  “You, Triton. I want you more than some sponsorship, more than some place on a magazine cover. I want you!”

  Without a second thought, I swoop in and lift her in my arms, smashing my lips to hers. I kiss her like I’ve never kissed anyone in my life. I hold her tightly letting the storm that is Saylor roar around us.

  “I love you, Say. I
fuckin’ love you more than you know.”

  “Take me home, Triton.”

  THAT’S THE END! WELL of Triton and Saylor’s story anyway. Wanna know what the deal is with Ransom? Stick around!

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  Also by Erin trejo

  Fallen Angels

  Creed

  Tank

  Ryker

  Final Ride

  Soulless Bastards MC Daytona Chapter

  Blade

  Triton (Coming Soon)

  Standalone

  Bound

  Troublemaker

  Between Family

  Run To Me (Coming Soon)

  Watch for more at Erin trejo’s site.