Tess
Something was wrong. I could tell by the way Trigger’s hands were clenched into fists, and when I added in his murderous expression, I had no doubt something big was up. Gus did everything to keep my attention on him, so I decided to use it to my advantage.
“Gus,” I lowered my tone and traced the top of the beer can with my fingertip, “when I first arrived at the club, Brick told me the guys got their nicknames by the way they killed.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“I know Morgan isn’t as high up as Brick and Rail, but why hasn’t he gotten his nickname yet?”
He laughed. “He has.”
“But I thought…” I looked at him, confused. What was I not getting?
“Trigger recruited Morgan from a biker bar in Palm Springs. Morgan smashed a bottle over a guy’s head, jammed the jagged glass into his throat. He used the same bottle on a few more. It was a real bloodbath.” He waited for me to make the connection.
“A bottle of Captain Morgan.” I smiled. “That’s kind of funny.”
“Yeah, he likes his nickname. Morgan doesn’t like too much attention on himself.”
“Reminds me of someone else we know.”
Gus took a drink from his beer. “Sure does.” He winked at me.
“So, if everyone has a nickname, that means they had different names first.” I glanced at Trigger and back to Gus. “What’s Trigger’s real name?”
“You’re going to get me in trouble, here, Tiger.”
“Not my intent, Gus. Promise.”
“I know.” He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Trigger was out of earshot. “Nolan was the name his mother gave him at birth.”
Nolan. Seemed different enough to suit him. I really couldn’t picture a Scott or Eric.
“Why do you say ‘at birth?’”
Gus rubbed his weathered eyes. “His father preferred little shit until his ability to fight without a conscience kicked in. Then it was Trigger. It was supposed to be a stage name, but as you can see, it fits.”
“And now his father is posing as a Father of the Church?”
“Sick fucker will stop at nothing to become more powerful than his son. You need to be careful, Tess. Allen being back brings a whole new level of trouble to the club.”
“You think he sent the Stripe Backs after us tonight?”
“If you connect the dots, yeah, I think so.”
“Dots?” I knew what he meant, but if he could offer some more detail, I’d be happy.
“You overheard a familiar voice in the desert, that night you also got attacked by Tiago.”
“But they said he was a Serpent, talking to the mole.”
“Yeah, but it was all part of Allen’s twisted fuckery. He knew it was a matter of time before Carlos would make a deal with Trigger. He was getting worn down by the Devil’s Reach at every turn. I think they sent in a Stripe Back to talk to whoever is the fuckin’ mole, and he found out Devil’s Reach had a weak link.”
He held my gaze a little longer to make his point. I shifted uneasily.
“Before he could make his move, Tiago got to you first. Thus ending the Serpents’ contract, and now Trigger has all of Santa Monica. The one town Allen has always wanted.”
“Why?”
“It’s like this. Every city has a value. Santa Monica is one of the highest, next to Oakland.”
“Okay.” I tried to follow.
“So, by running the Serpents out of town, more clubs will be chopping at the city limits. Trigger has more ground to cover and will need more men. Meanwhile, Allen will have the Stripe Backs do his dirty work of fucking with the club. One day when Trigger’s not looking,” he made a Hannibal Lecter chop noise, and my stomach lunged into my throat, “he’ll take the one thing that will hurt the club the most.”
“Which is…?” My nails bit into my skin.
He leaned forward, and the crow’s feet around his eyes deepened as he become serious. “You.”
My skin shivered as a gust of wind sent my hair all around me. “I wouldn’t hurt the whole club.”
“If Trigger’s hurting, the club is hurting.”
“Why?” I cleared my throat. “Why did he bring me back here if I’m the target? Why not leave me at the house?”
“Because he can’t protect you if he can’t be near you.”
Gus let out an ear-piercing cough, and a moment later, I saw why. Trigger was approaching, and he didn’t want him to hear us talking.
“Good?” Gus asked. Trigger looked a million miles away.
“Yeah.”
I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn’t hear Trigger speak to me. His hand landed on my thigh and gave it a little squeeze.
“We need to leave.”
“Stay here if you like,” Gus chimed in, and I nodded. I liked that idea better. “The hideout has heat.”
“I’d like that.” I smiled weakly at Gus and hoped he’d see I wasn’t ready to go back to the clubhouse yet.
“Fine.” Trigger sent off a quick text and pulled me to my feet.
We said goodnight and walked back down the hill to the little log cabin. He opened the door and started to make a fire while I stood in the doorway, unsure what to think.
“What?” he muttered over his shoulder.
“Just thinking.”
“About?” He took out his lighter and lit the paper.
“Just some things.”
He stood and scowled at me. “Why did you want to stay here?”
I looked around and covered one arm with the other. “I like it here. Feels safe, I guess.”
“You don’t feel safe at the club?”
“I do. I guess I just…” I fumbled for my words.
“Just what?”
“I think I’m just tired.” I wished I hadn’t said anything.
“Well, there’s the bed.” He pointed to a queen size bed up against a wall under a window. “Bathroom is over there.”
I washed my face and brushed my teeth, my reflection showing the past twelve hours. Stress and a murder would do that to you.
I stripped down to my tank top and panties and crawled under the old quilt. It was beautiful, with light and dark blue threading that created pretty little flowers and swirls. Not at all something I would think Gus would own.
Trigger pulled up a seat next to the fire and nursed a glass of something brown. My guess would be more whiskey. There seemed to be an endless supply of it with this guy.
I rolled to my side and watched him study the flames. His profile was that of a man who had seen and done too much, but at the same time, there was this incredibly sexy sense of strength surrounding him.
“Trigger,” I whispered, and he looked over at me. One side of his face glowed from the flickering flames, and the other was cloaked in shadow. Funny how true that seemed right now.
“Why did you come back for me?”
I could see he was mulling the answer. His jaw ticked, and his head bowed. I swallowed hard and wished I hadn’t asked. I was fishing for some kind of warmth from him. I should’ve known better.
“You were in a bad place, and we thought it would be better to get you out of there.”
I gave a little nod and looked away. I hated that my emotions were so close to the surface. Darkness started to eat away at my thoughts, and I fought back my insecurities, trying to pull on the inner strength I always managed to find.
My eyes grew hot with tears, so I gave up and flipped over and let them tumble down and hide in my pillow.
This was what happened whenever I stepped foot in that goddamned house. My entire body folded inward, and I lost my backbone. My mother had always undermined my confidence, and I still felt the control Clark had over me for so long. I really needed to pull my shit together.
The bed dipped, and Trigger lifted the covers and let in a rush of cold air.
“Tess,” he grunted. “Roll over.”
Afraid he would see my tears, I pretended I was asleep. He sighed heavily before he shifted and spooned me from behind. His arm slipped under my neck to cradle my head.
“Why are you crying?”
I dried my cheeks and shook my head. He shifted to reach above me, and I caught a whiff of a strong scent.
He reached down and took my hand and fiddled with the cuff, then undid the three snaps to reveal my scar.
My hand slapped down to stop him, but he moved it out of the way.
“Never hide yourself from me,” he warned, but there was a softness to it.
I bit back my normal urge to pull away, but it was difficult.
Something wet touched my skin. I jumped, and he grunted, “Stay still.”
He skimmed over my scar with a black Sharpie. I watched in fascination as his huge hand drew such delicate lines. He threaded some ivy through the scar and embedded a tiny lily toward the bottom. My eyes blurred when I realized he remembered my story. I wondered if Brick told him who she was. Lily was Mags’s daughter, the only piece I had left of my best friend.
When I thought he was done, he started to draw something else. I sniffed, and he leaned over me. His weight felt good, and I relaxed and emptied my head of all but what he was doing. Soon, a skeleton key appeared and became entangled in the ivy, but it was at a strange angle. He continued to draw vines and left the key alone like a hidden secret among it all.
“It’s beautiful,” I barely whispered. “I didn’t know you could draw.”
“I have a guy who can do this. I’ll make you an appointment.”
“The key?” I questioned, curious.
But he didn’t say anything else. He went still, and I guessed he drifted off. The more I studied his work, the more I realized it was Trigger’s way of comforting me. I pulled his hand to my lips and kissed his fingers softly then wiggled closer to him and closed my eyes.
***
Trigger
I woke with a jolt and noticed something was wrong. Tess wasn’t in the hideout. I scrambled to get dressed and did a double take at the time. Ten a.m.
Shit. I’d slept like a rock.
I headed to where Gus was pouring a cup of coffee.
“Where’s Tess?”
Gus splashed the coffee as he hobbled over to his chair. “She and I had breakfast, and then she went off for a walk.”
“Where?”
He pointed in the opposite direction of the hideout.
“She’s fine.”
“We need to get back.” I headed into the trees and scanned for her. My boots crunched over the sticks and rocks. I wasn’t someone who could be quiet. Hunting animals was never my strong suit. Hunting humans was a different game.
Something snapped loudly, and I turned around, but didn’t see anything. Then something hit my back, and I whirled in the other direction.
Whack!
A pinecone nailed my thigh, but this time I didn’t react.
“Come out.” I listened for her footsteps, but all I got was another cone to the stomach. “I’m warning you, Tess.”
“Your last warning,” she said from above me in an old hunting blind, “landed me some great sex. I wonder what this will land me?”
I wanted to get mad, but all I could think of was my dick straining against my zipper.
“Ah, there’s that look.”
“Come down,” I ordered.
She slowly unzipped her jeans, and I backed up to get a better look.
“I think I’ll stay up here.” She held up her purple lipstick vibrator. “I’m in good company.”
I can play dirty too.
“Okay. You have fifteen minutes before we leave.” With that, I left her up there and headed back to the trailer. My dick nearly turned blue, but I would get my way with her soon.
Ten minutes later, she came up the hill, looking flushed and sexually frustrated.
Perfect.
“Gus, you have a double A battery kickin’ around?”
He looked at her oddly and pointed to a tool box on the step. She held it up and excused herself.
I blocked her path and snatched the battery from her hand and replaced it with the helmet.
“Time to go.”
“Just need five minutes.”
I stepped closer, leaned down, and inhaled her smell. “I. Don’t. Share.”
Her breath caught in her lungs as I grabbed her ass and gave it a hard squeeze.
We said goodbye to Gus, and I rushed her onto the bike before she decided to find another way to get off.
On the drive back into town, I could feel her frustration through the vibrating bike. I couldn’t help but smirk when we parked behind the club.
She was in a pissy, wound-up mood, and it was fucking hot. Her cheeks were flushed, and her glare was enough for me to bend her over my bike and remind her who she belonged to.
“Go get changed. Your shift started ten minutes ago.”
She rolled her eyes but disappeared into the club as Brick came out with a newspaper held high in the air.
“Shit’s gettin’ real.”
I tossed the keys at Jace to take my bike into the garage then removed the paper from Brick’s hand.
Three men found dead this morning in an alley on the lower east side, apparently from an overdose of a tainted strain of cocaine. The local PD is attempting to match the symbol on the baggie to known drug runners. Detective Doyle of SMPD reports they have a few leads but have made no arrests yet. We encourage anyone who knows anything to please call the nearest detachment of the SMPD.
“So glad we stopped distributing those drugs.” Brick snickered sarcastically. “I want to kill the mole myself by feeding him some.”
“We need to flush him out.”
“How?”
“If I knew, he’d be in the slaughter room right now.”
The sight of Tess behind the bar in tight black shorts and a red tank top made my pounding headache ease. Morgan looked less stressed and back to his old self. Loose wasted no time and was already on a stool nursing a drink.
Big Joe waited for me to be alone in the back of the bar before he came over with the letter.
“I checked on this, and it’s legit. Sounds like Allen was in touch with Charlie himself and is working the angle of a father and son showdown. If you don’t show, not sure what that will say about your reputation.”
Fuck me.
“Don’t give a shit about my reputation.”
“But you do about hers.” He flicked his head over at the bar. When I didn’t respond, he went on. “Not like the old man will have much steam left, anyway.”
I nodded. It would be an unfair fight, but a fight, nonetheless.
“There’s something else you should know.” He checked over his shoulder at the guys. “Cooper and Rail have been in and out the last few days. I followed them, and they’ve been hanging out at the Flying Arrow.”
“Okay.” I needed a moment to digest that information. The Flying Arrow was where a lot of the Stripe Backs hung out. “Anything else?”
“You want me to find Loose something to do?”
I shook my head, and he walked back to his post at the door.
“Trigger?” Her voice made my head hurt. “When did you get back?”
Tess had spotted her too, and she made her way toward us with a bottle of whiskey in her hand.
Tammy fiddled with the ties on her dress and gave me the same look she used whenever she wanted me to fuck her.
“I thought your ass was kicked out of here, Tammy.” Tess filled my glass like it was an everyday conversation.
“I left.”
“But you’re back.”
“I need to talk to Trigger.”
Tess glanced at me and lifted an eyebrow. “I’m sure it’s something really important.”
Tammy rolled her eyes and turned to me. “Can we talk in your office?”
“Regarding?” I didn’t have time for her.
“Your father.”
I flicked my head toward my office, and she turned and started to walk. Tess closed her eyes as she shook her head.
“Give me a minute,” I muttered.
“Whatever, Trigger.”
“What does that mean?”
“You do remember what she did, right?”
“Yes.”
Her eyebrows pinched together, and she drew her lips in as she thought about something. Then she turned and headed back to the bar.
Women.
Tammy sat on my desk with her dress hiked up to her ass.
“Get off.” I pointed to the chair. “You have five minutes to explain why you’re here.”
“What the hell do you see in that bitch?”
“Careful,” I warned. “Four minutes.”
“I’m dating Jet now.” She waited for a reaction to her dating the rat from the Stripe Backs. Somehow, it didn’t shock me. “He drills me for a lot of your club’s information.”
“That so?”
“Um-hm.”
“What do you tell them?”
“Well, that depends.” She grabbed the bottom of her dress and peeled it off over her head. She stood naked, in nothing but heels. “You take me back, and I’ll let you stick it anywhere you want. If not, I’ll tell Jet all your dirty little secrets.”
I bolted from where I stood and wrapped my hands around her neck, slamming her to the wall. Her head bounced off the plaster, and her eyes widened.
“You don’t know shit about my club!” I felt my switch begin to tick.
“I know more than you think,” she spat. “I know your chick of the month is going to destroy everything. I know she took a USB drive from a guy named Clark, and it holds information they want back. Allen will hunt her down and carve out her insides if the Stripe Backs don’t get to her first.”
“How do the Stripe Backs know Clark?” The words shot off my tongue.
“Dumbasses had a run-in with him and made a shitty deal.”
I looked at her, confused. She gave a dramatic sigh, and I let my grip loosen slightly.
“You’re not the only club that visits Vegas.” She gripped my hands, but I didn’t move, and she dropped them again. “I like Jet, but the Stripe Backs are one dumbass bunch of people. They made a shit deal with Clark, and then screwed him over. Clark found out something on them and now has leverage.” Tammy nodded toward the door. “Allen wants her. And the USB.”
My head spun, and the demons rattled in their cages.
She laughed, and her split lip bled. She touched a finger to her mouth, tasting it, then traced a line of blood down to her erect nipple. “Not such a dumb bitch now, am I?”
The door swung open, and Big Joe looked stunned. “Shit, I’m sorry. Find me later.” Just as he backed up, I saw Tess’s face turn white before she darted back to the bar.
Fuck!
“Whatcha going to do, Trigger? Run after her? Don’t you want to find out what else I know?”
My chest heaved because she was right. I was cornered. A pawn once again.
“What do you know about my father? Why Tess?”
“Loosen your fucking grip.”
I did, a little, and she sucked in a few breaths of air. “He has eyes on you. He’s feeding the PD information, and,” she laughed, savoring her power, “he’s going to kill her right in front of you.”
“Where is he?” I slammed her head into the wall again.
“You don’t get it.” She smirked. “He’s everywhere. Right outside your door, listening to your every word.”
Fucking mole!
“Who’s the mole?”
“Step into the ring, and you’ll find out.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed aside the urge to fight.
No.
Don’t even think it.
She opened her mouth like she wanted to give me head. I opened the door and pushed her out, and she landed on her bare ass. The entire room fell silent as a naked Tammy scrambled to her feet.
“Big fucking mistake, Trigger! I will ruin your club and make sure that blonde bitch gets what she deserves.”
Brick looked ready to charge her, and I shook my head. At the sound of squealing tires, my senses went on high alert.
Everything went still, and I felt the chill as everything fit into place. They were here for her.
“Get down!” I yelled as bullets flew through the window.
Glass burst all around us in slow motion. I raced to cover my nephew Fin, who had run out of his mother’s hold. My hands covered his head as we raced behind the bar. “Gun!” I shouted at Morgan, and he handed me his extra rifle.
“Stay here!” I ordered Fin as tears streamed down his face. “Don’t move, okay, Finny?”
“Where’s Tess?” He covered his ears. “I want Tess!”
I scanned the bar, and as far as I could see, where the hell…?
“Morgan?”
He shrugged as more bullets sprayed the room. “She went out back after she saw you guys.”
Zip.
Zip.
Zip.
Wood, glass, booze, and screams filled the air all at once. It seemed to linger before it fell all around us. Fin clung to my arm, his little hands white at the knuckles.
The place fell quiet once again as the tires screamed away.
A lot are going to die for this.
“Call out!” I shouted to the guys.
“Yeah,” Brick huffed.
“Second that,” Rail answered. “I think.” He patted down his body. “Yeah, I’m here.”
Gus wasn’t here, so…
“Good,” Cray piped up.
Morgan was good; Fin was too.
“Denton?”
“He’s here with me.” Vib screamed in a panic, “Where’s Fin?”
“He’s here too.”
More people started to call out. Tammy, on the other hand, had been hit several times. I assumed she was set up for this shit storm.
“Trigg—” She fought for breath as her lungs filled with blood. “Help.”
“I’m not the one who can help you.” I leaned down to get a closer look at the bullet holes.
“Morgan,” I ordered and heard him whirl Fin around so he wouldn’t see what I was about to do. I raised my foot and slammed down on the shred of glass sticking out of her jugular.
Crunch.
Her cold, lifeless eyes stared at me. I kicked her torso, and her head flopped to the other side. Fuck, I hated that bitch.
“Trigger?” Fin pulled at my shirt. His snotty nose made his voice sound muffled. “Where’s Tess?”
“Brick, Rail,” I said calmly, and they spread out. “Get Jace and Loose to clean this shit up.”
“Let’s not forget,” Loose pulled a piece of glass from his arm and tossed it on the floor, “who started all this. You want this cleaned up, you do it.”
My head became tight as a drum as I slowly turned to look at the ungrateful little prick who had lived under my roof for far too long.
“You didn’t seem to have a problem spending my money, living in my home, drinking my booze up until now.”
“Well, now I do.”
I sucked in a deep breath and looked down at my frightened nephew. He didn’t need to see anyone else die right now. It suddenly hit me that two of my men didn’t check in.
“Morgan,” I pointed to Loose, and he ripped the cut off the cunt in front of me, “put him on ice.”
“Fuck you, Trigger! You know what?” He stepped up to my face, and my men all pulled their weapons and waited for my command. “You don’t deserve her.” He held up his middle finger as Morgan pointed his gun at Loose’s head and dragged him out of the room.
I wanted to kill him. I wanted to rip his throat out and beat him to a pulp, and I would, but right now I needed to find Tess. “Morgan, find the others then check in with me.”
***
Allen
“How many?” I leaned back in my chair and lit my cigar while Fox, a member of the Stripe Backs, gave me a play by play on what happened at Trigger’s club earlier. Fox was a loose cannon. He almost killed Tess in the desert and could have potentially fucked up all my hard work.
“Three.”
“Including the snitch slut?”
“Yeah.”
Three wasn’t the number I hoped for, but maybe it would convince Trigger to fight.
“The girl?” I squinted and dared him to lie to me.
Fox rubbed the top of his bald head, which made my urge to rip out his throat stronger.
“We didn’t think she’d go back to work the first day she came back. I can’t confirm if she was hit or not.”
I snapped my pen in half and considered what Fox would look like with a piece in each eyeball. Pulling out my phone, I sent a text.
Allen: Come in.
“Who were the other two?”
He sat a little straighter when he realized I wasn’t going to kill him right now.
“Moe and Maze.”
I dropped my head with annoyance and beat the desk. “Fucking amateurs! The club’s runner and a beef-head? That doesn’t mean shit. Fucking Christ!”
Fox looked around like we might get struck by lightning because I cursed in a church.
I leaned over and glared at the six-foot-two wannabe thug. “What the fuck? You got religion or something? Do some real damage, or I will.” I turned toward the door and yelled out to the others. They were probably dick high in cocaine. “Where the fuck is Zay?”
“He’s out trying to see if the girl is alive,” one of my prospects answered with powder all over his face.
I dropped my head into my hands. “Waste of human beings. Go away.” I waved dramatically at Fox. “Your face makes me want to kill you.”
He left a lot quicker than he arrived. I rubbed my temple and wondered if I would need to deal with the girl myself.
“I can’t keep meeting you like this.” My shitty mood instantly evaporated at the sound of his voice. I couldn’t help myself. I felt like a child getting his first look at the pretty puppy in the box.
“You’re fast.”
He came into the room and sank onto a chair. He hated being here, and I didn’t blame him. He shifted in his cut like it was uncomfortable, or maybe he felt his disloyalty burning through the Devil’s Reach patch.
“Do I have a choice?”
“No.” I grinned. “You really don’t.” I kicked my feet up and leaned back in the chair. “Now, tell me everything.”