“You’re okay?” he asks me once we’re away from the couple.
Tilting my head to the side, I look at his profile. He’s handsome. Younger than most of the dates I have. He’s in his early thirties and extremely handsome.
“I should be asking you that,” I say.
He hums, his thumb rubbing small circles against the side of my hip. I can’t deny that the move feels nice. I’ve only had sex with one client, but as I squeeze my thighs together, I wonder if tonight will be my second.
Avah has no limits on the men that she takes, she offers sex as part of her deal to the dispatcher. I, however, don’t. I’m just not there yet. Though, I did enjoy the one man that I slept with. He was rich and handsome, but the reason I agreed was because he was just plain nice. I don’t dare admit that it was also Taz’s birthday, and I was feeling extra sorry for myself that night.
He was nice though. I had a wonderful time with him, a small orgasm, and we both left with smiles on our faces, though I felt empty afterward. Not because I had sex with him, but because he simply wasn’t Taz.
I’m not over the asshole and I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to finally get there, but it feels like he’s going to be there, in the back of my mind for the rest of my life and it’s really starting to piss me off.
Cameron chuckles, it’s deep and breaks me of my thoughts. Smiling, I tilt my head back to look up into his eyes. He shifts his gaze over to me and his blue eyes scan my face. “I’m better than okay,” he rasps, his voice low and so sexy.
“I’m glad,” I breathe.
He turns toward me slightly, his hand that’s not around my hip cups my cheek. He’s careful not to mess up my makeup and I appreciate his gentlemanliness.
“I’m only in town one more night. I wonder, would you join me for dinner in my suite? You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I know that you are not someone who is game for everything,” he murmurs, his voice dipping low. “But I’m intrigued by you. I’d like to get to know you better, Tristiana.”
“Trista,” I whisper.
He tilts his head to the side, his eyes searching mine. “My friends call me Trista.”
“What about men who don’t want to be your friend?” he asks, his meaning extremely clear.
Clenching my thighs together, I wet my lips with my tongue. I watch as his nostrils flare at the move. His gaze flicks to my mouth, then lifts to my eyes again. His fingers grip my hip a bit tighter and I suppress a moan at the feeling.
“There’s only been a couple,” I breathe. “They called me Trista as well.”
He smirks. “A couple?” he asks, arching a brow.
Nodding, I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “I haven’t dated much, didn’t really have time when I was younger,” I admit.
It’s true too. My mother’s habits didn’t allow me any freedom. I was too busy taking care of her, trying to take care of our house and babysitting Buster just for a taste of freedom. The few times I tried to get out and go to a few parties like a normal teenager, they ended in disaster, so I just stopped.
Then my mother got some grand idea to try to use my body for her gain. Luckily, before she was caught, it only happened once. That once happened to be my virginity and it was awful.
“See, intriguing.” He chuckles.
“Dinner, just dinner?” I ask, needing clarification for both of our sakes.
He dips his chin. “Just dinner,” he murmurs.
He says the words, but his eyes, they say so much more. I’ve learned to really look into people’s eyes, you can usually find the truth hidden somewhere in there. However, I may want more with him too. I agree to dinner, inwardly leaving myself open for more with him, if I feel comfortable.
We leave the gallery shortly after, Avah and her date disappearing to his hotel suite, no doubt before us. Cameron has our driver take me home and I’m glad that I’ll be able to strip out of the too-tight dress soon and just relax.
Pulling up in front of my building, I let out a sigh as Cameron chuckles. “Tired?”
Nodding, I look over at him. He’s focused on me, so focused that he lets out a shout of surprise when my door is wrenched open. I don’t even get a chance to turn around when a rough hand is clamped around my bicep and I’m dragged from the back seat by my arm.
My high heels teeter as I spin around to see who has their fingers gripping me so tightly. My breath is stolen from my body when I come face-to-face with a man that I’ve been avoiding for the past several months.
“Taz,” I breathe, at the same time Cameron shouts behind me.
“What the fuck is going on here?”
Taz’s jaw is clenched, he doesn’t even look up behind me to my date before he growls. “Get the fuck gone, rich boy.”
“Tristiana?” he asks.
My body jerks and I look over Taz’s shoulder to see my father leaning against the building. I haven’t seen him in a few weeks. He came out here to say hello and to check on me. He was busy, heading to Tijuana and didn’t stay long, I was grateful. Him being here, Taz at his side, this isn’t a friendly check-up visit. Something is going down, I can feel it in my gut.
Turning to look at Cameron, I press my lips together. “This is my dad and my brother. They don’t live here, it must be an emergency,” I say, hoping that Taz doesn’t fuck this up for me.
Taz chuckles, thankfully not saying anything. Cameron looks over my head to Taz, then past him to my father. His eyes skirt back over and I don’t miss the way his face pales when his gaze assuredly lands on the Savage Beast MC patch.
“See you around, Tristiana,” he mutters, turning tail and literally running back to the car.
“Nice guy,” Taz snorts.
I try to jerk my arm from his, but he doesn’t release me. He dips his chin, his gaze focused nowhere but on mine.
“We need to talk,” he growls, his eyes dip down to my chest, then lift back up to meet my own again. “About several fucking things.”
TAZ
Hawk makes a noise behind me, but doesn’t say shit as I drag his daughter into the reception area of her fancy-as-fuck building. I don’t know how she got a place here, but I know Silver isn’t paying the monthly rent on it, so she’s doing something to pay the bills.
She has zero fucking work experience, so I can only imagine what she’s doing, especially with that tool she was with. I’m not going to fuck around with this either, she will tell me exactly what in the fuck is going on here, and now.
“Up to your place, babe,” I grind out, my fingers gripping her bicep tighter than necessary.
Hawk clears his throat but doesn’t say shit. He wouldn’t anyway, not in front of her at least. He’s my brother, but I’m an officer of the club, he’s only slightly on good terms. Guiding her into the elevator, I wait for her to push the button for her floor.
The elevator ride is silent, none of us speak. It’s so fucking quiet I can hear Trista’s panting breaths. My cock twitches, knowing that she sounds the same when I slide my cock inside of her.
When the elevator car opens, I push her out, Hawk following behind me. “Will you fucking stop pushing me around,” she snaps.
I snort. “Move your fuckin’ ass. You’re on thin goddamn ice as it is, Trista.”
She looks over her shoulder at me, narrowing her eyes and if looks could kill, the bitch would have me dead and buried. Hawk clears his throat, but still, like the fucking pussy he is, he doesn’t say a word. Pussy or not, this situation isn’t a fucking joke, not right now.
With a sigh, I watch as Trista walks us toward her apartment door and stops in front of it. She fiddles with her purse then takes out her keys. I only release her when she opens the door and steps inside. Hawk and I both follow behind her.
“Close and lock it,” I growl back at Hawk.
He grunts but doesn’t protest. I hear the lock click into place and cross my arms over my chest as I take in Trista, fully. My eyes scan her entire body, stopping on her obv
iously enhanced tits.
Arching a brow, I flick my gaze up to meet hers. She rolls her eyes, then shifts her eyes to the side, shifting from foot to foot in her too-high heels.
“You gonna explain your new rack to me?” I ask.
She snorts, kicking off her shoes before she walks away from me and toward the kitchen. I watch her ass in her too-tight dress and shake my head. Turning to look over my shoulder, I narrow my eyes at Hawk.
“You knew about that?” I ask.
“About what? My daughter getting her tits done? Didn’t think it was some big deal, don’t think I’ve fucked a woman who didn’t have them done,” he says with a shrug.
“Cute,” Trista drawls, reappearing in the room. “You’re asking my dad about my boobs, super fucking cute.”
Turning back to her, a growl escapes my throat. “We have a lot of shit to talk about, girl.”
Trista arches a brow, laughing softly, though she doesn’t look amused at all. “We don’t have shit to talk about, Taz. You need to tell me why you ambushed me when I was clearly on a date, then you need to take my father and leave.”
My eyes search hers and something happens. Trista has changed. It’s been a little less than a year since I’ve seen her and she is definitely not the same girl she was when she got in her car and drove away from the clubhouse for the last time.
I don’t like the change, not in the fucking slightest, either. Except the tits, I like those any way they come.
“There’s trouble and you could be a target. We need to keep you safe,” Hawk announces, sounding highly annoyed.
I ignore him, my gaze still completely focused on the changed woman in front of me. I should probably be turned off by her. She doesn’t look like that same club brat.
Gone are her cut-offs and tank tops. Her hair is sleek, her makeup is heavy, and other than her tattoos that cover one arm completely, she doesn’t look much like the girl who walked away from me, away from her entire family.
I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t anticipate that she’d become a completely different fucking person on the outside or that she would have so many walls put up on the inside.
My cock twitches, wondering if she’s still that same sweet thing between the sheets, or if she is bolder, more adventurous.
Licking my lips, my gaze flicks from her tits to her face. I watch as her cheeks turn pink, I decide that before I do anything else, I’m going to have her naked and spread for me again. There are some things that are just meant to be and Trista naked, wet, and ready for me is one of them.
“What kind of trouble?” she asks, knitting her brows together as her gaze jerks from me to her father.
Hawk clears his throat. “Club trouble,” he simply states.
Trista takes a step toward us, her chin dipping slightly. “You didn’t ride all the way to LA for something as simple as club trouble. You’re definitely going to need to elaborate and then explain to me what you expect me to do for you.”
“Jaguar is on the run, if you see him, do not engage,” I say, giving her the only explanation she’s going to get about that shit.
“Okaaaay,” she says slowly.
“Eagle almost died, was caught up in a shoot-out in Columbia. He’s fine, home now and recovering. Not everyone has been accounted for, so if the people missing find you, then that’s going to be a problem. You’re an easy target. You’re away from everyone else, with no protection.”
Trista’s lips press together, her gaze shifts to her feet, and I watch as she inhales a deep breath, releasing it before she lifts her gaze back up to meet mine. “When you say not everyone has been accounted for?”
Clearing my throat, I look over to Hawk. He shrugs a shoulder, but I know that he wants me to tell her. She should probably know, for her own safety. As much as I want to keep her in the dark, Trista has never been one of those naïve club girls, or even a naïve girl in general, her mother made sure of that shit years ago.
“The oldest son of the head of the Columbian cartel got away. We have one of the daughters, the Italians have the other and one of the boys was taken care of.”
Trista’s eyes widen and I watch as she takes a step backward. “You’re joking, right?” she shouts.
I move my head from side-to-side, my movements more than she even needs as a confirmation. The fact that I’m standing here in her living room should be proof enough that we’re not fucking around with her.
This shit is serious.
Really fucking serious.
Chapter Two
TRISTA
I stare slack-jawed, my gaze drifting from my father to Taz and then back again. Shock doesn’t even begin to describe what I’m feeling right now. Inside I’m screaming, I want to know why they would do this, why they would get involved with the fucking drug cartels the way that they have.
None of it is my business, though, it’s club business. The bane of our existence, me and every other woman involved in this life. Club business. Everything gets shoved into that category, any time they don’t want to talk about something or admit to something, it magically becomes club business.
“So where is this girl, where is she being held?” I ask, arching a brow.
My father clears his throat, but Taz doesn’t even flinch as he smirks. “Not your business. You got bigger shit to worry about. If I had to guess, I’d bet that Angel Ramos Junior is an even bigger prick than his papa. He’s dangerous, no doubt hotheaded, and without a doubt will see you and use you in ways that you won’t like much.”
My father growls behind him, but Taz doesn’t pay him even an ounce of attention, the cocky bastard. His eyes are focused on mine and he is not even blinking as he watches me. Inhaling through my nose, I let the breath out and shake my head once.
“The me of a year ago would pack my shit and follow you both out of here,” I begin. Taz’s lips turn up, clearly thinking that he’s a victor in whatever this is between us. “I’m not that girl anymore. If this douchebag wants to hurt me, he’ll find a way without a doubt to do just that. Running away from the life that I’ve built here won’t change any of that.”
“Trista, don’t be fucking stubborn,” my father barks.
My lips turn up into a shitty smirk. I know I can be a brat when it comes to my father, but he abandoned me, left me with the burden of my mother for my entire life and I can’t easily forgive and forget that.
“I’m not being stubborn,” I snap. “I’m being real. Running back to Arizona will only fuck up what I have here. I like my life, I like my roommate and I’m not going to go back where I have no job, no place to live, nothing, because of some empty threat. You don’t know if this guy is even in the country.”
Taz closes the distance between us, his hands clamp down around my shoulders and without saying a word, he gives me a hard shake. My head snaps back and I feel something pop in my neck.
I open my mouth to yell at him when one of his hands wraps around the back of my head and forces my face close to his, our noses practically touching. A low growl bubbles up from his chest as he pants heavily in front of me.
“You want to live your life? You want to ignore what I came all this way to warn you of? Then maybe you deserve to be tortured, all your holes raped, beat, and used by him and whoever else is going to be helping him. Is that what you want, Trista? All for what? So you can date toolbags?”
“Let go of me,” I seethe on a hiss.
He shakes his head once, jerking the shoulder that’s still in his grip. “You want all that, babe, I can make it happen. You want to be treated that way, I’m more than willing to dish that shit out to you. What I won’t do is allow my enemy to do that as a means to get to me, to get to my club because we all know that Silver would fall on a fucking sword for you, to save you.”
“Let her go,” my father’s voice rumbles behind Taz. Then I hear the sound of a handgun cocking.
Taz releases me, but he doesn’t do it gently, instead he shoves me away from him and I
stumble backward, glad that I already kicked my high heels off. Without a word, I watch as he whirls around to look at my father’s gun head-on.
“Better put that shit away, brother,” he spits.
Hawk shakes his head, his gun firmly in his grasp as he watches Taz. “Didn’t do a lot for my daughter in this life. Don’t know half the shit she’s been dealt, but I’ll be damned if I stand here while you throw her around.”
“Maybe we all just need to get some sleep, it’s late. You guys can sleep in my roommate’s room if you want. She won’t be back tonight,” I offer.
I really don’t want them here, but I also don’t want to watch my father put a bullet in Taz’s head. As much as Taz pisses me off, I still love him, a few months apart doesn’t change that fact. He’ll never feel the same way about me, and I have to live with that, but I don’t want to watch him die.
My father lowers his gun, his eyes never leaving Taz’s as he lets out a low growl. Bending down, I pick up my heels and start to walk to my bedroom. When I reach my door, I curl my fingers around the knob before I look back over my shoulder at the two men.
“Avah will be home in the morning. Don’t scare the shit out of her,” I snap.
My father lets out a chuckle, and I give him a small smile before I slip inside of my room. I’m thankful that our apartment is as fancy as it is when I make my way into my own private bathroom. I don’t have to go back out there, I don’t have to face Taz again until tomorrow morning.
Stripping out of my dress, I close my bathroom door, needing just another layer of distance between me and the two men who make my head completely fucked up for two totally different reasons.
Lifting my eyes to the mirror, I stare at my naked reflection for longer than I should. My hair is perfectly sleek and straight, silky smooth because I go to Avah’s salon and they are masters.
My lips are fuller than they used to be, but only a little. My teeth have been bleached. My makeup is perfect, mainly because I’ve learned how to contour thanks to Avah. My gaze drifts down to my chest and I frown.
UnTouch Me (Savage Beast MC Book 5) Page 3
