by J. L. Drake
“Three weeks, Trigger?” Gus’s voice finally broke the silence. “Why not six?”
Rocking back in my chair, I combed my hair with both hands before I lit another joint. Once the first wave of smoke hit my lungs and the slight burn rippled through me, I spoke.
“I want to double our sales.”
“Greed only speeds up shit, son.”
I snapped my head over to Gus and held his gaze. He was hovering over the line, and when he broke the stare, I knew he got it.
“New Orleans has had some trouble and needs quick cash. I’d rather pull double than tap into our resources.”
“We’re on it,” Rail added, which made the rest agree.
“Meanwhile, find me another prospect.” I slapped the table when the vison of my knife slicing the thief’s tongue graced my memory. “We’re done here.”
I waited until they left before I locked the meeting room. A snitch was supposed to stop by, and I had an itch that needed to be scratched.
I took a seat in the back and watched Tess. Her smile was pretty, and it wasn’t often we had a pretty face around here. They were mostly desperate and needy or strung out on something. Removing my phone from my pocket, I tossed it on the table and started to look for the snitch’s number.
“Can I get you something?” I stopped scrolling, glanced up, and leaned back, spreading my legs so I could study her comfortably. Her breasts were about to spill out of her top, but it wasn’t overly slutty. Her legs were long under the skirt that stopped about mid-thigh. She was sexy, all right, and it was hard not to show interest in what was underneath. I took my time and looked her over, keeping my expression neutral.
Her eyes narrowed before she looked over her shoulder. “Was I not supposed to come over? I’m not sure of the rules here. Morgan stepped away, and I didn’t want you to wait, so—”
“Whiskey.”
“Whiskey,” she repeated as she turned and headed back to the bar.
She returned with the glass and the bottle, which I found amusing. Twisting the bottle in her hand, she gripped the neck like she was about jam a needle into her thigh, but she poured it smoothly.
“You’ve bartended before?” I threw back the drink and kept my eyes on hers.
“Yeah.” She smirked bleakly. I inhaled and blew my smoke in her direction, but she didn’t flinch.
“Where?”
“A bar.”
“Which was…?”
She poured me another and set the bottle next to me. “I’m sure you’ve never heard of it. Let me know if you need anything else.” With that, she left and went back behind the bar.
Normally, if someone spoke to me like that, I’d beat their ass, but there was something about her that entertained me.
“Trigger.” Big Joe caught my attention and pointed at a wiry guy who looked like he had way too close a love affair with the needle.
“Hey, man, it’s a real pleasure.” He reached out to shake my hand, but I didn’t stand. He avoided eye contact, which pissed me the fuck off.
“What do you have for me, Ray?”
He lowered his skinny ass into a chair and waved at Tess. She headed right over, but I shook my head. This prick didn’t need any of my booze.
“Ray?” I didn’t like to repeat myself. Anger started to burn its way to the surface, and I knew he only had a few more minutes.
“Yeah, yeah.” His eyes squeezed shut while he thought. “Been talk there’s another drug king workin’ the west coast.” He rubbed his ear like there was a tick inside. “Guess he’s got the shit like you do.”
“How would you know what he’s sellin’?” The familiar taste of tin filled my mouth, and I knew I was close. Who the fuck would come into my territory and sell my blow?
“Well, you know, I bought some.” He suddenly realized what he’d said and tried to backpedal. “You…you know, so I could come back here and tell you.”
“How much did you buy?”
“Not much.”
I leaned forward to make sure he knew I wasn’t fucking around. “How much?”
“I only had a hundred on me.”
Before the words were out of his mouth, I pulled out my gun and pointed it at his head.
“You owe me thousands, and you bought a hundred dollars from someone else, on my land?”
“It’s not what you think, Trigger!” His saliva pooled at the corner of his mouth, and he raised his hands in the air.
“Tess,” I called out, and she dropped her glass when she noticed the gun. “Grab a mop.”
Bang!
Blood and brain matter flew over tables and splattered on the floor. Rail grinned and held up his drink then threw it back as if to say “well done.”
Tess returned with a pale face, but she started to mop up the blood.
“Where’s the hangaround?” I shouted, and Big Joe pointed out back.
Two minutes later, he showed up, and I stood to grab the mop by the handle and pulled it away from Tess.
“Deal with this.” I tossed it at him.
“Sure thing, boss.”
Tess took a couple steps back but continued to watch.
“Get used to it, sweetheart,” I hissed as I headed for my office. I needed to make a goddamn call.
***
Tess
Morgan was nowhere to be found, and we were out of vodka. I asked Rail to watch the bar and headed out back to look for more. I finally found the storage room after a lengthy search. Even after Brick’s tour, I still found myself taking a wrong turn.
Since I was finally alone, I took a moment to breathe deeply and let what happened come to the surface. I needed to process it. Blood was still tacky on the soles of my boots. I could handle this. Damn, I’d been around worse. Sometimes the brain just needed a moment to tuck it away properly.
“Okay.” I shook the tension from my hands and snapped back to it.
“Rum, whiskey.” I scanned the labels one by one. Damn, there must have been thousands of dollars’ worth of booze there. “Of course, there it would be!” I stretched my fingers up, barely touching the bottom of the vodka boxes which were up so high on the shelf. I reached up again on tiptoe to run my fingers along the bottom to draw the box out.
I truly didn’t think this through, because the box wobbled and started to tip forward. Just as I realized what was about to happen, my heart in my throat, someone pressed against me from behind. A pair of muscular forearms stopped the box so it didn’t fall on my head. Those same arms flexed as they shoved it back into place.
“Thanks,” I whispered through a long breath. He didn’t move, just stood like brick wall behind me, so I slowly turned and found myself locked into that deep green gaze again. His expression was blank, unreadable.
Shit, he was strong. Not beefy strong, but strong-strong, lean and trim so the muscles were sharply defined.
He placed a hand on my hip and gave it a nudge then leaned up to pull the box down. I couldn’t help but notice the handgun stuck in the back of his jeans. It was funny how when you saw a cop with one, it was no biggy, but when a biker had one, it sent another message altogether. The vibe was totally different. Or maybe it was because it had been used to end a man’s life barely an hour ago.
“If you get nervous around guns, sweetheart, you shouldn’t be working here.” Trigger’s tone seemed to be a bit softer than before.
“I didn’t run, did I?”
Setting the vodka case on top of another box, he rested his back against the wall. His long, dark hair partially obscured his face.
“Yeah, not sure why.”
“It’s a job.” I shrugged.
“Why do you want to work here?”
“It’s a job,” I repeated.
“Why would an upper-class woman from Vegas want to work here?”
I bit my lip, angry that he’d checked into my past. “It’s none of your business.”
He actually laughed a little, which I could tell he didn’t do often. “It is my b
usiness. I run this place, this is my family, and I want to know why you’re here.”
I hesitated only for a second. “Brick is one of my oldest friends, and we’ve always helped one another out. I hadn’t seen him in six years and needed a change, so here I am. If he trusts me, so can you.”
“I trust three people, that’s it.” His green eyes burrowed deeper into mine. He waited for me to spill, but little did he know, I was one stubborn-ass woman. “Tell me.”
I looked down at my heels then at my skin-tight dress, which had already earned me fifty bucks in tips, and shook off the unwanted feeling. I shut myself down, took a deep breath, and looked back up at him. “Well, Trigger, it was nice knowing you. I really appreciated the opportunity.” His head tilted to the side as I headed for the door and down the hallway.
Damn!
Rail watched me as I collected my bag from beneath the bar. I grabbed my tips and strode for the door when Morgan stepped in my way.
“Where are you going?”
I shook my head, not needing this right now. “I quit,” I muttered.
“Seriously? After I finally decided you were a tiger trapped in a kitten’s body?”
“I can hold my own. I just don’t like being questioned.” Why was I talking to him? “Excuse me.”
“Tess,” Trigger called out from across the room, “my office, now.”
Morgan gripped my elbow. “Do as he says, there, little tiger.”
“Why?”
“He’s the boss and not someone you ever want to piss off.” Morgan stopped at the open door and nodded at Trigger.
“Shut the door,” he ordered as I came inside. I folded my arms, not sure what to do. His office was big and open, with not a whole lot of furniture. Just a wooden desk, leather chair, a couch off to the side, and two metal chairs facing his desk. “How long have you and Brick been friends?” Okay, so he was testing me.
“Eighteen years.”
“Where did you meet?”
I shook my head. This was pathetic. This was none of his business! “Vegas.”
“Why did you go six years without seeing him?”
I tossed my hands in the air. “I’m also a size four and a 34D. Anything else?”
He came around to the front of his desk and leaned his weight on the edge. “This is my family. I protect them, and I know their history—”
“But you don’t trust them,” I spat out. His tongue ran along his teeth. He was pissed. My cell rang, and I quickly fished around in my purse trying to turn the friggin’ thing off. I checked to see the caller ID and froze when I saw Unknown Caller. I silenced it and stared at the floor.
“Problem?” He sensed my mood change.
I pulled on a smile. “Nope. Umm…” I closed my eyes to recall the conversation. “Okay, well, I’m going to go.”
“Tess.” He came to stand in front of me. “I don’t give two shits who the hell you’re fucking. But if someone is coming to my club to cause shit, you better tell me now, or you and I will have a major problem later.”
“Everything is fine.” I clenched my bag for something to hold on to. Trigger was a lot of man and stirred up some strange emotions for me.
He stared at me for several beats then nodded.
“Then get the hell back to work.”
The four steps to the door felt like an eternity.
Morgan handed me two beers as I slid in behind the bar and motioned at the two men on the far end. I headed over and tried to shake my nerves. I needed money badly. Almost losing my job wasn’t something I needed right now.
I was about to give them their total but saw the skulls on their cut, so I granted them a smile and moved on to the next person.
By the end of the night, I was mentally fried. My nerves were shot, and I just wanted to get the hell back to the apartment where I could think.
I asked where Brick was, since he was not answering his phone. Morgan said something about a family emergency.
Oh, damn…I’d bet Jilly was using again. His sister had been on and off the wagon for the past eleven years. She’d nearly sucked the life right out of him once, and I helped bring him back. I ran my hand over my stomach, remembering that day. The day I almost lost my best friend—my other half.
“Whiskey,” Trigger muttered and sat in front of me. I barely heard him as I moved to pour the shot. I handed it to him and noticed his knuckles were raw and swollen again. His hands had scars along the top. Some were hidden among the tattoos, but they were there.
He stared at me for a moment then slid the glass over for another. I refilled it and he downed it, keeping his gaze on me.
“Trigger.” A man I hadn’t seen before sat next to him. “We need to talk.” He glanced over and smiled as he moved his attention to me. “Wow, she’s even prettier up close. When did you start?”
“Yesterday,” I answered, a million miles away from their conversation. “Can I get you something?”
“Yes, but not for an hour.” A charming smile spread across his lips, even though he had given a sleazy line. Somehow it didn’t suit him. His eyes were too kind when they looked at me. “I’m Cooper, but I’ll take a fireball for now.”
“Tess.” I poured him the shot and tended to a few others before my shift ended. Morgan handed me a wad of tips and told me to be in tomorrow around five.
I headed out and noticed the bikes, but this time they all seemed to have their own spots neatly lined up.
“You heading home?” Cooper, the guy I met earlier, leaned against the wall with one leg up. He was slightly good looking, but what frightened me were the thick scars that raced up his neck.
“Yeah, have a good night.”
He nodded, blowing a puff of smoke in the air. “Lots of strange people out there.”
“Ah, yeah.” I dug around my very annoying oversized purse. “I guess there are. “
“Be careful.”
What? Again, his words didn’t match his behavior. Almost like he was acting a certain way rather than being himself.
“That’s the plan.”
Damn!
I swiveled on my heel. “I forgot my phone.”
“That wouldn’t be safe.”
I headed back inside, and Joe gave me a friendly smile when he opened the door for me.
Cooper was hot but odd. Like motel hot. Easy on the eyes, but you knew there was a level of dark going on that you couldn’t connect with—and didn’t want to.
Chapter Three
Trigger
“I think they’re gonna hit Thursday.” Cray, my Arizona VP, glanced over his shoulder. “I’ve got a bad feeling.”
I tossed my shot glass behind the bar. If Satan’s Serpents planned a hit, why Thursday? How did they know that was when we were doubling our cash this quarter?
Fuck me, I’m going to kill someone.
“We move our date to Saturday. This stays here.” I knew they understood me. I needed that info to stay in our core group. I watched the men drink around the bar. Did I have a mole in the mix? My crew was going to shit. But who?
“Got it.” Cray hopped off the stool and made a call.
I sent a quick text to Brick to see what his ETA was. I wanted him back here. I needed my second set of eyes. Truth be told, Brick was the only man I trusted. His father got himself into trouble a few times, but he was loyal, and so was his son.
With a bottle of whiskey, I headed outside and hopped up on the old pickup truck. I liked the way the pool water reflected the light onto the wooden deck. It was oddly soothing.
Plugging in my phone, I let my ears be filled with Slipknot. I bit the cork free of the bottle, leaned back, and closed my eyes.
“Come here, boy.” He grabbed my collar and hauled me to my feet. I shook and tried not to make eye contact. “You think you can outrun me!” He pulled his arm back, and I waited for the impact.
His knuckles met my stomach with such force my dinner came right back up. He backhanded my face and tossed me in my own vomi
t.
“You run, and I will find you.”
I didn’t cry. I learned tears got you nothing but more beatings. I needed to wait him out, take my punishment, and hope to God someone killed him before he killed me.
Kids didn’t take to me at school, I thought they were scared. I was big for seven, with broad shoulders and an intense stare. I barely spoke, and when I did, kids turned away. I didn’t even think they knew my name.
I was weird.
I was probably just known as that quiet kid with the bruises.
“Hey.” Tammy was one of the desperate women who hung around hoping to become one of our old ladies. She hit my boot to get my attention. “Whatcha doing out here all by yourself?”
I didn’t answer, although I was pleased to have been pulled out of my thoughts. I tugged my headphones from my phone and let the music spill into the open air.
She stood and waded into the water. Tammy looked over her shoulder before she started to peel out of her shirt. She didn’t wear a bra or panties. There she stood, naked, water up to her waist, trying to move to the beat of “Wait and Bleed” by Slipknot. I bit back a smirk. This was not working.
“Come on, Trigger, water’s warm.” She hooked her finger and called me over. Her small breasts were perked up nicely, but they really didn’t do it for me. Maybe because she was so desperate to belong to one of us. On the other hand, I could beat out some frustration.
I rolled my neck and felt the needed three snaps that relieved the tension. Pushing to my feet, I hopped off the truck.
Shrugging off my shirt, I removed my belt and stripped before I hit the water. She grinned as I approached. She was excited, but this was just ten minutes of me turning off and not on to her. I didn’t care that we were surrounded by three walls that held many windows. If the guys wanted to get off, they could. They knew not to show their face unless it was an emergency.
“Hands.”
She placed them on the side of the pool. She knew better than to touch me. I took her hair in my fist, flipped her around, and took her from behind.
Images from my past flickered in front of me and made my stomach turn. The smell of his sweat found my nose, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Shit, my erection was always battling my memories.
