by J. L. Drake
Trigger stood but didn’t leave my side. “We’re done here, guys. Until you have something, there is the door. I did my part, now do yours.”
“Have a good day, boys.” I winked before I moved back, waiting for them to leave. “They were nice,” I joked to Trigger, who was staring at my handiwork. He was hungry; I could feel it.
“Didn’t like the dress?”
“Not interested in wearing one of your one night stand’s leftovers.” I looked down. “I liked this better.”
“I’d have to agree,” he purred in my ear.
“Oh, great, you’re back.” Peggy snickered from the bar. The guy on her arm looked to be way past his ability to drink. “Thought maybe you were the one chopped up.”
“Hey.” Trigger grabbed my arm so I’d look at him. “You’re moving in here.”
“Trigger…” I liked my freedom, my space, my rooftop. I could see the battle wouldn’t even happen. He was set on it. Didn’t mean I couldn’t make him work for it. “Ask nicely.”
His face twisted. “No.”
“Fine.” I turned to Ty. “Could you drive me home tonight?”
His face dropped and his eyes shifted nervously to Trigger. “Ah, Tess, I don’t think that’s a smart idea.”
“Tess,” Trigger growled. He squeezed his eyes shut, and when they opened, I saw he was struggling with his temper. He stepped closer, took my arm, and angled himself away from the others. “It would be wise if you considered moving in here.”
“Okay.”
He blinked a few times. “I’m not fucking around, Tess.”
“I didn’t think you were. Just nice when you ask rather than order.” His grip eased up, but his eyes were content with staring me down.
“Bitch, a drink now,” the drunk guy snapped at me. Trigger’s gaze shifted over my head.
“It’s fine.” I slid my arm out from his grasp, but he didn’t hear me. With a cheery voice, I sauntered over and tried to smooth Trigger’s nerves from afar. I was pleased with the little progress I had made with him.
“Vodka, double,” Peggy barked.
Shoving it in her hand, I ignored her whispers and went back to working.
It wasn’t until much later when I heard Brick’s voice that I tuned in to the time. Shit, it was almost midnight. I barely noticed.
“Hey, Tess—what the hell is that?” He leaned over the bar, pushing my hair off my neck.
Morgan stepped closer to get a look as well.
“Don’t tell me you gave up your lipstick for a Hoover?”
I smacked Brick on the arm while I rolled my eyes. “How’s Mouse?” I referred to his girlfriend.
“No, no, no. No. No.”
“No,” Morgan chimed in, pointing at me. “We want to know about that.”
Trigger passed by on the phone, sounding upset over something, and the guys’ mood instantly changed.
He signaled to them, and before I knew it, ten guys were checking their gun clips and pulling hoodies up over their heads.
“Gotta go.” Brick kissed me on the cheek as he rushed by.
“What’s going on?”
I jumped when Morgan pumped his shotgun behind me. “Nothing you need to worry about, Tiger. Just stay here and don’t leave.”
“Yes, thank you, that’s incredibly comforting, Morgan.”
“Hey.” Trigger pulled me aside. “I gotta go for a few days.”
Days!
“Where?”
“You’ll move your stuff in tomorrow.”
“I will.”
His lips moved into a straight line as he thought. “Take Big Joe with you. Don’t walk by the Serpents’ clubhouse. Promise me that.”
“Am I in some kind of trouble?”
“No.” He looked over my shoulder and nodded at someone. “But I am.”
My stomach sank and my hands went cold. Peggy caught my eye, and I felt her hate from way across the room.
“Are you going to be okay?”
He smirked. “I live for this.” He grabbed the back of my head and slammed his lips to mine. I was shocked that he kissed me in public, but I fell into step with equal intensity. As quick as the kiss happened, he was gone.
At least eleven of the guys left before the place went quiet. Big Joe was the only one who stood off by the blacked-out window with a gun dangling from his fingers.
Den and Fin came running in dressed as cowboys, shooting cap guns at one another. Vib was nowhere. My guess was she found another line to blow.
“You boys eat?” I howled over their screams. They both stopped in their tracks and looked at me. Typical boys, whenever food was mentioned, their attention was found.
“No. Why? You got some?” Den jumped up on the stool and hauled his brother up to join him.
“What do you like?”
“Pizza. Burgers. Fries.” He started to number the foods off on his fingers.
I studied the little bugger. He was cute for his age and had real potential to be a little hottie.
“What’s Trigger trading you for good grades?”
“Gonna teach me how to fight.”
“Ah.” I nodded. “You know why Trigger is so good, right?”
“Because he’s the king!” Fin yelled.
“Besides that.” I laughed at his little voice.
“No,” Den interrupted. “Because he practiced.”
“Yes, that, and because he ate well. Can’t be quick on your feet with pizza and burgers in your tummy all the time.”
“I’m seven. Mom won’t let me drink whiskey.”
I rolled my eyes at Den, but the kid had a point. Trigger did drink a shit-ton of whiskey.
“How about turkey, fries, and carrots?”
They both made a face, but Den’s mischievous eyes let me know I was in for a bargain. “Burger, fries, and carrots.”
“You think Ali ate a burger before a fight?” I was making this crap up, but, Christ, this kid could stand to eat something that wasn’t smothered in grease. “Besides, the ladies don’t want to see that. Yuck.”
“Whatever.” Den waved his hand, but I could tell he was hooked.
I ordered the food, and thirty minutes later it was sitting in front of them. I didn’t act like I cared. I just buzzed around them doing my own thing.
“Not that bad.” Den shrugged, finishing the last piece of turkey on the plate. “Tastes like chicken.”
“Tess?” Fin grinned at me when I turned around. “Try this.” He held up a piece of turkey that had been dipped in peanut butter.
“That’s one of my faves.” I snatched it out of his grubby little hand and swallowed it back.
“Oh, my God, she actually ate it!” He made a nasty face to his older brother. “You’re so gross!”
“You’re kidding me.” I leaned over the counter, stealing a fry. “Anything tastes better smothered in peanut butter.”
“Protein,” Vib huffed as she rounded the bar. “Nice to see you’re actually eating something that didn’t come from a box.”
Den shrugged but he glanced over at me. “You think you can get Uncle Trig to teach me a choke hold?”
“Maybe? Although that’s a big one.” I poured myself a drink. “Maybe I can pull some strings if you ace your report card.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Bed,” Vib ordered, and they both hopped off the stools, waving goodbye. “Thanks, Tess. Sorry. The night got away from me.”
None of my business.
“They were easy.”
“No,” she laughed a little, “they aren’t, so…thanks.”
Just as my shift was over, someone I hadn’t met yet slid up to the bar.
“Whiskey.” He tossed a fifty at me, which was confusing because he had the skull.
I pushed the bill aside and poured him a double.
He looked to be late thirties, although the lines around his eyes aged him a few more years.
“Rough night?” I was bored and had started to miss Morga
n’s company.
“Sitting in a car for five days, watching pieces of shit do random women, gets a little draining.”
“Why are you doing that, exactly?”
His tired eyes looked up at me. “You’re new, right, Tess?”
“Yeah.”
“Word of advice.” He rubbed his head before he stood, passing me the fifty. “Don’t piss off your boss, no matter how close you think you are.”
Leaning forward to relieve my sore calves, I decided to get personal. “What’d you do?”
He laughed around the brim of his glass. “I’m Loose.”
“Loose?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “What, you are easy for women?”
“Not quite.” He nudged his glass for another. “So, tell me something, Tess. How do you like it here?”
I hopped up on the counter and thought for a moment. “It’s better than where I came from.”
“Which is?”
I snatched his glass and took his shot. “Which is not here.”
“Are you always this forthcoming?”
“I could ask you the same.”
He grinned and seemed to let his guard down some. “Look, this is the best crew to be a part of. The Devil’s Reach is the most feared club in the US when it comes to drug running. Just be careful. Trigger is not someone to cross or to trust. He has loyalty to only two people. Gus and Brick, whose father paved him a golden road into the club.” I started to defend my best friend, to explain that his loyalty ran deeper than stepping into someone else’s shoes, but I wanted to hear what this guy had to say.
“So, the club makes money from selling—”
“Coke,” he answered for me without realizing it. All things I knew, but interesting, nonetheless. I slid the bottle closer, now understanding his nickname. Yup, Loose had loose lips. “No one has the qualities Trigger has.” His tone was more annoyed than proud. “Everyone loves Trigger.”
“Seems like there might be a story with the two of you?” I poured myself a shot and cheered him. Yikes, these went straight to my head.
“Huh.” He leaned back and really looked at me. “Are you off now, Tess?”
“I am.”
“Good.” He stood on his wobbly legs. “Can I take you somewhere?”
I locked the cash and liquor cabinet and followed him and the bottle of whiskey out front.
“Where you are going?” Big Joe stepped in my way, and his grip on his gun made me uneasy.
“Out.”
“Where?”
Loose grabbed my arm and hauled me past him. “She’ll be fine, Joe.”
“Trigger doesn’t want—”
“If Trigger wanted her to stay, he should have stayed here to watch over her.”
“Tess.” Big Joe came closer, and I could tell I was putting him in a bad spot, and I didn’t like to do it.
“I’m okay, Big Joe. You advised me otherwise, and I will make sure that is said later, but I need a break from this place, okay?”
He stepped back, shaking his head. Poor dude. I knew he was just following orders, but a little fun would be nice right now. I had not explored Santa Monica other than the pier, and maybe this was my chance. It was harmless.
“Here.” Loose handed me a helmet. “Put this on.”
“We are a ten-minute walk from the beach. I could use the exercise.” And you’re loaded, so…pass.
“You don’t like bikes?”
“No.” I could hear Trigger’s words now. Riding on someone’s bike means something.
“Please, Tess,” Big Joe pleaded without any eye contact.
“Go back to your post, dude. I got her.”
“You know.” He pointed at Loose. “You know what you’re doing right now. You’ll piss him off more than you already have.”
Wait, what does that mean?
“Look, Loose, if you are trying to piss off Trigger by using me, you won’t get very far,” I chimed in, feeling annoyed. Revenge was a bitch. “There’s nothing going on between us.” I lied a little, but I wanted to make sure Joe wasn’t right. I would not be used again.
“I just wanted some human company tonight, Tess.” He shrugged. “Sorry for welcoming the newbie, Big Joe.”
“Okay, whatever. Let’s go.” I turned to Big Joe. “I have your back, and that’s a promise. I just need a little break from here, that’s all.”
“Please, Tess.” His big brown eyes begged me. “Loose is trouble.” He slipped something into my bag, but when I tried to look, he stopped me. “Just in case.”
“Okay.” I respected him enough not to look while Loose watched us. However, by the weight of it, I had my suspicions. I followed Loose, who had already crossed the street. Big Joe shook his head but disappeared inside.
We headed to the beach where the salty air held a promise that I carried close to my heart. I really needed to stop coming here in the dead of night. My skin begged for some vitamin D.
“Where you from?”
I rolled my eyes. “Las Vegas. You?”
“Here. Born and raised and never left.”
Once we hit the parking lot, I took a deep breath, but instead of heading to the water, he stayed up on the concrete.
“I’m not much of a water person.” He patted the bench seat next to him. “Besides, I want to see who’s coming. This is mutual territory.”
“Oh, yes, that’s right. The Serpents.”
“Yeah?” He glanced at me, surprised at this knowledge. Little did he know…
“Well, then…” A shiver ran up my arms. “So, why are we here?” I felt a ping of disappointment. It might be early morning, but I would have sold my soul to have felt the Pacific on my toes again.
“The sea is relaxing for most people, but for me it’s a reminder of how powerful it can be. The sea exploded an oil rig in 2010, killing eleven people on board and wounding countless others.” He sounded like a newscaster as he delivered that line, then he sucked in a deep breath and took a swig of his drink. “And one man who holds too many secrets can destroy you with a single command.”
I wanted to correct him that it wasn’t actually the sea that exploded the oil rig, but I got what he was saying.
“Trigger?” I wanted him to confirm.
“I’m happy Brick could help you when you needed it, but, Tess, be careful. One day you’re serving drinks, the next you’re in his bed, and after that you’re on the side of the road begging for money because even Walmart won’t touch you. You know what happened to his father, right? The actual founder of Devil's Reach?”
“No, what?”
“Trigger never liked how his father ran the club. So he killed him, sliced him right across his throat, buried his body under the pool. Ask him sometime when the pool got re-done. He acted like he just disappeared. Sick son of a bitch.”
“How exactly do you know this?”
“Because I was there.”
My heart leapt high in my throat before Loose shifted closer—a little too close. “I’m guessing that’s his handiwork.” He nodded at my hickey. “Please, Tess, don’t. Just work here with your head down until you can move on.”
I took a moment to place everything. Between warnings from Loose, Brick, and Morgan, my curiosity was getting the best of me.
“What happened with you guys?”
He downed the rest of the bottle, tossing it toward the waves but falling short by a mile. “I’m not even sure where to start on that question, but I can tell you he destroyed my sister. She fell in love with him, and he broke her like he does all his women. He makes them feel special, and once they fall, he drives a spike into their heart. Ruins them so they are permanently damaged. He’ll do it to you, Tess. He does it to all of them.”
“Lucky for me that’s something I’ve already been through.”
He bent down and groaned, resting on his toes before he shot back up into my face with a finger inches from my nose. “You can fucking lie to me about your past. I don’t care, and I won’t judge. But look
the devil in the eye, and I dare you to lie to him.”
His expression was so haunting I wanted to pull away, but I couldn’t.
“He will see through all your bullshit. You better know exactly what you’re doing and the consequences for doing it.”
Christ, my body wanted to coil inward from his words, but I didn’t want to show fear. My past was my past and no one else’s.
We sat in silence for a few beats then moved our attention to the ocean. It wasn’t until the sun came up that he suggested he get me home.
Chapter Nine
Trigger
“That him?” I wiped my gun clean as Cray, my Arizona VP, came up next to me. His knuckles were bloody and raw.
“Yup.”
The man was hunched over a rock, laughing. The Stripe Back thought he could intercept my New Orleans crew at the state line.
“I know it was you who killed our guys up north.” He spat blood at the ground and ran the back of his hand across his face. “I know because you, my friend, have a mole with a big mouth.”
I glanced at Brick as he brushed a finger over his lips. He too tried to remain calm. I felt my switch tip upward, and it was only a matter of time before I lost my shit on my club.
The man leaned back and squinted at me. “I’ve waited for this moment for so long.” He started to laugh again. “The big, bad Reaper just fucked with the wrong people.”
“Explain.” Cray kicked him in the knee. He yelped in pain, but it was overshadowed by something else.
“You haven’t made the connection yet?” He fixed his cut and pointed at his patch as he sat back up. “You killed Damon’s brother.”
Fuck me. I hid my reaction, but the darkness spread through my entire crew. We killed the pres and founder’s brother. That, right there, meant a war. Looked like my deal with the Serpents would happen sooner rather than later. How did we not know Lou had switched coasts?
“Now imagine his reaction when he finds out it was you and not the snakes.” He laughed again, and I cracked my neck to release some pressure. “You can kill me, but the mole will get to him first. Damon already has it out for you and your assets.”
