by Erin Trejo
“He didn’t do it!” She tries to yell but her voice is still weak. She leans down and helps the guy up, but he brushes her off as he holds his eye.
“You fucking idiot! This the guy you’ve been moping around about?” he screams.
I look between the two of them before Saylor laughs. She doesn’t stop laughing until it becomes hysterical and tears flow down her cheeks. The guy makes a move to grab her but she jerks away. He throws his hands in the air and storms off as I stand here like a goddamn fool. I’m lost and have no idea what the fuck is happening right now. All I know is that Say is falling apart and I have no clue why. I reach for her but she jerks from me, too. Good thing I’m a persistent bastard. I grab her arm and pull her into my chest, holding her tightly.
“Whatever happened, I’m sorry,” I whisper into the top of her hair. Saylor’s body shakes harder in my arms as I watch Piper walk over. She looks at Saylor with such sad eyes before looking up at me. She gives me a sad smile before walking away and leaving the two of us alone.
“You wanna talk about it?” Saylor shakes her head no. “When you’re ready, I’m here, Say.”
Chapter 11
Saylor
“I look ridiculous,” I groan as I step out of the truck near the docks.
“You look gorgeous, Saylor. Stop whining and be happy that I came with you,” Wiley teases me as he walks around and extends his arm. I loop mine through his and we walk toward the damn ship. Yeah, a ship. My dad used to be a captain and still has a love for the water, much like my mom did. I agreed to come for the big marriage announcement under the circumstance that I behave and don’t cause a scene. Wiley leads me up the walkway and onto the ship where my dad greets us. Pulling me into a hug, I hug him back.
“I’m glad you came.”
“Me too. You’re still my dad and I love you,” I whisper in his ear. He pulls back and kisses my cheek before extending his hand to Wiley.
“Good to see you, Wiley.”
“You too, sir.”
After all the formal shit, Wiley and I sneak off to tour the ship and drink until the rooms sway.
“You look cute!” I squeal when I see Trinity walking down the hallway doing the same thing. A smile tugs across her face as she races toward me. Pulling her into a drunken hug, we both laugh.
“Who did you come with?” she asks, looking around the hallway.
“Wiley. He’s in one of the rooms pissing.” Her smile fades and her eyebrow rises in question.
“You know he’s just a friend, right?”
“Damn well better be.”
That deep rumble sends a chill down my spine. Trin turns to look over her shoulder as I do the same, watching Triton as he saunters toward us. His eyes are on mine and I can’t pull away either until I let my gaze roam up and down his body lazily. Fuck, he’s even hot as hell without the leather.
“Eyes up here, darlin’,” he teases, causing my eyes to jerk back to his.
“I had no idea that you owned clothes that weren’t t-shirts and jeans!”
Triton laughs and steps around Trinity and into my space. “Speakin’ of t-shirts. I lost one. Wouldn’t happen to know where that went, would you?” Shaking my head, I catch whiffs of his intoxicating cologne that goes straight to my head. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
“Doesn’t he look nice?” Trinity chimes in, stepping up next to him.
“He does. What did Dad have to say about this one?” I nod at him as I look at Trin. She rolls her eyes and waves her hand away not wanting to talk about it. I figured that much. Wiley chooses this moment to step out of the room.
“We should fuck in that room. It has a Jacuzzi.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, I know he regrets them. Him and Triton lock gazes and heat sizzles between them. This is bad. Really bad.
“Why don’t we go get a drink, Triton?” Trin tries to grab his arm and lead him away but he doesn’t move.
“Nah. I wanna talk to Say.” Wiley chuckles a little but stops when Triton glares at him.
“Since when is it Say?” he asks, pissing Triton off.
“Since I started callin’ her that, pretty boy. Why don’t you go take a walk or find some man’s ass to fill, yeah?” Wiley starts to step toward him but I stop him with my arm.
“Go find us some drinks, please. I need to talk to Triton anyway.”
Wiley doesn’t like it yet I don’t really give a shit. I really do need to talk to Triton. I left him standing in the parking lot the other day after he was so kind. I really wanted to thank him for being there for me. Trin motions for Wiley to follow her, and as soon as they are out of earshot, I speak.
“I didn’t mean to just leave you standing there the other day. It was rude.” Triton nods his head, moving closer and closer until we are nearly touching.
“You’re welcome.” Leaning in, he kisses me hard and rough. The stubble on his cheeks and chin scratch deliciously against me. In seconds, Triton lifts me in his arms, my legs wrapping around his waist. He pins me against the wall in the hallway and all I can think about is how he felt inside of me that night. I’ve dreamt of it over and over, and each time I woke up horny and alone.
“Open that goddamn door,” he grunts as I reach down and turn the nob. Thank God Dad had all the rooms unlocked for his overnight event. Triton slams my back against the door as soon as we’re inside, pressing against my core. My body tingles as I reach between us trying to unbuckle his pants. He sets me on my feet quickly and does it for me, shoving them to the ground. He bends down, grabbing a condom from the pocket and rolling it on quickly.
“Always prepared or was that for Trin?” I ask, nearly dousing any fire that was burning between us. Triton smirks up at me, slipping his hands up my thighs until he finds what he wants.
“No panties?” he growls as I shake my head.
“Didn’t go with the dress.”
“That condom was for you,” he says before he leans in and pries my legs apart.
His fingers move over my skin before parting my lips for him. My head bangs against the wall and I can’t find it in me to give a shit when his tongue touches my clit. I nearly leap from the spot I stand but his large hand holds me in place. His tongue devours me in ways that I’ve only imagined. He slowly slides his hand from my stomach to slip a finger inside of me. My body obeys his commands and clenches around him. I’m rewarded with a throaty growl as he brings me closer and closer to climax. I’m a panting mess when he moves quickly, lifting me and impaling me on his cock. I cry out his name as he fucks me against the wall. Leaning down, I suck his skin into my mouth, biting down as I do. Triton grunts but doesn’t stop fucking me like a madman. I love every second of it. My body aches, but I feel like I’m on the high of my life. A few more thrusts into me and my body explodes. Like a bullet shooting from a gun, I come quickly and harshly. Triton grunts and comes with me, overloading my senses. When we both catch our breath, he pulls out of me and moves to dispose of the condom.
“You’re gonna kill me one day.” He smirks as he pulls his pants back up.
“There’s a guy who manages a few other female surfers. He wants me to throw my set so one of his girls will place for the competition this year. When I said no, he sent one of his boys to scare me.” Triton’s eyes fill with rage in the matter of seconds. I can see the darkness swirling around in there.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill him for touchin’ you.”
“I’m not losing this chance. If I can win, I can get the hell out of here. I can move to California like I’d planned, get signed with a sponsor, and surf professionally.”
“That’s your dream, huh?”
I nod my head and adjust my dress as Triton finishes buckling his pants. He stands with his hands on his hips and looks at me like he could devour me again.
“What about your family?” he asks and my heart breaks, tears filling my eyes.
“Dad is moving on as you can see, and Trinity, she’s good where she is.”
“And your m
om?”
“She’s dead.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She was the one who believed in me most. I was only a kid when I started surfing, but she was always there to watch. I won a lot of the junior competitions and she would cheer me on.”
“What happened to her?”
“One night, we were out late. It was my fault, really. I lost my favorite Billabong shirt. Mom had gotten it for me for my birthday. We were hunting it down when we heard screaming. Mom almost acted like she knew what it was and dragged me toward the nearest dock. She threw me on board a boat and took off. I thought I heard shooting behind us but I couldn’t be sure at that age. Anyway there was a storm coming in and we were right in the middle of it. Mom sent out maydays but the storm was faster. She tried to keep control of the boat but she wasn’t strong enough. They never found her body. Luckily they did find me.”
Chapter 12
Triton
My fucking heart hurts for her. She lost her mom in a horrific way.
“What about yours?” she asks, wiping at her eyes.
“They were drivin’ in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was a shootout between clubs one night. Their car was hit and spun out of control, slammin’ into another. Neither of them made it.”
“I’m sorry, Triton.”
“I’m sorry too, Say.” Pulling her into my arms, I hold her while we both die a little more inside from the haunting of our pasts. It’s like a punch to the stomach but something inside of me needs to ask her.
“Did you ever find out why they were shootin’?” Say pulls back, wiping her eyes.
“Something about a gang war,” she shrugs. My chest tightens as I let that sink in. I remember.
“No.”
“What?”
“Where was it? Where she ran with you?” Say takes a step back looking confused but answers.
“Down at Trout’s Dock.”
Shock slams into me like a lead weight. I head out the door in a goddamn hurry, needing the space to think this over. That’s my goddamn fault too. Everything is my fault. How the hell does the universe fuck me over this badly? I can hear Saylor coming behind me but I don’t stop. I make it to the main level and head toward the end of the ship away from the party and all the goddamn people. This is bullshit. I can’t be responsible for that, too. Say will hate me.
“Triton!” I can hear her call my name but I’m so lost in my goddamn head that I don’t want to acknowledge her. When I reach the stern, I rest my hands on the railing and lower my head. This has to be a mistake. It can’t be right.
“What the hell is going on Triton?”
I can’t breathe. My chest is tight and nerves are firing off. Saylor comes to stand next to me. I look over at her, fear and the unknown fucking with my head.
“What’s your last name, Saylor?”
She cocks her head to the side and studies me for a long minute before she answers.
“Robinson. Why?”
No, no, no, fuck no! I slam my hands down on the bar in front of me, pissed at the goddamn world. I can’t believe this shit! The ship comes to a stop a few miles from the dock, where it’s staying for the night. Trin said it was an overnight party-type thing on board.
“What the hell is happening, Triton?”
I swallow my nerves and turn toward her, grabbing her shoulders in my hands. “Do you know who your father is?” Saylor looks confused, but I know I’m dead on with this. I can feel it all throughout my fucking body.
“What do you mean?”
“His name, Saylor. What the fuck is his name!” I scream at her louder, causing her to jump.
“Damon Robinson.” Her voice is softer now and full of concern. She doesn’t know what’s happening, and God fucking help me, neither do I but I need to find out.
“It was him. Your mom, my parents. It was all his fuckin’ fault!” I roar, punching my fist into the rail until blood breaks the surface. Say grabs me and pulls as hard as she can, tugging my hand to her chest and cradling it.
“What are you doing? Look at your hand!” Grabbing the edge of her dress, she pulls it up and wipes at the blood. I can’t bring myself to focus on anything but her and the way she’s taking care of me. What the hell is wrong with me?
“Stop.” She doesn’t listen. “Stop, Saylor!” I watch her jolt, but she doesn’t release my hand.
“What is happening, Triton? I don’t understand.”
How could she? She was a kid back then, too. Not much younger than me. Fuck!
“My first kill for the club. I was ordered to kill a rival MC member. There was a payment for his death that my club would get. A man, a very rich man by the name of Damon Robinson paid to have this man killed because he slept with his wife. They had a child together.” Saylor narrows her eyes as the pieces start to come together in this fucked up puzzle we call life.
“No.”
“I was ordered to do it to prove myself worthy of bein’ a patched member. We were out there, ready and waitin’.” I sniff as I feel tears threaten to fall. I blink them back as reality of what I’ve done settles in my chest.
“Triton. Please, no.”
“There was more than one man there, they must have known that we were out there because they fired back. There was a car accident right there near Trout’s Dock. That was the night my parents died. That car accident, that was them.” I slowly drag my tear filled gaze to Say’s. “The night your mom died.” Tears fall down her cheeks as she looks at me with her mouth open.
“My dad ordered him dead?” she asks, still a little confused. I choke on a sob before I nod.
“I killed Trinity’s dad. I killed her father to prove I was worthy of carryin’ that goddamn patch. Fuck!” I punch the rail one more time when Saylor throws herself into me. I later found out that Trinity’s real dad was into some kind of mafia related shit. That’s why he had so many men with him but he must not have been very important since no one ever retaliated.
“You couldn’t have known. No one could have known,” she cries into me. I grab her shoulders and push her back a step, but never letting go of her.
“It’s my fault! All of it! I fuckin’ killed them all that night!”
Saylor shakes her head as tears pour from her beautiful eyes. It’s ripping me apart inside to see her like this. I fucking ruined her and didn’t even know it.
“My dad?” she whispers as if none of it makes sense to her or she can’t believe it.
“I’m sorry, Say. I’m so fuckin’ sorry, baby.”
Saylor looks up at me and that’s it. I’m lost in her and I’m falling and there is nothing I can do to stop this!
“I need to get off this boat, Triton.”
“We’re stuck ‘til tomorrow.”
Say reaches up and wipes her eyes before smirking at me. “You might be,” she says as she rolls her dress up to her thighs and ties it. Saylor climbs the side of the ship, holding tightly to the ledge.
“What the fuck are you doin’?” I move toward her but she shakes her head.
“Make sure you don’t tell Trinity. Please, Triton. I will tell her.”
Shaking my head, I run my hand through my hair.
“Get down and we can go to a room for tonight. Let’s just calm down and think, Say,” I nearly beg her.
“I can’t stay on this ship, Triton. I’m sorry.”
“Say, I need you right now.” Tears fall down her cheeks once more, dropping to her dress.
“I need you, too. More than you know.” Say releases the bar and jumps, taking my heart over the edge with her. I scream her name and lean over the edge watching to make sure she comes back up.
“Fuck, Saylor!” I grumble as I watch her swimming toward the dock. I don’t move from my spot until I see her climbing out and rushing toward her truck. Only then do I turn and head to find Trin. I need to at least tell her that her sister jumped over the edge of a goddamn ship.
Stalking across the ship until I find the crowd, I
scan it with my eyes until I see Trinity with Wiley of all fucking people. I stalk toward her, not giving a shit if Wiley gets pissed or not. I grab Trinity by the arm and pull her away as Wiley roars at me. I don’t give a shit either; he can fuck himself.
“What’s wrong?” Trinity asks when I stop and run my hand through my hair.
“Saylor jumped off the ship,” I tell her but she just laughs and pats my arm.
“It’s okay. She’s done it before. Did she say anything before going over?”
“No.”
“Then don’t worry about it. She gets moody, Triton. Add to the fact that she hates my dad’s fiancée and daughter and I’d jump, too. Guess I’ll tell Wiley his date’s gone.” The slight laughter in her voice makes me smirk but as she walks back toward Wiley, my heart continues to break.
Chapter 13
Saylor
The water is choppy and the waves are harsh. It’s not really a day to be out here yet here I am. I couldn’t sleep and I needed a release. Triton has proved to be an amazing asset in that department over the last couple months. We don’t speak, we don’t have conversations – we fuck. We both find an escape and it doesn’t have to be complicated. I know Triton feels like my mom’s death was his fault, but in my heart I know that it wasn’t. He is who he is and nothing will ever change that. What happened that night was horrific and changed so many lives. The fact that it’s still hurting him tells me that he’s a good man deep inside.
I grab my board and dive under the wave as I continue out farther. Regardless of how the water is today, I need to be in it. There’s a storm brewing on the horizon, which is probably the reason for the shitty waves today, but there’s a pull that I have to the ocean that I can’t deny. I’m not the only one; there are a few others out here too but I’d guess they are newbies since they are sticking close to the shore.
Paddling out a little more, I get into position and look over my shoulder. As soon as I see the setup, I paddle and get ready. When I pop up on the board, a feeling of euphoria rushes me. This is what I was born to do. Not many people can say the same, but for me, this is life. I move through the wave with ease, a slight smile on my face. In the matter of seconds, it’s all taken away from me. Someone drops in on me and hits my board. I fly off and slam into the water with force. The waves crash above me as I try to swim to the surface but another wave is coming in rapidly. I grab a breath and dive back under as my ribs scream in pain. I come back up and finally get my bearings in time to see someone paddling toward shore quickly. Stupid fucker. My head aches and my ribs protest from the slap against the water as I swim toward shore.
