Page 34 of Tripp

Arianna stood there in utter disbelief before she finally stomped out of the room, shouting at whomever was in her way before slamming the door behind her, leaving me extremely satisfied.

“Sweetheart? Well, that’s unexpected, although I can’t say I don’t like it.” The sound of Tripp’s laughter soothed me, while the roughness of his tone anchored me into calmness.

“Sorry. Arianna was givin’ me shit about you, so I decided to mess with her a bit.”

“Don’t pay her any mind, Reece. Seriously, she’s not worth it.” His words were clipped, which only spurred my next question.

“Do you still hook up with her?”

“What? Who told you that?” Tripp sounded flustered, which was odd coming from him. He seemed as if nothing would faze him.

“She did.” Silence. “So, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“It’s true, then? You did sleep with her?” I had no idea why I pried into his business, other than curiosity. And jealousy. Let’s not forget about jealousy.

Letting out a ragged sigh, he answered, “Yeah, in the past. A few times. But no more. It was a mistake. One that’ll never happen again.”

“Which one was a mistake?” I pried further.

“What?”

“Which time you slept with her was a mistake?”

“Every time.” A frustrated pant of air hit my ear. “Look, I don’t wanna talk about her, so can we please drop it?”

Since Arianna was the last person I wished to discuss, I did as Tripp asked and let it go. He proceeded to change the subject, asking when my shift ended. I told him around three, and that he didn’t have to worry because Carla would give me a ride home, to which he insisted on coming to pick me up. He was so adamant that I relented.

Besides, I really wanted to see him.

As soon as I ended the call, my phone instantly rang. I never bothered looking at the screen, simply figuring it was Tripp calling me right back.

“I know. I won’t go anywhere until you get here.” My tone was light with laughter, but when there was only silence, I pulled the phone from my ear and looked at the screen. Unknown. It wasn’t Tripp who’d called me back.

“Hello?” Still no answer. “Hello?” I asked again. That time I heard someone breathing and my stomach flipped over in nervousness. “Hello?” I asked more timidly, praying the person on the other end would hang up without saying a word.

I got my wish when the call disconnected.

Tripp

Every single day for the past week, I’d seen Reece. I’d picked her up for work, hung out for an hour or so, and then returned later on to drive her home. She’d become more comfortable with her new role at the club, and although there were a few times when some of the drunk customers got a bit handsy with her, she seemed to handle them with no problem. That didn’t mean I trusted anyone around her. Quite the opposite, in fact. If I wasn’t there, I had one of the guys posted until I could return. We’d also hired additional security, not only for Reece but for all of the women at the club. Had to protect the club’s investment, right?

On Reece’s day off, we went grocery shopping. Something so mundane yet I enjoyed every second. Watching her flit from aisle to aisle brought a smile to my face. Even though the way we met wasn’t ideal, it didn’t deter me from delving into who she really was underneath.

During our many late-night talks, I’d convinced her to open up more about her family. She’d tell me stories from her childhood but then would quickly shut down as soon as she broached the subject of their accident. It was obviously still too painful for her to talk about. I’d switch the topic to that of past boyfriends, for my own torture, and she’d give me vague answers, her finger subconsciously rubbing the scar on the bridge of her nose. The desperate look in her eyes told me let it go, and I did. For the time being.

Something about Reece brought out my overprotective side, which I knew drove her crazy sometimes. She’d roll her eyes when I’d become a little more than animated trying to stress the importance of being aware of her surroundings. So in order to try and teach her a lesson, I went as far as to hide around the corner of Indulge, grabbing her when she’d come outside for some fresh air. She didn’t particularly care so much for that little stunt of mine, shrieking out in fright before pummeling me with her tiny fists.

“I don’t understand why the hell you won’t tell me,” I yelled, trying like hell to control my temper. But I failed. Big time. Only when Reece shrank back farther into the couch did I release a heavy breath and silently counted to ten. Tentatively approaching her, I stopped by the side of the sofa so as not to crowd her. “Sorry. I just want to get to know you, that’s all. The good and the bad.” I attempted to lighten the mood with a smile but couldn’t. My body wouldn’t allow the simple expression to form while my blood ran hot inside my veins.

“There’s nothing to tell,” she lied, pulling her knees to her chest in a protective stance. “Besides, I don’t know anything aboutyou,” she threw back at me. “You won’t even tell me your real name. Or anything about your family. Or how you came to be part of your club. I hear the other men call you ‘nomad’ every now and again. I’ve done some research. Nomad means you don’t belong to any one place.”

“Charter?”

“What?” She looked confused by my correction.

“They’re called charters.” The sofa dipped with my weight. I needed to sit for this, knowing damn well she was gonna take advantage and ask me all sorts of questions.

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