Page 60 of Tripp

Selfishness.

Drugs.

That’s what’s wrong with her.

The baby started crying, all of the commotion happening around him finally tipping him over the edge. Sully held him close, whispering something to him while rocking him back and forth. He seemed to have calmed in her arms, and while I didn’t want to take him from her, he had to go back to his mother. I used that term loosely because I could already predict what kind of life this poor kid would have—a mother chasing whatever high she craved, caring only for herself and putting her kid second.

When I turned around to reach for the baby, Rachel made her move. She jumped back into her car and kicked over the engine.

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare,” I shouted, racing toward the car as she hauled ass in reverse. “Rachel!” I yelled. “Get back here!” The bald tires squealed as she whipped the car around and took off, kicking up rocks and dust in her haste to escape.

What the fuck just happened?

Reece

Staring into the mirror, I tried to get a handle on everything that’d just happened outside. Some woman showing up claiming Tripp was the father of her baby. What the hell? I knew the other shoe was gonna drop, so why was I surprised? Because for once in my dreaded life I thought I’d finally get my happily ever after.

Did he know she was pregnant when he left her? He told me briefly about their relationship and how she’d cheated on him. Tripp never seemed torn up about it, though, telling me he never really loved her, although he may have thought so at the time.

What if the baby if his? What will I do? Continue our relationship, or allow him to try and work it out with her in an effort to give his sudden family a chance? I guess I won’t find out until I leave the bathroom I’ve been holed up in for the past ten minutes.

Slowly turning the handle, I reentered the common space inside the club. Kena and Braylen, who I’d met earlier that day, were standing close together in the far corner. Kena’s hands were going a mile a minute, her sister trying her best to interrupt her at every turn. Tripp had told me about Kena’s condition soon after I’d met her, explaining that she wasn’t deaf but that she simply couldn’t speak.

I needed to see Tripp, to talk to him and try to figure out where we stood. Before I reached the door, it flung open and a crowd of people barreled inside. As soon as Tripp saw me he rushed forward and pulled me into a hug. His embrace was strong, borderline suffocating, but I relished the feel of his arms around me.

“I’m so sorry, Reece. I had no idea. I never expected to see her ever again.” He stroked my back in reassurance, but all I wanted was answers. I pulled away from him so I could look into his eyes when I asked my question.

“Is it true, then?” I held my breath until he answered, which thankfully didn’t take but a millisecond.

“No. The kid is too young to be mine. I have no idea what the hell she was thinking.” He vigorously shook his head. “That’s a lie. Yes I do. She’s so far gone she actually thought I’d buy into her bullshit. Hell, she was high when she came here.”

Looking around the room I saw the baby, but no Rachel. “Where is she?”

“She took off.” He raked his fingers through his dark hair. “She fuckin’ took off and left her kid here. And now I gotta deal with it.”

I parted my lips to tell him I would help him when he squeezed my hand before walking toward Sully, who’d been coddling the infant.

I walked behind him and stood next to Adelaide, who was on the other side of Sully. I felt so out of place, but I didn’t want to add to Tripp’s stress by letting him know as much.

“He’s adorable,” I said, reaching over to touch his tiny hand. He had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen on a baby, although to be honest I hadn’t seen many infants up close.

“He sure is,” Sully whispered, nuzzling him close when he started to fuss.

“What the hell am I gonna do with a baby?” Tripp asked no one in particular. I gave him his space, continuing to stand next to Adelaide and Sully while he tried to work it out. I searched the rest of the room and saw Kena next to Jagger. They looked content, although she still looked frustrated, something definitely weighing heavy on her mind. She smiled at her man, but worry halted the expression from reaching her eyes. Next I saw Braylen standing next to Ryder, his arm slung over her shoulder while she rested her head on his chest. They were silent, watching everything unfold in front of them.

“Can you take him? Until I find Rachel?”

“Who the hell are you talkin’ to?” Stone asked, looking over his shoulder as if there were someone standing behind him Tripp had been speaking to.

“Come on, brother. You already have one. How hard is it to take care of another one?”

“Are you kiddin’ me right now? You have no idea how hard it is to raise a kid. I love my daughter more than life itself, but she requires constant attention. We hardly get any sleep, and forget about sex. No, we can’t do it. You’re gonna have to take him until you find that bitch. We just can’t take care of two kids,” Stone argued.

“Well, you better get used to it, sweetheart,” Adelaide yelled over her shoulder, turning her attention back to Sully and the infant. “And that bullshit about no sex is a lie. How else did I get pregnant again?” She smiled, waiting for realization to dawn on her soon-to-be husband.

Tripp

“Come on, Addy. I don’t wanna hear that shit,” Trigger yelled from across the room. He was behind the bar serving some of the guys a drink. That was gonna be my next stop for sure. I could definitely use a stiff one.

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