Page 18 of Always and Forever

I smile. “Yeah, some honeymoon. I promised her that when this shit settles down, I’m taking her away.”

He nods. “She deserves it, Prez. That girl is special, and you make sure you take care of her.” His gaze narrows on me when he says that, and I feel anger burn within me.

“Watch your mouth, brother,” I snarl. “Her safety is my responsibility. I know you may have taken on the role back when we had trouble with my old man and Jess, but now she’s my wife, and my woman. You got me, brother? Or have we got a problem?” I inch closer to him.

He places his palms up. “Hey, brother, I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“You better hope you didn’t,” I spit.

“I came out here to talk to you.” He’s smart to change the topic of conversation. I arch a brow at him. “Well, spit it out.”

Trigger’s hair is styled with product; he’s always been a pretty boy. Lately he’s added a piercing to his eyebrow, and a tattoo on the side of his neck, but it’s in some other language, so I can’t make it out.

“I need to leave the club for a while, visit my sister back in Chicago.”

“Your sister? How come this is the first I’m hearing about your sister,” I reply, tucking my hands inside my jean pockets.

Trigger runs his hands through his hair then places them on his hips. “I never brought her up because she’s in college where she belongs. She’s studying to become a doctor, smart as shit.”

“So what’s the problem? Why you gotta leave?”

He begins to kick the dirt, then he looks at me, his green eyes holding something in them I can’t make out.

“I just gotta go. Haven’t seen my kid sister in a couple of years, and I figured it was time I pay her a visit.”

I rub my thumb over my bottom lip, thinking back to how Hawke and I met Trigger. We were drinking at Rubix one night when Trigger walked in with Bear, his best friend. He had a cut face and a swollen eye. He ordered a beer at the bar, and was talking to Mike about some MMA fight. Mike’s our Manager at Rubix, and we go way back. We served together in the Marines, and when he was discharged he came to me for work, and I was more than happy to get him to manage our bar. I learnt that night that Mike had been to a few of Trigger’s fights, and that Trigger was an excellent fighter. Even with all the cuts on his face he was a pretty-boy.

That night Hawke and I tried to handle a drunk man who’d had a few too many. We struggled a little, the man was huge, built like a damn tank. Before we knew it, the guy pulled a knife out of the waistband of his jeans, but before he could slice me with it, Trigger stepped in from behind him. He twisted his arm up, and knocked the blade out of his hand. That’s when I knew this man would be loyal. He belonged with us in our brotherhood.

And that’s pretty much where our story began. He knew all about our club, and wanted in. Till this day I still don’t know how he gave up his MMA life for a biker club, but I don’t ask—it’s not my place to. Something tells me he didn’t have much of a family growing up, and finding us is like he’s home again.

“You sure it ain’t anything else? Something you’re not telling me?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “Nah, Prez, just figured it was time.”

I tap his shoulder. “Okay then, but right now I need you at the club. We need all brothers here, you got me?” He nods his head. “With shit happening with Santana, we stick together. I have no idea what he has planned.”

“Sure, Prez.”

“Once lockdown is through, you take that time to visit your kid sister.”

Trigger smirks but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Sure, Prez. I’ll wait till shit has calmed down.”

“Did you want me to send for her? You worried about her safety?”

“Nah, it’s nothing like that, she’s good.”

“Well, all right then, let’s go in and have a drink.”

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