Page 56 of Rise In Arms

I step out of the shower and dry myself off. It’s funny how things turn out—it was only this morning that I wanted to run, flee the place. Now I’m in Trigger’s room, craving for him to take me.

I look at my reflection in the mirror, not recognizing myself. Who is this confident girl looking back at me? When I’m around Trigger, he makes me feel wild and free, and maybe, just maybe, there is a future for me and my baby. My hand travels over my stomach; could I stay here? Bring a child up here? And would Trigger even want to be a father to this baby? Blake certainly didn’t, and it was his. I don’t know where Trigger and I are heading but he’s starting to mean a lot to me. The thought of leaving here and heading back home without him is something I can’t even imagine. Right now, I feel safe, and part of something that I can’t explain.

I don’t know what will happen if Blake turns up here to take me home. I just hope Trigger and the other bikers can keep him away, and somehow force him to leave me alone. “Trigger,” I whisper to my reflection, then “Kane.” Where did you come from? And how did I get so lucky? My best friend’s brother, the same brother that Hazel raved about, saying how he was a great guy, and that he was the reason for her being where she is today.

One night when we were having a deep and meaningful, she told me all about her childhood and the abuse she suffered under the care of her junkie of a mom. Her father had gone to jail when Hazel was young, and the only one looking out for her was Trigger. It explains his overprotectiveness, and how he puts others before himself.

Hearing a knock on the door, I tighten the towel I have wrapped around me and creep quietly over to the bedroom door. Another knock. “Who is it?” I ask, my voice trembling a touch with a mix of nerves and fear over who might be on the other side. Trigger wouldn’t be knocking on his own door, surely?

There’s no answer, just another rapid knock. Do I let them in? Slowly I reach out and unlock the door, opening it only a crack so I can see who’s there, but as soon as I can make out any kind of shape the door is slammed open, causing me to fall flat on my butt, my towel falling wide open. I look up, and my eyes widen when I see it’s Honey standing in the doorway, hands on her hips.

I quickly cover myself with the towel again, shouting, “What the hell!” I get up from the floor as quickly as I can, but before I can steady myself, she lunges at me and throws me onto the bed, clawing at my face, her long red nails digging into my cheeks. Then Honey holds my face still with one hand and uses her other to smack my cheek hard enough it brings tears to my eyes. Heat rises on my skin, and I cry out at the sharp pain when she hits me again, this time using her fist.

Rage fills me, so just like I learned from Blake, when he was teaching me self-defense, I push my thumbs into her eyeballs with all the strength I can muster. She cries out and falls back on the bed, covering her eyes with her hands and rubbing at them. Without hesitation, I straddle her hips and hit her in return, pulling at her hair and yelling, “You whore,” at the same time.

She opens her eyes—now red-rimmed and narrowed in her fury—and puts her palm under my chin and pushes, forcing my head to snap back hard. “You fucking bitch,” she growls through clenched teeth. “Who do you think you are, coming here and taking my man. He’s mine, and don’t you ever forget it.”

I grip her wrists, trying to pull her arms away so I can escape, but she’s strong. I’m about to fall backward onto the floor when a loud voice yells, “What the fuck!” Strong hands grab me under my arms, lifting me and dragging me off Honey and the bed. I turn to look behind me, and sigh in relief when I see it’s Trigger. My towel is barely hanging on right now and I’m not in the mood to be showing off skin to random bikers.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Trigger demands, his eyes focused on Honey, who’s sitting up now and adjusting her clothing. Her hot-pink top, which is now ripped, reveals her bare breast, and her blonde hair is in a tangled mess.

Right then, Bear comes storming in with a couple of other bikers, along with Hazel, Jasmine, and Luisa. Great, just what I need, a whole show.

“Baby,” Honey says, getting up off the bed. “She’s nothing, get rid of her.”

I look up at Trigger to catch his reaction. His eyes widen and his jaw ticks. “You,” he growls and points to her, at the same time holding me close to his chest with one hand. “I want you to get the fuck out of here and don’t ever come back.”

“But…. But… Trigger…. I love you.”

“Love me?” he repeats, as if something sour is in his mouth. “You wouldn’t fucking know what the word means.”

I look over at Honey, who now has tears in her eyes, and have to admit to feeling a little sorry for her. Who wouldn’t love Trigger? He’s sweet, gorgeous, and protective—and hot as hell.

Honey walks hesitantly toward us, her face pleading with him as much as her words. “Please, Trigger. We could be good together.”

His eyes narrow on her and his arms release me. He stalks up to her, and I swallow hard; his anger is visible. “You are gonna get the fuck out of here and never return. You got that, Honey?”

Honey doesn’t say anything, instead she casts her eyes to the floor, and then looks over at me. “You better watch yourself, bitch” is all she says, then moves to leave the room, but not before bumping her shoulder into mine. I don’t say anything, just keep my eyes focused on the ground, unsure how to handle this situation. What would I do if I was in Honey’s position? In love with Trigger, then some new girl comes into the picture and steals his attention away. The whole thing makes me feel sad.

“Are you okay?” I hear a soft voice ask, and when I turn I see Jasmine looking at me with concern. Her gaze travels along my face, and she tilts it so it catches the light. “Here, you’re bleeding, let’s get you cleaned up.”

Now that’s she mentioned it, I do feel wetness on my cheek, probably where Honey scratched my face. I look at her and nod my head. “That would be nice, thank you.”

“I’ll do it,” Trigger interrupts, and Jasmine’s eyes flick to his. She takes him in and must work out from his stance that he’s in no mood to be challenged. She glances back at me with a sincere look, then nods to Trigger. “Okay, I’ll let you guys be, but if you need anything, please let me know.”

“Will do,” Trigger replies, his eyes locked on me.

Jasmine turns and looks at everyone else still standing around the room. “Come on, guys, let’s give them some privacy.”

“Wait! I need to check if she’s okay,” Hazel says, and I turn to face her. Her jaw drops when my face becomes visible to her. What is it with me and getting hit?

“I’ll be okay, I promise,” I reassure her, letting her hug me tight. I’m starting to shiver, and it hits me I’m still just in my towel. Clutching the edges of it to my breasts, I look behind Hazel and notice everyone has left the room. Sighing in relief, I pull back and manage a small smile. “I’ll be fine”—I look at Trigger—“Kane will take care of me.”

Hazel turns to face her brother. “Are there any other whores we can expect at your bedroom door anytime soon?” She’s clearly pissed, her anger directed right at Trigger. I know I should be angry at him as well but I’m not in the mood to be fighting. I’ve had my share of outbursts and I’m not up for another.

I place a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down. “It’s okay, Hazel. I’ll be fine.”

“Fine?” she spits. “Ever since we’ve got here, things haven’t been fine. I’m so sorry to have brought you here, Charity. I thought it was somewhere safe, and where you and I could be protected, but ever since we got here it’s been anything but.”

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