Page 20 of Trigger

“Sit,” Trigger growled, pulling my chair out for me.

I was hurting too much to protest or say anything about him bossing me around. Instead, I just grabbed the arms of the chair and slowly lowered myself, gritting my teeth against the pain. Once I was seated in the plush leather, I sagged, sweat beading on my brow.

Christ. Healing couldn’t happen fast enough.

Sophia slipped into the chapel and set a cup of coffee in front of me. Cupping my cheek, she leaned in and softly kissed me, letting her lips linger a moment before she slipped out as silently as she’d walked in. Usually, she just delivered my coffee and disappeared again, but I knew she was still torn up inside and needed to reassure herself every chance she got that I was here with her. That I was alive. That I wasbreathing.

Trigger eased my chair closer to the table, and then, instead of sitting down, he stayed standing behind my chair, his hands lingering on my shoulders. Everyone was watching us, but no one said a word—not that I expected them to. I was sure there were some questions about mine and Trigger’s closeness, but they’d never voice them.

We were family, and sexuality didn’t make or break this family. I knew my brothers would roll with the flow, whatever that happened to be.

“It’s good to have you back home, brother,” Elias said, breaking the silence. “And whoever did this to you will fucking pay.”

A round of agreements sounded around the table. Scorpion cleared his throat, bringing the room back to attention. He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together in front of him. “Chase was kidnapped and tortured because the Russians couldn’t get their hands on Aaliyah,” he began. “I imagine they grew impatient and took whatever was easiest to them. Chase was alone, which made him vulnerable.”

“No one rides alone,” I said, looking at everyone sitting at the table. I didn’t give a fuck how Scorpion felt about my order. If this could happen to me, it could happen to any of them. And I wouldn’t stand for it. “I fucking mean it. You ride with a partner. I don’t give a fuck if you’re on the bike or in a cage.”

Grunts of understanding rang around the table. Trigger gently squeezed my sore shoulders, and when I turned my head to look at him, he was already looking down at me, pride gleaming in his eyes. My chest loosened. I hadn’t even realized it’d been tight with anxiety.

“They’re getting impatient for our territory,” Scorpion continued. He looked at Trigger. “Johnston wants you to organize a plan of retaliation. He said the mother charter members are at your disposal.”

Halo wrinkled his nose. “What a fucking choice of words.”

I snorted, then winced. Christ, my throat still hurt. Reaching forward, I grabbed my coffee and took a sip, letting the warm liquid soothe my throat some.

“And he wants you at the head of this,” Scorpion continued, ignoring Halo.

Immediately, my hackles rose. I leaned forward, jabbing my finger into the table as I glared at Scorpion. “No. Fuck no,” I snarled. One of the guys coughed in surprise. It was rare I went against Scorpion and Johnston on anything. But I wasn’t letting this happen without giving a fight. “Are you fucking blind or something? Look at me.This,” I waved my hand over my body, “isnothappening to him.”

Scorpion sighed, understanding burning in his gaze, but I knew his hands were tied. “Not my orders, Chase.”

My hands curled into fists. “Then put that asshole on the fucking phone.”

“Chase…” Trigger said quietly, his voice hard. I rolled my jaw around before looking up at him, my eyes narrowed.

“I’m not backing down on this,” I growled at him. “Stand the fuck down.” He might not be in the Texas charter, but I still outranked him. And I wasn’t afraid to pull rank on him—partner or not.

He arched a brow at me, then spun my chair around and gripped the armrests, leaning into me until our breaths mingled together and his nose was just a hairsbreadth from mine. “Wanna pull rank?” he asked, his voice eerily calm. “Because I’ll call Johnston for you, and he can pull rank over all of us.” I sneered at him, my fingers curling into fists on my lap. “He’s tasking me with this because he knows I can handle this, Chase. It’d be nice if you could have the same faith in me.”

“I do,” I snapped at him. “But they don’t fucking play fair, Trigger. And I won’t have you?—”

He sealed his mouth over mine, effectively shutting me up. The kiss didn’t last long, but it was still hard and brutal enough to have my chapped lips bleeding and my mind emptying of everything but how his mouth felt against mine. Which meant the fight drained out of me.

Asshole.

“I’m doing this,” he murmured against my lips. I opened my eyes to glare at him. “And not because Johnston wants me to. I’m doing this because they touched what’s fuckingmine,” he snarled. Leaning up, he spun my chair back around, then nodded at Scorpion as his hands settled back over my shoulders. Scorpion was frowning at me, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

My dick was hard, and I was angry at Trigger for doing this, even if I knew, if I were in his shoes, I’d do the same goddamn thing.Haddone the same thing for Sophia.

“I’m going to call in Dom, Lawson, and Blayke,” Trigger began, ignoring my simmering rage. Tango caught my eye, and he frowned, glancing between the two of us, more than likely trying to figure out what the hell was happening. But I knew he wouldn’t ask.

If anyone sitting at that table understood fucked-up love, it was Tango. He had fallen for the enemy’s son, after all. Gabriel was the son of the president of a rival club that had sided withthe Russians. He’d helped break into Sophia’s store and break into numerous other businesses we were in charge of security for. Didn’t matter that the boy had been forced to. Had it not been for Tango, Gabriel would’ve been dead.

“I want to wait until they get here to set a plan in stone. Blayke is damn good at forming plans—even better than I am. I want his input on this,” Trigger continued.

Scorpion nodded. “If you need any of us sitting at this table, just say the word.” With that, he slammed his gavel on the table and stood to his feet. I shoved back from the table hard, slamming my chair back into Trigger. He grunted, frowning at me as I stood to my feet, throwing him a glare when he reached forward to help me.

He sighed like I was being ridiculous. And maybe I was. But I was pissed at him for agreeing to this bullshit. I wanted himhere. With me and Sophia. Not out there risking his life just to get revenge.

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