Page 23 of Trigger

“Fuck all the way off,” Chase growled.

Trigger sighed and pressed a hand to my lower back, leading me to the bed. Once I was settled in my spot in the middle, he slid in beside me, tugging me close to him. I looked up at him as Chase made his way to his desk and began to clean it agitatedly.

“Will you tell me what the fuck is going on now?” I finally demanded, getting frustrated. Chase was acting more irate than usual. They’d showered together, so why hadn’t they worked out whatever was going on?

Trigger sighed. “Johnston is putting me in charge of retaliation, and your man is being an asshole about it. Doesn’t want me to go.”

My heart froze in my chest, and ice slid through my veins. Now I understood why Chase was so angry. What if Trigger got hurt—or worse, killed?

The mere thought ofbothof my men enduring something so horrific made me dizzy and sick to my stomach.

“You could get killed,” Chase muttered.

Trigger sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. “I’ve done a lot more dangerous shit, Chase—like rescuing your assalone. Cut me some slack and have some fucking faith in me, yeah?”

“He’s not wrong though,” I said, looking up at Trigger, my voice sounding small to my own ears. I hated it. I wanted to be strong like them, but how the fuck was I supposed to be strong when I could lose him? Had almost lost Chase to those assholes? “Something could happen to you. They have to know the club will come for them, right?”

“Which is why I’m pulling Blayke, Dom, and Law down here,” Trigger said, his voice placating—like he was trying to soothe me. It wasn’t working all that well. “We’ll form a plan and build a team. We’re not going in blind. We’re being smart about this.”

I rested my palm over his steadily beating heart. “What if something happens to you?” I tentatively asked. I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat and stared at Trigger’s chest. At where my hand was resting over his steadily-beating heart. “It was hard enough thinking Chase might be dead. That…” Pain lanced through my chest, stealing my breath. I couldn’t finish my sentence. Because that pain was still all too alive and real inside my chest.

“If he dies, cupcake, I will bring him back from the dead just to kill him myself,” Chase swore, his voice a mere growl.

Trigger grunted. “Why don’t you lay your ass down and take a nap?” he asked Chase. “You’re tired and in pain. You pushed yourself way too damn hard this morning.”

“Again, fuck?—”

“I’m going to fuck you and bring you to goddamn heel if you don’t justlay your fucking ass down,” Trigger growled, hisvoice hardening. All the warmth bled from his voice, making me shiver. He tightened his arms around me and arched a brow at Chase.

“I’m not a dog,” Chase snarled at him. I closed my eyes. I hated seeing them fight, but I knew this had to happen. If Chase didn’t release all his anger and frustration over the situation, he’d explode.

And that was even worse than what was happening now. When Chase exploded, he became destructive.

“Then stop acting like a little bitch,” Trigger snapped. He jabbed a finger into the mattress behind me. “Bed. Now, Chase, or so help me, God?—”

Chase threw a pencil at him. Trigger moved his head just in time to keep himself from being stabbed in the eye. But then, I felt the bed dip behind me. Trigger smiled at him as if they hadn’t just been at each other’s throats and Chase hadn’t just damn near taken his eye out.

“See? Was that so hard, princess?” Trigger taunted.

“I hate you,” Chase growled, but there was no real heat to his words. He just sounded tired and in pain. Rolling over in Trigger’s arms, I reached for Chase. He wiggled closer before his arms banded around me as well, his chin resting on top of my head. I burrowed my face into his chest, inhaling the scent that was purely him—all man, mahogany teak soap, andhim. Allhim.

“You need to rest,” Trigger said softly, his arm sliding over me to rest on Chase’s hip. “That’s all I’m asking for, baby. Just rest.”

Chase nodded. “Okay,” he said simply.

I shivered when I felt Trigger lean over me so he could kiss Chase. Chase’s arms tightened around me, and before long, his breathing was evening out. I pressed a kiss to his bare chest and snuggled closer, letting my own eyelids fall shut. When Triggerbegan running his fingers through my hair, it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep, too.

18

Chase

Ilifted the blunt to my lips, inhaling deeply and letting the smoke settle in my lungs for a moment before I slowly blew it out. I’d woken up two hours ago and hadn’t been able to sleep, my mind running a million miles a minute, worrying about Trigger going out there, more than likely going radio silent, and not knowing if he was going to make it home alive… if it at all.

I didn’t fucking like this shitat all. I’d felt like I was crawling out of my damn skin as I laid there in bed listening to Trigger and Sophia sleep, so I’d finally rolled out of bed and come out here, sitting my ass on the picnic table and slowly smoking while I waited on the rest of the world to wake up.

My hand twitched for my gun when motorcycles rode up to the gate. Squinting to see better, I gripped the handle of my pistol and clicked the safety off. But when the gate rolled back to reveal Blayke, I relaxed. Of course, he was the only one besides us who would have a key—well, besides Johnston.

The door behind me opened as they rode onto the lot, Lawson stopping long enough to close and lock the gate back behind him. Trigger’s woodsy scent infiltrated my nostrils, and some of the tension bled from my shoulders. Clicking the safety back on, I set the weapon aside and lifted the blunt to my lips again, not turning to look at him, even when he rested his large hand on my bruised shoulder.

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