Page 13 of Not A Whisper

Trip stares at me. His dark eyes search my face for something. I don’t look away. Whatever he’s looking for, he can take all the time in the world to find it. After a moment, his gaze shifts toward the crowded bar.

“Things are… rough at the shop lately. I’m doing the best I can to keep it going.”

I stop caressing his erection. “What? Really? Is business just slow or is it something else?”

“If you stop stroking me, I won’t tell you shit.” His eyes land back on my face. “I want to play, dollface, so keep going.”

Play? Again? Oh boy. My thighs squeeze together at the thought of being taken by him again. My butt is sore, but he’s dealt worse blows. At least I can sit without wincing. I grip his dick hard, causing him to grunt then continue the gentle back and forth motion.

“You know my dad and Garry were friends, right?”

I nod.

“That hasn’t been the case for over a decade or so now, but still, my father is stuck working for Garry, no matter how much he hates the bastard.”

“How? Doesn’t Carlos own his company?”

“Yeah, well Garry lent him the money to start it up with the expectation that he would be Carlos’s top priority for everything. Not just on the ranch, but on any business venture Garry would need repairs or carpentry work for. Dad agreed to the stipulation and Garry took advantage of the new partnership.” Trip tips his head back, his eyelids sliding downward—stopping halfway as he regards me.

I squeeze his dick as encouragement.

“Dad paid him back just as they broke apart. Without the constant payments, he thought he was free of Garry. And he was for a few months, until the work calls stopped coming in. Suddenly business came to a screeching halt, and he didn’t know why.” Trip’s voice catches as I grip him tighter. “Just as Dad was about to file for bankruptcy, Garry strolls in and says he can help him, but he’s got to be his first priority again. Dad was desperate at the time and agreed. He signed a contract without reading it.”

“Oh shit…”

“Yeahshit,” Trip agrees. “He’s been beholden to Garry ever since. The thing is, Garry doesn’t need my dad. He has his hands in pretty much every fucking pocket in Groveton including other carpentry service, he just likes the control he has over Dad. He has the power and influence to make people use, or steer clear of, our company, and he takes advantage of that power whenever he can. Lately, Garry’s been sticking his nose in Grant’s business and is coming up empty-handed. So he’s bothering my dad for answers.”

I frown. “Why would Garry go to?—”

“Because the three of us, dollface, share families. My dad is Grant’s, same way Kai, Jay’s dad, is mine. We grew up close, and we tell our folks everything. Well,” he tilts his head as he thinks about his statement. “Almosteverything. They don’t know about the money I inherited, or that we have a plan to overthrow Garry. The less they know about that, the better.”

I get that. Mrs. Gonzalez, Pianna’s mom, feels like my mom after all she’s done for me over the years. But something Trip said throws me for a loop. Confused, my hand stops moving. “Wait, I thought Grant inherited the money and was sharing it with you?”

Trip reaches down and grabs my wrist hard. “Keep. Fucking. Stroking.”

I do, immediately.

“Naw, we all got some money after the death of Uncle James.”

“Who?”

“Garry’s brother. He was a good guy, treated us right whenever we were around Garry’s ranch, which was often.” Trip sighs and squeezes his eyes shut. “So, back to the point—to get answers from my dad, and me now, Garry’s trying to run us ragged. He’s hoping we’ll start slipping up and clients will leave on their own. My crew is doing the best they can, and I’m trying to be everywhere at once to oversee everything since my dad’s still recovering from his chemo treatments. When this doesn’t work, Garry will get fed up and he’ll take away all our business.”

“Trip!” I yank my hand away and he sighs loudly. “That’s not right! What can I do to help?” My mind races. “Can we take this up with the town commissioner? Is there a board we can go plead your case to? Get Garry out of your hair that way?”

“He owns everyone here, dollface.” Trip leans forward, bracing his forearms on the table. He looks over at me and says, through clenched teeth, “Goddamn, dollface. I could cum right here, right fucking now. You look so fucking good when you’re pissed off on my behalf.”

I whack his chest with the back of my hand. “Trip, this is serious. I’m going to throttle?—”

“Who are we throttling?”

I nearly levitate out of my seat as someone flops down beside me. When I turn, it’s to stare into stunning hazel eyes set against a face with natural sun-kissed brown skin and framed with dark curls that are now long enough to almost cover them.

“Hey, dollie, you look gorgeous,” Jason greets before planting a swift kiss on my cheek.

My anger is momentarily forgotten as I practically squeal with joy. I throw my arms around his shoulders and plant a kiss on his lips. His laughter shakes through his body. When I pull away, he beams down at me.

“I’ve been missing you.” He throws an arm around my shoulders and glances over at Trip. “Thanks for texting me the details.”

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