Page 10 of Trevor

The auction had been one that his parents went to every month.It was the first Saturday, and he was excited to be able to find things for his own home this time.There were several pieces that—she bumped into him hard and he turned to see what was the matter.

“That’s Peabody over there, I think.”He looked, happy for the heads up about the man.“He’s going to cause trouble if I don’t miss my bet.I wouldn’t engage with him if you can help it.My grandda said that he has been trouble since he was a child.I don’t think he’s going to be happy with me either since they put the charge through on his credit card today for having me hang around the other place for him.”

“I’ll protect you.”She snorted and asked him if she looked like she needed protecting from a blowhard like him.“Good point.Then you protect me.I’m delicate.”

She snorted again, and he threw back his head in mirth.He was having a good time, and they’d not even started bidding yet.But they did keep their distance from Peabody.There was no point in ruining everyone’s fun for the man.

Since this was indoors, there was no reason for coats.It wasn’t all that warm inside even, but with all the people and excitement it was comfortable.And there were lots of household items too, things that he didn’t have in his house like pictures on the walls—there were a lot of pictures and paintings there.Some tools that he thought would come in handy if he needed them for a leak orsomething.There were also things like a computer desk that looked similar to the filing cabinet that he had.Lots of little things that he wanted to pick out for his home.He hoped that he could convince Henrie to help him with that as well.

He didn’t know why he was pursuing her.He liked her all right.She was beautiful and strong-willed.Today she was wearing a pair of leggings that showed off every muscle in her body along with the curve of her ass.But she was standoffish.Like she’d rather be anywhere but with him.That didn’t bother her either, as he was enjoying her honesty about being around him.Sometimes, it hurt, but for the most part, he laughed at her.

He saw her standing with his mom and wondered what they were up to.Then he saw the box of teacups in front of her, and they were talking about them.Mom used to collect teacups and saucers but she’d gotten tired of them taking up all the room she had them in and had sold them off.Someone had gotten quite a collection, he remembered, and his mom was happy with the room again.He thought that she had been gathering snowmen now.Not large ones, but some that, at the most, about as big as his hand.He noticed, too, that there was a box of those nearby as well.He came up behind them just as Peabody noticed that he was there.

“There you are.You gotta sell me one of those bedroom sets for you stealing them from me.”He told the man no and felt the tension in Henrie as soon as he looked at her.“I gotta beef with you too.Your boss, he charged me for you sitting around on your ass at the auction yesterday morning when you helped him win all those rooms of furniture.I’m going to dispute the charge and we’ll see what that gets that company.”

“Yeah?Well, good luck with that.He also sent in the paperwork that you signed, stating that you were going to pay the money if you won anything or not.Also, I have it on good authority that it about overcharged your card that you left on file to pay for the privilege of having me around.”He asked her why she thought it was a privilege.“Because without me there, you might well have won some of it.Then what would you have done with the furniture since I wasn’t going to drag it out to the rig?”

“That’s not right.”She shrugged, and he looked at him.“You owe me at least one of the bedroom sets.I got a daughter moving back in with me and I need the extra beds.”

“I don’t care.”He looked like he was going to hit him, with his fist doubled up and his arm tight.“I’d think very hard on your next move, Peabody.I’m not a little person, and I won’t allow you to hurt or bully me.I’m a grown man about half your age and your weight.Don’t mess with me.”

“You think you’re all that, do you?I’ll have you know that I’ve had men like you hurting in ways that they never bothered me again.”Trevor just stared at him and was glad when his dad and Barton showed up behind Peabody.

Trevor took a step back, but he didn’t back down.Asking his mom and Henrie to please move away from him, he nearly took his eyes off of Peabody when they did.It was the move without argument that surprised him the most.

“Mr.Peabody, you might want to have a look around you before you do something that your bottom can’t cover.My oldest is here, and he’s got all kinds of people around him to protect his family.You make a wrong move and I’m sure that they’ll have no trouble running you in for threatening this family.Again.”Dad turned Peabody around so that he was facing him.“Don’t do it.I’d hate very much for this place to become a crime scene.I love coming here with my family.”

“You Strongs.You’re all a bunch of pussies, as far as I can see.Standing behind some kind of hit squad when all I wanted to do was to have a conversation with your son here.He robbed me of some things the other day, and he should be made to pay up.You, being his father, you should know that he took advantage of a situation because he has more money than I do.”Dad asked him what he was saying.“I could have had all that stuff if he wasn’t rich.He should have given someone else a chance to get some of the goods.It’s not fair that he can flaunt around his money when people are around.”

“Are you saying that you’re harassing my son and his girlfriend because he has more money than you do?That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”Dad laughed, a short bark of laughter thatdidn’t sound like he found anything funny.“There are a lot of people that have more money than we do.You don’t see us complaining and causing trouble with them, do you?Get out of here before I use some of my considerable money and have you arrested.I will, too.Get away from us before…just get away before you bite off more than you can chew.”

“I can chew plenty, so you know.”Trevor was as confused as his dad looked.“Just leave me alone, the lot of you.Rich people like you shouldn’t be allowed to mingle with people like us.”

Whatever that meant, Trevor was all right with it.It made Peabody leave them alone and to walk away to the door.He hoped that he’d leave, but he had a feeling that he was going to regroup and come at them again.The bastard had taken a little fun out of his day, and he didn’t—

The slap to his face startled him.Mom and Dad walked away with his brothers, but Henrie stayed.He asked her why she’d hit him.Before he allowed her to answer him, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the mouth.When he set her back from him, he thought that she was going to kill him where he stood.

“He had a gun.”His lust-filled mind couldn’t understand what she was talking about.When she drew back to hit him again, no doubt, he grabbed her fist this time and kissed it before putting it down at her side.“He was fingering his gun like he was going to shoot you with it.Didn’t you see it?”

“No, I didn’t.”He waved at Jenson, and he came to him immediately.“Henrie said that Peabody has a gun on him.There is clearly a sign on the front door not to be having weapons on you when coming through the doors.”Jenson told him that he’d take care of it and walked away.Trevor looked at Henrie.“I’m sorry.”

“For what?For scaring ten years off my life?For fucking around with an unstable man?Or is it for not correcting your father when he called me your girlfriend?Any or all of those pissed me off.”He asked her if she would be his girlfriend.“No, I would not.You’re not right in the head.You needlessly provoked that man, and it was stupid of you.”

“I didn’t know that he had a gun, not that that should make a difference.You’re right.I shouldn’t have provoked him into getting pissed off.I’m sorry.”She still looked upset, and he ran his fingers down her cheek.“Your skin is just as soft as I thought it would be.And your lips taste like honey to me.Did you use something on them to lure me in to kiss you?I’ll do it again if you don’t mind.”

“I do mind, you idiot.”She turned on her heel and left him standing there.Just as he was thinking about how much fun it was to piss her off, he heard a gunshot.It was all he could do not to run into the scene when he counted the heads of his family and couldn’t find Henrie.

Walking slowly, telling himself that she was going to be just fine; he was just coming to the woman down when Jade screamed at someone to call an ambulance.It was Henrie.She was done, and for the life of him he couldn’t get his mind and body to work to see if she was all right.

“Trevor.Are you listening to me?”He nodded about all he could do now that things had started to come clear to him.“Trevor Strong.Look at me.Look.I’m fine.”

Getting down on his knees, he took Henrie’s hand into his.She must have said to him that she was fine another five times before Jade knocked him over.She told him that he was in the way and that they’d be able to get her to the hospital if he were to allow her to examine her.

“Yes, all right.”He didn’t let go of Henrie’s hand but held it tightly in his own while Jade barked orders to the people around them.When his dad, he knew it was him by the heavy weight of his hands on his shoulders touched him, Trevor told his dad that Henrie was all right.“She’s been shot, but Jade said she’s going to be fine.”

He hoped so.With all his heart, he hoped so.Even though she was talking to Jade and him, the pool of blood beneath her spread out.Once it touched his knees, he had to work hard at not freaking out.Then she told him that he needed to call her grandparents.

Chapter 4

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