Page 30 of Trigger

“Whywould I be with her then?”

“Thereare many reasons two people stay together,” I said thoughtfully. “Friendship.Companionship. Security. Boredom.”

“Well,you’re wrong. I am in love with Vic.”

“Ifyou say so.”

“Whatabout you?” he countered, rolling onto his side to face me. “Have you ever beenin love?”

Ishook my head. “Nah. Never have been.”

“Howcome?”

“Dunno.I had a few flings, but I never felt something deeper. It was mostly justcasual fun.”

Hemade a face. “Just spare me the details, yeah? There is such a thing as toomuch information.”

Ilaughed. “Like what? My favorite sex position? The size of my dick?”

Doggy.Gargantuan.

“Hardpass. Change the subject.”

“Itwould be easier to show than to describe, partner. That’s all I’m saying.”

I wasjoking, but all that sex talk made my dick stir in a bad, bad way. His bodylying close to mine wasn’t helping, or his cologne that I could smell on himdespite the stench of earth and mold around us. Or the fact that the one thingwe could do down here, for a lack of better alternative, was fuck. Sure, he wasstraight and taken, but we were about to die in this shithole. It would be likethe last meal for a death row inmate sans food since we didn’t have any.

“Doyou think you’ll ever get married?” Carter said, bringing me back from thegutter my mind sank to.

Ithought about it and shrugged. “If I meet the right person, sure. I can seemyself sitting in front of the TV with kids running around. What about you?Getting hitched anytime soon?”

“Vicand I discussed it, but we decided to wait.”

“Whodid?”

Heblinked in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Oneof you made that decision, and the other one agreed to it.”

“Idon’t know. Maybe I decided. I can’t remember.”

“Ha!”I exclaimed with a victorious smile. “I knew it.”

“Vicwasn’t ready, either.” Carter argued. “She said we should wait until I get a…erm… a promotion.”

“Ah, Isee. Good, old Vic is waiting for you to become a lieutenant. Or a chief ofpolice, even. Hell, maybe even something more?”

“Itsounds bad when you say it.”

Ichuckled. “Well, you said it first.”

“There’snothing wrong with being ambitious.”

“Yeah,but you’re not an ambitious guy, Carter. You just like your job. You hate it,but you also love it. It drives you. It makes you feel like a better person. Ithelps you wake up in the morning, and it makes the thought of a pension alittle less terrible. You’re not the type of guy who needs medals andpromotions. You just want to be able to sleep at night feeling as if youdeserved it. Am I right?”

Hedidn’t answer, but his stunned expression answered for him.

Chapter 7

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