Page 46 of Trigger's Temptation

"You don’t have to say anything," he finally whispers. "Just don’t shut me out, Aerianna. I can’t." He stops himself, but I feel the tension in his jaw where it rests against my forehead. He doesn’t finish the thought. He doesn’t have to.

Because I feel it, too.

I exhale shakily, my fingers curling into his side. "I wasn’t going to walk away for good. I just needed space." The confession comes out softer than I expect.

Trigger pulls back just enough to look at me, his piercing blue eyes searching mine, like he’s looking for the cracks, the places where I might still be breaking.

"Good," he murmurs, brushing his lips against my forehead. "Because I wouldn’t let you." His grip on me tightens, creating a silent vow.

I close my eyes, willing sleep to take me before the ghosts do.

This time, when darkness comes, it’s warmer. Safer.

This time, I’m not alone.

Chapter 19

AERIANNA

Sunlight filters through the curtains, warming my skin. I stretch, feeling the solid heat of Trigger's body pressed against mine. We’re still on my couch, facing each other, my leg draped over his hip, his arms locked around me. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this safe.

“Good morning.” Trigger’s voice is husky with sleep.

“Good morning.” I cover my mouth with a yawn and snuggle closer. The feeling of being watched is creeping up again.

Trigger brushes my hair back, his fingers trailing along my temple. “How’d you sleep?”

“I haven’t slept that well in a very long time.”

Trigger lifts my right hand, turning it over to inspect the bruising across my knuckles. He presses a kiss to each one. “How’s your hand?”

“It’s better than last night. I don’t think it’s broken.” I flex my hand, taking note of the tightness. “I’ve done worse to it before. I’ll be good in a few days.”

His gaze sharpens, reading beyond my words. “We need to talk about last night.”

I groan. “Do we have to?” This is not something I want to deal with right now. I sit up and rise from the couch. Standing, I grab his t-shirt off the floor and tug it over my head before heading to the kitchen. I need coffee before I can handle this. The machine gurgles to life, filling the space with the rich scent of caffeine.

Trigger follows, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. His body is solid, warm, and unmistakably hard. “Yeah, we do. You keep shutting me out, but I can’t help if I don’t know what’s going on.”

Releasing a deep sigh, I turn in Trigger’s arms. “Let me have some coffee, and then I can tell you what has been going on.”

He cups my jaw, kissing me slowly and deeply. My breath shudders, and my heart stumbles. When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine. “Thank you.”

For a moment, we just stand there, wrapped in the quiet safety of each other. But the coffee pot clicks off, shattering the moment. I don’t want to pull away, but I have to. Trigger deserves to know everything about me, and then he can decide if I’m someone he really wants.

I pour two cups and take a seat at the table, motioning for Trigger to join me. “You’re going to want to sit down for this.” He hesitates, then sits beside me, his hand resting on my thigh. The warmth of his touch steadies me.

I add sugar to my coffee and take a sip before setting the cup down. I’m trying to hold off for as long as I can, but looking into Trigger’s piercing gaze and his hand on my thigh gives me the strength I need to continue. “Ok, here it goes.”

I take a deep breath. “I grew up in a small town in the U.P. of Michigan. One of those places where everyone knows your business before you do.” I wrap my hands around the mug, gathering my courage. “When I was a teenager, my best friend, Allison, and I were inseparable. We did everything together. Then, after we graduated high school, she started to pull awayfrom me. I thought it was our friendship changing, but that wasn’t the case. She met a guy who promised her the world.”

Trigger stays silent, his thumb rubbing slow circles against my leg, grounding me.

“One night, we were at a bonfire where a bunch of our high school friends were partying. I left because I was tired and had to get up early the next day to go to work. Allison didn’t want to leave. She told me herfriendwas meeting her there, and they were going to hang out. I didn’t want to leave her, but she told me to go.” I swallow hard, the words tasting like ash. “She told me that everything was fine.”

“So, I left and went home. I got a phone call in the middle of the night, and it was Allison, begging me to forgive her and saying she was so sorry she didn’t listen to me. Then there was an ear-piercing scream before the call was cut off.” I blink back the sting in my eyes. “I called my uncle, who is the sheriff in our town, and together we went back to where my phone said Allison was. Well, when we got there, no one was around. We found a blood trail and Allison’s phone. That was the last time I spoke to her.” The silence stretches between us as I stare at my hands, wishing I could wipe them clean of the past.

“I started my own investigation after the town gave up on Allison.” My voice turns hard. “Once I hacked into Allison’s phone, I found the man she was supposed to meet up with living in Detroit. When I found him, he was dead. An OD. I became a beat cop in the Motor City for four years. That’s when I met Rauel. A teenager who knew about Allison, about the Black Market Railroad.” My breath hitches. “I thought I was close. I thought I had a lead. When things started falling into place and I thought I would find her, shit hit the fan.”

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