Page 22 of Trigger's Temptation

I should've known something was off. My sister was always so stubborn and independent, never willing to listen. She never saw the signs.Shit.How deep is she in this mess? I stand up abruptly, pacing, my mind whirring with a million thoughts at once. The room feels too small, too suffocating.

“Red, what else do you know? What else have you found?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady but failing.

Red’s jaw tightens as he digs into the files he’s brought, tossing another photo on the table. This one’s an old mugshot. Jonas Mercer’s eyes stare back at me, filled with malice and indifference. It’s not just some petty criminal shit. He’s been in and out of trouble for years, each time pushing further into darker, more dangerous territory.

“He’s tied to some pretty heavy players,” Red continues, voice tight. “Drugs, extortion, the whole fucking network. But it gets worse. I’ve been following his financials, and it looks like he’s been living off Elise. He’s been using her, feeding off hertrust. She was an easy target for him. He knew exactly who she was. How to pull her in.”

A sick feeling twists in my gut. “How long has this been going on?”

“About six months now,” Red says. “But things have escalated recently. He’s gotten more involved with Lattimer’s operation. That’s probably why he’s keeping an eye on her. She’s a pawn in a bigger game.”

I can feel the anger building, rising like a fire in my chest.Elise.My little sister. How the fuck did she get wrapped up in this?

Capone speaks, his voice steady but laced with authority. “We need to find Jonas. Fast. If he’s been working with Lattimer, this shit’s bigger than we thought.”

I nod, my mind racing. “I’m going after him. I’ll make sure he talks. If he’s using Elise, he won’t walk away from this.” The words come out through clenched teeth. Every muscle in my body is wound tight with the urge to go out and find him, but I know this isn’t something I can do alone.

Capone holds up a hand. “Not alone, Trigger. We do this right. We get our ducks in a row before we go charging in.”

I shake my head. “I’m not waiting. I don’t give a shit about the plan. Not when my sister’s in danger.” The tension in the room ratchets up another notch. I can feel everyone watching me, feeling my pain, my need to move, to act. But Capone isn’t one to be ignored.

“Listen to me,” Capone says, his voice sharp. “We’ll find Jonas. We’ll hit him where it hurts. But you’re not going after him until we’re ready. Understand?”

I hold his gaze for a long moment before nodding. I can’t promise to hold back, but I can follow orders. For now.

“We need answers, and we need them now,” Capone adds, his tone still commanding. “Get the rest of the Club in motion. This ends tonight.”

I know Capone’s right, but all I can think about is Elise. Is she already in too deep? Has Jonas already done enough damage that she won’t be able to escape? My mind races, and I know there’s no turning back from this.

If it comes down to it, I’ll burn everything to the ground to protect my sister.

Tiny slams his fist onto the table, causing it to rattle. “Are you fucking kidding me? Elise is tangled with Josiah’s brother? The one who raped and tortured, Syvannah and Exleigh and kidnapped Nadia? The one who tried to kill Kensi? What the fuck is going on?” Tiny turns his attention to me. “Do you think Elise was the leak without her knowing? The two of you talk all the time. Do you think that’s why he targeted her, to keep an eye on the Club without us knowing?”

The blood drains from my face as realization dawns on me. “Where is my sister now?”

“She was in her room the last time I checked on her.” Pretty Playboy answers. I pin him with a menacing glare, and he holds his hands up. “Hey, brother, that was last night. As you saw firsthand this morning, I was too preoccupied to hit on your sister, so I didn’t check on her. I assumed she was with the ladies.”

Capone nods at Pretty Playboy, “Well, now that you aren’t preoccupied, you can go check on her and bring her here. We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.”

Pretty Playboy shoves away from the table grumbling about dickheads need to make up their minds. Stay away from her, keep her close, check on her, don’t check on her as he walks out the Church doors, slamming them behind him.

The room remains tense as the doors slam shut behind Pretty Playboy. Everyone knows things have escalated far beyond just a simple investigation. We’re in deep. Too deep to back out now.

I try to focus and push aside the feeling of dread that’s creeping in. My sister’s caught up in this mess, and now I’ve got to figure out if she’s involved in something more dangerous than I realized. The mention of Jonas Mercer, Josiah’s brother, sends a cold shiver down my spine. Everything makes sense now. Elise was always trying to shield herself from her past, but this guy, he’s connected to everything I thought I had left behind.

Capone’s voice cuts through the silence. “We can’t afford to waste time. Trigger, you need to figure out where this fucker is hiding. We can’t trust anyone right now. If your sister’s involved, we have to make sure she’s safe. If she’s been manipulated, we’ll deal with that after.”

I nod, swallowing the anger rising in my throat. This isn’t just about the Club anymore. This is about my family, my blood. If I find out Jonas has been pulling strings from behind the scenes, I’m going to make him wish he’d never crossed paths with my sister.

Tiny slams his fist on the table again, clearly agitated. “And if Elise is the leak, Trigger? What are you going to do then?”

The thought cuts through me like a knife, but I push it down.Don’t think that way. Not yet.

“I’ll deal with it,” I say through gritted teeth, knowing the weight of those words. It’s a promise I never wanted to make, but it’s one I might have to keep.

Capone stands, his eyes hard as stone. “We’ll take it one step at a time. Right now, we are focusing on Lattimer and Elise’s boyfriend. Once Pretty Playboy gets back, we’ll start gathering intel on where Lattimer might be hiding.”

As Capone gives orders, I can feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. My sister is in this mess, and she doesn’teven realize the depth of the shit she’s standing in. I have to protect her, no matter what the cost. Even if it means doing things I’ll regret later.

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