Page 49 of Trigger's Temptation

Tiny unlocks the door and opens it. Aerianna and I walk in first, followed by Capone, then Torch and Dagger, then Tiny, who closes it behind us.

The scent hits me first. The smell of copper, piss, and shit assaults my nose before the moans. The further we walk into the room, the worse the smell gets.

Once we reach the back where the two men are chained up, Aerianna sucks in a deep breath. “Shit.” She covers her mouth and nose with her palm.

“You get used to it,” Tiny says from the back of the room.

Lattimer hangs from chains, feet barely touching the floor, stripped to his boxers. His once-pristine face is a mess of blood and bruises. The man who used to wear suits worth more than my Harley is degraded to nothing but blood and piss.

I give Capone a questioning look. He shrugs his shoulders. “Grace, Exleigh, and Syvannah might have had a little too much fun with this one while we waited for you.” He kicks Lattimer in the kneecap, making him groan in protest.

Jonas stirs, rattling his chains. He’s strung up the same way, less beaten, but still a mess. He snarls, swinging as he kicks at Capone and misses.

“This one, though,” Capone grabs Jonas’s body and halts his momentum. “This one we saved for you, Aerianna. Do with him as you wish.”

Dagger hands Aerianna a pair of leather gloves. She’s hesitant to take them but does it anyway. Once she has the gloves on, a deadly smirk crosses her beautiful face.

She walks to Jonas and slaps him hard. “Do you know who I am?”

Jonas spits blood out at her feet. “Fuck you, bitch.”

Aerianna tsks like a disappointed mother. “Don’t you know it’s not nice to spit on people? Didn’t your mother teach you better?”

“Fuck off.”

“Where’s your brother?” Aerianna asks.

Jonas glares “Fuck. Off.”

Shit. I should have seen this coming. If Aerianna finds out we killed Josiah a while ago, I don’t know what she will do. I give Capone a look, and he shakes his head. Fuck. I have to tell her.

I open my mouth, but Capone's dark gaze dares me to step out of line. Shit. I run my hands through my hair. I don’t know what to do.

“Trigger, outside.” His tone leaves no room for argument.

Tiny grips my shoulder. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”

I nod. “Thanks, Tiny.”

I follow Capone outside. Once we reach the fresh air, Capone has me pinned against the concrete building with his arm against my throat.

“If you ever disobey a direct command again, I will end you.” Capone’s tone is low and deadly. “We cannot tell her right now about Josiah.”

“But…” I struggle to breathe.

Capone loosens his grip on my throat. “No but’s Trigger. You cannot tell her right now.”

“Why?” I question.

Capone releases me from the concrete wall. “You don’t get it, do you?”

I glare. “Get what?”

The silence between us is interrupted by a sharp cry coming from inside.

Capone pinches the bridge of his nose. “If you tell her now, we don’t know what she will do. Let her get the answers sheneeds, and then we can tell her. Josiah didn’t kill her friend. It was either Lattimer or Jonas.”

Another wet smack followed by another scream. “And by the sound of it,” Capone smirks, “she’s getting her answers.” He claps my back. “Go get your girl.”

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