Page 51 of Trigger's Temptation

Trigger's gaze flickers for a moment, and I see the hesitation. It’s brief, but it’s there. The moment he opened his mouth earlier, he didn’t tell me about Josiah. Could that be connected?

“I don’t know yet, Aerianna. But we will find them.” Trigger’s grip tightens on me. "I’m not letting anyone hurt you."

“I don’t think you would intentionally, but...” I pull away from his warm embrace. “You’re hiding something big.”

Trigger opens and then closes his mouth. He releases a deep sigh. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes.” I stand firm, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Then you need to get cleaned up, and we will talk to Capone.”

“I don’t want to wait, Trigger. I have every right to know what’s going on.” I raise my hands and drop them to my sides.

“You do have a right, and I will tell you. But I’m not letting you go out into the Clubhouse covered in blood. Not with the other Ol’ Ladies and kids around.” Trigger points to the shower. “Now, get cleaned up, and then we will discuss this with the rest of my Club.”

I look at myself in the mirror and hang my head in defeat. He’s right. I’d scare the kids if I went out there like this.

Trigger lifts my chin, so I have to look at him. “Don’t ever be ashamed of what you have done in your past. It only makes you stronger.” He leans in and kisses the top of my head. “Take your shower.”

I remove my bloody clothes and step into the shower. The hot steam soothes my aching muscles and pounding head. I scrub myself several times until the water turns clear and cold.

Turning off the shower, I step out, and Trigger is waiting for me with a towel. He wraps it around my body and dries me off. It’s sensual the way he is doing this for me, and it turns me on.

Once he’s done, Trigger turns me in his arms, and his lips crash onto mine. I close my eyes and enjoy his taste on my tongue. Everything from the last few hours comes pouring out into this kiss. The passion, lust, desire, and possibly even love. Does Trigger love me the way I’m starting to fall for him?

I open my eyes and peer into his. What I see makes me think he is falling for me as I am for him. Only time will tell, though.

I walk into the bedroom and find a change of clothes. Once I’m dressed and my hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail, we leave the sanctuary of his room.

Trigger holds my hand as he guides us down the hallway and into the common room. Ol’ Ladies and Club members are sittingaround either playing cards or dancing. The Patch Bunnies are hanging off some of the single members, and they’re eating up the attention.

I spot Pearl sitting with Tiny while a blonde sits on his other side. He’s ignoring Pearl and giving this girl his undivided attention. Pearl huffs and then moves from the table. She stops walking when she spots me and Trigger, our fingers laced together. I see the moment she decided to approach us. I hold back a groan the closer she gets.

There’s a bandage across Pearl’s nose, and her eyes are black and blue. “Aerianna, I just wanted to apologize for the other night. I shouldn’t have done what I did, and for that, I’m sorry.”

I’m shook from her apology. That is something I wasn’t expecting. I look up at Trigger, and he’s looking down at me, waiting for me to respond. I glance back at Pearl. “Uh… I’m sorry about breaking your nose.”

Yeah, that’s all I got. This shit is awkward as it is. Pearl smiles and nods her head. She spins on her heels and walks away.

“Ok, that was weird,” I mumble. Trigger releases a deep chuckle and kisses the top of my head.

A prospect is behind the bar making drinks as fast as he can. He spots Trigger and I and pours a glass of whiskey before sliding it down the bar to Trigger. He picks it up and swallows it in one gulp.

“Trigger, Aerianna,” Capone calls out to us, catching our attention.

We walk over to the table Capone and Danyella are at. Blayze, Monica, Tiny, Torch, Daisy, Derange, Jezebelle, Dagger, Pretty Playboy, Bones, and two girls I haven’t met before comes over, too.

“We need to discuss what happened today.”

“Out here?” I ask. This is weird.

“Yeah, out here,” Capone answers. “You need answers, and these ladies can provide them.”

Trigger sits down and pulls me onto his lap. His arms are wrapped around my waist. The rest of the brothers do the same with their Ol’ Ladies.

I glance between the two unfamiliar women, my instincts on high alert. Their eyes are hollow, their bodies tense, as if they’re barely holding themselves together. My gut twists. Whatever happened to them is serious, and from the way the room has shifted, I’m about to find out exactly how deep this nightmare goes.

Capone leans forward, resting his forearms on the table, his expression grim. “What happened today with Jonas wasn’t just about getting answers for Allison, Aerianna.” His dark eyes cut to me, then to the women behind us. “This goes deeper than we thought.”

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