“But if the loss wasn’t your fault…”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “There was money on it. Aldo is simple. Make him money, he keeps you alive. Lose him money and he has no use for you. Believe me, you don’t want to meet him, get to know him, or be anything close to him.”
I felt bad for Tripp. I had nothing to say because I had been living the same life. No matter what I did or where I stepped, it was wrong, bad, and deadly. Even after Rocky was killed, any chance of freedom was quickly taken.
My brain was processing so much at once. I had Tripp confessing something so powerful to me just at the same time he told me that Skull X took out Rocky and that Stoney had put a bomb in my car, wanting to get Tripp’s boss here.
“You’re quiet,” Tripp said.
“I’m in shock.”
“Don’t be. This is our life. At least we have each other right now.”
“You mean that, Tripp?”
Tripp reached for my hand. He held it tight and nodded.
“I mean it, darling.”
Everything about Tripp oozed sex. But in that moment, he got to my heart.
And I knew I had to tell him everything.
17.
(Tripp)
I held her hand all the way back to the motel. Maybe Winter was right. If we were going to get shot at and killed, then fuck it. Let the bullets tear us apart.
Tear us apart.
Thinking as though we were together.
I glanced at my hand locked tight with hers and realized we were far beyond the line. This was really bad. And Stoney had practically caught me fucking her in the bathroom.
Someone had ties with Red Aces, Skull X, and Aldo. This shit was tied tighter than I originally thought.
When Winter got into the room, she plopped down on the bed. I walked to our bags and grabbed them with one hand. With my other hand, I grabbed her hand and made her stand back up.
“Tripp…”
“We’re going back to your place,” he said. “I’m done being here. I’m not going to be afraid. I’ll fucking take on the Red Aces myself if I have to.”
I expected her to fight me on it.
But she didn’t. She nodded.
“Yes,” she whispered. “There’s something I want to show you. Something… it’s private, Tripp.”
“Okay.” I touched her face. “What is it?”
“It’s bad.”
“Bad?”
“Yeah. Bad. I’m worried you’ll judge me. You’ll leave me.”
I gritted my teeth. Don’t say you’ll never leave her, man. That’s not what this thing is. It’s not a fucking movie or something.
“I’m not going to judge you, darling. If you think it has anything to do with what’s going on…”
“What if it doesn’t?”
“Then why would you tell me?”
“Because I trust you. Because I want you to see what it’s like for me.”
“What does that mean?”
I saw the hurt wash over her pretty face. Her blue eyes weren’t quite as bright as before. “It’s just stuff. Stuff Rocky used to hold against me. Why I’m stuck.”
Jesus, she was terrified, almost shaking now.
“Okay,” I said. I kissed her forehead. “It’s okay. Let’s get out of here. I’ll protect you.”
Part of me was talking out of my ass. I couldn’t really protect Winter, could I? The best I could do was offer my life. And if this Skull X group wanted her, they’d kill me and get her.
Fuck, the thought shook me to my core.
We got to my car. I started it, half expecting it to blow up.
It didn’t.
We drove to her place without any incident. The same as when we got inside, which I did first. Again, there was no winning because if someone was there to kill me, that left Winter all for the taking.
I remembered Skull X hadn’t been here though. Whatever happened with Rocky they had acted upon and had kept quiet since. Maybe Aldo was involved and keeping them at bay. Or maybe something was waiting for me tomorrow.
I locked the door and Winter went right for a drink. We had a few beers left in the fridge. Not enough to get drunk, but enough for a taste. She opened me a beer, gave it to me, and I grabbed her arm.
“Show me right now,” I said.
Her face dropped again as she nodded. “Okay.”
Winter led the way to her bedroom. The second she opened the door, my body tightened. My cock pressed against my jeans, already thickening. It was wild what this woman did to me. Christ, it was a bedroom. It wasn’t like she was naked.
The room smelled of her. It smelled of blankets and a sleep smell.
There was a dresser across from a wide bed. The sheets were black with red trim. It was kind of girlie, dark and pretty. I shut the door and looked around the room. There were some clothes on the floor, a pink thong showing. I walked to it and kicked the clothes, covering it up. It would have driven me damn crazy.
Winter put her beer on the dresser and went to the closet. She opened it and stepped inside. A light flicked on and she crouched down. I stepped up behind her, watching her shirt pull up her back. The bones and curve of her spine pushed from her back, her black panties showing a thin line.
Everything about her turned me on.