Fight(11)

I gritted my teeth.

Now I was angry.

Was this the life Winter had been living?

Winter blinked and tears filled her eyes.

I resisted the urge to touch her, comfort her.

I was here for business. To protect her. To keep her safe.

That was it.

Her hand moved up my chest to my neck. When his nails touched my skin, she set me on fire. My cock pressed against my jeans. There was no controlling it. She was making me hard and making it hard to keep my cool.

“So that’s how I feel,” Winter whispered. “I’m just here to be used up and thrown around. Is that what you want to do to me, Tripp? Go ahead. I’m drunk enough. Order me around. You want to f*ck me?”

My hands shot out and I grabbed her by the waist. I pushed her back to the table. She crashed into it, knocking over all the empty beer bottles. They clanked on the table, a couple rolling off and hitting the floor.

I ignored everything but Winter’s wild eyes.

The tip of my nose touched hers.

Fuck, it was just so tempting. I could just go for it. I could just rip her clothes off, put her on the table, and f*ck her brains out. We both wanted it. Shit, we both needed it. She wanted to feel protected and alive. I just wanted to f*ck.

My hands squeezed tight at her waist.

She was almost panting.

Then a tear fell town her cheek.

I shut my eyes and sighed.

“Fuck,” I growled.

“Tripp…”

I pushed away from her and left Winter standing there, knees bent, hands gripping the edge of the table, her entire body screaming with a need for sex.

“You need to go to sleep,” I said. “Right now.”

“You don’t want to hear anything else?” she asked.

“Right now? No. I’m not here to baby you. I’m not your f*cking therapist.”

Christ, Tripp.

I held myself like stone, just like I had done with Aldo when I thought he was going to kill me.

Winter’s mouth fell open. She blinked faster, more tears coming to her eyes.

“Fuck you,” she said. “Fucking *.”

“Go,” I ordered and pointed. “And don’t lock the door either. If you do, I’ll shoot it open.”

Winter ran into the bedroom and slammed the door.

I pictured her diving to her bed and crying.

My hands were shaking like loose leaves in an autumn breeze.

I spun around and threw a right fist at the wall. I smashed through the drywall but then quickly found out - and remembered - it was a f*cking converted garage. My punch ended where the concrete wall began under the drywall.

I growled and pulled my fist back. I walked to the fridge and grabbed a fresh beer.

Then I sat at the table, lifting the beer bottle with my right hand, fresh blood running down my hand and dripping to the floor.

I didn’t give a shit.

Then I remembered the gun I had brought.

Maybe I could just finish the job myself…





8.


(Winter)



I opened the bedroom door slowly. I saw a hole in the wall and saw blood on the table. I walked to the table and saw Tripp’s gun sitting there. When I turned, I saw him on the couch. His hands behind his head, his right foot on the floor, his left leg stretched out. The couch was too small for his muscular body, but there was only one bed in the place.

And like hell I was going to share my bed with Tripp. He was here to protect me and nothing more.

Even though I tried to throw myself at him last night.

Could anyone honestly blame me though? I’d been trapped in a world of darkness and mental torture for almost my entire life. The day I found out Rocky had been killed, I thought for a second I had a sliver of hope at surviving. But then the MC was right there. They all claimed they were going to take care of me, but I knew eventually one of them would choose me as their own.

I thought about waking up Tripp and apologizing for last night, but I decided against it. The front door was locked, the windows all shut. I was as good as protected for the moment.

After making coffee, I tossed up some scrambled eggs. I had exactly five eggs left to eat. I guess if Sarah wasn’t going to show up with a bag of groceries again, I’d have to take care of myself. I doubted that Sarah would be in a good mood with me after Tripp jacked up Harlan. But Harlan had that coming though. He shouldn’t have snuck into my place.

It really bothered me more I thought about it.

Him sitting there in the dark with a gun.

What if I was alone?

What was his real intention of being in my place?

I glanced back at the couch and smirked. Tripp might have saved me big time last night. Off to a good start, I guess.

I cleaned up the dining room table and put the eggs and coffee on it. In the back of my mind, I wondered what the hell was really going on. The MC had power and strength. Yet Stoney called in a favor to have me protected? The pieces to the puzzle were not adding up.

Tripp sat up and looked right at me. His eyes were a little weary but still so damn sexy. He looked around my place and then stood up. He grabbed his gun and tucked it away.

Then he stretched.

His shirt pulled up a little, revealing enough stomach muscle to make any decent woman’s panties writhe with moisture. That included my own. I looked down at the coffee and eggs on the table.