Fight(35)

Fine, I hated myself for it all. Even if Autumn had the best life in the world, with the best mother and father, it still hurt me. Then again, if my pain and sacrifice was for her, then what more could a mother give a child?

I tried to shut my eyes and chase it away.

The truth was lingering though. Someone wanted to find Autumn. Killing Rocky was part of it. Coming after me? Maybe someone wanted to kill me, but they wanted information first. That was something I didn’t have. My secrets were exposed, the rest of it all in ashes on the floor.

I forced myself to sit up.

The covers inched down my body. I was still naked. That at least made me smile.

The bedroom door slowly opened and I was treated to something sexy.

Tripp, standing with two mugs of coffee.

He was shirtless, leaving my eyes all the time in the world to climb up and down his body. Picking out all the lines and cuts of muscles, miles for my tongue to explore.

If we could survive all this shit.

“Hey, you’re finally awake,” he said.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“Well past noon.”

“Oh. Wow.”

I couldn’t have been that surprised. Last time I saw the clock it was past three in the morning and I was rolling off of Tripp. That would have been three of four times we were together before I finally tapped out and had to fall asleep.

My body felt like I had run a marathon. And God help me, I was still warm between my legs. I was still feeling good, because of him.

Tripp climbed onto the bed and handed me a coffee.

“Thanks,” I said.

“I’d make you breakfast but there’s no food. We’ll have to go out and grab something when you get out of bed.”

“Maybe I won’t get out of bed.”

“Good. Don’t.”

“Maybe not forever,” I said with a grin.

Tripp touched my cheek. “We can’t do that, darling. I just want you to know everything you told me last night, it means something to me. I’m sorry if I bullied it all out of you. I had no idea what you were going to say. I mean, I just… I just wanted you to not be involved in all of it.”

“But I am. Something is going to happen to me. To us.”

Tripp nodded. “I’m a fighter, darling. So are you. Just let me get my head around it all and come up with a plan here. It’s a lot to take in.”

I nodded. “I know.”

I leaned up and kissed his chin.

Tripp tugged the sheet down, exposing my breasts. His free hand touched and played, bringing my nipple to an erect state. The palm of his hand moved over my breast, cupping, sending a warm pressure down my body.

“Keep that up and I’m definitely not going to leave this bed.”

“Good point,” Tripp said.

He took his hand away. He sipped the coffee and then anger washed over his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“This Skull X group,” he said. “Was Endo involved there?”

“I don’t know. I only saw him with Rocky and Stoney. I’m not even sure the rest of the Red Aces knew Endo. And obviously it was all a secret from your boss. So I don’t know what to think.”

“That’s all family shit,” Tripp said. “Bad family shit. It doesn’t take much for them to kill each other. And depending on what you did depends on if you even get a f*cking funeral.”

“Then why are you involved?” I asked. “You’re a good fighter, right? Can’t you do something else? Fight for real?”

“Real? So what I do isn’t real? You and me right now? This isn’t real?”

Tripp moved out of the bed. I grabbed the sheet and tried to go after him, almost spilling coffee on myself.

“Tripp! No. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant like, you know, legal fighting.”

“It doesn’t work that way,” he said. “If I tried to leave Aldo, he’d have me killed. Simple as that. Plus, why would I want legit?” Tripp looked back at me. “I like fighting the way I do. Knowing that there’s no rules. Knowing that there’s death waiting. It’s like a drug to me. I told you. I’m no good. I’m street trash. A thug.”

“Stop saying that,” I said. I finally got out of the damn bed. I put my coffee down and walked to Tripp. I let the sheet fall from my body, standing there completely naked. I pressed my breasts to his back and kissed him. “You are nothing bad. You are all good, I swear. I’m sorry I said anything, Tripp. I just want to find an answer out of this.”

Tripp turned and faced me. His hands touched my waist, sending warmth everywhere. “I don’t know if there is an answer, darling. One thing I need to do… I need to talk to Stoney again. I need to get to Skull X and see what they know.”

“They won’t tell you anything. They’ll kill you.”

“They like to fight, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So do I. I’ll fight it out of them.”

“That’s cocky and cute at the same time,” I said. I dug my hands into his back. “I really like you, Tripp. I mean, aside from you throwing me into a wall, beating up my best friend’s boyfriend, twice, and me almost getting blown up, hiding in a motel, and confessing everything to you. It’s been… nice.”