27. Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
Reeve
Walking into the meeting room, my eyes dart between Callux and Warren as they sit at the table in the middle of the room, fingers interlinked and hands resting beneath their chins.
Closing the door behind me, I lean against the back of the chair closest to me, arching a brow as they both stare at me.
"Care to explain what happened tonight?" Warren asks, unlocking his fingers to scratch at his beard.
I shrug, tonguing my cheek.
Callux sighs and shakes his head.
"I saw Trix's face, and I can guess what happened. You know I won't give you any grief over going after the son of a bitch who hurt her. If anything, I respect you for protecting her, not that I'd expect anything less from you. But I do need to know what happened after you left here."
Huffing, I pull out a chair and sit down.
Running my hands through my hair and over my face, I release a deep breath.
"I went to the trailer park, yanked the door off the hinges, and found that drugged up, drunken motherfucker sitting at the table doing lines of coke.
He didn't have a care in the world. He wasn't bothered that he'd hurt his daughter.
He didn't care she'd run off, and he had no idea where she'd gone. "
My hands clench, and my jaw tightens.
"I couldn't help myself. The urge to hurt him overtook me, and when I mentioned Trix's name, he started laughing and mouthing off. I just wanted him to stop. I wanted him to feel how much it hurt when the tables were turned. So, I kept hitting him." I shrug. "It wasn't anything he didn't deserve."
Callux nods as he relaxes back into his seat.
"Anyone see any of this going down?" Warren asks.
I shake my head. "Not that I'm aware of, no. Apart from Trix and Milo when they turned up."
"You think her father will do anything about it?"
I scoff.
"I highly doubt it. He was probably so out of it he won't even remember who hurt him, and if he does, I wasn't wearing my cut anyway.
I was in too much of a rush to get out of here that I didn't put it on.
Besides, if he went to the police, he'd have to explain what he did to provoke me, and then we'd both be going down. "
Both of them watch me for a few moments before nodding simultaneously.
"I'll send Munch out to the trailer park, have him talk to a few people to see if anyone saw or heard anything, and I'll also have him check in with Trix's father.
Firstly, to make sure he's alive, but also to be sure he won't utter a word about it to anyone, including the authorities, because there will be consequences if he does. "
Nodding, I push out of my seat, pausing next to it when Callux holds his hand up.
His gaze scans over my face, and he steeples his fingers together.
"Is she going to be okay?"
My jaw slackens, and my brows furrow.
"I'm not sure," I tell him honestly. "She seemed okay, but she might not have had the time to process everything yet. For all we know, this could be a regular occurrence, or it could've been a one-off."
"And you're okay with her staying in your room?" Warren asks, brows high on his head.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
He smirks. "You never have anyone in your room."
"It's the only place I'd want her to be," I state. "And it's the only place I know for sure she'll be safe."
His lips spread, and he turns his twinkling eyes in Callux's direction.
Callux shakes his head.
"You're free to go now, Reeve."
Dipping my head, I spin around and exit the room. I walk down the small hallway and into the communal living room where Mouse is sitting in his usual seat.
Rubbing the nape of my neck, I walk toward him and hold out my hand.
He glances at it with a frown but places his palm against mine anyway.
"Thank you," I tell him, giving his hand a shake. "For giving me your bike keys."
He nods.
Turning away, I move to the door, but the sound of his voice makes me pause.
"Is she okay?"
Peering over my shoulder, I spot him sitting up, elbows digging into his knees, while his fingers nervously pick at each other.
With surprise coursing through my body, I nod.
"Yeah, she will be."
Silence fills the space around us, so I clear my throat, then open the door, and walk to the upstairs hallway.
Closing the door behind me, I stare at the wood for a few moments, trying and failing to process the fact that Mouse just spoke to me.
It's not until I hear Milo's heavy footsteps up the stairs that I break out of my daze.
"Where have you been?"
He rolls his eyes, then opens his door.
"Went for a smoke to get away from the screeching cat you seem to have in your room."
I frown.
"What?"
He chuckles as he walks into his room.
"Trix was singing in the shower," he says. "I'd recommend investing in some earplugs if you plan on keeping her around. I know I definitely will."
He slams his door shut, leaving me standing in the hall, bewildered.
A moment later, my door opens, and Trix's head pops out.
"Hey, you okay?"
Running my eyes over her bare face, admiring the freckles spread over her skin, I nod.
"Yeah. Are you?"
She smiles.
"Yeah." Pulling the door open, she spins around, then points at the sofa while saying something, but I'm too distracted by the sight of her to be able to process her words.
She's dressed in a pair of silky gray sleep shorts with a matching cropped top that clings to her body and makes my mouth water.
Her hair is thrown up messily, accentuating the length of her smooth neck, and I dig my fingers into the palms of my hands, fighting off the urge to wrap them around her throat.
When she turns back around, I drag my eyes up to her face again, and watch as her full lips move.
It's then I realize she's still talking, and my eyes dart up to meet hers.
"Sorry, what were you saying?"
Creases form between her brows, and she pulls her lower lip between her teeth.
"It was just a suggestion, but if you don't like it then—"
I shake my head. "It's not because I don't like the suggestion, Red. I just need you to repeat it. I was distracted and have no idea what you were saying."
Her frown deepens.
"Distracted? Did the conversation with Callux not go well?" She lifts her hands and runs them over her hair as her eyes dart around the room. "Oh, God. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
She strides over to the duffel bag on the floor, lifts it onto the bed, then unzips it.
"I can go and stay at Wanda's, or I'll call Emery. I'll be—"
"Trix," I bark, then walk over to her and yank the bag away. "Chill out."
Turning her toward me, I cup her face in my hands.
"You don't have to leave," I tell her. "I want you to stay here as long as you need to, and Callux is in agreement with that."
She blinks, and my lips twitch.
"I wasn't distracted by my conversation with Callux. I was distracted by you."
"Me?" She asks as if she can't believe what I said.
"Yes, you."
"Oh," she whispers, eyes dropping away from mine.
"Now, repeat your suggestion so I can tell you whether I like it or not."
Swiping my thumb over her pink cheeks, I let my hands fall away from her face, then slide them into my pockets.
"Well, I took the blanket and two of the pillows from your bed, and moved them over to the sofa," she says, pointing to where her set-up is.
"Your suggestion is that you sleep on the sofa?"
She nods, nibbling on her lower lip.
Scoffing, I shake my head.
"Nope. I'm not okay with that." Her shoulders slump and she sighs. "I'll take the sofa, and you can have the bed."
"What? I'm not kicking you out of your own bed, Reeve."
"No, you're not. I'm offering it to you, and I won't take no for an answer."
Kicking off my shoes, I tuck them beside my chest of drawers, then grab the hem of my T-shirt, and lift it over my head.
Walking to the sofa, I peel the blanket back, fluff the pillows, then lie down, folding my body up until I fit on the small leather cushions.
Pulling the blanket over myself, I flick my gaze to Trix and find her watching me with her hands on her hips.
"You're seriously going to stay on the sofa?"
"Yep."
She huffs, shaking her head.
"Fine." She sweeps the covers of my bed back, climbs in, then stretches to turn the lamp off before making herself comfy.
Silence and darkness descends, and I lie completely still, listening to the sound of her breathing from across the room.
The noise would easily lull me to sleep if half my body wasn't tingling, threatening to turn numb from being cramped up on the sofa.
When I can't force myself to stay in this position any longer, I stretch my limbs out, tossing and turning in an attempt to find a position I can comfortably lie in.
Kicking my leg out, my toe hits the arm of the sofa, and I groan.
Laughter fills the room, and although pain is pulsing through my foot, I can't keep the smile off my face as I listen to Trix try to smother the sounds of her amusement.