6. Hunter
Chapter Six
HUNTER
Sunlight streams through the bedroom window, stirring me from a deep sleep. Trinity is curled against my side, her dark hair spilled across my chest, one leg thrown over mine. The sight of her stirs something primal inside me.
Mine.
The thought comes unbidden, fierce and possessive. She stirs, eyes fluttering open, and when she sees me watching her, she smiles.
“Morning,” she murmurs, stretching against me like a cat.
“Morning, gorgeous.” My voice is rough with sleep. “Any regrets?”
She shakes her head, propping herself up on one elbow to look at me. The sheet slips down, revealing the curve of her tits and a red mark on her neck from my mouth.
Her fingers trace one of my tattoos. “None. You?”
"Fuck no." I pull her closer, hand tangling in her hair as I claim her mouth in a rough kiss. She melts against me, soft and pliant, and I have to force myself to pull back before I take her again. “But you should know what you're getting into here, Trinity.”
“What do you mean?”
I trace the mark on her neck, feeling a surge of satisfaction at the visible sign of my possession. “I'm not good at casual. I don't share.”
She looks startled, but not put off. “That should scare me.”
“Does it?”
She shakes her head slowly. “No. After running scared…I want to feel safe. I think I need someone who isn't afraid to claim what's his.”
The words send a rush of heat through my veins. I grip her chin, holding her gaze with mine. “And are you mine, Trinity?”
"Yes," she says, no hesitation in her voice.
Fuck breakfast. I roll her beneath me, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand as I claim her mouth again. We don't emerge from the bedroom for another hour.
Later, I make coffee while Trinity showers. The domesticity of it should feel strange. I've never been one for morning-afters, but with her, it feels right. When she appears wearing nothing but my t-shirt, I suck in my breath.
“That shirt looks better on you than it ever did on me.” I hand her coffee, letting my fingers brush against hers deliberately.
She smiles, taking a sip. “Thanks.”
I lean against the counter, eyes narrowing as I study her. “Tell me about him. The asshole you're running from.”
Trinity's grip on her mug tightens. She takes a deep breath. “His name is Rennick Walsh. I met him when I was eighteen, working at a diner. He was... charming. Sophisticated. Tipped fifty dollars on a fifteen-dollar meal.”
“Targeting you,” I growl.
She nods. “I didn't see it that way then. I was a high school dropout trying to keep the lights on. He seemed like salvation.”
The bitterness in her voice makes my jaw clench. “What happened?”
“At first, it was okay. He moved me into his apartment downtown, bought me clothes, took me to fancy restaurants. I felt like I'd won the lottery.” She stares into her coffee. “But then he started... controlling things. Who I could talk to. What I could wear. He'd check my phone.”
My fingers tighten around my mug until I'm surprised it doesn't shatter. “Did he hit you?”
She looks away. “Not at first. It was more… psychological. Making me doubt myself, isolating me from anyone else. The physical stuff came later, after I was already too dependent to leave.”
“Fucking asshole,” I spit, setting the mug down before I break it in half.
“Then I came home early one night and overheard him talking on the phone. The look on his face when he realized I was standing in the doorway... it was like a mask dropped. His eyes were so cold. Like I was a problem to solve.”
“That’s when you ran?”
“Not right away. I pretended I hadn't heard anything. Played dumb for three days while I planned.” She looks up at me. “The housekeeper slipped me a hundred dollars and told me to go.”
I move closer, taking the mug from Trinity's hands and setting it aside. “Listen to me. He will never touch you again. If he so much as comes within fifty miles of you, I'll fucking end him. Understand?”
Her eyes widen at the intensity in my voice. “Hunter?—”
“No. This isn't negotiable.” I grip her shoulders, needing her to understand. “You're under my protection now. The club's protection. My brothers’ protection. Anyone who wants to hurt you has to go through me first.”
Before she can respond, my phone buzzes with a text.
Marcus: At your door.
I frown. “My brother's outside. Put some pants on.”
She hurries upstairs while I open the door. Marcus stands there, laptop under his arm, looking like he hasn't slept. My twin and I couldn't be more different; where I'm all muscle and raw instinct, he's lean and calculated precision.
“Coffee,” he demands, brushing past me. “Tell me you have coffee.”
“Good morning to you too, brainiac.” I close the door behind him. “What's the rush?”
He drops his laptop on the kitchen table. “Info. The kind that doesn't wait.”
Trinity reappears in jeans and my t-shirt as I pour Marcus coffee. He glances between us, taking in her damp hair and my state of undress, but wisely keeps his comments to himself.
“What have you got?” I ask, standing close to Trinity.
Marcus opens his laptop. “Two problems. Let's start with the immediate one. Michael Holloway, 39. Trucker like he claimed, but hasn't had steady work in over a year. Domestic violence charges in two different counties, all dropped when the witnesses suddenly disappeared.”
“His ex-girlfriends,” Trinity says.
“Exactly. And he's been making regular cash deposits to his bank account. Way more than unemployment would cover.”
“The cartel connection Viper mentioned?” I ask, a muscle twitching in my jaw.
Marcus nods. “Can't prove it yet, but the pattern fits. He's been asking around town about Trinity, telling anyone who'll listen that his 'mail-order bride' was stolen.”
I slam my palm against the counter. “Motherfucker! I should pay him a visit.”
“Not yet,” Marcus says sharply. “We need more leverage first. Especially when you see what I've got on problem number two.”
He pulls up another set of files. “Rennick Walsh. Thirty-five. Investment banker officially, but there's more going on. Centare Capital looks legitimate on paper, but I found irregularities in their financials that scream money laundering.”
Trinity's face drains of color. I place my hand on her lower back, a silent promise of protection.
“There's worse,” Marcus continues. "Three disappearances connected to people who worked with him. All unsolved, cases still open.” He looks at Trinity. “And he's absolutely looking for you. There's a private investigator in Phoenix who's been asking questions.”
My blood runs cold. “How close is he?”
“The PI lost the trail in Tucson, but it's only a matter of time.” Marcus closes his laptop with a snap. “I've started the process of creating new identity documents for Trinity. But until they're ready, you both need to stay under the radar.”
“Holloway's the immediate threat,” I say, mind already working through contingencies.
Marcus looks grim. “He's not the type to let this go, Hunter.”
“Neither am I. Let him come,” I growl, pulling Trinity closer to my side. “He'll regret it.”
Marcus eyes me critically. “This isn't a bar fight. How would it look for the Search and Rescue business if we get arrested for jumping Holloway? We need to be smart about this.”
I hate that he's right. “Fine. What's the plan?”
“Stay vigilant. Speak to your MC.” Marcus finishes his coffee. “I'll do some more digging. After that, we can discuss more permanent solutions.”
After Marcus leaves, I find Trinity on the porch, arms wrapped around herself despite the warm day. I stand behind her, hands on her shoulders.
“I should go, Hunter. I'm putting you and your family in danger.”
I turn her to face me. “Not happening. You're not going anywhere without me. We face this together.”
“You don't understand,” she protests. “Rennick has connections. Resources. He'll hurt anyone who gets in his way.”
“So do I. So do the Ridge Renegades.” I cup her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. “Nobody takes what's mine, Trinity. Not Holloway, not Walsh. Nobody .”
There’s conflict in her eyes; fear fighting with something else. Something that looks a lot like hope.
“Put on my jacket,” I order, decision made. “We're going out.”
“Where? I thought Marcus said to stay here.”
“Somewhere I go to clear my head. Nobody will see us. Trust me.”
Twenty minutes later, we're winding up the mountain roads on my bike. I feel Trinity's grip around my waist tighten as we take the curves faster than is strictly necessary, but instead of fear, there’s exhilaration in the way she leans into the turns with me.
We reach my private clearing high above the valley. From here, you can see three counties on a clear day, Ember Heart just a speck far below. I've never brought anyone here before. This place has always been mine alone.
Until now.
“Wow.” Trinity breathes as she removes her helmet, eyes wide as she takes in the panoramic view.
“Found it when I was a kid, after Dad died. Needed somewhere that was just mine, away from all those damn brothers.” I lay my cut on a flat rock for her to sit on. “No one knows about this place. Not even Marcus.”
She looks at me. “Why share it with me?”
“I don't know what this is between us, Trinity, but I'm all in.” I move to stand in front of her, hands on either side of her legs, bracketing her on the rock.
“Hunter. I'm not worth all this trouble.”
“Let me be the judge of that.” I lean down, capturing her lips in a possessive kiss that leaves no doubt about my intentions. She responds immediately, her arms winding around my neck, pulling me closer.
When I pull back, her eyes are heavy-lidded and she’s breathing fast. “Should we go back?”
“Nobody knows about this place. We're invisible up here.”
She smiles at me.
That's all it takes. In one swift movement, I have her on her back on my leather cut, my body covering hers. Her legs part for me instinctively, and I settle between them, grinding against her through our jeans.
“Hunter,” she gasps, arching into me.
“I'm gonna make you forget everything but my name,” I growl against her throat, nipping at the sensitive skin there. “Gonna make you forget all the bad shit, just for a little while.”
She moans as my hand slides under her shirt, finding her soft tits. I pull the shirt up, pulling down the cups of her bra, exposing her to the afternoon sun and my hungry gaze.
“Beautiful,” I growl, before taking one peaked nipple into my mouth.
Her hands fist in my hair, holding me to her as she writhes beneath me. My free hand works at the button of her jeans, impatience making me rough. She helps, lifting her hips so I can pull them down her legs.
I sit back on my heels to look at her, sprawled on my leather, wearing nothing but my t-shirt pushed up over her breasts and a pair of simple black panties. The sight nearly undoes me.
“Take those off,” I order, nodding at her underwear as I unbuckle my belt. “Now.”
She obeys without hesitation, hooking her thumbs in the waistband and sliding them down her legs. The gesture of submission, her eagerness to please me, sends a fresh wave of possessiveness through me.
“Touch yourself,” I command, freeing myself from my jeans. “Show me what you like.”
Her cheeks flush a rosy shade of pink, but she doesn't hesitate. Her fingers slide down her body to where she's already wet and waiting for me. I watch, mesmerized, as she circles her swollen clit, her other hand playing with her tits.
“ Fuck ,” I breathe, stroking my rock hard cock as I watch her pleasure herself. “That's it, baby. Show me.”
She moans, her movements becoming more urgent. I can tell she's close already, wound tight from our kissing and the thrill of being outdoors.
“Stop,” I command when I see her breath quicken. She whimpers in protest but obeys, her hand stilling. “Not yet. Not without me inside you.”
I reach into my back pocket for my wallet, retrieving the condom inside. Rolling it on quickly, I position myself between her thighs, the head of my cock pressing against her entrance.
“You want this?” I growl, needing to hear her say it.
“Yes,” she gasps, trying to pull me closer. “Please, Hunter.”
The needy desperation in her voice breaks what's left of my control. I thrust into her hard, both of us crying out at the sensation. She's impossibly tight around me, her heat drawing me deeper with each movement.
“Mine,” I breathe against her neck, setting a relentless pace. “Say it.”
“Yours,” she pants, her legs wrapping around my waist, taking me deeper still. “I'm all yours, Hunter.”
The words unleash something in me. I drive into her harder, faster, one hand gripping her hip hard, the other supporting my weight. Trinity meets each thrust, her nails raking down my back, spurring me on. I roll onto my back, gripping onto her juicy ass, moving her around so she’s above me.
And then she's sinking down onto me, taking me inside her inch by exquisite inch. We both groan at the sensation, her tight, wet heat enveloping me completely when she's finally seated fully in my lap.
We find our rhythm together. Trinity sets the pace, her hands braced on my shoulders as she rises and falls, her tits bouncing. I support her with hands on her waist, guiding but not controlling, letting her take what she needs.
When I feel her begin to tighten around me, I slip a hand between us, circling that sensitive bundle of nerves with my thumb. She cries out, her movements becoming erratic.
“That's it, sweetheart,” I encourage, watching her face as pleasure overtakes her. “Come for me.”
She does, her body clenching around mine as she falls apart, shouting out my name. The sight of her coming undone pushes me over the edge, and I follow her, holding her tight as release crashes through me.
Afterward, we stay tangled together, my jacket wrapped around her shoulders to ward off the mountain chill. Trinity's head rests on my chest, my arms keeping her secure in my lap.
I press a kiss to her temple. “You okay?”
She nods, snuggling closer. “More than okay. For the first time in months, I'm not afraid.”
“I've got you,” I promise.
And I never break my promises.