Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
When Trixie didn’t come down to meet him for lunch, Cayden went looking for her.
He knew she had been working in her office, so he checked there first. After verifying that she wasn’t in the showroom or bay, Cayden asked Jeff and Joey if they had seen her.
Neither claimed they had. He checked that her Firebird was in its parking spot.
Where the hell was she? He didn’t want to call her over the radio and alert the others to her disappearance, but she wasn’t picking up her phone.
Cayden decided to check her apartment before trying the radio.
It was so dark, he almost missed her. The reflection of the hallway light on her hair was what caught his attention.
Trixie was sitting on the floor of her apartment in the far corner. Her head was down on her knees with her arms wrapped around her legs.
Cayden ran to her. “Trix? Baby, what’s wrong?”
As soon as she heard his voice, she leaped forward onto his lap. Cayden cradled her against him as she sobbed. It broke his heart. He didn’t know what had happened or what was wrong. The employees downstairs had all been acting normally, so he didn’t think it was work related. Was it the Wynns?
Or was it something more personal? God, was she pregnant? Cayden doubted it. He always wore a condom and she’d just had her period. Plus, the selfish part of him hoped this torn up response would not be her reaction to finding out she was having his baby.
Not knowing what else to do, Cayden held her.
He sent a quick message off to Jeff that he had found her and asked them not to be bothered.
He didn’t state a reason because he didn’t have one.
Jeff looked at Trixie through a paternal filter and would be up here in a heartbeat if Cayden told him how upset she was.
Cayden needed to find out first what was happening before he subjected her to an audience.
Jeff’s reply was a simple one-letter acknowledgement.
After a while, Cayden stopped encouraging her to talk to him.
She would when she was ready and, clearly, she was not ready yet.
He had to move them to her bed because his legs were falling asleep on the floor.
He winced at the pins pricking into his thighs as he stood but bore her weight and carried her over.
Cayden laid them down on the comforter, placing one of her throws over them.
He held her to his chest and let her continue to cry.
He started to catch single words through her tears but nothing that made sense.
The name “AJ” stood out to him. He recalled the name from Mrs. Wynn’s guilt trip when she’d convinced Trixie to give Cayden a chance and hire him, but Cayden had never asked who AJ was.
He suspected he was her last brother, the one she’d never told him about.
Eventually, she drifted off to a restless sleep.
Cayden wiped the tears from her face, feeling helpless as he watched her twitch and moan.
He carefully detached himself from her so he could use the bathroom. Then he slipped out into the hall.
He was grateful Mr. Wynn picked up versus Mrs. Wynn. Like Jeff, Mrs. Wynn would have dropped everything and run to Trixie’s rescue if Cayden told her what was going on. “Mr. Wynn, it’s Cayden.”
The man’s response was amused, “I have caller ID, son. What’s up?”
“Look, I know you’re supposed to pick me up at five-thirty, but I need to stay later. I’ll sign whatever I need to or give up my weekend if that’s what it takes, but I need to stay.”
He heard the suspicion in his voice. “Tell me what’s going on, and then we’ll discuss your options.”
Cayden ran a hand down his face. He needed to be honest with the house’s owner, but it also felt like was tattling on Trixie. “I’m not sure. Trixie’s upset. I haven’t gotten out of her what happened yet, but I think it has to do with AJ.”
The cursed response was colorful to say the least. “Put her on the phone.”
“No,” Cayden said quickly. “I finally got her settled enough to sleep. She needs it and I need to stay. I can’t leave her right now. Please,” his voice cracked, “don’t make me leave her right now.”
“Is she okay?”
Cayden nodded though the man couldn’t see it. “She’s upset. She’s been crying for hours and I don’t know why or how to help her. Is AJ her brother?”
Mr. Wynn paused. “Yes. What has she told you about him?”
“Nothing. Frankly, I guessed that he was her brother. She told me about Lee and Marco, but she’s been tightlipped about her last brother.”
“For good reason,” was the curt response. “Look, I’ll be by at eight-thirty to pick you up. She’ll need to sign a special pass form. That’s supposed to be for four hours, but you still have to be back for the nine o’clock midweek curfew so eight-thirty is the best I can do.”
Cayden let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“I won’t break the house rules, not even for her,” Mr. Wynn warned. “You can’t stay overnight and she can’t come here. I’ll be there at eight-thirty.”
“I understand.” It sucked, but at least he’d gained an extra three hours. “Thank you.”
“Do you need me to send the missus over?”
Cayden shook his head. “No. I think she needs rest and privacy.” Then he added because he knew how concerned Mr. Wynn likely was, “I’ll call you if she does.”
“I’d appreciate it. See you at eight-thirty.”
Cayden ended the call. He hesitated and then called Jeff to ask the head mechanic to lock up on his way out. All Cayden said was that Trixie wasn’t feeling well, which wasn’t a total lie. Jeff said he’d take care of the shop and leave Cayden to take care of her.
He turned towards her apartment door, mentally bracing himself for what he might face within.
Mr. Wynn had confirmed that AJ was her brother.
Present tense, which meant he was still alive.
Or as far as Mr. Wynn knew. What if something bad had happened to AJ?
God, he hoped she didn’t have to go to another funeral for another brother.
Whatever it was, though, whatever had happened, he would be at her side for it.
He only had five weeks left on parole. He’d make it work, fill out whatever forms and give whatever excuses he had to so he could remain with her as long as possible.
It would have to be enough. At least for another five weeks.
Trixie looked over at him when he opened the door.
He rushed to her side, kneeling by the bed.
Cayden took her hand. “I’m sorry, I stepped out to make a phone call, so I didn’t disturb you.
” She shrugged. He frowned, not liking the defeated look in her eyes.
“Baby, will you tell me what happened? Is AJ okay?”
Her gasp told him she had not been expecting him to say her brother’s name. The trembling of her jaw gave him his answer.
“I’m not sure I should tell you.”
Cayden frowned. What the hell did that mean? “Why not?”
She looked away, turning her face into her pillow. “I don’t want it to bring up bad memories for you.”
Bad memories? He didn’t know anything about AJ to know how their lives related. Was he in a gang, a rival MC? “Tell me anyway.”
Trixie burrowed further into the pillow, like she wanted to crawl her way inside for protection. “AJ’s serving a life sentence.”
Cayden’s eyes widened. Her brother was in jail? Suddenly the conversation he’d overheard between Trixie and Mrs. Wynn made a lot more sense, as well as what bad memories Trixie was trying to protect him from.
Trixie rolled so she was lying on her back. She stared at the ceiling as she said, “Lee’s too unreliable so I’m listed as AJ’s next of kin. There was a riot. AJ was stabbed.”
Oh God. Thankfully Cayden had been in solitary during the only riot that had occurred during his term, not that he would have participated had he not been. Solitary, though, had been guaranteed protection from the chaos, as well as the punishment.
“How bad?” She’d said he’d been stabbed, not that he’d been killed.
Trixie made a noncommittal shrug. “They say he’ll be fine. They have to keep him in the infirmary for a day or so.”
Cayden nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Her jaw tightened. “Not your fault.”
He scowled. He hadn’t said sorry because he thought it was.
He’d said it because she was hurting and he didn’t know how to help her.
“Do you want me to stay? Jeff’s going to close up downstairs for you.
I’ve already called Mr. Wynn, and he said you just need to sign a special event form that’ll give me a few extra hours here tonight.
He’s picking me up at eight-thirty.” It killed him to offer, but he didn’t want to force his company on her.
“Would you rather be alone? Or I can call Mrs. Wynn? Mr. Wynn had said she was willing to come by.”
Trixie was shaking her head the entire time he was talking. She squeezed her hand still gripped in his. “I don’t want to talk.” She paused. “Can you just hold me?”
Hell yeah, he could do that. He removed his boots and then hers before stripping out of his coveralls. Then he climbed up onto the bed, pulled her to his chest, and wrapped the throw around them.
All too soon his phone beeped that Mr. Wynn was downstairs. Cayden replied so Mr. Wynn didn’t think anything suspicious. Trixie was passed out on his chest. She’d been dead to the world for the past three hours. Cayden hated to have to leave, but he couldn’t risk the consequences of staying.
He slipped out from under her. She didn’t so much as twitch.
Cayden went to her small fridge and pulled out a water bottle.
He placed it on her nightstand next to a note.
While he refrained from writing I love you, he did sign it love, Cayden.
It was as close as he was willing to get without risking upsetting her.
She’d given him the silent treatment when she thought he was going to propose.
He couldn’t risk worse if he professed his love to her. Not until he was sure she reciprocated.