Chapter 21
AERIANNA
As Trigger comforts me, my mind starts to spiral again, the image of Jonas bleeding and gasping for breath still fresh. The questions gnaw at me. My head is pounding, trying to figure out who is stalking me.
I pull away from Trigger’s embrace, my eyes searching his face for answers. "You said it wasn’t Jonas, so who the hell is it, Trigger? Who the hell knows everything about me?" The pain in my voice is laced with fear. Fear of someone watching me, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Trigger's gaze flickers for a moment, and I see the hesitation. It’s brief, but it’s there. The moment he opened his mouth earlier, he didn’t tell me about Josiah. Could that be connected?
“I don’t know yet, Aerianna. But we will find them.” Trigger’s grip tightens on me. "I’m not letting anyone hurt you."
“I don’t think you would intentionally, but...” I pull away from his warm embrace. “You’re hiding something big.”
Trigger opens and then closes his mouth. He releases a deep sigh. “Are you sure you want to know?”
“Yes.” I stand firm, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Then you need to get cleaned up, and we will talk to Capone.”
“I don’t want to wait, Trigger. I have every right to know what’s going on.” I raise my hands and drop them to my sides.
“You do have a right, and I will tell you. But I’m not letting you go out into the Clubhouse covered in blood. Not with the other Ol’ Ladies and kids around.” Trigger points to the shower. “Now, get cleaned up, and then we will discuss this with the rest of my Club.”
I look at myself in the mirror and hang my head in defeat. He’s right. I’d scare the kids if I went out there like this.
Trigger lifts my chin, so I have to look at him. “Don’t ever be ashamed of what you have done in your past. It only makes you stronger.” He leans in and kisses the top of my head. “Take your shower.”
I remove my bloody clothes and step into the shower. The hot steam soothes my aching muscles and pounding head. I scrub myself several times until the water turns clear and cold.
Turning off the shower, I step out, and Trigger is waiting for me with a towel. He wraps it around my body and dries me off. It’s sensual the way he is doing this for me, and it turns me on.
Once he’s done, Trigger turns me in his arms, and his lips crash onto mine. I close my eyes and enjoy his taste on my tongue. Everything from the last few hours comes pouring out into this kiss. The passion, lust, desire, and possibly even love. Does Trigger love me the way I’m starting to fall for him?
I open my eyes and peer into his. What I see makes me think he is falling for me as I am for him. Only time will tell, though.
I walk into the bedroom and find a change of clothes. Once I’m dressed and my hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail, we leave the sanctuary of his room.
Trigger holds my hand as he guides us down the hallway and into the common room. Ol’ Ladies and Club members are sitting around either playing cards or dancing. The Patch Bunnies are hanging off some of the single members, and they’re eating up the attention.
I spot Pearl sitting with Tiny while a blonde sits on his other side. He’s ignoring Pearl and giving this girl his undivided attention. Pearl huffs and then moves from the table. She stops walking when she spots me and Trigger, our fingers laced together. I see the moment she decided to approach us. I hold back a groan the closer she gets.
There’s a bandage across Pearl’s nose, and her eyes are black and blue. “Aerianna, I just wanted to apologize for the other night. I shouldn’t have done what I did, and for that, I’m sorry.”
I’m shook from her apology. That is something I wasn’t expecting. I look up at Trigger, and he’s looking down at me, waiting for me to respond. I glance back at Pearl. “Uh… I’m sorry about breaking your nose.”
Yeah, that’s all I got. This shit is awkward as it is. Pearl smiles and nods her head. She spins on her heels and walks away.
“Ok, that was weird,” I mumble. Trigger releases a deep chuckle and kisses the top of my head.
A prospect is behind the bar making drinks as fast as he can. He spots Trigger and I and pours a glass of whiskey before sliding it down the bar to Trigger. He picks it up and swallows it in one gulp.
“Trigger, Aerianna,” Capone calls out to us, catching our attention.
We walk over to the table Capone and Danyella are at. Blayze, Monica, Tiny, Torch, Daisy, Derange, Jezebelle, Dagger, Pretty Playboy, Bones, and two girls I haven’t met before comes over, too.
“We need to discuss what happened today.”
“Out here?” I ask. This is weird.
“Yeah, out here,” Capone answers. “You need answers, and these ladies can provide them.”
Trigger sits down and pulls me onto his lap. His arms are wrapped around my waist. The rest of the brothers do the same with their Ol’ Ladies.
I glance between the two unfamiliar women, my instincts on high alert. Their eyes are hollow, their bodies tense, as if they’re barely holding themselves together. My gut twists. Whatever happened to them is serious, and from the way the room has shifted, I’m about to find out exactly how deep this nightmare goes.
Capone leans forward, resting his forearms on the table, his expression grim. “What happened today with Jonas wasn’t just about getting answers for Allison, Aerianna.” His dark eyes cut to me, then to the women behind us. “This goes deeper than we thought.”
I stiffen in Trigger’s lap, feeling the tension rolling off of him. He already knows what’s coming, but he wanted me to hear it from someone else. My fingers curl against his forearm, bracing myself. “Deeper how?”
Danyella shifts in her seat, giving one of the women a reassuring nod. “This is Kayla and Serena. They were taken by the same people who took Allison.”
A sharp, icy chill shoots down my spine. My breath catches in my throat. The same people?
Trigger’s grip on me tightens. “They escaped a few days ago and found their way to us.”
I finally force myself to look at them, at the bruises marring their skin, the hollow pain in their eyes. They were held captive just like Allison. They were stalked just like me.
I push off of Trigger’s lap, standing to face them, my heart hammering in my chest. “How long?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Kayla swallows hard, shifting uncomfortably. “Almost three months.”
Serena doesn’t speak. She keeps her arms crossed, staring at the floor, like she’s afraid to make eye contact with anyone. My stomach twists into knots.
Blayze leans forward, his jaw clenched. “They told us things, Aerianna. Things about a man who ran the place where they were kept. Someone who knew everything about them before they were even taken.” His gaze meets mine, steady and unflinching. “Someone who knew everything about you.”
The breath leaves my lungs all at once.
I shake my head. “No. No, Josiah was the one, he…”
“He wasn’t,” Capone interrupts, his voice firm. “He was just a pawn. The real threat has been watching you for a long time.”
My hands clench into fists. “Then who the hell is it?”
Silence.
The only sound is the distant bass of music and laughter from the other side of the Clubhouse, so out of place with the dread thickening the air around us.
Then, Kayla finally speaks, her voice barely above a whisper. “Dennis Benton.” The room goes deadly still.
“Agent Dennis Benton. The second in command with the FBI Los Angeles field office. That Dennis Benton?” I question.
Kayla nods her head, “He would flash his badge and threaten us, telling us he would track us down because of who he is.”
A shiver runs down my spine. My ears ring. Rage ignites in my chest, burning hot and blinding.
Capone watches me closely. “He’s the one who’s been watching you, Aerianna. The one who knows everything.”
I can’t breathe. My mind spirals, replaying every moment, every time I felt eyes on me, every time I second-guessed my instincts. It was him.
Trigger stands behind me, his body radiating tension, his presence grounding me. “That’s why I didn’t tell you before,” he says quietly. “I wanted to be sure.”
I turn to face him, my pulse thundering in my ears. “And now? Are you sure now?”
His jaw tightens. “Yeah.”
I exhale sharply, my fingers flexing at my sides. “Then we hunt him down.”
Serena flinches, and Kayla’s breath hitches, but I don’t care. I refuse to let fear control me. I refuse to let this monster keep his grip on my life.
Capone nods, his expression grim. “That’s the plan.”
Trigger steps closer, tilting my chin up so I’m forced to look at him. His piercing blue eyes burn into mine, filled with a promise. “We end this, Kitten. No matter what it takes.”
I swallow hard, my breath unsteady. This isn’t just about revenge anymore. This is a reckoning.