Chapter 23
AERIANNA
I’m sitting at a table with Danyella, Monica, and two women I haven’t met before, Exleigh and Syvannah. Both were victims of the Black Market Railroad and have been coming out of their shells more with each passing day.
The Chapel doors swing open, and the club members stride out with grim expressions. That can’t be good.
Trigger stalks toward me with determination burning in his blue eyes. He doesn’t stop until he reaches me, lifting me effortlessly and sits down, placing me on his lap. His lips brush against the side of my neck, sending a shiver racing down my spine.
Across the table, Syvannah’s eyes light up when she spots Tiny, but she doesn’t move. He catches her gaze and winks, but instead of coming over, he heads down the hall toward his room with Pearl trailing behind him.
Seriously? Doesn’t that bitch ever get the hint?
Syvannah’s shoulders slump, her expression crumbling. Danyella places a comforting hand over hers, but I can already see the tears forming in Syvannah’s eyes. I want to punch Pearl for making Syvannah cry.
“It’s stupid,” Syvannah mutters, pounding her fist on the table. “We’re not together, but fuck, that hurts.”
Trigger raises a brow, following her gaze toward Tiny and Pearl. His jaw ticks before he turns back to Syvannah, sympathy flashing in his eyes. “You know it means nothing, right?”
“Trigger,” I warn, shaking my head.
Syvannah exhales sharply, wiping at her tears. “I know. I’m trying to get past what happened, but it’s hard.”
Danyella squeezes her hand. “If he can’t be there for you when you’re at your lowest, he doesn’t deserve you at your best.”
Before anyone can respond, a shriek echoes from down the hall. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Pearl storms out, fury twisting her face as she glares daggers at Syvannah.
Syvannah straightens in her chair, meeting Pearl’s glare head-on.
A few steps behind Pearl, Tiny emerges, carrying Peanut. Instead of following Pearl, he strides over to us and flips a chair around, sitting directly behind Syvannah. He drapes his massive arms over her shoulders, Peanut curling against his chest.
“I swear she hates being told no,” Tiny mutters, shaking his head. “All I did was go back and get my cat. I didn’t want a quickie, and she threw a tantrum.”
Syvannah giggles and leans into his embrace. She tilts her head back to look at him. “You know I’m trying, right?”
Tiny’s expression softens. “Yeah, Doll. I know. And I’m patiently waiting.” He presses a kiss to the top of her head, and damn if my heart doesn’t flutter a little.
“That’s the most romantic thing I’ve heard besides what Trigger says to me,” I tease, smirking.
“Get a fucking room,” Exleigh snaps, pushing up from the table and storming off. Seth, the prospect, watches her go, his eyes clouded with something between frustration and sadness.
I glance at Trigger, silently asking for context. He just shakes his head. “She’s battling her own demons.”
“She’ll come around soon,” Syvannah murmurs. “I hope.”
“We just need to be patient,” Danyella adds.
Capone approaches, gently moving Danyella onto his lap. Blayze does the same with Monica, their presence shifting the atmosphere into something heavier.
Trigger brushes my hair off my neck, his lips grazing my skin. “We’ve come to a decision,” he murmurs. “And I know you’re not going to like it, Kitten, but I need you to listen before you fly off the handle.”
I smirk. He knows me so damn well.
Capone’s voice cuts in, firm and direct. “With the shit going down with Benton, it’s not safe for you ladies and the kids to stay here. We’re sending you to a safe house.”
Danyella rests her head on Capone’s shoulder. “Whatever you need us to do, we’ll do it.”
Like hell I will. I push off Trigger’s lap, standing with my fists clenched at my sides. “You can’t sideline me, Trigger. This is my problem, and I need to be there to deal with it.”
Trigger stands, his presence towering over me. “Aerianna, listen to me.”
“No. You listen to me.” I point to my chest. “Benton is mine. I’m the one he’s been stalking. I’m the one who can draw him out.”
Trigger glances at Capone. Capone nods his head.
“Fine.” Trigger exhales heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You can come. But the second it gets dangerous, you’re out. No arguments.”
“Fine.” I cross my arms. “Thank you.”
A loud slap sounds beside me. Bones shoves money into Tiny’s palm. “Fuck.”
Tiny grins, smug as hell. “Don’t ever bet against a woman. You’ll lose every time.”
I blink, realization dawning. “You assholes were betting on me?”
Tiny shrugs. “He’s learning.”
Capone raps his knuckles on the table, bringing everyone back on track. “New plan. Aerianna comes with us to the casino. Jax and Knight take the girls to the safe house.”
“You got it, Prez.” Dagger pulls out his phone. “I’ll call Torch, Derange, and Jax. Have them get their Ol’ Ladies and kids ready. We roll out as soon as they get here.”
Dagger walks away, and the tension in the room tightens like a noose.
“Why the casino?” I question.
“Because it’s the only place that is populated enough where we can draw Benton out and not put you in danger,” Capone responds.
Trigger tugs my hand, pulling me toward the hallway. “Come on, Kitten.”
“Where are we going?”
He shoots me with a wicked smirk. “You need to get dirty before we get ready.”
The air in the Royal Casino’s back office is thick with tension. My pulse hammers in my ears, drowning out the hum of the overhead lights. Trigger stands beside me, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. He’s steady, like always, but I can feel the storm beneath the surface.
Agent Benton has been playing us, all of us, for too long. His manipulations are getting dangerously close to tearing apart everything I’ve worked for. Everything I still have left to protect. The Black Market Railroad’s reach is as deep as it is twisted. Benton has been weaving his lies so seamlessly that even the agency didn’t see it. He’s betraying not just the badge but me. I didn’t see it, but I do now. And now I’m going to end him.
Trigger’s hand brushes against mine, and it sends a ripple through me. We’re in this together. But my mind can’t shake the conflict of it. How did we get here? The lines between duty and desire, between trust and betrayal, are so blurred now that I’m not sure what is real anymore. My body aches with adrenaline pumping through my veins, but my heart aches for a different reason, one I can’t easily ignore. I fight the urge to pull away. Not because I don’t want it, but because I do. Too much.
"You good?" Trigger’s voice breaks through my thoughts, rough and low, like he always sounds when he is trying to sound casual but fails. It’s a question, but it doesn’t need an answer. He already knows how I’m feeling.
I nod, even though I’m not sure if I am.
"Benton’s too dangerous to let slide any longer." I mean it but saying it out loud makes it real. My voice barely registers above a whisper, but I know Trigger can hear me. He always can.
His gaze lingers, giving me a sharp look that says everything we both know. This is the point of no return. Instead, he shifts gears. "We end this tonight."
"Yeah," I agree, forcing the word out. "No more games."
The plan is set, and nothing will stop us from taking Benton down, no matter what it costs. The truth is, this entire thing is a game, a dangerous one. And the only way to win is to play smarter than Benton.
Bones comes into the room with his ever-present laptop. “I got ahold of Red, and he helped me set up a hack into Benton’s phone. We set up a meet as a new buyer, and Benton will be at a warehouse in the business district. He thinks he’s finally getting his hands on Aerianna.”
“Got it. Thank you, Bones.” Trigger is trying to contain his fury, but it’s not working too well.
“One other thing.” Bones says quietly. He turns the laptop around. “You might want to call Krimson for this one.”
On the screen is a picture of Ashley Force, aka Krimson, the leader of the Street Racing Crew in L.A. when she was younger. She is being held at gunpoint by a man I don’t recognize, and next to him is Agent Benton.
“What is this?” I ask.
“Is this real?” Trigger asks.
Capone, Blayze, Tiny, and Torch stand behind us. Capone swears, and Blayze, Tiny, and Torch are clenching their fists.
“As real as you and me. About ten years ago, Krimson was involved with this man.” Bones points to the one holding Ashley at gunpoint. “Shaun Reiser, and after she took her spot as head of the Crew, she kicked him to the curb. He did some time in jail for illegal bootlegging, and when he got out, four years later, he hired these two goons.” Bones points to Benton and another guy. “To try and kill Krimson. Of course, they failed.”
“What does that have to do with us now?” I ask.
“Krimson will want to know that we’re ending one of the men who tried to kill her,” Capone states. He nods to Blayze. “Call her and fill her in on what’s going on.”
Blayze pulls out his phone and walks away.
“Thanks, Bones. Is there anything else?” Capone asks.
“Nope, that’s it.”
“Great job. Stay in the van when we reach the warehouse and watch our six.” Capone turns to the rest of us. “Let’s lock and load. It’s time to play.”
The streets blur as we make our way through the city, the cold night air biting into my skin, but it can’t compare to the icy feeling spreading in my gut. Benton wasn’t just a traitor. He was the embodiment of everything I’ve been fighting against in this world. Men like him don’t deserve to win, and if I have to burn bridges to make sure he didn’t, then that’s what I’ll do.
Trigger’s voice pulls me back to the present. "You’re thinking too much. Just let me handle Benton. I’ve got your back." He squeezes my thigh for support.
I shoot him a glance, my stomach flipping. "And I’ve got yours," I shout over the wind. The words feel more natural than I’d like to admit. They are true, but something about saying them out loud makes the weight of our situation feel heavier.
Am I really trusting Trigger? The way my heart thuds harder every time Trigger comes near, the way his presence steadies me despite the chaos, it isn’t something I can ignore. This isn’t just about the mission anymore. It’s about us.
Capone, Blayze, Tiny, Trigger, Torch, Dagger, and Derange park their bikes about a block away from the warehouse. Bones and Seth bring up the rear in the Club van.
We make our way down the street and into the parking lot of the warehouse. We reach the door before anyone stops us. The shadows seem to stretch longer as Benton’s smug face appears under a street lamp. He looks like a man who thinks he has the upper hand. That will change quickly.
We’re feet away from Benton when Trigger tucks me behind him. The move grates on my nerves, but I know he’s doing it to protect me.
“What the fuck is this?” Benton asks, tossing out a cigarette.
“Where’s the women?” Capone growls.
“Where’s that bitch of a cop?”
I step from behind Trigger with my gun drawn. “I’m right here.”
Benton draws his weapon. When he does, seven other guns are pointed at his head.
The words that come next are calculated, everything I rehearsed in my head playing out in real-time.
“It’s over, Benton. I know you’re my stalker, and I know you are running with the Black Market Railroad. Your terror of innocent women ends tonight.” My voice is unwavering, and my hands are steady as I inch forward. Benton’s smirk falters as I exposed his connections to the Black Market Railroad.
Trigger stays by my side, his presence is an anchor, a reminder that this is the one thing I don’t have to do alone.
"You think I’m stupid?" Benton’s voice is dripping with disdain. "You think you’ve outsmarted me?"
I don’t respond. The only answer I need to give him is the cold, hard truth. "You’ve been playing on both sides for too long. It’s over."
Trigger steps forward, and there is something in his eyes, a deadly calm I’ve come to recognize. This is his world. And I’m in it now.
“Where are the missing women?” I growl with agitation. I’m done playing these fucking games.
“Like I’d fucking tell you, traitor.” Benton spits out.
I approach him before anyone can stop me and clock Benton in the temple with the butt of my gun. He goes down like a sack of potatoes.
“That’s one way of doing it.” Torch shrugs his shoulders and holsters his gun.
Capone kicks Benton with his boot. “Get this piece of shit to the van. We’ll get answers out of him one way or another.”
Trigger approaches me and kisses the side of my head. “Proud of you, Kitten.” He turns me so I’m facing him, his blue eyes are staring into mine with love and unadulterated passion. He leans in and kisses me. “I love you.”
I inhale his scent and bask in the praise. I have never had someone tell me they’re proud of me. “I love you, too, Carter. From the bottom of my toes to the top of my head. I love you.”
After tonight, I know being Trigger’s Ol’ Lady is more than wearing his patch or having his ink. It’s standing by his side in the fight, supporting him in his darkest moments, battling together, and trusting him completely.
I can’t deny the part of me that wants this, wants him, despite all the risks. The kind of love that comes from a life like mine isn’t pure, isn’t safe, but it’s real.
And that’s all that matters.