Page 8 of Property Of Nicky

“I want to thank you all for adopting my sister into your family. For protecting her and for making her happy. And mostly, for helping her find her place in this world.” I scan the room again and see the guys tipping their chins in my direction, letting me know they appreciate my words. Then I look back down at Joe.

“When you called me and told me you met someone, Joe—that you met ‘your one’—I was afraid once again. Because of, well, you know why…” I shrug, not bothering to fill in the gaps because Joe knows exactly what I’m talking about.

“Mostly, I was worried that you’d end up with a broken heart. But, once more, I was proven so wrong. Not only do I know from the way Riff worships the ground you walk on how that will never be the case, but I feel it with every ounce of my being. That twin sense we’ve always had, well, it’s telling me that the love you have found is going to last a lifetime. I know you guys aren’t just going to make it, but your future is going to be so happy. So, thank you, Riff.” I smile at the man I’m lucky to soon be able to call my brother-in-law. “Thank you for loving and protecting my sister.” He gives me a loving smile in return, and I turn my eyes back on the ones I see every day when I look in the mirror. “I’ve only ever wanted you to find your dreams and be happy, sis. Now, I see that you have. So, cheers to you both and the incredible future that lies ahead. And cheers to your entire family. To all of you!”

I raise my glass of wine and the room erupts in a round of cheers and whistles, and my sister erupts in a pool of sobs. She comes rushing around to my side of the table and wraps her arms around me, hugging me so tightly I think she may crush my bones. But I love it.

“Thank you, Nick. Thank you for always being there for me. And thank you for always accepting my choices even when you were scared. I love you, sis. And I really hope you’ll consider moving here permanently because I really don’t want to live without you again. They may be my family now, but you will always be my blood and the one I need most in this life.”

And now, I’m a blubbering mess, and I’m pretty damn sure I’m going to be packing up my apartment and making a move. Not just for her, but for all of it. Meeting everyone tonight and seeing how caring and kind everyone is, knowing that everyone in this room has each other’s backs, makes me long to be a part of it. Makes me want to be one of them. And Trigger…he makes me think that my future really will be brighter than my past. He makes me want to give him a chance. Just like he asked. And he definitely makes me want to have more of those incredible orgasms that none of my toys have ever come close to providing.

Joe finally pulls back from me and gives me a smile. “Okay, now I need chocolate.”

I can’t help but laugh. My sister has such a sweet tooth and chocolate is her go-to comfort food.

“Are we sharing?” I ask.

It’s what we always do when we’re together. Order one of every dessert on the menu and then share them all. She nods excitedly, and then Riff calls over the waiter and places the order. That man pays attention to everything when it comes to her and doesn’t miss a beat. Yeah, he’s definitely a good one for my sister and I’m glad she’s keeping him.

When the celebrationcomes to an end and everyone has said their goodbyes, Trigger escorts me back out to his truck. As he lifts me up inside, I see the neon light that shines his name over the bar and wonder if that’s where his club name came from.

“Is that why they call you Trigger? After this place?”

He leans in and pulls my seat belt across my chest to buckle me in just like he had earlier, and looks up once it’s clicked in place. “They gave me my name because I’m quick to pull the Trigger, babe.”

My eyes are definitely relaying my shock over what he’s telling me, but I can’t help it. I think he just admitted that he’s quick to shoot people. I’m starting to panic. My mind is going into overdrive and I’m not sure what to do with the information. Should I be running? Should I be calling for help? I really have no idea how to process what he just said. He did say that they don’t always handle things on the right side of the law. Maybe this is what he meant by that.

“No, baby. It’s not what you’re thinking. Damn, you really do have us pegged wrong.” He’s shaking his head like he can’t fathom how wrong I am about him and his men, and relief starts to seep in. “I’m quick to make a decision, babe. And once I do, I go all in. I pull the trigger and land my target every time. Meaning, if I want something, I don’t stop until I get it.”

Relief floods in. And so does the heat. Because the way he’s looking at me right now, I think I’m something he wants. And if that’s the case, he’s not stopping until he gets me. Honestly, I don’t think I’m going to be putting up much of a fight. I swore off men because I never wanted to let a man have that much control over my emotions like my father did my mother’s, butright now, I think it’s too late. I’m already too far gone. What I feel for Trigger is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before and I want to explore it. I want to learn more about the man in front of me. The man who stormed into my life last night and now has me wanting to change my course and rethink the decision I made seven years ago.

“You gonna give me what I want, babe?” His question pulls me from my thoughts.

“What is it that you want, Trigger?”

He leans in to where he’s nearly touching my mouth and it takes everything in me not to run my tongue out and taste his lips. He looks as yummy as the desserts my sister and I just shared.

“You.” His breath fans across my oversensitive skin and I nearly groan.

“Hey, Trig!” A deep voice comes from behind him, and he pulls away and turns in the guy’s direction. I look over and see Rake holding up what looks to be a drunk man, who I think goes by the name Shiv.

“You mind taking him back to the clubhouse? The guys and I will get his ride back, but there’s no way he can drive or ride on the back of one of our bikes.”

Trigger nods. Then helps his friend into the back seat of his truck.

Once inside, Shiv starts mumbling about love and marriage, and how he thought he’d found the same thing Grit and Riff have, but she turned out to be a bitch. It’s hard to make out his slurred words, but I gather from some of what he’s saying that whoever she was, she left him for someone with money. That Rake wasn’t good enough for her. I also gather just from the raw emotion I hear in his voice, that he’s still in love with her and is still hurting from the betrayal. His words dig at me and have me thinking about my parents.

When Dad cheated on Mom and she found out, she was so devastated. It came as a complete shock to her. Something she never saw coming, and the betrayal destroyed her. Eventually, the pain of her heartbreak became too much for her to bear and she found a way to make it stop. Shiv’s words are a reminder of how someone else can control your emotions whether you want them to or not. He’s miserable and is hurting right now all because of falling in love with a woman who, in the end, hurt him. Who, in the end, chose someone else.

I quietly listen to the pain in his words and think. The way I already feel for Trigger, a man I barely even know, scares me. What if he does the same? What if he betrays me? What if he finds someone else he’d rather be with? Will I be like Shiv? I know I’d never leave my sister alone in this world the way our mom left us, but would I be drinking away my pain and hurting like the man in the back of the truck? Struggling with the loss of what I once had, day in and day out for the rest of my life?

“Where’d you go on me, babe?”

Trigger’s words pull me from my inner turmoil. I realize we’ve stopped moving. My eyes finally focus in on where they’ve been blankly staring and I see that we’re parked out in front of the clubhouse. I turn and look at the man to my left and see the concern on his brow, the kindness burning in his eyes, and feel his hand brushing against my cheek softly. I don’t have any of the answers to the questions running through my mind, but I do have one more question. What if I don’t give him a chance and end up losing out on something magical? Something like what my sister has found. To that question, I do have an answer. I want to give him a chance, but…I will proceed with caution.

Until I know exactly who this man is, I’m going to keep my vow to myself and remain a virgin. That doesn’t mean I’m not willing to do other things with the sexy man. But I’m going to hold some things close, for now.

“Sorry, I just went to the past. But I’m here now and ready for some new memories.”

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