Page 52 of Trigger's Temptation

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.

Chapter 22

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