Page 59 of Trip

As the moonlight filtered through the window and cast a soft glow over our entwined forms, I closed my eyes and silently prayed I’d made the right choice.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Trip

I woke up feeling like a million bucks. Stretching my arms over my head, I smiled as I reached for C.C., only to find her gone. Sighing, I got up and walked to the bathroom. After taking care of my morning necessities, I got dressed and went in search of my woman.

Walking down the stairs, I found the main room empty and headed for the kitchen. King and most of my brothers along with Nash were sitting at the table drinking coffee as Banks glared at his son.

“Mornin’, boys,” I happily greeted as King slowly stood, walking over to the coffeepot and pouring himself another cup of coffee.

“Trip, when you have time, I want to run something by you.”

“Sure thing, Prez, but first I need to find C.C. I wanna show her some land I was scouting before we all headed to New Orleans. Think it might be a good place to build.”

“She left about an hour ago,” Banks absently said as he glared at his son Nash. That was a revelation I still had a hard time wrapping my head around. Never pegged Banks as the fatherly type. The man spent most of his days trying to be the least responsible person around, and now he was married with two kids. Pointing his finger at his son, he said, “My answer is still no. You are not going.”

“Tyler and Sebastian’s parents are letting them go.”

“Yeah, well, Tyler and Sebastian’s parents didn’t walk in on their son balls deep in his girlfriend,” Banks shot back, then shivered. “For your sake, you better pray your mother never finds out because she will kick your ass. She still thinks you are as pure as the driven snow.”

“You suck, you know that?” the snarly teen fumed as he stormed out of the kitchen.

“Yeah, well, you’re no joy either!” Banks shot back, then muttered under his breath, “Ungrateful bastard.”

“Not a bastard anymore.” Frank grinned. “You married his mother.”

“Shut up, Frank.”

“What do you mean, she’s not here?” I asked.

Looking at me with his signature blank expression, he muttered, “Huh?”

“C.C.? You said she was gone?”

“Oh yeah.” Banks nodded. “Saw her take off early this morning.”

Reaching for the coffeepot, I poured myself a cup and chuckled. “Figures she’d leave for the track without me. Woman has a one-track mind. I swear she’d sleep in that damn racecar if Ansel would let her.”

Banks smirked, leaning back in his chair as the tension from his earlier outburst was all but forgotten. “You’ve got to admire her, though. When she’s focused, nothing gets in her way. Not even you.”

“If you admire her so much, Banks, then you can keep her from turning that car into a toaster the next time it breaks down,” I muttered with a slight grin, sipping my coffee.

Banks paled, then quickly shook his head as the kitchen door swung open, and in walked Skylar and Pyro, who held their son, Milo.

“King, where is Cameron?” Skylar smiled happily. “It’s Sky-Cam day and I have a whole itinerary planned.”

King grinned. “Haven’t seen him this morning, but knowing him, he’s either in the greenhouse with Scribe or at the Manly Club doing his morning briefing.”

“No briefing today,” Enigma informed as he picked up his coffee cup. “Shug took Benny and Sean to the dentist. Which reminds me, King, I have Finn today, so Scribe and I are switching places. He’s taking the Tavern, and I’ll be at the Bowling Alley.”

“And Kai is with Laurel at the Comic Bookstore,” Banks added.

“I’ll go check the greenhouse,” Frank groaned, getting to his feet as Scribe sleepily walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffeepot.

Priest slowly stood as King pushed off the counter.

“Scribe, have you seen Cameron this morning?”

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