Page 38 of Trig
“Ellie’s safe here with me,” I added.
I meant it, too. I might not have a badge and a service pistol, I had guns and I knew how to shoot them. I also knew how to fight. I wasn’t afraid to go up against an opponent. Hell, I rode on the back of a fucking bull for a living.
Colt knew exactly what I meant and wasn’t going to lecture me on protecting myself and my family. That now included Ellie first and foremost.
“She’s married to you. I’d sayyou’rein greater danger.”
“Me? Why?” What the hell?
“Several reasons.”
I huffed out a laugh and began to pace. “I can’t wait to hear.”
“Trout doesn’t like you.”
“It’s mutual.”
“You saw the way he was when he searched your place. Don’t worry, he hates me, too. You missed his attitude when I was stuck with him and Mann that day.” He didn’t sound happy and I could only imagine how fun that outing had been for him.
“You heard Ellie. She said Trout paid for Ellie by settling Mann’s debts in a poker game. He fulfilled his half of the bargain. Mann didn’t.”
“Meaning he’s out a shit ton of money.”
“Exactly. But imagine why he wanted to marry Ellie in the first place.”
I could think of a shit-ton of reasons why Trout would want to marry her, and I’d done every one of those things with her over the past two days. Thank fuck it had been me awakening her to the filthy world of sex and not Trout.
I growled.
“I mean money,” Colt clarified. “The Mann property is huge. If he’s married to the only heir, then that means–”
“He’ll eventually get the Mann property by only paying off his debt. The land he’d inherit through Ellie is worth a hell of a lot,” I finished. I’d never been to that ranch before, but I knew it had to have over a thousand acres.
“Exactly. The only thing standing between him and ultimately getting the Mann land, which is worth millions, is you.”
“You think, what? He’s going to try to kill me?” I asked. He couldn’t see me, but my eyebrows were up beneath my hair in astonishment. The guy was a total dick but I didn’t see him a killer. Then again, Colt was the one who dealt with the shittiest folks around, not me.
I dealt with pissed off bulls trying to kill me, not people.
Colt huffed out a very dry laugh. “When he hears about the wedding? Sure do.”
“What are we going to do to stop him?”
“I think he’ll come after you. Kill you? Not sure, but no question he’s gonna confront your ass.”
“Good. I want to know Ellie’s safe. That Trout knows thatnothingis gonna take her away from me and he should move the fuck on.”
“I say we draw him out. Force his hand.”
A slow smile spread across my face. Ellie had been calmer and happier and sweeter and sexier since I told her Trout wasn’t a problem for her anymore. I said that and meant it.
She was Mrs. Trig Wilder now and her biggest concern in life in life was what position she wanted to be in while I fucked a baby into her.
Trout wasn’t going to get near her. She wasn’t going to think about him or worry about him or anything to do with him ever again. Or her father.
I’d use myself as fucking bait to see that asshole taken down. If he really intended to kill me, I wanted to see him rot in prison.
“You with me, brother?” he asked.
