treat
you like a child. This is exactly why right here.”
“Let me know if
you change your mind; until then don’t bother talking to me,” I snapped. And
then I left his room, slamming the door shut behind me. I stood in the hallway
for a minute or two, waiting for him to chase after me but he never came. After
a few more seconds of throwing my tantrum, I sighed and tiptoed back toward my
room, shutting the door behind me.
I held back the
tears that were forming behind my eyes, reminding myself that crying wouldn’t
help the situation. How could someone so annoying drive me so fucking crazy?
Crazy as in I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about him no matter how hard I
tried.
I needed a new
plan and fast.
***
I banged on the
door of my stepbrother’s condo just outside of town and the door swung open
before I could even put my hand back down at my side. Trigger was shirtless,
his face unshaven, and his eyes bloodshot.
“Rough night?” I
asked, already knowing the answer. Any night that my brothers were involved in
a shooting was a rough night. I doubted they were the types to celebrate the
success of a murder plot working out.
“Kat?” he asked,
he looked confused by my presence and a little disappointed.
“Expecting someone
else?” I asked, curiosity taking over.
He cleared his
throat loudly then shook his head. “No, no, not at all. Come in.” He took a
step back and I followed him inside. Trigger could supposedly afford this place
thanks to money from the restaurant that the three of them had purchased
together five years ago. Trigger had been put on the title as soon as he turned
18 earlier this year. I had always suspected this place had less to do with the
restaurant and more to do with The Blazing Devils and all their illegal
activity.
It was way nicer
than anything else in our neighborhood and way nicer than any 18-year-old boy
should have. Too much freedom if you asked me. But what did I know? I always
heard Link and Danger talking about how Trigger needed to grow up, though, so
allowing him to live all alone in a luxury condo seemed like an awful idea to
me.
It looked like
your typical bachelor pad. Huge plasma screen on the wall hooked up to about
three different gaming systems. Huge leather chairs and sofas sat against the
walls and a small table in the dining room. It was nice. I would crash here
sometimes if I was coming home late from somewhere and didn’t want to travel
all the way across town.
“Sit, sit,” he told
me. He grabbed a shirt off one of the chairs in the dining room and pulled it
over his head. He looked just like Danger, only a little younger and with fewer
tattoos. I had never looked at him the way I looked at Danger, though. Probably
because Trigger and me had been in the same grade and pretty much grew up
together. He really did feel like my brother.
“You want coffee
or something?” Trigger said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked like
he hadn’t slept in days, tired and worn out from whatever the hell he was going
through behind closed doors.
I smiled at how
well he knew me. Back in high school, he used to bring me coffee every morning
at school. It was so weird seeing big bad Trigger Ford walking through the
halls with a coffee in his hand for his baby sister, but Trigger never seemed
to mind. Caring what people thought was always the last thing on any of the
Ford brother’s minds.
I held up the
steaming hot liquid that was in my hand. “Got some.”
Trigger looked at it. “Oh, right. My bad.
I’m a little out of it this morning.”
“I noticed,” I
told him. “Anything I can help with?”
He shook his head.
“Na, forget it. It’s no big deal.”
I shrugged and
took a sip out of my coffee. I knew better than to push Trigger. If he wanted
to speak on something he would. Forcing him into it just made him more hostile
and pissed off. Just like his brothers.
He flopped his
muscular body down on the couch next to me. “So, what
you like a child. This is exactly why right here.”
“Let me know if
you change your mind; until then don’t bother talking to me,” I snapped. And
then I left his room, slamming the door shut behind me. I stood in the hallway
for a minute or two, waiting for him to chase after me but he never came. After
a few more seconds of throwing my tantrum, I sighed and tiptoed back toward my
room, shutting the door behind me.
I held back the
tears that were forming behind my eyes, reminding myself that crying wouldn’t
help the situation. How could someone so annoying drive me so fucking crazy?
Crazy as in I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about him no matter how hard I
tried.
I needed a new
plan and fast.
***
I banged on the
door of my stepbrother’s condo just outside of town and the door swung open
before I could even put my hand back down at my side. Trigger was shirtless,
his face unshaven, and his eyes bloodshot.
“Rough night?” I
asked, already knowing the answer. Any night that my brothers were involved in
a shooting was a rough night. I doubted they were the types to celebrate the
success of a murder plot working out.
“Kat?” he asked,
he looked confused by my presence and a little disappointed.
“Expecting someone
else?” I asked, curiosity taking over.
He cleared his
throat loudly then shook his head. “No, no, not at all. Come in.” He took a
step back and I followed him inside. Trigger could supposedly afford this place
thanks to money from the restaurant that the three of them had purchased
together five years ago. Trigger had been put on the title as soon as he turned
18 earlier this year. I had always suspected this place had less to do with the
restaurant and more to do with The Blazing Devils and all their illegal
activity.
It was way nicer
than anything else in our neighborhood and way nicer than any 18-year-old boy
should have. Too much freedom if you asked me. But what did I know? I always
heard Link and Danger talking about how Trigger needed to grow up, though, so
allowing him to live all alone in a luxury condo seemed like an awful idea to
me.
It looked like
your typical bachelor pad. Huge plasma screen on the wall hooked up to about
three different gaming systems. Huge leather chairs and sofas sat against the
walls and a small table in the dining room. It was nice. I would crash here
sometimes if I was coming home late from somewhere and didn’t want to travel
all the way across town.
“Sit, sit,” he told
me. He grabbed a shirt off one of the chairs in the dining room and pulled it
over his head. He looked just like Danger, only a little younger and with fewer
tattoos. I had never looked at him the way I looked at Danger, though. Probably
because Trigger and me had been in the same grade and pretty much grew up
together. He really did feel like my brother.
“You want coffee
or something?” Trigger said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked like
he hadn’t slept in days, tired and worn out from whatever the hell he was going
through behind closed doors.
I smiled at how
well he knew me. Back in high school, he used to bring me coffee every morning
at school. It was so weird seeing big bad Trigger Ford walking through the
halls with a coffee in his hand for his baby sister, but Trigger never seemed
to mind. Caring what people thought was always the last thing on any of the
Ford brother’s minds.
I held up the
steaming hot liquid that was in my hand. “Got some.”
Trigger looked at it. “Oh, right. My bad.
I’m a little out of it this morning.”
“I noticed,” I
told him. “Anything I can help with?”
He shook his head.
“Na, forget it. It’s no big deal.”
I shrugged and
took a sip out of my coffee. I knew better than to push Trigger. If he wanted
to speak on something he would. Forcing him into it just made him more hostile
and pissed off. Just like his brothers.
He flopped his
muscular body down on the couch next to me. “So, what