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Gage and I had a bond stronger than the one I had with Huck—even if it was Huck’s bloodline and mine that went back a hundred years with Blaise’s. Huck had lived with his grandparents through most of our teen years while Gage had become one of us. Our brotherhood had been founded then, and it was ironclad.
“She has no family. No one, Huck. She’s twenty goddamn years old, and she has no one. Kitty was it. She’s alone, and whatever Kitty was mixed up in has put her in danger.”
Huck paced in front of the desk. “We don’t know if she was involved too.”
“Just like we didn’t know if Trinity had a wire on her the first time you brought her here,” Gage pointed out.
Huck scowled as he turned for the door. “Chances that we are as lucky with this girl’s innocence as we were with Trinity’s are fuckin’ slim. I don’t want her up there with Trinity alone.” He started for the door.
I stood up. “Do you think I’d put Trinity in danger?” I asked him, feeling violent. I wouldn’t do anything to put Trinity in danger. He should fucking know that. “She’s a kid, Huck. Jesus!”
He jerked the door open and stalked out as if he hadn’t been in my situation once before. The difference was that even then, I thought he had known he’d end up with Trinity. That wasn’t my case. I wanted to protect a girl who was alone. She was damn vulnerable and weak. I couldn’t stand the idea of her having no one. But I wasn’t about to stick my dick in that. No way in hell did I want that kind of drama.
“Call me if you need me,” Gage called out as we headed for the stairs.
He knew this was me trying to help the girl out and nothing more. Gage understood me. Even when my decisions weren’t clear to everyone else. Huck was confused. I wasn’t thinking with my damn dick.
When Huck reached my bedroom door and he jerked it open with more force than necessary, I heard a small cry, and my blood boiled. Was the fucker trying to piss me off? I closed the distance, ready to unleash on him.
“HUCK! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Trinity’s stern tone made me pause.
“Checking on you,” he snarled.
“Someone is going to need to check on you if you don’t turn around and get out of this room with your angry scowl. That is not what she needs right now.”
I grinned. The fucker was getting corrected by his woman. I had known I could trust Trinity with Aspen. She was just proving me right.
“We don’t know her,” Huck snapped.
“Yes, I can see where we should be terrified of her.” Sarcasm was thick in her voice.
Then, Huck stumbled backward, and I stepped aside.
Trinity was pointing a finger at his chest, glaring up at him. “You need to back down right this minute. She does not need this.”
I stepped around them, giving Trinity an appreciative nod. I could see the relief in her eyes when she saw me.
“Thanks. I got this,” I assured her.
I didn’t wait to see what else Trinity said to Huck before closing the door. My gaze swung to Aspen, who sat on the sofa with her bare legs pulled up to her chest and her arms around them, her knees tucked under her chin. She still wore my jacket. She lifted her eyes, swollen from crying, to meet mine.
Closing the distance between us, I sat down beside her. “Ignore him. He comes off as an asshole, but when he warms up to you, he’s a good guy to have around.”
She said nothing but looked at me as if she wasn’t so sure about that. Tonight had been too much for her. The sadness in those eyes was killing me. She needed rest.
“There is a bedroom across the hall. Do you want to try and get some sleep?” I asked her.
Her eyes darted to my door with panic, and she tightened her arms around her legs. “I … I don’t want to be alone.” She struggled with her words.
“Would you feel better in my bed? And I’ll sleep here on the sofa.”
Those big emerald eyes stared at me with relief. “I can sleep on the sofa.”
“No. I want you in the bed,” I told her, standing and going to pull back the covers before turning and gently tugging on her arms to let go of the death grip she had on her legs.
She gave me her hand and let her legs slide from the sofa to the floor.
I dropped down to my haunches and tugged off her Converse. Her feet were as perfect as the rest of her, complete with cotton-candy-pink toenails. Setting her shoes to the side, I stood up and pulled her with me. I took my jacket off her and tossed it on the sofa.
