“Don’t. Rain is worried Pete wants that. She thinks he’s working an angle this time, and I think she’s right. Why else would he emerge so soon after the last beating? We don’t need to play into his hand.”
I run a frustrated hand through my hair, and ignore the neighbors who are staring at me for wearing nothing but my boxer-briefs.
“Then what do we do?” I ask, trying not to lose my cool right now.
“We take care of her. She’s going to stay here. Rain is trying to convince her to stay right now, but she’s arguing with her about it. We don’t want her staying with one of the other girls unless it’s Ash. Brin lives with a girl roommate. Pete would consider that a fun challenge—the sick fuck. And Raya already has her hands full with Kade.”
“I’ve got several houses. Tria doesn’t seem like the type to want to live with someone, so I doubt you’ll convince her. It’s probably why she hasn’t already told Rain yes. She can stay in one of my condos. He’d never look for her there. He’d be searching all your properties for her, though.”
I wait patiently for him to take the bait.
“You wouldn’t mind doing that?”
I lean back against the railing as Tria paces through the living room, my shirt covering her up.
“I don’t mind at all. In fact, mention it to her right now.”
I hear Dane talking to an exasperated Rain, and I listen as the message is relayed. Tria looks through the glass at me, her eyes wide.
That’s right, baby. I know everything.
Her lips tighten before her shoulders slump in defeat. Her lips move, most likely giving in, since she knows she’s not going to get to argue with me.
“Thanks,” Dane says in a slow breath. “You’re right. He’d never think to look for her in one of your places, since the two of you hate each other.”
I smirk, carrying the secretive gaze that reflects back at me from against the pane of glass.
“Sure. No problem. I’ll get it set up.”
I hang up at the same time Tria does, and I head back inside to go to war.
“So you didn’t think to mention that a psychopath showed up at your house last night?” I ask, doing all I can to mask my anger.
***
TRIA
Ah, hell.
I hate it when he’s pissed, and though his face is not exactly contorted in anger, I can feel the fury rolling off him in waves.
“Sorry. But it was Maverick’s night, and everyone was in such a good mood… I just didn’t want to be the one to ruin it.”
He just watches me. Silence envelops the room, making it awkward and uncomfortable. I haven’t cried. I don’t want to cry. Pete Mercer scares the ever living hell out of me, but I refuse to shed another tear because of his psychotic vendetta against me.
He’s already beaten the hell out of me once—though that’s not a fact I’ve shared with anyone. It’s embarrassing enough to know I dated the lunatic. They don’t need to know I stuck it out until he finally struck me. I’d rather he never got close enough to do it again. But I refuse to give him the power right now by crying about it.
“You’re staying with me,” is Kode’s response after an eternity of silence.
“You mean one of your empty homes,” I correct, following him as he moves through the massive house to the kitchen.
“No. I mean you’re staying with me. Wherever I go, you go. Speaking of which, I’m going to New York next weekend. So think about what you want to pack.”
I stumble over my own feet, trying to slowly sort out what he just said.
“Kode, I can’t start living with you. Whatever is going on between us… It’s way too soon for me to just move in. And I can’t go to New York with you. You’ve got work to do, and I’ll be in the way.”
He doesn’t respond for a few minutes as he grabs orange juice from the fridge—his favorite thing to drink in the mornings, I’ve noticed. After he pours a glass, he looks up at me.
“Tria, even if I have to chain you to my side, you’ll stay with me. That’s not negotiable. I’m not stupid enough to think this isn’t way too soon for us to start having that sort of intimacy as far as living arrangements, but I’ll be damned if I leave you out there for him to torment without any line of defense. So, get used to it. You’re moving in.”
Groaning, I lean over the chair, propping my elbows on the top while staring at him. He’s really beautiful when he’s protective. I didn’t know he had it in him.
“Kode, as much as I appreciate your concern—and I do appreciate it—I can’t stay. Not live with you. I happen to like this thing we’ve got going on, and I don’t want Pete Mercer to screw it up. He’s messed up enough things in my life.”