Loving War (10 page)

Chapter 10

KODE

Without Tria here, I’m half drunk with no one to take advantage of me. Maverick is facedown on the table after doing his row of birthday shots. Pansy.

Corbin is surprisingly sober, considering the occasion. And he’s relaxing in the booth next to me while the madness rages on.

“Kode Sterling, you drunk enough to play nice yet?” a girl I think I know asks, but I wave her off.

“Not with you.”

She says something that sounds reasonably insulting, and I shrug while Corbin laughs.

“Not chasing ass tonight?” I ask him.

“Not tonight. I spent the day helping Ruby set up her new shop.”

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Ruby was in town?”

“Yeah. She’s going to be moving here soon. Her new shop is opening soon to the public. So I spent the day helping her look for a place to live. I also set up the finishing touches on her shop, and now I’m completely exhausted.”

“She already gone?”

“Yeah. She left about two hours before I had to leave to come here.”

Before anything else can be said, a body is sliding into the booth beside me. “Not interested,” I say without looking. “Go find a guy who is.”

“Okay,” Tria—oh shit, Tria—says, sliding back out.

“Hey, sorry,” I say quickly, grabbing her hand and tugging her back toward me. A groan passes through my lips when I take in her strapless white dress that hugs her perfectly. “Didn’t know it was you.”

She seems to relax as though she’s relieved.

“Hey, Tria,” Corbin says, his eyes going back and forth between us when I pull her flush against my side.

Damn, she smells so good.

“Hey,” she says shyly, leaning against my side when I tug her even closer.

“Kode, dude. You’re getting a little too touchy,” Corbin warns, but I flip him off while leaning over to Tria’s ear.

“You look too sexy not to touch,” I tell her, kissing the side of her neck and smiling when she shivers.

“Kode!” Corbin warns, growling at me like I’m an errant child that has to be chastened.

“I can handle it,” Tria says while rubbing my knee under the table.

I continue kissing a trail down her neck, ignoring my cousin’s exasperated groans. She tastes as good as she smells.

“Tria, you don’t have to handle it. He gets a little too hands-on when he’s been drinking liquor. But he hasn’t been doing this shit tonight. Sorry. Just go find Rain, and I’ll deal with him.”

I flip him off again before pressing harder against her. I’ve wanted to feel her pulled up against me since I left her house earlier.

“Really, Corbin. It’s fine. I swear to you I’m a big girl and can handle him.”

“You know exactly how to handle me,” I say against her ear, and her hand slides up higher on my thigh, pushing closer to the hard part of my body that has been dying to get back inside her.

“If Dane sees him all over you, he’ll kick his ass—or try to—and that won’t be good. Then Rain will also try to kick his ass.”

“Corbin, please. Don’t worry. I’ve got this. Promise.”

Corbin sighs, but he slides out of the booth. “Well, I’m going to go make sure Dane and Rain stay away from the booth. Let me know when he passes out or if you need any help.”

She laughs lightly, and I’m pretty sure she nods, but I’m too busy kissing my way down her neck to care.

“You’re a little drunk, aren’t you?” she muses as Corbin leaves.

Maverick snores loudly at that moment, eliciting a laugh from her. “I’m not as bad off as he is,” I tell her, glancing up to meet those endless hazel eyes. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.”

She grins while leaning over and brushing her lips against mine. In this tall corner booth, it’s hard for anyone to see us. “Still want me to stay with you tonight?” I ask her, hoping she says yes.

“Actually, I was hoping we could go to your place. You’ve invaded my space, so I think it’s only fair that I invade yours.”

I grin while pulling her closer for a much better kiss, and she melts in my arms while kissing me back, not complaining about the fact I’m a little drunk, or the fact that I’m practically mauling her in the booth. She feels so right like this.

“I’m good with that,” I say when our lips break apart.

“I should go say hey to Rain before she comes looking for me. Can you behave in front of them?” she asks me, leaning over to kiss my neck.

I groan while trying to get her in my lap. I’d fuck her here in the booth if I knew no one would see us. But someone would see, and I’d rather they not get that image in their head of my girl. I’d hate to have to go to prison after killing someone.

“I can behave, but not for long. We can get out of here whenever you’re ready.”

Her lips twitch in amusement before brushing mine again. “Just let me say hey to my sister. I’d wish Maverick a happy birthday, but it looks like it might have been too
happy
for him.”

Her eyes land on Sleeping Beauty, and I snicker while nodding.

She climbs out of the booth first, and I squeeze her ass once, earning a quick hand slap. But she grins over her shoulder at me, letting me know she’s just as into me as I am her. It’s a reassurance I wasn’t aware I needed. Apparently chasing a girl who was chasing my brother for all those years has done a number on my ego.

But Tria isn’t chasing anyone but me. She came here tonight and didn’t hesitate to climb into the booth beside me. I’m the first person she came in to find, and her mind was focused on only me. It makes me want to kiss the hell out of her in front of everyone, but I know that would cause all sorts of problems. Especially if she found out the truth about that fucking letter.

Damn. I really wish that terrible thought hadn’t just crossed my mind. Why the hell did I ever try to split Rain and Dane apart? I should have left it alone. Then I might have noticed Tria a little sooner instead of uselessly pining for a girl who was completely unobtainable.

It’s not until we reach the others that I see her smile slip, but she quickly puts it back in place. The alcohol has dulled my senses, so I didn’t notice how forced that pretty grin was. But now I see it clearly.

“I’m too tired to keep standing,” I say to the group, but it’s intended for Tria to step in.

“Someone has to drive you home,” Rain says quickly. “You’ve had way too much to drink.”

“I’ll drop him off. I’m still tired from having the girls over,” Tria says, stepping in like the angel she is.

Corbin groans, apparently sensing something is up, and he narrows his eyes on me. I just shrug, acting bored with the whole scene, when really all I want to do is get the hell out of here and find out what’s wrong with Tria.

“Tria, you don’t have to do that. We can call a cab and one of us can go,” Dane says, looking around for someone other than himself to take me.

“It’s fine. Really. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

As she hugs the group, Corbin grabs me at my elbow to drag me toward the door, stopping when we’re a safe distance away.

“I seriously hope you’re not fucking around with Tria to get at Rain. I can’t believe I didn’t catch on sooner. Dude, you’re going to destroy your relationship with your brother if you’re trying this shit.”

I knock his hand away, and then I take a very menacing step toward him. I’m so sick of this shit.

“I get it. I fucked up. Dane deserves to be pissed, but what I’m doing or not doing with Tria hasn’t got a fucking thing to do with Rain.”

He tilts his head, looking more curious than intimidated. All this alcohol must be making me lose my edge.

“You like her,” he says simply. “That’s why you—even though you’ve got too much liquor in your system—never touched a girl tonight. Well, I’ll be damned.”

His taunting grin takes over his scowl, and I curse myself for revealing anything to the dick. Rolling my eyes, I take a step back. Before I can respond, Tria is at my side, and my arm drops to land on her shoulders.

“Take care of him,” Corbin says with his wry grin. He winks at Tria before pushing off from the bar and heading back toward the others.

Tria doesn’t acknowledge him as she helps me out the door. Well, I let her think she’s helping me. I’m plenty sober enough to walk, but she might not have let me keep my arm around her in front of everyone if I wasn’t faking a stagger.

As soon as we’re outside, I straighten up, and her eyes narrow on me as I pull her closer.

“Faker,” she says under her breath, eliciting a laugh from me.

“I’ve been drinking, but I’m plenty sober. How’s Raya?”

Her sigh says it all. “She’s really worried about Kade right now. She’s lost because she has no clue what to do or how to help. She feels useless. She basically just needed some friends to vent to more than anything. She went back to the vineyard earlier.”

I motion toward my car as she fills me in on the night. She says it was rather dull before she came to see me. I suppose her forced smile is because of her worry over Raya and Kade.

She digs her hand into my pocket suddenly, and I grab her ass in response.

“Down, boy. Just getting your keys.”

She grins up at me, but it’s weighted, only partially sincere. She looks around as if she’s wary as we approach my car. I open the driver’s side door for her, and she pulls me down to kiss me. Hard. Surprising me.

The door hangs open and forgotten as I move her to the solid back and push against her, kissing her back just as passionately. Her explorative tongue sweeps into my mouth, searching and seeking, and I grip her ass with both hands as I devour her.

As quickly as it started, it’s over. She pushes me back, looking around again, and then she meets my eyes.

“Sorry. I just really needed that.”

My wolfish grin slips into place and I waggle my eyebrows at her. “At your service, Tria. You’ve got me all to yourself tonight.”

“Then let’s go.”

Chapter 11

KODE

Godforsaken hangovers. Hate them. And I hate me. Christ, my head is killing me. I hate my head.

A loud screaming song roars to life, reminding me what woke me up to begin with. That’s the third time I’ve heard that obnoxious motherfucker this morning. Tria groans while trying to untangle herself from me and answer it. Apparently someone really wants to talk to her.

I hate Tria’s phone.

Her bare body is next to mine, the sheet barely covering her as she swats blindly for the phone, not opening her eyes. It’s too early for phone calls. Shit, it’s seven in the morning, and we didn’t even get in until after three.

As Tria answers—her
hello
mumbled—I grin and slide in behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing the back of her neck. Her dark hair is all draped to one side, giving me an angle on every side of her neck except for the side facing the bed.

“Oh. Hey, Rain,” Tria says slowly, warning me to keep quiet, her voice suddenly very alert.

I keep kissing her, but I also keep my mouth shut. I’ve reached the point where I don’t care if they know. But I know Tria is like everyone else—unsure if I’m really over Rain.

I honestly think I got over Rain the minute I saw Tria in a completely different light.

“I’m at… Brin’s house. Why are you at my house?” she asks, and my phone buzzes loudly on the nightstand, forcing me to let her go and grab it.

I walk out of the room to answer so that Rain doesn’t overhear my voice. Dane is calling? Both of them calling this early? Is it possible that Corbin ratted me out?

“Why the hell are you calling me so early?” I ask, clearing my throat from the early morning rasp.

“Sorry. But it’s sort of important. Raya called Rain this morning to find out if Tria stayed with us. Apparently that douche you fucked up a few months ago showed up over at her house last night.”

My entire body goes stiff, and my jaw grinds. I’ll fucking kill him—after I throttle Tria for not telling me. That’s why she acted so upset last night, and she didn’t bother including me. The only thing keeping me from storming in there right now is the fact that she stayed with me. She came to me.

“I had no idea,” I say in a deceptively calm tone, my eyes moving toward the bedroom door that I shut on my way out.

As I move out to the deck that overlooks the ocean, Dane continues. “Yeah. Raya had a Taser gun, and Brin—Tria’s friend—snapped a picture. They’re at the police station now because they were worried Tria wouldn’t act soon enough. But they need Tria down there now.”

“Because it doesn’t matter where I’m really at.” Tria’s voice carries through the open sliding-glass door when she emerges in an angry storm from the bedroom.

I shut it quickly, blocking Dane from hearing her, and shake my head. Apparently Rain called her out on the lie about being at Brin’s house, since Brin is at the police station.

“I’ll take care of Pete Mercer again. Maybe the message will stick this time.” His name tastes like acid on my tongue. I hate that son of a bitch more than anyone right now.

“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.”

I never thought I’d see the day when Kode Sterling’s eyes softened to be so compassionate, but right now, he looks like all he wants to do is save me. I’ve never had anyone look at me like that. Ever.

“Tria, you’re staying here. It’s not going to mess anything up.”

He moves around the side of the bar, and without any warning, his lips press gently against mine as he pulls me close to him. His hand grabs a fistful of the shirt I’m wearing, gathering it at the back as I move to my tiptoes to deepen the kiss.

He pulls back, nuzzling his nose against mine. “Right now, you need to get dressed. You have to go deliver a statement to the police station.”

I groan again while leaning against him, and he holds me to him. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve spent all these years judging him wrong, or if he’s changing toward me.

“My car is at my house,” I remind him. “I took a cab to the club last night so that I could drive your car here.”

“Your car will have to stay at whatever condo I tell Rain and Dane I’m putting you in. We’ll take one of my cars to the police station.”

“You can’t come in,” I say through a sigh.

“Fine. I’ll wait in the car and do some business via phone while you go press charges.”

This isn’t how I pictured this morning going.