Текст книги "Rock the Beat"
Автор книги: Michelle A. Valentine
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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 14 страниц)
Chapter 12
Kiss Quick
Holly
We lie in my bed wrapped in each other’s arms. The sun rising brightens up my room and I study the intricate tattoos on Trip’s left shoulder and arm. I trace my finger over the patterns and read the words Music is Life on his forearm. I’ve seen it on his arms many times, but I guess I didn’t understand how much he was into music until last night when he told me he used to be in a band.
I run my finger over the words. “I like this one.”
Trip rotates his wrist to check which one I was referring to. “Me too. It’s true. Music is in my blood. I love it. I don’t think I could ever fully give it up.”
I prop myself up on an elbow. “I love that you are so passionate. Why did you stop playing?”
He pauses for a long moment, like he’s searching for an answer. “I still play actually.”
“I’d love to hear you play sometime.”
He grins. “I’d like that.”
My eyes wander up his arm to the words Black Falcon written on his shoulder. I touch his skin where the inked words appear. “Isn’t this a band’s name?”
Trip’s eyes widen and his body stiffens. “Yes.”
I tilt my head. It seems kind of childish to get something like that permanently tattooed into his skin, but I’ve heard of people doing crazier things before. I guess if you love something enough to put on your body forever, it’s a good way to always remember being passionate about something. I don’t want him to think I’m judging him for that. I can see how nervous he is just by me bringing it up. “I didn’t know you were such a huge fan.”
He relaxes and smiles. “Yeah. I’m a big fan. Do you like them?”
I shrug. “I’ve only really heard that song you were signing in the office.”
“Ball Busting Bitch?”
I laugh at how ridiculous the name of it is. “That’s the one. The radio played that one out.”
He laughs too. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Other than that, I’ve never really listened to any of their music,” I admit.
“They’re an okay band.”
Talking about music and bands makes me wonder about his regular job. “I never did ask what band you worked for.”
He bites his lip and tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear. “Believe it or not, I actually work for Black Falcon.”
My mouth drops open and sit up quickly, pulling the sheet up to cover my bare chest. “Are you serious?”
He tucks his arm behind his head. “Yep. Why are you so excited all of the sudden? I thought you weren’t a fan.”
“I’m not.” The possibilities of somehow using the bands fame to help promote the track rushes through my brain. “Are you good friends with the guys in the band?”
Trip smirks. “I guess you could say that.”
“This is perfect! I know how we can save the track.”
Trip raises an eyebrow. “How’s that?”
I turn towards him. “Do you think they would come and play a couple songs if we set up a race here at the track? If we had a major band perform here, we’d draw all kinds of sponsors, press and riders from all over the world. It would be exactly what this place needs.”
He bites his bottom lip, like he’s considering what I’ve asked. “Is that what you want? You don’t think the investor’s money will be enough?”
I shake my head. “Not to put the business back on top. Besides, you said the drummer of the band you work for is the investor, right? He would probably love to see this place make money, so he’d convince the other guys to come here. What do you think?”
He sighs and touches my face. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll do my best to make it happen.”
I squeal and hug him. “Thank you. This will mean so much to this place and to Dad.”
He rubs my back as I pull back and kiss his lips. The simple peck between us turns passionate as he opens his mouth and slides his tongue against mine. My hands find their way into his hair and his hand slips down my back, shoving the sheet down until he reaches my ass. His strong hands grip my ass and he pulls me on top of him.
I’m afraid I’m becoming addicted to this sexy man.
TRIP
The moment Holly leaves the room I throw my head back against the pillow.
Shit.
I’ve gotten myself into a huge fucking mess by lying to her all this time. I should’ve told her before who I was, but I was afraid she would never give me the time of day if she knew I was famous. She doesn’t like people like me—words from her own mouth.
The moment the guys all come here, or the moment she Google’s the band, it’s all over. She’ll either forgive me and we can move on, or she’ll hate me forever.
I sit up and grab my pants from the floor. I dig my cell phone out of the pocket and dial Tyke’s number. “What’s up, baby brother. You ready to come back yet? It’s boring as shit without you here.”
I roll my eyes and fight back the urge to argue with him about the age thing, but don’t because I know there’s no time. “Hey, bro. I have a favor to ask.”
Tyke sighs into the phone. “What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?”
“No trouble, but I do need something from you. Well, from all the guys.”
“Oh? Should I be afraid to even ask what that is?”
I shake my head eve though I know he can’t see me. “I need you all to come here and play a couple songs. That’s it.”
“You know the other guys aren’t going to want to leave their women right now. That’s the reason we’re on break in the first place.”
“They can bring them too. Holly and I want to set up a benefit, slash motocross competition here and we need something to draw people in.”
“And let me guess, you want to use the band to promote your new little business?”
“Yes. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, I guess. Who is this Holly person you mentioned before?”
I bite my bottom lip and wish I could kick myself in the ass. I’m just beginning to figure out my relationship with Holly. I don’t know if I’m ready to share what we are with my brother. “She’s the owner’s daughter.”
“Don’t forget to add the woman you’re sleeping with,” Tyke adds.
“It’s not like that,” I reply, my tone sharp. I hate the fact that my brother knows me almost as well as I know myself.
“Then how is it?”
I rub my face and allow my thoughts to travel to Holly. Her gorgeous smile comes to mind and denying what I feel for her to my own flesh and blood would make me a total tool, so I decide to give him the most honest answer I can. “I like her.”
“Really? That’s something I haven’t heard you say in a long time. Matter of fact not since…”
“Let’s not even bring her up,” I beg. “Holly is nothing like Jessica. To compare the two wouldn’t be fair.”
Putting someone as straightforward and sweet as Holly up against my back stabbing, slutty ex isn’t anywhere close to being even. Jessica isn’t in Holly’s league.
“That’s good to know. The band can’t handle you losing your shit right now. It’s falling apart as it is, and it won’t be able to withstand your ass getting carted off to jail over some girl you barely know.”
I shake my head. “This is exactly why I don’t tell you things. Every time I do, you always revert back to the past. I’ve grown up since then, Tyke. I’m not going to go around fighting every single asshole that looks at her three seconds too long. This track and Holly are both really important to me. I wouldn’t do something stupid to screw up what I have going here.”
“You’re right. That was a long time ago, and maybe I don’t give you enough credit for keeping your temper in check the last couple years.” He pauses for a brief moment. “I’ve seen the way you tried to help Riff and Noel when they were going through their shit. It was very mature and insightful. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry. If this girl makes you happy, then I’m all for you giving it a go with her.”
I smile. “Thanks, man. So what do you say? You’ll help me convince Riff and Noel to come out here for a weekend?”
“Of course I will. If this will help you make a new start in life, then I’ll be there. You know you can always count on me, brother.”
“Thanks. I’ll owe you. I’ll call you with the date as soon as I have one,” I tell him before we say our goodbyes and end the call.
The bedroom door opens and Holly comes traipsing in wearing only a towel and a smile. My cock twitches at the sight of her, knowing how amazing it felt to be buried deep inside her last night. I can’t help that my body craves that sweet, little pussy of hers now. It’s going to be damn hard to get any real work done around here now with that distraction going on.
She smiles as she walks across the room to her closet. “See something you like?”
My eyes do a full sweep of her from head to toe. Her blonde hair still wet from her shower drips water beads down her bare back, while the towel opens on the side showing off her hip and thigh. Her beauty is unmatched by anything I’ve ever seen. “You’re perfect and you know it.”
Holly blushes and continues to sort through the rack of clothes. “Have you always been such a charmer?”
The urge to touch her skin overwhelms me. I push myself up off the bed, wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts and a smile. I stand behind her, pull her hair away from one shoulder and nuzzle my nose against her neck while grinding my erect cock against her ass. “It’s you, sweetness, who has charmed this snake.”
She tilts her head back and to the side, allowing me better access to her flesh. The scent of her floral shampoo and body wash fills my nose as I playfully nip at her neck.
She sighs as my tongue darts out to taste her. “You make me feel crazy, do you know that?”
“Is that a bad thing?” I mumble against her skin.
“It is when you’re all that I can think about,” she admits.
I spin her around in my arms and back her against the doorframe of the closet. “That makes us even then. I was just wondering how I was ever going to get any work done around here, knowing just how good you feel pressed up against me like this. All I’m going to be able to think about is being buried deep inside you again.”
She swallows and then her mouth drifts open. I can tell she gets turned on when I talk dirty to her. It’s impossible for her body to hide the way she feels. “I know exactly what you mean.”
I press my lips against hers and tug on the towel until it opens up and falls from her body. Her puckered nipples rub against my solid chest as I deepen our kiss and thread my fingers into her wet hair. I’ll never get tired of this with her. Every time I kiss her lips, all it does is drive me to possess more of this delicious taste.
My hand slides down her stomach and she whimpers as my finger finds her swollen clit. My finger glides around with ease and I suck in a quick breath. “I love how easily you get turned on for me. It makes me want to fuck you that much more.”
She groans as I glide my finger inside her. “Trip. God. Ah.”
Hearing her moan my name is enough to make me nearly come in my boxers. Sex with Holly is exciting. I love that she’s not that experienced and isn’t jaded by the experience like most of the groupies I’ve been fucking the past couple of years. Maybe that’s why each time with her feels so fucking awesome.
I work my finger in and out of her until she’s so frenzied she’s clawing at my back. I love making her body feel good. It’s almost better than when I get to come while deep inside her…almost. The only thing better than that would be to fuck her raw and feel her wrapped around my dick like she is around my finger right now. “That greedy little pussy of yours keeps milking my finger.” I kiss her lips. “Do you want me to fuck you?” My tongue darts out and I lick her top lip. “Huh?”
“Yes,” she pants.
The way she’s panting makes my cock rock-hard. I like that I’m the only man that’s ever given her an orgasm and she knows I’m about to give her another one. Her body is begging for it. Anyone else causing her to react like this would drive me crazy. The need to claim her rages through my body. I want her to be mine. I want to be the only one who ever gets this part of her.
I trail my nose against her jaw and then whisper in her ear, “Ask me to fuck you. I want to hear you say it.”
Her head falls back against the wood as I pull out and rub her clit a few times. “Oh, God.”
I bite her earlobe hard enough for her to feel a little pain. “Say it.”
“Please…”
“Please, what? Say it,” I command. “Say it and I’ll give you exactly what you need.”
“Fuck me,” she says in a breathy voice. “I want you to fuck me, Trip.”
I growl into her ear. “Good girl.”
I slide my boxers down and kick them to the side, not wanting anything else between us. My cock springs free and rubs against her bare stomach as I pull her in for a kiss. Holly grabs the back of my neck and holds me against her as I deepen the kiss. She wants this just as much as I do.
I hoist her up against the wall and she wraps her legs around my waist. He wet pussy rubs against my bare shaft and I groan.
“Fuck. I want to feel you,” I say against her mouth.
She bites her lower lip. “Have you ever…”
“Only a few times with my ex, but I’ve been tested since then and I swear I’m clean,” I promise as I kiss her neck. “Have you?”
She nods. “Only once, before I left for school, but I’ve been checked too. It was a requirement to get birth control.”
“So you’re on the pill now?”
“Yes. I started taking them right before I came home from college.”
I readjust my hips and she moans as the head of my cock slides against her clit. “I want you just like this.”
She stares into my eyes. “Then take me.”
With one swift move I push inside of her. The warmth of her surrounds me and I push in all the way to the base. I close my eyes and lean my forehead against hers. “Jesus. You feel so fucking good.”
I pull back and fill her again. This time we both whimper with pure delight, which only propels me to move more. The best place on earth is right here. I’ll never grow tired of this.
I work her pussy into a frenzy as I fuck her hard and fast against the wall. When my balls tighten, I know I won’t be able to go on much longer. It feels too damn good.
Holly digs her nails into my back. She cries out my name against my lips as she comes undone in my arms while staring deep into my eyes. Witnessing her ecstasy and knowing that I made her come pushes me towards my own release.
“Fuck, Holly. I’m going to come.” Before I have time to ask if I can come inside her or not, it’s too late. I explode, filling her full. It was probably wrong of me to do that, but I couldn’t help myself and my body wouldn’t listen to my brain to hold off. In its own twisted way, I think my body took control and marked its territory. I kiss her face all over. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s okay, Trip,” she says, effectively cutting me off with a kiss. “I wanted you to.”
I tilt my head and stare into her blue eyes. “You did?”
She nods and plays with the hair on the nape of my neck. “I didn’t want you to stop. It felt so good.”
I sigh. “I’m glad you’re not mad at me. I promise to try and be more careful next time.”
She grins while she’s still tightly wrapped around me. “Who says there will be a next time?”
I bite her bottom lip. “Because I know how much you like it. I even got you to beg.”
She smacks my shoulder, playfully. “Jerk.”
I shrug. “You know you like me that way.”
She giggles as pull out of her and set her on her feet. “Yeah…maybe I do.”
She bends over to pick up her discarded towel and I smack her naked ass. “Hurry up and get dressed. We have lots of work to do if we’re going to have a motocross competition with a special guest performance by Black Falcon here soon.”
Holly rubs her ass and stands straight up. Her wide eyes show just how excited she is about my band playing here. “Oh, my God! You got them to say yes?”
My mouth pulls into a lopsided grin. “Of course I did.”
She squeals and throws her arms around my neck. “This is fantastic. Thank you.”
I stare down at her face and seeing her so happy makes my chest feel warm. I never thought doing something for someone else would make me so happy. It’s here in this moment that I know Holly appreciates me as a person. Unlike most of the women I sleep with, she doesn’t know me as the famous rock star that has lots of money and could be her meal ticket. This girl seems to like me for me, not what I can give to her. What is a simple gesture to me—asking my friends for a favor—seems to mean the world to her. It’s then I decide once I make her see I’m a good man, despite my crazy past and celebrity status, I’m going to spoil her with a whole lot more. “You’re most welcome.”
Chapter 13
Same Old Trip
Trip
Holly and I sit at the countertop in the front office, cuddling next to each other as she jots down a list of things we’ll need for the event. We already have the basics down, like contacting sponsors and riders, but there is so much more to this business than I even knew. It’s going to take me a while to learn everything. Thank God I have Holly here to help me with everything.
She pulls a Rolodex from under the counter and begins flipping through it. “Who are you calling?”
“We need riders for the event. The bigger the names in the sport we attract, the more money major sponsors will throw our way. We’ll need prize money.”
I scratch the back of my head. “How much do you think we’ll actually need? Maybe I can get the band to donate.”
She shakes her head. “We can’t ask them to do that. They’re giving enough already just by coming here and performing.”
“I know they would contribute. It’s not like they don’t need the tax write-off, anyhow.”
Holly bites her lower lip to try and contain her smile. “That would make things so much easier.” The smile on her face turns into a frown as her line of sight trails off into the distance like she’s lost in thought. “Trying to get money off larger companies is like pulling teeth. It’s one of the main reasons Dad stopped holding events here. Once the attendance dwindled the sponsorships stopped too. There is no way the track can fund something like that on its own, and Dad doesn’t have a penny saved up because Grace always figures out a way to take it.”
It kills me to see her hurting like this. I wish there was a way to take the pain that she feels when she thinks about her mother away, but the past isn’t something we can change. God knows how many times I wish I could go back and convince myself to not marry Jessica. She put me through pure hell, and I can tell Holly’s mother has done the same to her.
What makes it worse is that I know Grace’s fault Bill is ill. Eventually, Bill’s secret will come out, and when it does Holly will hate her mother even more. Not saying that I blame her. From what I’ve gathered, Grace is a selfish woman. Holly is the complete opposite. Instead of always taking from people for her own personal gain, she gives. She quit school to help her father, and stopped riding dirt bikes because that fucker Jackson told her he didn’t like her doing it. Giving up those two things alone proves she isn’t a selfish person.
I take the pen out of her hand and lay it on the counter before threading my fingers through hers. “I think things are going to start getting better for you and Bill now.”
Her eyes search my face. “How can you be so sure?”
I open my mouth to tell her everything—to tell her I have enough money to take care of her and Bill and turn this place into a Mecca for motocross. But the fear of rejection won’t allow me to. If I tell her, and she hates me, I’m not sure I can recover.
I tuck a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. “I’m going to take care of you, Holly. Anything you want, it’s now my job to make sure you have it.”
She smiles and leans her cheek into my hand. “You shouldn’t promise me the world because when you say stuff like that, I feel like you can actually make that happen.”
“It is the truth. I’ll always find a way.”
The sound of the office door opening startles me and I pull away from Holly just as Bill shuffles in. His shoulders sag as he makes his way towards his office, before plopping down in the chair at the desk. I know he doesn’t want Holly to know just how sick he actually is, but by the looks of him, I don’t know how much longer he can keep up the pretense his fatal illness will go away.
Holly stands up and slides the stool back under the counter as she leans against the doorframe of Bill’s office. “You don’t look so good, Dad. I think it’s time you let me to take you to the hospital.”
Bill busies himself with stacking a few loose papers on his desk. “I’m fine, honey. This will pass.”
She folds her arms over her chest. “No, Dad. You’ve been saying that since I got home at the beginning of the summer. It’s time to get checked out.”
“No!” Bill yells and slams his fist onto the desk. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Holly flinches and her face twists. Bill scrubs his hands down his face and then stares up at his daughter. Things would be so much easier if he would only tell her the truth. She’ll understand—I know she will—then they can cherish the time they have left together. It’s not fair that he’s keeping something so huge from her.
“Bill…” I feel like outing him in front of her, but I quickly stop myself, knowing I’m keeping something from her too—something that her father has promised to keep secret as long as I keep his.
Bill’s gray eyes shift in my direction and I know he knows exactly what’s on my mind. “You got something to say, Trip?”
“I do, actually.” Bill’s eyes narrow at me, and I clear my throat. “Holly and I have come up with a plan to help get this place back on its feet.”
He softens his gaze and tilts his head, clearly shocked that I didn’t come out and tell Holly about his disease. “What’s that?”
Holly’s stance relaxes and she smiles and I can tell she’s trying let go of the topic of forcing Bill to the doctor. “We’re going to hold a motocross race here.”
He leans back in the chair and smoothes his thinning hair back. “How do you propose we do that? We don’t have the kind of clout needed to pull any big names here, not to mention the funding.”
“We do now.” Holly glances at me and smiles. “Trip works for a famous rock band called Black Falcon and he’s got them to agree to come here and play a couple of songs. They will draw thousands of people, Dad. Trip thinks they might even be willing to donate money, too.”
Bill chuckles and his eyes flit to me. “Is that so?”
Holly doesn’t give me a chance to address her father’s question. “Isn’t that great?”
He nods. “Yes, and as long as Trip is helping you out, I have the feeling it’s all going to turn out even better than you expect.”
Holly runs into her father’s office, no longer able to contain her excitement. She hugs him tight. “This is all going to work out, Dad. You’ll see.” She releases him and smiles. “I need to go out to the garage and see if I can dig up all the sound equipment. Do you think it’s all still out there? We haven’t used it in a while.”
“It should be, but I think it’s a good idea to get it all out and make sure it all still works since we haven’t used it in a couple years.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought about that.” She frowns. “If it doesn’t work that’s just more money that we don’t have that we’ll have to spend.”
Bill pats her hand. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, honey.”
“Okay. I’m going. Cross your fingers,” she tells us as she turns and heads for the door.
The moment she’s gone, Bill sets his sights on me. “You know this is going to blow your cover. It will be impossible for you to play in your own band and Holly not notice.”
“She’s going to find out sooner than that.” I pick at my thumbnail. “The moment she gets on the computer to look up the band for promotional pictures it’ll be over.”
“Ah, yes—the internet. One of the beauties of modern day technology is you can find out information about anyone from the safety of your own home. Are you worried that she will no longer be interested in you once she discovers who you are?”
I sigh. “Yes. She told me herself that she would never date anyone famous.”
“But that’s before the two of you slept together.”
My eyes widen and my heart jumps into my throat. “I…uh…um…what?”
Bill rolls his eyes. “I may be sick, but I’m not deaf. We were all staying under the same roof last night…and this morning. I know what the two of you have been up to.”
Fuck. Nothing like the father of the girl you’re sleeping with calling you out, although I will say he’s rather calm about the entire situation. If some punk like me was shagging my daughter under my nose, I would kick his fucking ass. I know his laid-back demeanor has to be a front for what he’s really thinking about me.
The best thing in this situation is to try and smooth things over. “Look, Bill, I apologize for that. I meant no disrespect towards you, or Holly for that matter. I guess I lost my head and didn’t consider my surroundings. For that, I’m sorry.”
He rests his elbows on his desk and folds his arms. “I can accept that. I remember what it was like to be young once. The thing I’m worried about is your intention.”
“About what?” I question.
“I want to know what your intentions are with not only with this place, but with my daughter as well. Getting involved with her changes the dynamics of our deal a bit, don’t you think?”
“It changes a lot,” I agree. “But I still want to be in business with you, and I’m keeping my promise to pay for your medical expenses. Holly needs you in her life.”
He frowns. “I know she does. That’s my biggest fear—leaving her all alone. When I’m gone she won’t have anyone except Max, and that scares me.”
“You don’t have to worry, Bill. I’ll take care of her,” I say.
“But you barely know her.”
“I know enough to know she’s a good person. She’s loyal and selfless. If you ask me those are some damn good traits to have. To be honest with you, Bill, I’ve been looking for someone like her all my life.” It’s odd to hear my deepest, most private thoughts said out in the open.
Holly is exactly the kind of woman I’ve always wanted. I don’t believe she’d ever betray me. It’s just not her style.
Bill leans back in his chair. “I’m glad to hear you say that, because with this disease there’s no promise of tomorrow. Knowing you and Holly are together, and that you can take care of her even better than I can, takes a load off my shoulders. I have to know, do you love her?”
How can I answer that? Love? Is that even possible to know after only a few weeks time?
When I don’t answer right away, Bill says, “You don’t have to answer that, Trip. Just do me a favor and think on it. All the best financial intentions in the world won’t matter to Holly if you don’t love her. She cares for you. I see the way she looks at you. You’re the real reason she was able to finally tell Jackson goodbye and mean it. My daughter has been searching for real love ever since her mom ran out on us. She thought she’d found that in Jackson, but all that boy did was lie to her. I’m asking you to always be honest with her and don’t lead her on if you don’t see an actual future with her. There’s something that happens to people who miss out on a mother’s love. It triggers a never-ending search for unconditional love. So don’t tell her you love her unless you really mean it. Lying to her will only hurt her more.”
I swallow hard and nod. Toying with Holly’s heart isn’t something I ever want to do. It’s the main reason I fought against my desire to sleep with her in the first place. She’s the relationship kind of girl, and I knew that when I slept with her. Now I just have to figure out where she and I go from here. All I know right now is that I want to be with her. The rest I’ll have to figure out. “I understand.”
Bill smiles. “I know you do.”
HOLLY
The next week flies by. Every moment of every day is spent working on organizing the race. Trip received confirmation back that the band will play at our race the very day he called them. Trip seems very excited that Black Falcon is coming here because he went to work getting graphics made for the signage for the event. Working alongside Trip has been great. Not once has he laughed at my ideas, or tried to take over like Jackson would’ve done if he’d been the one helping me.
We haven’t slept apart since that first night we had sex. Sleeping with Trip has quickly become something I crave. Every little touch from him ignites a fire in my belly that only he can extinguish—something he is always eager to do.
I don’t know what’s come over me. I’ve been a complete horn-dog lately. Trip has a crazy effect on me. It’s like I can’t get enough of him. Even when he’s with me, I’m constantly thinking of him, which is making my job confirming all the riders for this weekend difficult.
I press end on my cell phone and grin at Trip, who looks up me from his computer screen. “Charlie Chance just confirmed. That’s one hundred and fifty riders in total for an open-class race. I think we’ve got enough bikes to have some great heats in the 125 and 250 classes.”
Trip closes his laptop. “That’s great news. One hundred and fifty is the goal, right?”
I nod. “Yes. It’s the perfect number for our small race. The next one we do can go bigger. How’s the budget looking?”
“It’s completely under control. We’ve sold enough pre-order tickets to totally fund the event. This will give the track a great boost to get back on its feet.”
“I’m excited to meet the band and thank them in person for all they’ve done,” I say.
Trip sighs. “About that…there’s something I need to tell you.”
Pain appears in the expression on his face. I’ve never seen him like this. It’s like he’s being tortured with his own thoughts. I reach for his hand, willing away the hurt in his eyes. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. We’ll work through it.”
He sucks in his lower lip. “I’m actually—”
Before Trip has time to tell me whatever he was going to say, Dad bursts through the office door. “Trip come quick! Jackson is beating the hell out of Max. I’m not strong enough to break them up. I need your help!”
I suck in a quick breath as Trip flies off his stool and toward the door. I’m right on his heels as he comes to a skidding stop on the front porch. My eyes lock on the grotesque display of human behavior before me. Max lies on the ground in a curled up ball, while Jackson towers over him, shouting slurs.
My hand covers my mouth. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. Jackson did an excellent job of hiding his true colors from me. I know Max told me how Jackson treated him, but never imagined I would witness this scene.
