Smoke Bomb (Smoke Series Book 3)

HUCK

The living room was crowded with those of us not at the Kentucky Derby. Typically, I’d be there. This year, I had planned on going, but Trinity had screwed that up. Gage didn’t go to most of the races, and he’d stay here, taking care of things and running my bike repair shop, but that shit wasn’t happening. I didn’t trust him or her. Last thing I needed was for Trinity to start fucking Gage or Levi. She’d get attached, they’d get bored with her, and then I would be stuck trying to relocate her somewhere safe.

Glaring at the television as everyone was ready for the turf race to begin, I tried not to be bitter that I was missing the real thing. So far today, Pyros had won Churchill Downs, and Galahad had won La Troienne for Hughes Farm. Moses Mile had gotten their first win with Firefoot in the Distaff Turf Mile. The fucking energy in this room was nothing compared to being there.

“We’re celebrating. Or did you miss that?” Gage asked as he walked up beside me.

I didn’t look at him when I grunted my response.

“You could have gone,” he said. “I would have kept her safe.”

Like hell he would have. Moving Trinity from my room up to the second floor three days ago had been hard enough. She was already walking around and in my fucking way all the damn time. Cooking elaborate meals that had the guys praising her and offering marriage. She would blush all the way down to those big, natural tits when they gave her attention. Her pussy was probably soaked, thinking one—or both—of them was going to bend her over and finish what I had started. The more they did it, the more pleased she looked, the fucking angrier I got. She was driving me mad. I’d had Ray-Ray suck me off twice today because I kept thinking about Trinity’s tight pussy. I shouldn’t have touched it.

“I’d have gone, and she’d have been tag-teamed by the two of you,” I snarled, shoving off from the wall I’d been leaning on and stalking toward the bar.

“Hey,” he called out. “You said that was off-limits. What? You don’t trust us?” Gage called out as I walked away from him.

Yeah, I fucking trusted them with my life. They were my brothers. The ones I had killed beside, the most loyal sons of bitches I’d ever known. But I didn’t trust her. She liked men, and she liked sex. It had been clear when she’d let me eat her like a damn buffet, not caring that I was her dead fiancé’s brother.

“Okay, who the hell made this crab dip? It’s the best shit I’ve ever put in my mouth,” Red’s loud mouth bellowed as he walked out of the kitchen.

“We replaced Gina,” Gage replied. “You should see what we get for breakfast these days.”

Mattia grinned as he walked over toward the bar with an empty glass. “The brunette, right? I got me a look at that. I approve. Got a fucking boner over that ass. Now, I know she can cook too. Shiiit.”

I stiffened and took a step toward him. Gage stepped in front of me.

“Easy,” he said, and I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or Mattia. “Trinity was Hayes’s fiancée.”

Mattia’s olive skin went pale as his eyes widened. He looked past Gage to me. “Fuck, man. I didn’t mean disrespect. He said y’all replaced Gina, so I thought …” He stopped before going any further.

“No one is fucking her,” I ground out between clenched teeth. Not even me. If I couldn’t fuck the slutty, lying cunt, then no one was getting a piece.

Mattia nodded and turned to go back to the sofa instead of filling his glass.

“If I go in the kitchen to get some of the dip, do you promise not to kill someone if they mention Trinity and her world-class ass?” Gage asked me.

I gave him a warning glance, then went back to watch the next race.

Destiny walked up beside me and wrapped her arm around mine. “Can I get you anything?” she asked, pressing her tits against my arm.

“Later,” I replied.

Ray-Ray’s blow jobs hadn’t helped. Maybe fucking Destiny would.

She pressed a kiss to my bicep because she wasn’t tall enough to reach any further and winked at me. “I’m available whenever you want me.”

No shit. I was relieved when she walked away. I wasn’t currently in the mood for her to lick all over me.

“Not everyone knows about Hayes,” Gage said as he came to stand beside me with his plate of food. “You need to be prepared for some of them to hit on Trinity. Technically, she’s a widow in the family. Even if Hayes chose another path, he was a Kingston. There are those who will see that as Trinity needing another man in the family to take care of her. Sure, you’re the first choice, but if you don’t want that, then …” He stopped talking and put a chip with dip in his mouth.

I shifted my gaze to Gage. “Who the fuck is hitting on her?” I asked, already knowing he was right.

Having her here in front of the others was eating at me. I hated that I cared. Hayes had been so damn good. He’d deserved more than what he’d ended up with. Sure, he’d died before she could crush him, but that didn’t change the fact that I knew it would have happened. She had used him. Poor little brother had been blinded by big brown eyes and a body made for sin.

Gage cut his eyes at me. “Every man here with a dick.”

Fuck.

“Where is she?” I bit out.

Gage finished chewing the food he’d shoved in his mouth. “Kitchen. Making shit that tastes fucking delicious. Wearing shorts that don’t cover her ass. And—” Gage didn’t get to finish that sentence.

I didn’t have time to listen to this. As I stalked toward the kitchen, a ball of rage coiled tight in my chest. Was she trying to get fucked? Or was she looking to replace Hayes? Wanting a man to take care of her? That wasn’t what she was going to get here. They’d take care of her all right, but not the way she had planned with my brother. No fucking white picket fences and Sunday church picnics.

When I walked into the kitchen, my eyes zeroed in on one of the younger men, Bart. He stood too damn close to her as she cut up something in a baking dish. She was smiling at whatever he was saying. She couldn’t stop flashing that damn smile around. I swore to fucking God if Levi got up from the table one more time with a boner, I was going to cut it off.

Did those damn shorts even cover her ass? Why hadn’t she just shown up naked?

“Out!” I roared before I could stop myself.

Bart’s head snapped up, and he tensed, then made his way out of the kitchen without another word. I didn’t have a problem with the kid other than the fact that he was sniffing around pussy that was off-limits to him.

Once he was gone, I moved my gaze to Trinity. She was watching me with those big brown eyes. Confusion, uncertainty, and a little touch of rebellion danced in their depths.

Was it those eyes that had caught Hayes’s attention? Or had that juicy ass been his weakness?

“You looking to get fucked?” I asked her.

She stiffened, and the hurt that flashed across her face made me feel shit I didn’t want to acknowledge. I knew she wasn’t going to respond. She’d barely spoken to me since I’d eaten her pussy, finger-fucked it, then walked off.

I placed my hands on the counter, leaning closer to her. “In this world, you are now free fucking game. Hayes wasn’t one of us, but he was born into this. You’re protected by the family. Which also means one of us can decide he wants you and then you’re his. You become his piece of ass. You have no say,” I explained in a low voice, not wanting anyone to walk in and hear me. Mostly because I was making some of this shit up. She had a say. It might not be enough of a say, but she had one.

“Bart’s young. He’s got little power. Harmless. But he’s not what you need to be worried about,” I warned her. “Do you want to open those legs for anyone who wants it? Keep smiling pretty, blushing, and wearing fucking shorts that don’t cover your ass. You’ll get what you’re begging for.”

Trinity stiffened and blinked several times. “I don’t,” she replied and then took a deep breath. “I don’t mean to do that or those things. The shorts are some that were left for me in my room. Most of my clothes”—she paused—“didn’t make it here. The clothes I have aren’t my size, but I didn’t pick them.”

Fuck. Fine. She must be wearing shit Gina had left behind, and Gina didn’t have an ass like that.

“You’ve got two options,” I reply. “Let one of them claim you. Or …” I paused, knowing that I was going to fucking regret this but the shit was coming out of my goddamn mouth whether I wanted it to or not. “Or pretend you’re mine.”

Trinity stood there, looking up at me as if she wasn’t sure she’d heard me correctly. Shit, I wasn’t even sure if I had heard me correctly. Why had I even offered this? She was a burden I didn’t want.

“What does pretending mean exactly?” she asked softly.

The fact that my cock got hard wasn’t a good sign.

“You act like we are together when others are around. Not Gage or Levi. They will know this is bullshit. But anyone else.”

I wasn’t sure I believed what had just come out of my mouth. Did I really want to do this just to save a lying stripper from a man who might truly want her? Most of these guys wouldn’t give a fuck she’d lied, stripped, stolen, committed fraud, committed adultery, and whatever else she’d done. Hell, they’d think it was a great résumé.

Even if I didn’t want her, I wasn’t willing to let someone else have her. That was my fucked up shit. I couldn’t stop thinking about how her pussy had tasted like honey and smelled even sweeter. Maybe she’d refuse and save me from my stupidity.

“I’ll pretend,” she whispered.

Fuck me. My hands fisted on the bar, and I managed a nod. “Starts now. They’re already out there, talking about you. Asking questions. Go upstairs and get those goddamn shorts off. Find something else. Anything else. Then, come back down.”

She nodded and turned away without argument. I waited until she was gone before rubbing my face with my hand, then adjusting my damn cock. Destiny was gonna get her ass pounded tonight.