For once, I got to share good news with him instead of just listening to his vague updates about work. I wanted him to know that I’d finally found someone who made me feel cherished.
I leaned back against the cushions, grinning like a fool as I waited for my brother’s reaction.
Unfortunately, he went straight into overprotective big brother mode, which I probably should’ve expected. “Whoa, hold on, Aubrey. You’re in love? And basically moved in with this guy already? That’s way too fast. You barely know him.”
I laughed lightly, still riding the high of my own happiness. “Tripp, relax. I promise it’s good.”
“Who the hell is he? I need a name, a job, something,” he demanded.
“His name is Canyon.”
“Canyon?” he repeated.
“Yeah,” I replied dreamily. “Most people call him Blitz, though. He’s a patched member of the Redline Kings MC.”
The silence that followed stretched on so long that my smile slowly faded. I sat up straighter on the couch, suddenly aware of how quiet the line had become. “Tripp? Are you still there?”
I could hear him breathing, but he didn’t answer right away. The happiness I’d felt just a moment ago drained away as an uneasy knot formed in my chest. Gripping the phone tighter, I waited for my brother to say something.
“But he told you to call him Canyon?” Tripp finally asked.
I sat up a little straighter, eager to explain something I thought was sweet about the man I’d fallen for. “Yeah, people in the club call him Blitz, but he told me right from the beginning to call him Canyon. I think it’s kind of romantic, actually. Like he wanted me to know the real him, not just the biker version everyone else sees.”
I kept talking, completely missing the shift happening on the other end of the line. “It made me feel like he was letting me in closer than most people get?—”
Tripp cut me off. “Aubrey. Stop.”
His tone had completely changed to the clipped one he used in work mode.
“When did you meet him?” he asked.
I blinked, caught off guard by his sudden intensity. “A few weeks ago. At the park while I was nannying.”
“Who asked out who?”
“He did,” I answered, starting to feel defensive. “Why are you asking like this?”
He ignored my question and asked another of his own instead. “How fast did things get serious?”
My stomach tightened, and I frowned. “What is this? Why are you interrogating me?”
“Answer the question, Aubrey.”
I blew out a frustrated breath. “It got serious pretty quickly, okay? But it felt right. He’s been good to me, Tripp. I don’t understand why you’re acting like this.”
I hated that my big brother treated my happiness like a problem to be investigated.
I answered his questions, but every answer came out more defensive than the last. The excitement I’d felt at the beginning of the call had vanished, replaced by confusion and a growing sense of unease.
Tripp’s voice was serious when he finally explained, “I need you to listen to me very carefully, Aubrey. I’m undercover inside the Redline Kings.”
That was the last thing I’d expected him to say. I felt a chill race down my spine as I whispered, “What are you talking about?”
Tripp let out a harsh breath. “I think Blitz figured out who I really am. And he’s using you to get back at me.”
I sat frozen on the couch, my heart hammering in my chest. “No. That can’t be right.”
“Think about the timing,” he continued. “I mentioned you a couple of times to the guys. Nothing specific, but enough. Their tech guy, Jax, is damn good. He could’ve found you easily. Then Blitz suddenly appears in your life, gets you to fall for him, andstarts moving you into his house? It’s not a coincidence, baby sis. He’s using you as leverage.”
