Page 57 of Pretty Little Trigger
CHAPTER 56
Alana
We pull up to the restaurant.
The lights are glowing through the car windows.
I glance at Hunter as I reach for the door handle.
“You ladies go inside,” he says, his voice low and steady.
I start to step out, but he stops me, his hand gently curling around my wrist. He leans in close, breath warm against my ear.
“Stand where I can see you while I park the car.”
Those words echo in a memory.
I raise an eyebrow, smirking.
“Or what?”
“Or there will be consequences, Little Diamond.”
The flutter in my stomach is immediate.
It’s a dare. And obviously, I take the bait.
I step out and walk toward the entrance without him, ignoring the request entirely.
Tessa and I walk into the restaurant, Ryan’s already seated with the rest of his team.
He flew them in for this dinner.
He rises when he sees us, flashing a bright, practiced smile.
The kind that belongs in a campaign shoot or across a sleek New York boardroom table.
“Alana, Tessa. So good to see you both,” he says, stepping forward for handshakes and brief introductions.
Tessa mumbles a polite, “Hi,” and immediately sits.
Her cheeks are a little too pink, her smile a little too bright.
I don’t call her out.
Yet.
I slide into the chair beside her and a moment later, Hunter takes the seat on my other side.
His gaze never leaves me.
His arm drapes over the back of my chair, casual but unmistakable.
A silent claim.
The conversation begins smoothly.
Tessa’s posture is all business, but I can see it: the nerves.
It’s in the way she keeps tucking her hair behind her ear, the way she triple-checks her notes like she’s afraid she’ll miss something.
And then there’s Ryan who’s leaning just slightly closer when she talks, letting his eyes linger for half a second longer than strictly necessary.
“Now, Alana,” he says, turning to me with a practiced grin.
“I know you’re apprehensive about this, but I’d love for you to visit us in the city. See the rest of the team, the store. I really believe once you see it, you’ll be all in. Then we can integrate. It will only take a few weeks.”
I nod, pretending I’m not immediately overwhelmed.
He flew in most of his partners for this.
It’s not just a dinner meeting.
It’s a shift. A commitment.
“You should come too, Tessa,” Ryan adds smoothly, turning toward her.
“Your marketing brain is part of what makes this brand tick. I’d love for you to meet our operations lead.”
Tessa blinks.
“I—yes. Absolutely.” Then clears her throat and repeats it more evenly.
“I mean, yes. That would be… helpful.”
His gaze catches hers and for a second it softens.
Tessa looks away too fast. I don’t miss it.
Neither does Hunter.
I swear he hides a grin behind his glass.
Under the table, his other hand finds mine and brushes lightly against my fingers.
Deliberate. Grounding.
Possessive.
Ryan turns back to me.
“Of course, after those first few weeks, everything else can be done remotely. I’m rarely there myself these days. You’d only need to make the trip once or twice a year.”
I nod, keeping my voice level.
“It sounds great. But I want to make sure the brand’s integrity stays intact. Rock & Metal isn’t just pretty packaging. It’s personal.”
“Absolutely,” he says.
“We’d never touch the identity. We just want to amplify it. Make sure the rest of the world sees what we already do.”
Tessa nods like a machine now.
Silent, but efficient.
Her pen is tapping out Morse code at this point.
I reach over and still her hand, gently.
It’s funny how that repetitive movement calms her.
She’s been doing it more often since the night of the Winter Launch.
I get it. That shit was traumatising.
I reclaimed my power.
But Tessa? She lost a little of hers.
She hides it well, behind sarcasm and red lipstick, but it lingers.
In the tapping. The triple-checking.
The way she’s holding her breath right now.
Hunter reaches for me again like he can hear my thoughts, brushing his thumb against the back of my neck.
A quiet promise that says: you’re not alone in this.
“Everything sounds good so far. I’ll think about it,” I say finally.
And I actually mean it.
As we step into the cool night air, I exhale for the first time in what feels like hours.
Hunter’s hand finds the small of my back, his breath brushing my ear.
“You did great in there, Little Diamond.” Then, lower: “But now? Consequences for disobeying orders.”
I glance back at him, smug. “Can’t wait.”