Chapter 44 Let Me Be Your Substitute

When two worlds collide, they combust and become one.
Well…that is what I thought.
But what happens when two loves collide?
They, too, should shatter and become one…
Not with Trinity Stone...
We have collided and have been shattered to so many pieces that even if you want to get back together again, there will always be that one little piece that is missing.
Trinity has consumed my thoughts to such a tormenting certainty that I cannot function. I have not heard from her, not a message, not a phone, not a damn word. But, ya, I have sent a few drunken messages at the early hours in the morning, which I am almost certain that Vic got.
But for most of it, I have been keeping to my sanity, well, at least I have tried with that tiny bit that is left. I keep reminding myself every fucking hour; I have to move on. And moved on, I have slowly done. All my boys are back working a detail, and business is going well. As for me, I am being picky as to whom I want to shadow. I am trying to avoid taking on a client that involves being in the company of a woman for more than an hour.
Now, with this even bigger war that Vic has started, there is a lot of small outfits that are in need of protection. They, unfortunately, want their wives, mistresses, or daughters to be protected. So yes, I am screwed. Believe me; I am not scared of a woman; I am scared of another Trinity Stone.
From the word that I hear that she is running around in the business, she is back to being her own normal self again. She has been through four men, which is actually a bit slow for her. Knowing the woman, she is probably only starting to warm up. It seems that Vic is allowing her to go out; I think after the whole Alexa not being her mother saga, she is tightly pulling the strings around there.
But hey, she ain't fucking around in my life…so I do not care.
Today I have taken that leap, and I am meeting a new client at a coffee shop that does not fall on anybody s turf. And when I say leap, well, this girl… I am counting on getting a major hard-on. Let us just hope the fucking woman wears underwear.
With this in mind, I slip into a pair of jeans that will not be ending up as a tight fit, adding to that a black designer shirt, a splash of cologne, and one slide of the hand to mess up a perfect head of hair. As I look in the farside mirror, I give myself the once-over nod. With abs that clench and muscles that flex, I can say that this tight ass is ready to get out there again.
Leaving home feels like a completely new experience to me; I have not seen anything outside the lounge for nearly two weeks. I can almost for certain say, one very part of me is going to be fucking excited to see a woman. But this one here, I got to play carefully. My heart is lying bare, and it is there for anyone to rip through and destroy. I think the only one that can rip it even more apart is the very same woman that put it there.
And yes, this is fucking annoying.
You would think by now that I would be moving on, well, I am moving on…my legs are walking outside for the first time since she ditched me on the side of the road. I ain t saying that the heart and least of all the head has been moving on. But that speed dial list has had a few visits; it only needs some execution. And the girl that is going to be lucky number one better be prepared, for Colton Cruz has been designed to fuck any woman s brains out.
Ya, I am confident, well, after what Trinity Stone did to me. I am hoping that at least that part still functions at optimal.
But let us set this all aside and concentrate on the task at hand. Now the task is very easy on the eye. She is six-foot-two, long burgundy hair, with a captivating set of hazel eyes all tightly squeezed into a little red number that rests only but one inch away from the essential part that needs to be covered. And to top them all off, she seals those long slender legs off in a matching pair of red stilettos.
Do I even dare to wonder if the girl has any panties on?
But ya, there is a problem, apart from the burgundy hair, she is almost every inch as what I would describe Trinity. Did this job find me, or did I find it? I am starting to learn that I only decided to take this one, for it is a fucking spitting image of the woman that I should hate the most. Well, perfect going there, Colton. You have created two problems for yourself.
One… these pants are not loose enough.
And two…
You…well, that one is obvious. You are trying to replace Trinity with a Trinity.
There is absolutely nothing that I can do about that part now. So as I so nonchalantly try to stroll my way over, I am trying to distract myself by not looking at those plump cherry red lips. What is it with the cherry lips? Is it the only fucking lipstick they make? Not only is she going to look like that woman that I hate, but god, I am going to know what she tastes like. The only thing lacking…ya, let us stay away from there. Speed dial. Stop banging the boss s daughter.
After what seems a rather long five minutes, I make my way across the floor and take a seat at her table. Now, of course, there is some adjusting to do, but I can say that so far, everything seems to go off comfortably. But they better be going comfortably, for her daddy will be joining us in the next three minutes.
Ya, did you really think I would be doing this by myself?
The rate that I am feeling,? I might just bend her over the table and not truly give a fuck about the rest. But while we are on that topic, next door lingerie shop where I fucked Trinity in the dressing room. EVERYTHING. It is boiling back to the woman that I want to get away from.
So I rather sit my extremely nervous ass off, for our dear Raven s daddy has some rather big guns. The man is the biggest arms dealer in the state; he has been ready to take what Vic has the moment it represents itself. I know, perfect, work for Vic s enemy, but after the little gathering we had in the woods, I can safely say that almost everyone hates the man. So guess the Stone s are being hated. Perhaps the perfect detail to take to piss Miss Stone off for a bit.
Then there I go again, but I shall have a word with myself over it later, for Roman has just joined the table.
Yes, and has the man extends his hand, I am reminding why he is so feared, "Mr. Sloane. I appreciate that you agreed to meet me here. You know how monkey crazy it has gotten out there,"
He only but bursts out in laughter as he shows for the waiter to bring him a chilled whiskey, "The only monkey running around is Stone."
Ya, I cannot help but join him as I take a sip from my chilled glass, "Stone has turned out to be quite the…let us just say I cannot put him under the list of people that I can trust."
But then Roman goes quiet for a few moments as if he is trying to find the right words to say, yet, "But, come one, Colton. You were banging the man s daughter." And that immediately gets a raised brow from Raven.
"You and Trinity?"
"Ya, me and the very girl. But that I can assure you, Mr. Sloane, that is over."
Raven once again raises nothing but a brow while a sneaky smile creeps over her face. "So you dumped Trinity."
Fuck I wish.
"No, unfortunately, I am the one that got the lovely Dear John Letter."
That still fucking hurts.
And I still have not fucking burnt that thing and tossed it away.
God, I must look so pathetic. This ain t happening; she will not have my heart and now take my business. Not anymore. So I turn to Mr. Sloane, "When do I start?"
"Thanks, Colton; you have no idea how much this means to me to find the best to be looking after my baby girl."
Ya…one of those.
Yet, let us move along, "You will give me an itinerary for each day, and I will make sure that I am there to pick her up and bring her back home safe."
I watch as he shakes his head the more I am trying to assure him, "No, no, no, no, no. I am afraid this one is live-in. I am not taking chances with Vic."
The moment he says those little words, live-in, my goddamn heart falls to the floor. Not again. Not a fucking gain. I know that I won't fall in love with this girl, but, fuck, she looks too much like Trinity. So Roman looks at me, waiting very much patiently for me to answer, "So what will it be, Colton? Are you moving in, or must I find someone else?"
The realization sets into me that no matter what I do, my relationship with the woman I live with will never exist. So it is time to move on. I have a job to do, and right now, I am doing a good job at failing it. So very confident, I turn to Roman, "When do you want me to move in." But just as the last syllable leaves my lips, I hear glass behind me breaking. My immediate reaction is to spin around and fuck; guess who the one it is that was holding it?