HERS |Tris Morgan x Jack Marston |Book III of HIS Series

Prolouge

Eight years after HIS II

Tris Morgan moves with the stealth of a cat.

Every creaky floorboard is mapped in her head as she tiptoes along the hall. The moonlight streams through the end window, illuminating each step she makes toward the kitchen. Sliding her back against the wall she pauses to listen but hears only her nervous breath. Certain that the coast is clear she makes a break for the kitchen door.

"Where are you going?"

"Sonofabitch" she gasps, clutching her chest. "The hell are you doing hiding in the shadows?" she hisses at her brother.

"Not hiding." He wiggles the glass of milk as if it was obvious before placing it on the counter, leaning back he folds his arms over his chest and raises a brow. "You're the one sneaking around like a weirdo. What're you up to?"

Tris rolls her eyes.

She and her brother were like any other siblings, close as can be one minute and at each other's throats the next, it drove their parents mad. And while they loved each other dearly, they could not have been more opposites.

"Why?" she eyes him suspiciously "You gonna tell on me?"

"No." Alfie shrugs. "Was just gonna see if you needed help."

Immediately she feels guilty for snapping when she sees the hurt on his face. With a sigh she indicates for him to come closer, not wanting to risk talking across the kitchen in case someone heard. Eagerly he shuffles across the floor, happy to be included in whatever scheme she was pulling.

"I'm sneaking out."

"Tris it's the middle of the night. Ma and Pa will flip-mph!"

"Shh." she scolds slapping her hand over his mouth. "Keep your voice down."

He tugs her hand down. "Where are you going?" Alfie's eyes widen in realization. "You're going to meet him ain't you?"

Tris nods, trying and failing to keep the smile from her lips.

"I dunno why you don't just tell Pa about him, he's wrapped around your finger."

It was true.

Tris had Arthur Morgan wrapped so tightly around her little finger, that all she had to do was widen her big blue eyes and call him 'papa' and she could get away with murder, but something about this told her he wouldn't be so forgiving. Especially if it reminded him she wasn't so much his little girl anymore but a young woman.

"Pa can't know. Now, are ya gonna help me or not?"

"Fine." Alfie scratches his chin, "but I get your desert for a month."

"Two weeks."

"A week. No wait-"

"Deal," she smirks and snatches his hand to shake. "No, takebacks"

"No fair Tris." he whines

"Too late, you shook," she calls, already half out the door. "Make sure you lock the door, I'll be back before sunrise."

Swiping her boots from the porch she hops into them and sprints in her house coat down the path to the trail that runs by the property.

Thankfully the moon was full, illuminating the path so brightly that a lamp wasn't necessary.

Thank god.

Otherwise, she'd have been late, the hold-up in the kitchen had already cost her time she didn't want to waste.