Chapter 24
WREN
There was no sleep for me after the phone call.
I stayed up and stared out Seth’s bedroom window for hours, wondering what Nikolai would do.
Often in mafia movies, mobsters would drive by with their Tommy guns and just kill out in the open.
Nikolai was crazy like that, and I could see him doing it.
I knew he wasn’t kidding when he said more people would suffer.
All of his people were in Vegas, so I didn’t think I’d need to worry too much about my friends in California, but maybe that was what he was aiming for. He wanted me to warn the wrong people so it’d be a bigger shock when he did make his move.
As soon as the sun rose, I retreated to the gym for my usual workout.
Seth had a million phone calls to make, which was fine with me.
I wanted to avoid him until I figured out what to do.
The man could see right through me, and if he dug deep, there was no way I could keep the incident with Nikolai from him any longer.
That was why it was best not to see him.
My stomach was so sick with worry, especially with Ripp gone. I tried calling him to spar with me this morning, but he’d left late last night to meet Kase at the Labyrinth. He texted me and told me not to worry and said he’d return later this afternoon.
The second he returned, I was going to kick his ass.
He never answered when I tried calling him to tell him about Nikolai’s threatening call. I even tried getting in touch with Kase. That was hours ago, and I still hadn’t heard from either of them.
I jumped on the treadmill and cranked up the speed, running until the sweat poured down my face. By the time I was done, I was bent over and gasping for air. My eyes burned from all the sweat pouring into them.
“Wren, are you okay?” Seth called out, clutching my elbows to help me stand up straight.
“Not really,” I admitted, gently pulling away from him to grab my towel off the weight bench.
I dried off my face and rubbed the towel over my eyes, hoping I could see without the burn. Seth peered around the gym and then looked at his watch.
“You’ve been at it for hours,” he said skeptically. He stepped toward me; his gaze narrowed. “You only do stuff like this when you’re stressed. Did something happen I don’t know about?”
He stared me down and I could feel the bile rise up the back of my throat. “I’m worried about Ripp. I haven’t been able to get in touch with him. He left last night to help Kase with something, and that was the last I heard from him.”
Seth pulled out his phone, his face a guarded mask. “I’ll make some calls.”
But now, I had to tell him why I was so worried. “There’s something else,” I said, grabbing his attention.
He looked up from his phone, but mine rang before I could say anything. My gut clenched with fear that it’d be Nikolai, but it was Ripp. A sense of relief washed through me and I sighed.
“It’s Ripp. Thank God.”
Seth slipped his phone into his pants pocket, and I could see his tension ease. That tension was going to come back tenfold once I explained why I was so worried.
“Hey,” I answered, clutching my chest.
“Wren, I need help!” he shouted, his voice full of agony and pain. It felt as if my world had shattered all around me.
“Ripp, what happened?” I demanded.
Seth rushed to me and grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer so he could hear. “Someone ran me off the road! I’m trapped in my truck not far from Seth’s! I was on my way back!”
This was all Nikolai’s doing; he had tried to kill Ripp.
Seth snatched my phone and hauled me out of the gym. “Tell me where you are,” he barked into the phone. There was no time to waste.
We rushed to Seth’s car, and he handed the phone back to me while he sped down the road. All I could hear was Ripp screaming in terror.
“Ripp! Talk to me!”
I’d already lost Parker; I couldn’t lose him, too. Tears of anger poured down my cheeks, and I felt as if I was going to lose all sanity at any moment. Seth slammed on the gas even harder and grabbed my hand.
“We’re going to get to him. I promise. We’re almost there.”
A few seconds later, we drove through a bend in the road, and I could see the skid marks on the asphalt, followed by Ripp’s truck turned upside down. Flames flickered at the top, and he was still inside, desperately trying to break free.
Another car was nearby, and a man was trying to help him. Fear gripped my chest as the flames grew higher. Seth skidded to a stop, and I bolted out of the car after him. The closer I got, the hotter the heat of the fire grew.
Seth joined the man in trying to pry open the door, and with their combined their strength, they managed to rip it completely off.
Without hesitation, I reached into the burning vehicle and kept Ripp from falling on his head when Seth cut the seat belt to free him.
Ripp grunted in pain, floating in and out of consciousness.
“I think my leg’s broken,” he said, his voice faint.
Tears clouded my vision, but my adrenaline gave me the strength I needed to pull him to safety. By now, the fiery truck had garnered the attention of everyone driving by. So many people stopped to gawk at us, and some asked if we needed help, but there was nothing they could do.
Seth stood over me as I sat on the ground with Ripp’s head in my lap. He was alive; that was all that mattered.
“You’re going to be okay,” I murmured, stroking his blond hair.
It wasn’t long before the sirens blared down the road, and the ambulance came to take him away.
* * *
It felt as if I’d aged a decade in three hours.
Ripp was bruised all over and had a broken leg, but they were still going to check the rest of his body to ensure there was no internal bleeding.
I didn’t want to think of the torture he would’ve gone through if we hadn’t gotten him out of his burning truck.
Assistant Sheriff Jeff Sterling had already been by with some of his deputies to ask Ripp some questions, but no one has been allowed in his room yet.
They said they’d come back later, and hopefully, Ripp’s parents would be here by then.
With his mother being an FBI agent and actively investigating Nikolai, I told her I felt uncomfortable around Jeff.
She would know how to handle him and his questions.
I had no doubt he was getting paid off by Nikolai.
The waiting room was so stark and white that it hurt my eyes to look around.
Or maybe it was holding back all my tears that made them burn.
I wanted to call Kase and tell him what happened, but I didn’t want him involved more than he already was.
The news stations would surely make their rounds on TV, but I hoped Ripp would be gone before his name went public.
Seth joined me in the waiting room, draping an arm around my shoulders. “Is it done?” I asked, leaning into him.
I could feel him nod. “It is. I’ve sent my private jet to California to pick up Ripp’s parents. It’s only an hour flight from here. They’ll be here soon.”
I lifted my head and my gaze caught someone down the hall, rushing toward us. Brooks. It was uncanny how much he and Ripp looked alike. I stood and he hugged me, his voice just a whisper in my ear.
“Nikolai fucked up messing with my brother.”
“Yes, he did,” I said.
I told Brooks everything while Seth got us some coffee, and when Seth returned, Brooks let me go and shook his hand.
“Thank you for helping my brother.”
Seth nodded. “Of course. He’s a friend.”
The nurse monitoring Ripp entered the waiting room, and her eyes widened when she saw Brooks.
“You must be Mr. Jameson’s brother.” She smiled and shook his hand.
“I’m Miranda.” They exchanged pleasantries and then she focused on all three of us.
“As you know, Mr. Jameson’s right leg was broken.
It’s now been put in a cast, and we’ve given him plenty of pain meds.
” Her face brightened. “And I’m happy to say that all the other tests have come back normal.
There’s no internal bleeding or any other broken bones.
He should be clear to leave in a few hours. ”
It was as if a mountain of stress lifted off my chest.
“When can we see him?” I asked.
She flourished a hand toward the hall. “Right now. He’s awake and asking for you.” She walked away and Brooks turned to me, his brows lifted.
“Ready? We might as well give him the bad news.”
Ripp wasn’t going to be happy with me.
I looked over at Seth and he kissed me. “Go. I’ll wait here.”
Brooks walked with me down the hall and my chest constricted.
Visions of Parker covered in blood with a bullet hole in his head flashed through my mind.
Now, I was about to see Ripp, battered and bruised in a hospital bed.
My heart felt like it was being squeezed into a bear trap.
Every breath was like inhaling shards of glass, and my lungs felt like they might burst with the pressure. The pain was unbearable.
We arrived at his room and Brooks walked in first. When I heard Ripp’s raspy voice greeting his brother, my eyes instantly burned. I didn’t want to cry . . . I refused. I had to stay strong and focus on the task at hand.
A curtain was blocking Ripp from view, and when I stepped around it, I had to hold in my gasp at the sight of him.
His leg was covered in a white cast from his thigh down to his ankle and was propped up.
I wanted to run to him and fling my arms around his neck, but there were so many bruises marring every inch of skin I could see.
“Wren,” he murmured, wincing in pain when he tried to smile.
Once at his side, I gently took his hand and squeezed. “You’re going to be okay.”
He swallowed hard and let out a sigh, his eyes growing heavy. “I never should’ve left the house. I know you didn’t want me to.”
The last thing I wanted to do was spend our few minutes together saying I told you so. There would be plenty of time for that when I return to California.
“You’re alive,” I said. “That’s all that matters right now.”
He glanced over at Brooks and then back at me. “I saw the guy who ran me off the road, Wren. He had a patch over his left eye.”
My teeth clenched as I held back my anger; I had to save it for the right time. “I know who he is. He was at the meeting at the hotel.” I looked over at Brooks. “His name’s Jagger.”
Brooks nodded. “I know who he is. I have files on all of Nikolai’s guys.”
“What happens now?” Ripp asked, his voice tired. This was the part I wasn’t looking forward to.
Brooks met my gaze and sighed. “Do you want to tell him or shall I?”
A low growl rumbled through Ripp’s chest. “Fucking hell, just say it. I could tell that something was going down the second you both walked in here.”
Still holding his hand, I moved closer to the bed. “Your parents are on a private jet right now. They’re coming to take you back to California.”
Ripp’s eyes blazed. “Fuck no, I’m not. I’m staying here with you.”
I jerked my head toward his broken leg. “You’re hurt, Ripp. There’s nothing you can do.”
That was the wrong thing to say to him, but it was the truth. He couldn’t protect me even if he wanted to. His anger was palpable as it filled the room.
“I’m worried about you, Wren. This is too much to handle on your own.”
“I’ll be fine,” I promised, averting my gaze to our clasped hands. “When you’re released from here, all your things will be on the plane.” My throat started to close up. “I’m also sending Parker’s ashes with you. California was peaceful for him, not here. I don’t want him here.”
Ripp’s pleading eyes bored into mine when I looked at him. “Come home with us.”
Shaking my head, I let his hand go and gently kissed his forehead. “Heal. Get better. I’m so sorry for everything.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said. I could hear the desperation in his voice, and it broke my heart.
“I’ll see you soon,” I whispered.
The second I stepped back, he tried to grab my arm and hissed in pain. “Wren, don’t you dare go.”
I turned to Brooks and he nodded toward the door. “I got this. You do what you have to do. Just be careful.”
Without another word, I hurried out into the hall and Ripp yelled for me to come back. I didn’t turn around . . . I kept walking.