Chapter 25
Return on Investment
Wyatt
I’m desperately hungover when I wake. My mouth is dry. I look around completely confused. Where the fuck am I? I’m in some loft apartment on a leather couch. Fuck, what did I do?
“Coffee?”
I turn to squint at Drew Young in a kitchen I’ve never seen before. My head throbs. “Where the fuck am I?”
“My place. I couldn’t let you crash at the club and didn’t know if anyone was home at yours to make sure you didn’t vomit all over yourself and die. Pretty sure my princess wouldn’t like that.”
Fuck. The smell of coffee perks me up and I open my eyes to a cup in my face.
“Hope you like it black.” He sits down on a chair across from me.
“She likes cream in her coffee.” I take a sip because my mouth tastes like ass. Not literally. I don’t think.
Drew smirks. “I know.”
Fucker. “What am I doing here?”
“You showed up at my club last night. Security called me. I came. We drank. You were in no shape to get yourself home, so I brought you here.” Drew takes a drink of his coffee.
“Why don’t I remember any of that?” I rub at my head and Drew tosses me a bottle of pills. I catch them and wait for his answer.
“You were already drunk when you showed up at the Veiled Vixen. Kept saying you needed to see me.” Drew gestures to himself. “You’re lucky I was there last night or they might have called the police.”
“Fuck.” I set the coffee down, take two pills out of the bottle, and swallow them with another mouthful.
“What’s going on, Wyatt?” Drew leans back with his cup. He glances at his watch, but doesn’t seem in a hurry.
“You said to check with my friends on how they feel about Sara.” Some of the fog is lifting from my brain. “The other night.”
“Been stewing on that, have ya?” Drew chuckles. “Did you ask them? Did you ask her?”
“No.” Fuck, no. I don’t want to hear them say they have feelings for her. We all do. It’s why none of us have crossed that line. “They wouldn’t—”
He laughs. “I’m afraid you seem to be the only one upholding your neutrality agreement.”
“You don’t know—”
“Sara told me. She told me she’s kissed both Finn and Dante.”
My heart stops. My breathing stops. That can’t be right. They wouldn’t. They know what she means to me. Why I’ve pushed her away for so fucking long. Because of them. For them. So we would never have to make a choice.
Her or them.
Drew leans forward and pats my knee. “If it’s any consolation, I haven’t slept with her yet.”
My mouth opens and closes. What the hell is happening in my life? Tom is missing and suddenly Sara is dating Drew and kissing Finn and Dante? Part of me wants to growl and snarl and claim what’s mine.
But what if it’s too late? What if she doesn’t want me anymore? Not that I can have her. I take a drink of coffee. She was angry at me for watching her. She doesn’t try to touch me or be near me anymore.
“Fuck, man.”
My gaze jerks up to Drew. He shakes his head.
“Whatever you’re thinking is bringing me down.” He smirks. “What’s going on?”
“She’s mad at me.” I run a hand through my hair. “I fucked up.”
“So apologize.” He shrugs like it’s that easy. “Sara’s a pretty chill woman. Beautiful. Open. Sexy as hell.”
“Thanks.” I wave off him telling me things I already know.
“Whatever messed-up chivalry thing you have going on, get over it.” Drew leans forward. “They kissed her after I started seeing her. I know because she was worried about me and her being exclusive.”
I narrow my eyes.
He chuckles. “Don’t worry I didn’t lock her into anything. At least not on her end. If she wants to explore more, who am I to stop her.”
“You could be her boyfriend.” I don’t know why I say it. I don’t even know why I’m here talking to Drew Young, of all people, about Sara.
He smiles. “Maybe, but Sara doesn’t want just me.”
The coffee and the pills are working on the pounding in my head, but my brain still isn’t functioning fully.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means she’s been hung up on you for so long that she can’t possibly know what she wants. Though it’s getting clearer.” Drew sits back and takes a drink of his coffee. “She wants me.”
I scoff but it’s true. I’ve seen it and my insides squeeze with the pain it causes.
“She wants Finn.”
My gaze jerks up to his smiling eyes.
“She wants Dante.” He shakes his head. “But she also wants you.”
“What does that mean?” I’m not sure what game Drew is playing, but it’s confusing when I’m hungover.
“It means, why are you here at my place when you could have the girl of your dreams?” He stands and walks into the kitchen.
“Sara isn’t—”
His laughter cuts me off. “Fuck, even you don’t believe that. She sure as fuck doesn’t believe it. So make a move. Join the fun.”
“Sara isn’t just fun.” Acid pours through my veins.
“You’re right. She’s someone I want to hold onto, but unless she gets over you, that’s never going to happen. But if I’m on board with her being with you and being with me, then at least I get the girl.”
I set the coffee mug down. I don’t trust this guy. “What game are you playing?”
“No game. Not this time.” He looks at his watch and grimaces. “However, I do have plans today. Feel free to rummage through my apartment to discover any hidden secrets. The door will lock when you leave, but I’ve got something I have to do.”
He walks over to the chair and grabs his suit jacket from the back of it. Shrugging it on, he looks me over and sighs.
“Take a shower. Sober up. Have another cup of coffee. Make yourself an egg. Ask yourself why you came to me when you should have gone to Sara.” He ruffles my hair and grins. “I have the feeling you and I are going to be best friends.”
He goes to the door and salutes me before ducking out. Best friends, my ass. I lean back against the couch and look around. It’s a nice apartment, but I’m not surprised. He did say I could check things out.
I blow out a breath and drink some more coffee. My phone is on a charger near me. When I lift it, the time says eight forty-five. I rub my hand over my eyes.
There are a few missed texts from Dante. From an hour ago.
Dante:
Sara’s coming to stay with us in Tom’s room
Her parents are out of town
Someone tossed her and Tom’s rooms at the townhouse
Finn:
I can come help pack. Wyatt didn’t come home last night.
My heart slams against my chest. Fuck. The urge to go to her right away makes me rise, but Dante has her. Dante who I’ve always trusted to keep her safe when I couldn’t.
I have access to some of the cameras in the house, but she took out the one I had in her bedroom, which would have shown us who was in there. Fuck.
We don’t know who’s after her or Tom or what they might be looking for. But Sara is in danger. I need to get home to see if we can figure out who was in the house.
My shoes are at the end of the couch. I pull them on and then snoop enough to find the bedroom, the primary bathroom, and a small half bath. I scrub my face and use a new toothbrush he left out to brush my teeth.
Pausing, I meet my eyes in the mirror. I’ve put my feelings for Sara on the back burner for so long. But what if my actions could have gotten her hurt? What if she didn’t want to move in with us because of me?
I hang my head. If only it was just about that perceived boundary, but there’s more to it. A reason Tom doesn’t want me with his sister.
Fuck.
I glance around. I should really look through this guy’s stuff and figure out what makes him tick. Especially if he’s going to be in Sara’s life. But I need to get home and see if I can find out who was in the house.
When I turn, Drew’s desktop computer is right there. I bump the mouse and the screen comes on. It’s not password protected.
He did say to make myself at home basically. I’ll use his computer to check the feeds on the other cameras. That way Sara doesn’t find me spying on her again.
Sara
By the time we find most of the things I need for at least a week and clean up a little, I’m tired and ready to crash. Brandon picks up Dante, Finn, and me and drives us to their apartment. After we unload the car, I let him know I won’t need him this week.
“You call me if you do, Miss Sara. Anytime.” He clasps my hand between his.
“I will.”
He goes back to his car and leaves me standing outside Tom’s building. A little chill goes through me. That creeping feeling of someone watching me rushes through my veins. I look around, but no one stands out. I shake it off and go inside.
Finn is at the front desk, adding me to the list and getting me an access card since Tom took his with him, wherever he disappeared to. I sent him a text this morning to let him know about our rooms. I even mentioned the creepy guy I saw.
But nothing. I don’t even know if the messages were received.
I walk up to Finn and rest my head on his arm. At my touch, he slips his arm around my shoulder.
The doorman gives him a card and me a smile. “Welcome to the building, Ms. Morris.”
“Thank you.”
Finn leads me to the elevator and we ride up again to the apartment. Wyatt either isn’t home or is in his room. I’m not brave enough to go looking for him. Dante told me he informed Wyatt about me moving in. So that should be fun when he shows up.
I didn’t bring much. When we walk into the apartment, Dante looks up from the refrigerator. I had a little food that we brought too.
His smile is soft and makes my insides flutter. I don’t know what any of this means. Are we going to do that more? Are we going to do more than that? Or will it all end because Wyatt is here too?
I drop onto their sectional and kick off my shoes. “What next, boss?”
Dante walks into the living room and sits across from me. “You want some lunch?”
Finn sits beside me and grabs my hand, entwining our fingers. My heart skips a beat.
“Lunch sounds good.” My tongue darts out to wet my lips and I meet Dante’s blue eyes. His hair is back in a bun, but it was silky between my fingers last night.
“Where’s Wyatt?” I need to know.
“He didn’t come home last night.” Finn shrugs like it isn’t a big deal.