Chapter 24 Wren
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WREN
Sitting on the couch, snuggled between Jagger and Pete, we watch as Elias paces back and forth in the living room.
“So? Are you gonna tell us the plan or not?” Pete asks when Elias doesn’t speak. He told us he had a plan and asked us all to gather in the living room. Even though it’s after eleven o’clock at night, he said he needed to tell us now.
Elias stops pacing and turns to face us. Sly is seated in the other chair, and Dex is sitting on the armrest, all of us waiting patiently for him to speak.
He pushes his hand through his hair and lets out a deep breath.
“Okay, I have a plan. I’ve gained access to their camera feeds inside and outside the compound. I can plan the perfect timing for us to get in there and take Robert and his men out.”
“Why do you look so pensive?” Sly asks, noticing the same thing that I do.
“Because there’s a catch.”
His eyes flick to mine, and I see hesitation there. It has something to do with me.
“Well? Spit it out,” Dex demands.
“I need a signal scrambler. It’s not the sort I can make either.”
“Where can we find one?” Pete asks, leaning forward.
“This is what’s taken me all evening to figure out,” Elias says, his foot tapping on the floor. He’s irritated. He doesn’t like what he’s about to tell us. “I hacked into the FBI files and found a local guy who sells what we need.”
“So let’s go get it,” Dex says.
“It’s not that simple, though. Is it?” Sly asks Elias, who shakes his head in return.
“No. This guy, Marco Leone, he only deals with women.”
My mouth drops open in surprise as five sets of eyes turn to me.
“Absolutely not,” Sly says vehemently.
“No fucking way,” Dex says as Jagger pulls me into his side.
“I’ll do it,” I say loudly enough to be heard over their protests. Elias gives me a resigned look. He knew I’d want to do it; that’s why he hesitated telling us.
“No way,” Pete says, shaking his head.
“It’s not like I have to go in there alone, right?” I ask Elias.
“You can take someone with you.”
“See?” I say, turning to Pete. “I’ll be fine. It wouldn’t be good for his business if he went around hurting his clients.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” Pete says, shaking his head.
“Look, I want to help,” I tell them adamantly. “I don’t contribute much, and we’re all in this mess because of me, so let me do this one thing for us, okay?”
“Baby,” Dex shakes his head and frowns at me. “You don’t really think that, do you?”
“Which part?” I ask in confusion.
“All of it,” he answers.
“Wren, we were all in Robert’s bad books before we even met you,” Sly tries to clarify.
“And you contribute just as much as anyone else,” Pete’s quick to add. “No, actually, you contribute the most. You’re the one with all the cash.”
“And you’re the one who makes us all smile,” Dex adds with a grin of his own.
“I understand what you’re all saying, but I still want to do this,” I tell them carefully.
Nobody says anything as they frown at me, so I continue.
“You said I get to choose who I want to be. And I want to be a part of this team, I don’t just want to always sit back and let you protect me.
I want to help, to contribute, to be a team player. ”
“You’re right,” Sly says, sounding annoyed. “We shouldn’t tell you what you can and can’t do.” He looks at me, and I see a flash of heat there, probably remembering what we got up to just a couple of hours ago in the backyard. “Unless you want us to.”
“So she’s doing this?” Elias asks as he searches the guys’ faces. Everyone defers to me, warming my heart that they listened.
“Yes, I’m doing it,” I say with a nod, feeling strangely proud of myself.
We talk for a few more minutes, making a plan to find Marco at his auto shop tomorrow. Then everyone starts to head to bed. Once I’ve brushed my teeth and have one of Dex’s large T-shirts on, over my panties, I notice that Elias’s bedroom door is open, but he’s not in there.
I’ve noticed he never seems to be in there the few times I’ve woken up at night. Does he have trouble sleeping? Jagger and Dex get comfortable in the bed as my eyes move to Bluey, my stuffed whale, who’s sitting at the end of the bed.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell them as I pick him up and hug him to my chest.
I head down the hall and find Elias sitting in the middle of the couch, his head tipped back.
“Elias?” His head shoots up in surprise when he hears me.
“Wren? What are you doing out here?” His eyes trail down to my bare legs, and I suddenly wish I had thought to put on pants before I came out here.
“I wanted to check on you. Why aren’t you in bed?”
He shrugs. “I’m not tired.”
“You look tired,” I say, noticing the dark circles around his eyes.
“Gee, thanks.”
I try not to smile as I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean. Is there something wrong with the bedroom?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
He stares at me silently for a moment before he answers. “I just don’t sleep well in unfamiliar places.”
“Oh.” I guess that makes sense. I nod as I look down at Bluey. Elias is only here because of me. Unlike the others, he wasn’t in any sort of trouble with Robert or the FBI before he got mixed up with me.
With my mind made up, I hold my whale out to him. “Here.” He frowns, but slowly reaches out to take it. “His name is Bluey. Maybe he will help you sleep.”
“Wren…” He trails off as if unsure how to finish that sentence.
When the silence grows heavy, I gesture down the hall as I take a step backward toward it. “I guess I’ll just be going to bed now.”
“Wait—” He stands up, setting Bluey aside as he pulls something from his jeans pocket. “I have something for you.”
He holds it up, and I see it’s a necklace. A thin white gold chain with a small round pink pendant hanging from it. “It’s beautiful, but I can’t accept this, Elias.”
“It’s a gift… for your birthday. Since I missed it. Well, technically, I missed seven of them.”
“Elias…” I say, feeling weird about accepting such a beautiful gift from him.
He unhooks the chain, as if he wants to put it on me right now. “Consider it a gift from your best friend. Please?”
Finally, unable to deny him, I nod and turn around, lifting my hair so he can place the necklace on me.
“Keep this on you always, okay?” I turn back around and see how serious he is about it.
“Okay,” I tell him with a small smile. It seems like an odd request, but if it makes him feel better, then who am I to deny him?
He smiles, then picks up Bluey and motions to the hall. “I guess we should both get to bed now.” He gestures for me to lead the way, and when we reach his bedroom door, he mumbles, “Goodnight,” closing the door behind him.
“Everything okay?” Dex asks as I climb into bed between them.
“Yep.”
Jagger notices the necklace as soon as I lie down between them, lifting the pendant and assessing it. “He said it was a belated birthday gift,” I say in worry, hoping he won’t be upset. His eyes connect with mine, and he nods.
“Let me see,” Dex says, reaching over to take a look. “It’s pretty.” His lips twist in thought. “I know jewelry is romantic, but it felt weird buying you any with your money,” he admits.
“Oh, Dex. You don’t need to buy me anything,” I say, turning toward him and placing my hand on his chest.
“Still, I feel like I’m failing by not providing for you.”
“Don’t say that. You’re giving me more than I ever thought possible.”
“It doesn’t feel like enough.”
“It should, though. It is enough. You’re enough, Dex.” I lick my lips and tilt my head up so we’re looking at each other as I tell him, “I love you just the way you are.”
His arm tightens around my back as his eyes grow wide. Dex was the first to proclaim himself my boyfriend and the first to show romantic interest in me, but he is the only one who hasn’t said those words to me yet. But I know he feels them, I don’t need him to say it.
“You love me, baby?” he whispers, his face a mix of shock and hope.
I grin at him as I nod. “I do.”
“Say it again.” I giggle, and his fingers tickle my side, making me squeal. “Say it!” he teases, his fingers tickling more.
“Okay, okay! I love you, Dex!”
He stops tickling and kisses me hard. There’s no tongue, but the way he moves over my lips has me humming in approval before he pulls back and leans his forehead against mine.
“I love you, too, cuddle bug.”
I smile, snuggling in closer. I feel Jagger move close to my back, and I reach around for his arm, pulling it around my waist. He rests it between my breasts, and I sigh contentedly.
Being sandwiched between two of the men I love is a fantastic way to fall asleep. I just can’t help but wish all five of them were in here with me.
I feel my face pale as I realize what I just thought.
Not five.
Four.
I have four boyfriends. Thankful nobody can see my thoughts, I close my eyes and try desperately not to think of Elias as I fall into a deep sleep.