chapter seven
Wren
The drive back home is quiet. As expected, since the Crows and Jay aren’t supposed to talk to me. The city sounds around us, the tall buildings, and the people jogging across the road have me feeling stifled and overstimulated. And the silence of the car has me feeling lonely. If I am going to be feeling lonely, I am going to do it somewhere peaceful.
As soon as we get home, I stomp to the security office. Jay is hot on my heels, likely thinking I am about to go complain to Hawk about him. I can feel the waves of irritation emanating from him as I approach the security office. Just to make him more agitated, I shoot a narrow-eyed look over my shoulder. He huffs out a defeated breath and I fight the urge to smirk.
“Good morning, Wren,” a Crow greets me as I enter the small, dark camera room. When I look behind him, I see Hawk’s office door is shut.
“Good morning,” I reply. “No Hawk this morning?”
“He and your father left an hour ago for the office,” the Crow says.
“I would like the keys to my car, please,” I say.
I feel Jay stiffen next to me. “You drive?”
“I drive,” I reply.
Crow hands me my keys and a small wallet that contains my insurance information and a few emergency contacts for roadside assistance. Getting a car, learning to drive, and learning how to call for help on the road was an important part of buying a house away from the city. It was a topic that, miraculously, both me and Dad agreed on.
Down in the underground garage, I slide into the cool leather seats of my candy apple red Corvette while Jay stands outside the car. “Get in, princess,” I call to him as I start the engine and roll down the window. I’m not a car fanatic, but I know I have a really fucking cool one. Dad said if anyone saw me driving in anything but one of the best, they’d be disappointed in his billionaire status. All I know is I like the way it purrs, and it makes me look like a bad bitch. Of which, I am not. But I like to pretend.
“I-” he says and shakes his head, his eyes roving over the car.
“Do you think you can’t fit?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
His eyes jump to mine for a second before he opens the door. He folds his massive frame into the bucket seat. The scent of his soap is strong as he settles next to me. It’s a crisp scent and smells clean and masculine. That is something that isn’t standard to Jays. They all use their own soaps. No colognes may be used, but their soaps and deodorants are all their own choosing. This Jay smells good.
“See, baby? We made you fit,” I croon as he buckles into his seat.
He ignores my comment and runs his hands over the dash.
“Did your training not tell you I drive?” I ask.
“It was only mentioned in passing,” he replies.
“Oh, uh, well, there’s GPS tracking, of course,” I say, taking his training into my own hands. “You’re added to the insurance when you’re hired on. But I’ll never let you drive. There’s a script and card to give police in the glove compartment if I’m ever pulled over or in an accident. You have to explain the mask and the weapons without sounding like a criminal.”
“Okay, where are we going today?” he asks as we pull onto the highway.
“My house,” I say, and press play on the console. It was already connected to my phone, and it plays music right away.
I used to scare Jays off by driving terribly. Hitting curbs and pretending it was an accident in a luxury car was enough to make most Jays sick. However, after single-handedly providing a body shop with enough funds to remodel and send every mechanic’s children to college, Dad put a stop to it. He was worried all my “accidents” were going to get me in trouble with the law and, therefore, ruin my anonymity. He was likely right, but I sorely missed the opportunity to make Jay rage out.
It takes about an hour to get to my house with traffic. Jay relaxes into his seat after reading over the information in the glove compartment. It’s the first time I’ve seen him relaxed and I can’t help but sneak looks over at him. He is tall and muscular. That’s the first thing anyone with working eyes notices. His blue eyes are striking in contrast to the black mask. The arch of his nose beneath the mask looks like it has a Roman curve to it. His brows are full and have a prominent ridge. The outline of his jaw looks strong, but it’s hard to decipher. That is the point of the mask, after all.
Now, his body is relaxed as he watches the scenery outside the window. His legs are spread as much as they can in the small space, and his thighs strain against the fabric of his pants. It took him a while in the car to relax and I wonder if I am stressing him out enough. I need to up my antics if I am going to move into my house without a Jay next week.
There are work vans in the driveway and along the road, lining the quiet cul-de-sac. A steady thrum of excitement beats in my chest. This is my house! I park behind the last work van and Jay stills me with a hand as he looks around outside. “Before you get out, we need to have a plan about how you talk to your neighbors.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, these people will not react well seeing me get out of this car. Especially since your work crews are already disturbing their peace,” Jay reasons.
I pause before snapping, “That’s why I didn’t even want you here.” It came out harsh. It is harsh. But I don’t care.
“Well, I am, Princess. So we better decide on a plan now,” Jay snaps right back.
My mouth shuts with a click of my teeth. I can’t believe he just mouthed off to me. I could fire him for that alone. But firing him won’t be as exciting as him quitting. I sit back in my seat and glower at him.
“Now, I think we should have you walk over to any neighbor you see, and I’ll hang behind until you tell them you have a bodyguard. Give me a thumbs up and I’ll approach, or a thumbs down to say you need help. I won’t be far,” Jay says in a professional tone that brokers no room for discussion.
“Fine,” I say as I lock eyes on a male neighbor coming out of his house, staring at my car. “That one.”
I get out of the car quickly and round the hood to meet the guy in his driveway. He is probably in his mid to late thirties, wearing khakis and a button down over his house shoes. His brown hair is styled neatly, and his eyes are roving over my car. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Oh yes, is she yours?” he asks, finally looking at me.
“All mine. Hi, I’m Wren, I’m moving in right over there,” I say and hold out my hand to shake his. I nod toward my house where all the work vans are parked.
“Happy to have you in the neighborhood. I’m Jack. I live here with my wife and two boys. You’ll probably hear a lot of them when you move in,” he says jovially and shakes my hand.
I smile. “I’ll be moving in on Monday. Just me and my bodyguard,” I say and gesture to the car where I can see Jay folded like a newspaper to see me through the window.
“Oh,” Jack says, shock clear in his tone.
“He wears a mask and all black clothes, but he’s safe. He’s here to protect me,” I explain and try to give a soothing smile. “He looks scarier than he is.”
“I, uh, see that,” Jack says and scratches the back of his neck.
I give a thumbs up to Jay and he opens the door and steps out of the car. His muscles shift as he heaves himself out of the vehicle, making the sports car look like a clown car. He approaches, moving his body in a non-threatening way, and greets Jack. “Hi, I’m Jay. I’m Wren’s personal bodyguard.”
“Hey, I’m Jack. Um, not to be nosy or anything, but, uh, are we in danger with you living here? I have two little kids and—”
“No,” I say at the same time as Jay.
“The security is for a personal matter and involves some family history. I’ve had no incidents in decades. This is merely a precaution,” I continue. “My dad insists on it. He’s paranoid.”
“That’s alright, you don’t have to tell me why,” Jack says awkwardly. “I just wanted to make sure we were safe for living near you.”
“Of course. That is perfectly acceptable to question. Here is a card for the security firm I’m contracted with. It’s a business out of New York City and we’ve provided personal security to this family for many years without incident. Like Wren said, it’s a precaution. I understand seeing a big man in a mask could be alarming. Is there a way you could inform your other neighbors?” Jay says in a calm and professional tone.
“Yeah, we have a group chat. I can add you two after you move in if you’d like,” Jack says.
“I’d love that,” I say and smile.
My new neighborhood has a group chat . This is already better than I could have asked for.
We say our goodbyes after letting Jack see my car and the engine. Walking up to my house feels like a dream. The landscaping needs some help after having trucks and vans parked in the grass. The house is a beautiful Tudor style home with great mature trees surrounding it.
A quick tour through the house is done, and I am ushered into the backyard away from the work. They are on deadline and working quickly. The kitchen looks done and the main floor bathrooms only need faucets installed. A man is washing the windows in the sunroom and all of my books are already on their shelves in the library. My heart feels light as I peek into each room. The backyard needs furniture, but the work crews have scattered a few folding lawn chairs around. I sit with Jay and show him my plans for the landscaping and the bird feeders and baths I am buying.
“The only problem is I don’t know what birds live in the area,” I say.
Jay looks around at the trees and bushes. “I don’t see any.”
“The construction is probably too loud,” I say. “If I knew what was usually in the area, I’d know what kind of bird feed to get.”
“I think they all eat the same thing,” Jay says.
“No, little birds eat little seeds… right?” I ask.
Jay shrugs. “Ask Angelica.”
I snort.
“You could find a park and go for a walk to see what is around,” Jay suggests.
“That’s a good idea. Let’s go,” I say and stand up. “Find me a park, Blue Jay.”
After a few minutes of sitting in my car and Googling, we find a park with a walking path less than a mile away. The birds there are likely to be the same that visit my house. There is a small parking lot out front and a party is using the covered pavilion. From far away it looks like a birthday party.
“Are we allowed at the park if there’s a party?” I ask before unbuckling.
“Yeah, we just can’t go in the pavilion,” Jay replies like I’m dumb.
I scramble in my purse for a little notebook and pen. I want to write my observations about the birds to identify them later. Jay and I walk up the path to pass the pavilion. Closer to the party, I can see their decorations and banners. It’s a bird watching group celebrating “Spring Birding!” They are finishing up a picnic and I am eager to meet them.
“Hello!” I say as I approach them.
Jay makes a sound of disapproval behind me as he follows.
“We have nothing you want,” an old man gripes.
“I’m calling the police,” a woman says as she rummages through a big purse.
“What? Oh, we’re not robbing you. He’s my bodyguard,” I say and wave off Jay. “I’m new to the area and want to find out what birds are likely to visit my backyard.”
They are silent.
“A bodyguard? Who are you, one of them Kardashians?” someone asks.
“No, it’s for family issues. Could I join you and hear about the birds in the area?” I ask, going for sweet and loveable.
Looking around at them, they are all senior citizens. Some are in wheelchairs and some with walkers and canes. All of them have small binoculars and worn books with them. This is a club and I absolutely want to join.
“Well, dearie , there’s a robin’s nest with a few eggs in that rhododendron bush, right over there,” a woman says, sounding like she wants to do anything other than teach me about birds.
“Where?” I ask, my eyes wide. I want to see that nest.
“Just in that bush with the magenta flower buds,” the woman says and points a wrinkled finger at it.
I approach it carefully, Jay on my heels. I can see the bottom of the bowl-shaped nest of hay and cloth fibers and what looks like a piece of a McDonald’s bag.
“Their eggs are so blue,” Jay whispers behind me, easily peering into the nest.
With a frown, I glare up at him. He looks down at me curiously. “Oh, here,” he whispers before slotting his hands in my armpits and lifting me like a small child.
I should hit him, but I am too eager to see the robin’s eggs. They are a beautiful blue color. The crayon could never do it justice. I want this exact color everywhere in my house. It is so beautiful. I am marveling at the size and visible smoothness of the eggs when two things happen simultaneously. A robin swoops into the nest and nudges her precious eggs just as Jay’s arms wobble. He sucks in a sharp breath and sneezes, dropping me unceremoniously to the grass. The robin startles and flies away from her nest.
Jay and I stare at each other for a moment with wide, horrified expressions, before angry voices interrupt us.
“Now, look at what you just did.”
“I knew you were trouble!”
“You need to leave!”
“I’m so sorry,” Jay says and spins to the bird loving geriatrics. They all visibly cringe away from him like they are afraid of him. Which is fair, considering he could easily round each of them up and throw them like disc golf in a matter of seconds.
“Please, I love birds!” I cry out as I stand up from the grass.
“Get outta here!” an old man says with an angry wave of his gnarled hand.
With a tearful huff, I stomp back to the car. Jay hurries after me, his long stride eating mine up. “Wren, I’m sorry-” he starts and then sneezes again.
“Oh. My. God !” I screech angrily as I yank open my car door.
Jay sneezes twice more as he gets into the car.
“I hate you so much right now,” I say through gnashed teeth.
“Copy that,” Jay says sarcastically, sounding nasally. “Don’t look at me. I need to change my mask.”
“Eeeww-uh!” I shriek but diligently don’t look at him. The scent of his soap gets stronger as I hear the mask rasp against his hair as he pulls it off. He blows his nose into the discarded mask and I continue to shriek and dramatically gag and choke.
“Shut up, oh my god!” Jay snaps, sounding less nasally.
“Get a fucking Benadryl!” I shout.
“Stop at a drugstore and I will,” he grumbles as he put a new mask on.
“I want to pull over and hit you so bad right now,” I say.
“Do it,” he dares, sounding bored.
I growl and speed down the road.