Chapter 15 Wren
WREN
When Cato told me we would be going to the hotel today, I almost threw up. I nodded and smiled, but as soon as I had a moment, I excused myself and went to the bathroom.
This is it.
This is where it all started for all those women before me.
But unlike those times, this is also where it ends.
Work this week has been fairly normal so far. Lots of the same meetings and mundane tasks, until Cato puts a meeting on my calendar entitled “Chat About Travel Plans.”
I pull out my phone and type up a text to Brooks, Julian, and Keaton.
He just added a meeting to my calendar today to talk about travel plans. I’ll keep you posted.
Julian and Keaton both like the message.
Brooks fires off texts to me rapidly.
When is the meeting?
Do you have the device on you?
Don’t forget to turn the mic on.
And don’t forget to press the button in case anything goes wrong.
It’s just a meeting, B. Take a breath. Let’s meet at my place tonight to discuss, Julian adds. I like it and grab my notebook and head down the hall to his office.
“Morning, Mr. Everett,” I say with my normal smile, taking my usual seat across from him. Larry is there in his usual spot too, in the corner, eyeing me up and down with a curt nod.
“Morning, Wren,” he says. “Thanks for joining us. We wanted to chat about next week’s plans.”
“Sounds great,” I say, opening my notebook.
“We’re going to be meeting with a potential business owner whom we are interested in investing with,” he says. “We will be meeting with him at the Landry downtown. I expect it’ll be a long meeting, so we will be getting rooms—on the company account, of course.”
I swallow and nod, clearing my throat and making sure that my mic is clear from my blazer to capture as much as possible.
“Sounds good to me,” I say, feigning nonchalance like it’s my job. “Any prior research on the company you’d like me to prepare before the meeting?” I ask, trying to get him to divulge more information. He just gives me a smile and sits back in his chair.
“No need. This is a personal friend of mine,” he says.
“We have enough prior knowledge. Just have to close the deal,” he says.
“But I admire your gumption, Wren. Very proactive. That’s why we decided to bring you with us.
We’d like to let you have a front-row seat to these kinds of meetings.
We would even love it if you would participate some.
Practice your people skills, not that you need much practice. More like, perfect them.”
He gives me that same charming smile, but it makes me queasy. I smile back.
“Thank you, Mr. Everett,” I say. “I’m excited. It sounds like a great opportunity.”
“I’ve had Rose forward you the hotel assignments. The rooms will be near each other, should you need anything.”
I force another smile.
“Thank you, Mr. Everett.”
He nods, and I take my leave.
I get back to my desk, trying to calm my nerves.
Are you out of there yet? Brooks fires off.
Yes, I send back.
Fucking creep. Can you leave early?
No, I write back. I have a few things I need to finish here. I’ll call you when I get in the car.
I put my phone down and log onto my computer, but I’m startled when I see Larry appear at my desk.
“Larry, hi,” I say, putting a hand to my chest. “Did I forget something?”
He shakes his head, eyeing me up and down. I wish he’d keep his creepy eyes to himself.
“Nope,” he says. “Just wanted to echo Cato’s words. We’re very excited to have you joining us. He meant what he said…we think you can definitely be an asset when it comes to closing some of these very important deals.”
I swallow and nod.
“However I can be helpful,” I say with a very forced smile. He just looks me up and down again then taps on my desk as he turns to walk away.
“Oh, and Wren?” he says, turning back. “You are a very beautiful woman. That itself is an asset. Don’t be afraid to show that off in these meetings. You’d be surprised how far that can go.”
Then he turns and walks away.
Holy fuck.
I feel my hand start trembling as my phone vibrates on my desk.
What the fuck did he just say to you? Brooks writes.
Easy, B, Keaton writes back. Stay calm.
Fuck no. This is fucking insane. We need to meet. Now.
I can’t leave yet, I send back. It’ll be suspicious. It’s hardly lunch time.
Calm down, Brooks, Julian chimes in. Pick her up at the regular time and meet back here.
The rest of the day drags on, despite the fact that I have almost no human interaction.
Very few people actually work in this office, and Cato himself is only here part of the time.
As I know, this serves as more of an undercover operation.
I wonder how many of the other folks who work here are aware of that.
Finally, it’s five, and I am furiously packing up my things and heading for the elevator.
I get out and walk through the backside of the lobby and out the more discreet door.
I walk a block over before I get in the car that Brooks sends for me, but to my surprise, he’s waiting for me in the backseat.
When I get in, he grabs me and pulls me to him, kissing me hard.
“Hi,” I say with a smile.
He just lets out a breath and holds his forehead to mine for a minute.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Yes,” I tell him. “Are you?”
He pulls me into him tighter.
“I am now,” he says.
We ride through the city to Julian’s penthouse, and when we arrive, I instantly feel anxious. Inside, it’s just Julian and Keaton…and some man I don’t recognize.
“Hey, guys,” Julian says, welcoming us in. He holds a hand out, leading us to the dining room. We take a seat around the table. “Want anything to eat or drink?” he asks. I shake my head.
“No, thank you,” I say. He nods, then we all take our seats.
“Wren, this is Xavier,” he says. “He’s an old friend of mine.
We contract our security out from his company.
He’s the best in the world at what he does, and that’s keeping people safe.
He has signed an NDA, but more than that, I trust him with my life.
Our situation is safe with him. But more importantly, he’s going to keep you safe during this. ”
I nod my head, and Brooks’s hand tightens around mine under the table. X is a big, broad, black man with sparkling brown eyes and muscles that ripple out of his shirt.
Yeah, knowing he’s on our side makes me feel a little safer.
“Hi, Xavier,” I say.
Xavier nods his head.
“Nice to meet you, Wren,” he says. “You can call me X.”
I nod back.
“Julian here has given me a run-through of everything that’s going on.
I don’t get paid to give my opinions, but in this situation, I don’t really give a damn.
I think what you’re doing is reckless, but I also see that it has to be done.
It’s extremely selfless, and while it’s dangerous, I want you to know that we are going to make sure you don’t get hurt. Okay?”
I instantly feel at ease. He is swift and to the point.
“So what’s the plan?” Brooks asks impatiently.
We sit and listen to X go through everything step by step. He rolls out a blueprint of the hotel that he acquired through some top-secret source of his. He shows us where the suite is that Cato mentioned the meeting was in.
“Being that it’s the largest suite on that floor, and he said that your rooms would all be near each other, I think the suite where you are having the meeting is actually the suite where Cato is staying.”
I swallow.
“So, he’s rented out multiple rooms on the floor, but there is still a room adjacent to this one that we have already reserved. We will set up there,” X says.
“Set up?” Keaton asks.
“Yes. The four of us will set up. Being that I have prominent celebrity clients, I am able to do a pre-stay clearing of all unused rooms on any given floor prior to my client’s stay.
I have reserved the suite under my company’s name, and before Cato checks in, I will sweep his suite and leave some undetectable equipment.
We will be able to see and hear everything and anything that’s going on. ”
I instantly feel a little bit lighter.
Knowing that they will all have eyes on us makes me feel like I can relax a little bit.
A very little bit.
“Okay, what then?” I say. “What are we looking for?”
“Anything that indicates Cato or Larry are trying to force something—or someone—on you,” X says. I swallow.
“According to our legal team,” Julian speaks up, “we have to catch them in the act of coercing someone to participate in a sexual encounter in exchange for business. In New York, there is a one-party consent for recording, so as long as you are the one to record the conversation and you are a participant, Wren, we can use anything you get in court.”
I swallow and nod.
“Now, in terms of extraction…” X says, but he pauses when he sees my face. Jesus. This feels insane. Extraction? Am I a fucking spy?
Then it hits me: I kind of am.
Fuck me, man.
“Go on,” Brooks urges once he makes sure I’m not going to pass out. “The extraction. How do we get her out?”
“We’re going to have a safe word. As soon as she says it, or if we determine that we need to get in faster, we make a break for the room. I have a battering ram that we will use if the door is locked. I will neutralize the threat. Brooks, you will extract Wren from the room.”
Brooks nods, wrapping his arm around me and kissing the side of my forehead.
“One more thing, Wren,” X says, “this is for you.”
I stare down at the table where he has slid something in front of me. It looks like a makeup compact. But when he presses the button, two small prongs pop out from the side.
“It’s a taser,” he says. “It should fit in your purse or your pocket. The intention is that you won’t need it because we will already be on our way to you.
But in the event that we don’t make it in time, do not hold back.
You just press this button to release the prongs, then press and hold this one here to initiate the shock. ”
I nod solemnly. Fuck, this is getting real.
“What happens if…if they don’t do anything illegal?” Keaton asks.
“Then you should proceed as you normally would. We don’t want to give up our angle until we have something good and strong that we can use against him. Actual proof on top to corroborate all of the survivors’ stories,” Julian says.
We nod in unison, but then Brooks turns to me.
“Wren, you already know what I’m going to ask you,” he says. “But I’m going to ask it anyway. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
I pause for a moment, longer than I’ve ever paused before all the other times he’s asked me this. I look from brother to brother to brother to X, and then finally, I nod.
“Yes,” I say. His head drops slightly, and I realize something.
He wanted me to say no.
“You can back out at any time, Wren,” he says. “Even if it’s not today. Even if it’s not tomorrow. Even if it’s while you’re walking into the damn hotel. You can say enough.”
“He’s right, Wren,” Julian says. “Anytime.”
I nod at both of them.
“I can do this,” I say out loud for them all to hear, but also a little bit for myself too.
“We know you can,” Keaton says with a soft smile.
I look back up at X.
“What’s the safe word?” I ask him.
“What’s something that makes you feel safe?” he asks me. My eyes instinctively drift to Brooks, and he tilts his head lovingly. “It shouldn’t be someone’s name. Particularly not the son of the man who poses the threat,” X says, reading my thoughts.
I think for another minute.
“Elevator,” I say. Brooks turns to me, raising an eyebrow.
“What? You hate elevators.”
“Yeah, but it reminds me of the first day I met you. And believe it or not, that day with you was the first time I ever actually felt safe in one,” I say with a smile. He leans forward and kisses my temple.
“Alright, then,” X says. “Elevator it is. I’m going to get some more info on our suite and figure out which equipment I want to use. I’ll be in touch early next week and then again once I take care of the room.”
“Thank you, X,” Brooks says, standing to shake his hand.
A little while later, Brooks and I are in the car, on the way back to his apartment.
I stare out the window as we drive, watching all the faces that flash before me.
Wondering how many of them have their own crises going on right now.
Wondering how many of them are blissfully ignorant to the ways of this world.
It’s a silent ride, and although he’s holding my hand, he’s looking out his window too, eyes scanning the city like mine were, not his usual, affectionate, loving self.
He’s scared.
And that scares the shit out of me.