Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
WREN
"I don't like any of this," I said.
We'd rescued Tiger's and Lex's bags from the elevator. Tiger's was wedged between the doors, stopping it from closing. Lex's were lying on their sides where they’d fallen before he ran.
We carried them into the apartment, closed the door behind us and stashed them off to the side.
I made us all coffee for something to do, while we waited.
"Me either." Lex laced his fingers in mine. "I should be helping."
"You are helping," I told him. "You're stopping me from losing my mind."
An hour or two had passed since the shooting. The reality was starting to seep into my brain.
Jenny could have died. One of those bullets could have lodged right in her head. She wouldn't have even known it happened. She would have been alive, admiring the view one minute, gone in the next.
The others could easily have taken out Dad and me. The guys could have come home and found us lying in pools of blood. The gunman could have waited to kill them too. If it wasn't for Tiger's foresight in having bulletproof glass in the windows, we'd all be fucked right now.
Bray's suggestion about people rappelling down from the helipad, didn't seem so funny now. Or even so outrageous. In this place, where I felt safe being alone, I was now on edge. Was there nowhere we could go that they wouldn't strike out at us?
"You wouldn't lose your mind if I wasn't here," Lex said. "You're stronger than you think you are."
"Lex is right," Dad said. "You've always gotten past every roadblock that's been put in front of you. You've never let anything hold you back or down. You'll get past this too. I'm not sure I will though." His arm was around Jenny. He was stroking her hair.
The look of fear in his wide eyes, suggested he was terrified someone would burst in through the door and take her from him after all.
"Martin Valentine, you're the strongest man I know," Jenny told him. "No one was hurt. I'm sure Aidan will take care of this. Reuben and Caleb might even send in some help."
"Reuben wanted us to deal with the Fiorellis on our own," Lex said. "But he owns this building. He might consider the attack to be personal."
I snorted. I'd met Reuben a couple of times. He seemed like the sort of man who cared more about his property than he did people.
If he was shot in the chest, I wouldn't be surprised if he went on existing, barely noticing the hole. He was good at keeping it a secret, if he actually had a heart.
For a girl who was into assholes, he was perfect. He was rich and good looking, and would probably kill anyone who looked the wrong way at any woman of his.
"I don't care what it takes, I want this to stop," I said. If I was alone when this happened, I would have freaked the fuck out. The fact they almost killed the woman who was the closest thing to a mother I had, that made it more fucking personal than any stupid building.
"It will." Lex put an arm around me and tucked me against his side. "We'll deal with it." He squinted at the window like he could aim laser vision at the shooter and blast them into oblivion.
My phone rang, startling me violently. That had to stop too. I hated jump scares at the best of times.
I picked the device up from the table and glanced at the screen. I half expected a number I didn't recognise, with someone on the other end to taunt me at how close they came to killing us.
Instead, Elenna's name was on the screen. I tapped to answer the call and pressed it to my ear.
"Hey."
"Are you okay?" Elenna's voice came down the line. "Aidan told me what happened."
"Where are you?" I frowned.
"I'm at Sinclair's. Aidan told me to come here and stay with Sinclair and Javey while they look for whoever shot at Tiger's window. We're all fine. Did you see anything?"
I exhaled softly, relieved my friends were safe. "I didn't see anything. I wasn't near the window at the time. Jenny didn't see anything either, she was facing the other way, looking at the ocean."
"Thank goodness." That was Sinclair's voice. They must have me on speaker phone. "When Aidan called and said he was picking up Coast and Phoenix, I was terrified. I thought—"
I could just imagine what she thought. "I'm not going anywhere that doesn't have bulletproof glass, ever again. In fact, I may never step foot out the front door." I could get everything delivered. I might go crazy staring at these walls all day everyday, but it could be worse, right?
"You will," Elenna said. "You've never let anyone tell you how to live before. You're not going to do it now."
"I guess not," I said, unconvinced. She was right though. I had a life outside this apartment and sooner or later I had to go back to living it. Not tonight. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually.
"Hold on a moment, Aidan sent a text." Silence fell for a few moments. "He said they didn't find anyone. Just an open window on the twelfth floor that looks straight across to where you are."
I wasn't sure if I was relieved or not. If they found and dealt with the shooter, they couldn't try again. On the other hand, they could have walked into an ambush and be lying dead right now.
"Phoenix said they're heading back," Sinclair said. "Do you want us to come over?"
"No," I said quickly. "That's okay. Like I said, I'm fine. You haven't seen your guys for a few days either. Enjoy it. But not too much." I managed a smile. "I'll catch up with you both in the next few days."
"If you're sure?" Elenna sounded uncertain.
"I'm sure," I said. "Do me a favour and stay safe, okay?"
"We will if you will," Sinclair said. "Love you."
"Love you both too." I ended the call and tossed the phone back onto the table.
"They sounded worried," Lex said. "They're good people."
I nestled into him. "They're very good people. I seem to attract the best people."
I might question how or why, but I didn't question their loyalty or that they cared about me. Not for a moment.
"That's because you are one of the best people," Lex said. "Birds of a feather and all that."
I laughed softly. "So, you're all birds now?"
"I don't know about any of you, but I'm an old bird," Dad said. "Too old for all this excitement. I'm going to take Jenny home."
I sat up halfway. "Are you sure? There's enough space here for you to stay if you want to."
"I'm sure." His expression was very familiar.
I’ve seen that stubborn look on my reflection in the mirror all my life. There and on his face. That stubborn I'm-not-going-to-budge expression. The one I knew not to bother fighting, because I wouldn't win.
I slumped back down. "Okay. But wait until—"
We all jumped as the door clicked and opened. Only to relax a moment later when we realised it was Tiger and Bray returning.
"No sign of the motherfucker," Tiger growled. "They won't be so lucky next time."
His expression softened when he looked at me and Lex. "Next time, you come with us when we leave town. If Aidan doesn't like it, he can kiss my ass."
"That's our cue to leave." Dad helped Jenny to her feet and started towards the door.
Before they could step out, I rose and gave them both a tight hug. "I love you both."
"We love you too," Jenny said. She squeezed me back, then hugged Bray. "Keep each other safe."
"What your mother said," Dad said. He realised his own wording and shook his head. "You know what I mean."
Bray grinned. "Yeah, we do." He clapped Dad on the shoulder, then gave him a bro hug before slipping an arm around me and pulling me to him.
Dad grimaced, but hurried out the door when Jenny all but dragged him.
"That wasn't weird at all," I said.
"Welcome to the new normal." Bray leaned down to kiss my hair. "In which my stepsister is also my girlfriend."
In spite of everything that went on in the last couple of hours, his words made my heart flip and my pussy throb.
"Who says I'm your girlfriend?" I retorted. "I don't remember anyone asking me about that." We'd talked about a lot of things, but always skirted around words like girlfriend and boyfriend.
He turned me to face him, slid his hands down my back and grabbed my ass. "I say you are.” His fingers dug into my flesh in a way that hurt and aroused me at the same time. In a way that said he was claiming me.
His voice was a low growl when he added, “I'd ask if you're going to argue with me, but I know the answer to that. Arguing with me is your favourite hobby."
Actually, having orgasms given to me by these three guys was my favourite hobby, but arguing with Bray was a close second. His growly, possessive tone got me going like crazy.
"I consider arguing with you to be an art form," I said. "One I keep trying to perfect. If I stop now, I'll never know how good at it I get."
"You're such a brat." He kissed my forehead.
"I learnt it from you," I said.
He snorted. "You surpassed me a long time ago. Probably before we met. In fact, I seem to recall you teaching me. I used to be sweet and innocent. Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth, whatever that means." He made a ‘fucked if I know’ face.
"Your memory is faulty," I teased. "It was definitely you teaching me. After all, that is what big stepbrothers are for, right?"
He leaned in until he was whispering in my ear. "I'm almost certain big stepbrothers are for corrupting their smoking hot stepsisters."
"What a shame you only got stuck with me, then." I placed my hands on his chest. "No wonder you were so angry for so long. You were hoping for someone cuter than me."
He kissed my nose. "There is no one cuter than you. No one is a bigger pain in my ass, but you're adorable."
"No, you." I smiled.
"Yes, me as well." He smiled his best smug-as-fuck smile. No one should be allowed to be as hot as he was, with an expression like that on his stubbly face, but here we were. He was owning every moment of it.
I slapped a hand against his chest. "See, you're one hundred percent a brat." It felt good to stop thinking about shooters or drugged muffins for a while.
"Guilty. What are you going to do about it?"
It didn't take him long to go from worried, hunting down a gunman, to horn dog.
Not that I could talk. I went from scared, to wanting to get naked with these guys in a blink. There was nothing like being shot at, to make you appreciate life and wanting to live it as much as possible.
Elenna was right. I had to go on living and enjoying myself, whatever that took. Hiding away from the world would mean the assholes won. Fuck that. I was going to take life by the balls and live every moment of it.
Although, I might invest in some Kevlar.