30. Adrian #2
She pointed toward the woman carrying laundry. “Angela.”
“You’re sure?” Taryn asked her intently.
Wren nodded. “She lived near the north gate.”
“When did she leave?” It must have been well before Beck and I came to town, because I didn’t recognize her.
“A couple of months ago.” Wren turned back towards the compound.
“Does anyone see Lila?” Beck’s eyes moved methodically around the area.
“No,” was the unfortunate answer to his question.
One hour became two, as we studied their routine. Guards changed at the gate roughly every ninety minutes. One patrol walked the inside perimeter, as another moved beyond the fence irregularly.
Recognizing how precious the things inside the fence were, they watched them vigilantly.
The women seemed to have designated work areas. Most disappeared into the larger warehouse at times. The men occupied the trailers, which told me more than I wanted to know.
“Twelve,” Wren whispered eventually.
“Women?” Colson’s eyes were still trained on the compound.
She nodded. “But no sign of Lila.”
Taryn sat back against a tree.
Beck noticed immediately and studied her face. “What terrible idea are you cooking up?”
She met his eyes. “It’s not terrible. It’s logical.”
“Not if it involves you going in there,” Lucas growled.
I nodded in agreement. “Most definitely not.”
Taryn looked at us in exasperation. “Are y’all ganging up on me?”
It took longer than I expected, but this was my original hope from the start.
One man alone couldn’t possibly be strong enough to protect her. He might be harmed, killed, or separated from her.
Three was different.
Beck would step between Taryn and a bullet without hesitation. Lucas would do the same. And I’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.
I’d proved it by my willingness to share her love with three other men.
Three men who would rather die than let the world take her.
And if one of us fell, two more would make damn sure she kept going.
But somewhere along the way, Beck and Lucas had stopped feeling like men I tolerated because Taryn needed them. They’d become mine, too. Brothers. Dysfunctional, foul-mouthed brothers who laughed at inappropriate things and encouraged Taryn to smile.
“We need someone inside.” Taryn insisted.
All three of us answered at once. “No!”
Taryn blinked, and Wren covered a laugh.
I rubbed my jaw. “I’m glad we agree.”
Taryn crossed her arms. “I haven’t even said who.”
Beck gave her a flat look. “You don’t need to.”
“Nobody else makes sense.” She turned back toward the compound. “We can watch this place for days and not know how many women are inside. Or where they keep weapons.”
I recognized she had a valid point, but my instincts strongly opposed risking her safety.
“They want you.” Lucas’s jaw tightened.
“I know.”
“I don’t think you do.” Beck’s face was thunderous.
Her expression turned cold. “I watched that man come out of the trailer, too, Beck.”
“She’s not stupid.” Wren narrowed her eyes at Beck.
“Thank you, Wren,” Taryn continued. “I’m not underestimating them. I know they’re enhanced and that they’ll search me, take my weapons, and restrain me.”
“And you still think it’s a smart move?” Lucas frowned.
“No.”
That surprised all of us.
Taryn’s eyes moved between us all. “I believe that it’s necessary.”
Slowly, I exhaled. “I hate you make sense.”
Was I really going to send the love of my life into that place?
I knew better than most how capable she was, but this was almost more than I could bear.
If I thought she’d go for it, we’d turn around right now and get the hell out of here.
Lila was a good girl, but she wasn’t mine.
And I’d sacrifice anyone or anything to keep Taryn alive.
“I’ll take her.” Wren adjusted the ever-present ball cap on her head.
Colson let out a growl of protest, but Wren shushed him.
“What?” Taryn frowned.
Wren shrugged. “Most of them will recognize me.”
“No.” Taryn protested. “I’m not letting anyone else follow me into danger after what happened with Lila.”
“That’s not your call,” Wren said, meeting Taryn’s gaze. “It’s mine.”
“Still no.” Taryn wasn’t budging. “You —”
“They used to want me.”
That stopped Taryn.
Wren pointed toward the compound. “The guy near the garage? He came to Gideon’s town once. The older one near the tanks came twice.”
Colson’s eyes moved to both men, memorizing them.
Wren was a beautiful woman. I was so in love with Taryn that it made me stupid, but I wasn’t blind.
“I made sure they realized how much trouble I’d be,” Wren smirked. “It didn’t take much convincing after Gideon told them how crazy I was.”
Colson pulled her into his arms. “All of them are dead.”
Wren laid her head on his chest. “We should have stayed together after that romantic night we shared in Argentina.”
The big guy looked confused for a minute, then just went with it. “Yes, we should have.”
He was truly perfect for her.
“I still don’t want you to go.” Taryn crossed her arms over her chest.
“They’ve already decided I’m not worth the trouble. That makes me useful.” Wren assured Taryn. “And mostly safe.”
Unfortunately, she was right.
“I’ll walk up to the gate with you in cuffs,” Wren waggled her eyebrows.
“But why would they believe you’d hand me over to them?” Taryn questioned.
“Because you pissed me off?" Wren smirked. “And because they know Gideon’s town was destroyed and I have nowhere else to go.”
Taryn still didn’t look convinced.
“And if they ask why I’d turn in another woman…” Wren shrugged. “I’ll just say it’s not like this chick is my sister or anything.”
Taryn stared at her, then let out a short, sharp laugh. “You’ve got problems.”
Wren smiled. “Yep.”
Colson grabbed Wren’s chin and looked into her eyes. “Don’t go.”
Her expression softened. “I have too. I can’t lose Robin again.”
With a low growl, Colson said, “I can’t lose you.”
Wren rubbed her hand down his muscled arm. “They won’t watch me as closely as they watch her.”
He looked toward the compound, then back at Wren. “I hate this.”
“I know.” She rose onto her toes, and he bent down so they met halfway for a slow, lingering kiss.
Taryn looked at me. “If Wren takes me in, I won't need to fake surrendering, and it’ll seem more credible.”
I could see the gears turning in her head.
“And because she’s enhanced, too, they’ll believe she got the better of me,” she continued.
“Damn, straight.” Wren made a muscle with her arm.
I swung my pack around and pulled it open. Near the bottom, the walkie-talkies were tucked inside a shirt.
Wren’s eyebrows rose. “I knew those things would come in handy.”
I held one up. “You carry it.”
“Why me?” Wren took the device almost reverently.
“They’re going to search Taryn much more thoroughly than they search the woman supposedly delivering her,” I explained while trying to decide where to hide it on her.
Wren considered that. “Fair.”
Lucas took the radio back from her and turned it over in his hands. “The small of her back.”
Beck nodded. “Under the shirt.”
“Tape it flat,” Lucas added.
I handed Lucas the duct tape. Wren lifted the back of her shirt enough for Taryn to secure the radio at the small of her back. Once her clothes fell over it, there was no obvious outline.
“Comfortable?” Taryn asked slyly.
“No,” Wren answered immediately.
“Good.” Taryn was still pissed that Wren was going in with her.
I held the second walkie-talkie. “This is how it’s going to work.”
Taryn turned to give me her full attention, recognizing that I wasn’t fucking around.
“One click when you’re inside and safe enough to proceed.”
Wren nodded.
“Two if the plan changes but you’re not in immediate danger.”
Another nod.
“If something happens and you need us right away, hold the transmit button down. You don’t have to speak. Just open the channel.” I pulled Taryn to me. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“That’s a six-point deduction for you.” She smirked, with that bratty mouth I couldn’t get enough of.
I caught her by the back of the neck and pulled her into me before I could think better of it.
The kiss landed hard.
Taryn made a startled sound against my mouth, then grabbed the front of my shirt and gave as good as she got.
My other hand closed around her waist, pulling her closer until there wasn’t room for anything between us except heat, breath, and all the things I was too damn scared to say out loud.
When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing harder, and I rested my forehead against hers.
“Come back to me, baby.”
Her fingers tightened in my shirt. “Always.”
She’d damn well better, or I’d kill every motherfucker in that place.