17. Wren
Chapter 17
Wren
I pace the penthouse once Gabriel is gone, fear and worry mixing with the nausea in my stomach. I’m angry that he didn’t tell me his plan, but I know it was because he didn’t want me upset.
I press a hand to my bump. “Don’t worry, nugget. Your papa knows what he’s doing. He’ll be fine.”
Despite my words to our unborn child, I can’t settle, knowing the man I love is out there because of me.
My mind races, going over my conversation with Gabriel. Something he said tugs at my memory.
I still don’t understand why you’re so important to them.
It’s something that’s bothered me from the beginning. Why go to all this trouble for a girl who lost them a “sale?” I can’t believe that’s their only motivation.
It’s not like you have anything on them.
I stop pacing, my heart thundering against my ribs. Oh, shit! What if I do ?
Racing to the bedroom I occupied when I first arrived, I head straight for the closet. I yank open the door, tossing stuff behind me until I find what I’m looking for.
“Yes!”
I’m thankful I asked Gabriel not to throw it out when I first got here. I was poised for flight in those early days, expecting to have to run from this life that seemed too good to be true. My backpack may be tattered and torn, but it was my only possession while living on the streets, a reminder that I’d survived.
Fumbling with the zipper, I open the small pocket, and my fingers close around the USB drive I stashed there what seems like a lifetime ago. The one I picked up in a rush that fateful morning, knowing it probably belonged to Gregory. The cold metal feels heavier than it should, as if it carries more than just data .
I dash back to the living room and grab my laptop from the coffee table. My heart pounds as I plug it in. The screen lights up, showing a single folder.
A shiver runs down my spine. This isn’t a random USB drive. This is something important, something Gregory must have dropped by mistake.
My fingers tremble as I tap on the folder, revealing a long list of video files. With a deep breath, I press play.
The screen flickers to life, revealing a grainy video shot in a dimly lit room. My heart nearly stops when I see Gregory’s face. The camera pans to show Jerry and two other men, neither of whom are familiar, deep in conversation. The angle shifts again, focusing on what’s on the table between them—piles of cash, guns, and small bags of white powder.
My stomach lurches. Drugs. Lots of them.
The conversation becomes clearer, and my nausea increases as I listen to them discussing a deal—one involving a significant amount of money and a dangerous gang. This isn’t a minor crime; it’s something far more dangerous, something that could ruin lives.
I hear Gregory’s voice from behind the camera, clear as day. “We’ll use the girl. It’s time she paid her debt to me. Nothing like virgin pussy to sweeten the deal.”
The girl. Me?
The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. They weren’t simply selling me—they were tossing me in as part of a deal. Like a sex toy for their pleasure.
The camera pans again, and bile rises in my throat as it reveals a cage in the corner of the room. A cage containing girls. At least ten of them.
Tears pour down my cheeks. “Oh, God, no.”
The fear simmering in the background now crashes over me like a wave. I barely make it to the kitchen sink before I lose the contents of my stomach, heaving until I’m empty. When the spasms finally stop, I splash cold water on my face and rinse my mouth.
Returning to the laptop, I eject the USB drive and shove it into my jeans pocket. I sink onto the sofa, questions circling my mind like vultures. This is why they want me so badly. They suspect I have the drive, evidence they desperately need to keep hidden. Evidence they’ll stop at nothing to get back because it could incriminate every man in that room .
I grab my phone. I need to speak to Gabriel. The call goes straight to voicemail. I try again with the same result. Next, I try Ed. No joy. Calling Gabriel again, I leave a quick message, telling him what I’ve discovered.
I stand and pace again, praying Gabriel will call me soon, jumping as the security panel on the front door buzzes.
Calm down, Wren. You’re safe. Gabe has everything under control. They can’t get in here.
I hit the screen by the front door, and Ethan’s face pops up.
“Mrs. Burns, I’m sorry to disturb you, but there’s been an incident.”
My heart stops. “An incident? Oh, god, Gabriel! Is he hurt?”
“Gabriel’s been shot. He’s been taken to the medical facility. Ed asked Luther and me to accompany you down there.”
Punching in the security code, I throw open the door. “Ethan, what?—”
My gaze falls on Luther, slumped against the opposite wall, blood oozing from a wound on his bald head. An unfamiliar man stands beside him, his gun trained on Luther’s still form. The man is huge, built like a brick shithouse, his hair cropped short, his arms covered in tattoos. A scar runs from his left eyebrow to the corner of his mouth. He sneers at me, and I stumble back, my mind racing to figure out what’s going on.
Ethan points his gun at me and smiles. “Please don’t make this any harder than it has to be, Wren.”
I freeze, every instinct screaming at me to run, but my legs are made of lead. Ethan’s smile is cold, calculated—so different from the man I thought I knew. The realization that he’s been playing us all along hits me like a ton of bricks, but there’s no time to process it. I have to think, to find a way out of this.
“Ethan? What…Why are you doing this?” My voice shakes, betraying the fear coursing through me.
Ethan’s smile widens as he steps closer, the gun steady in his hand. “Let’s just say family loyalty runs deep.”
“Who are you?”
“Gregory’s brother. Well, half-brother.”
The revelation floors me. Gregory’s brother? How did we not see it? How did Gabriel not see it? I shove the questions aside. I need to focus on surviving the next few minutes.
“Gabriel trusted you,” I whisper.
Ethan tips his head to the side as he looks at me. “Your husband thinks he’s so fucking untouchable. So much better than everyone else. Always has.”
His voice is calm, but I hear the jealousy and bitterness beneath it. “But…you served together. You’ve hated him all this time?”
“I don’t waste my energy on hate, Wren. It’s a useless emotion. I’d rather focus on something more productive, like blending in and navigating the fine line between the criminal and legitimate worlds. My knowledge of both sides lets me operate in the shadows, where I can get things done.”
The puzzle pieces slowly slot together. “So none of this was ever about me.”
“Not initially, no. Gabriel has too much power, too much influence in government circles. He’s a serious threat to our plans. So, my mission was to gather intelligence on his business operations, security measures, and any potential vulnerabilities or skeletons in his closet.”
“Leverage,” I murmur .
“Yes. We intended to blackmail Gabriel or sabotage his company, depending on what opportunities presented themselves. We couldn’t believe our luck when Gabriel stumbled across you and brought you into the fold.” Ethan looks like a teenager discovering porn for the first time. “I was in the perfect position to keep a close eye on you. Close enough to monitor you but distant enough to avoid raising suspicions.”
Ethan makes it sound so easy. And for him, it was. “You already had Gabriel’s trust, so you never went through his vetting process.”
“Precisely. I’ve been embedded in Gabriel’s organization from the start. I may have served with Gabriel, but Gregory is family. He raised me, fed me, clothed me. My loyalty will always lie with my brother.”
Ethan steps closer, his gun unwavering as he gestures toward the open door. “Now we have all the good stuff out of the way, it’s time to go for a little walk. Don’t want to keep Gregory and Jerry waiting.”
Oh, God. They’re here? In the building? Of course they are—Ethan is their inside man. This was a setup all along. Drawing Gabriel away. Leaving me vulnerable. He could be fighting for his life right now. He could be— My mind veers away from that possibility, unable to process a world without Gabriel.
I glance at Luther, who hasn’t moved, and then at the giant man standing over him. I’m trapped despite Gabriel’s best efforts to keep me safe.
“Please, Ethan. You don’t have to do this,” I plead, trying to buy time to think of some way out of this mess.
Ethan’s expression hardens. “I’m not asking, Wren. Now, move.”
With no other choice, I step forward, my heart pounding so loudly in my ears that it drowns out everything else. Ethan grabs my arm, his grip bruising, and pulls me out of the penthouse. I glance back at the giant, who nods at Ethan before following.
The elevator ride down lasts a lifetime. Every second is a countdown to whatever horror awaits me. My mind flashes to Gabriel and our baby—how I need to stay alive, not just for myself but for them. I need to bide my time and wait for an opportunity. I can’t let them take me.
When the elevator doors slide open, Ethan yanks me into the underground parking garage. The cold, dimly lit space is eerily quiet except for the echo of our footsteps on the concrete. My breath catches as I see Gregory and Jerry leaning against the hood of a car, waiting, their eyes locking onto me as we approach.
Gregory’s face splits into a predatory grin. “Ah, there she is. My little runaway. Seems you landed on your feet, Mrs. Burns. ” His eyes rake me up and down. “Sold that virgin cunt to a higher bidder, eh?”
I instinctively flinch at his words, and Ethan tightens his grip on my arm, dragging me closer to them. My eyes dart around, searching for any sign of help, any chance of escape, but the garage is deserted.
“Thought you were safe here, didn’t you? Untouchable. I told you we’d find you, that nowhere was safe,” Jerry says, his familiar oily grin spreading across his face. He looks at the big guy with the scar and the tattoos. “Search her, Jonas.”
I struggle in Ethan’s grip as Jonas moves toward me. “Please. Don’t.”
To his credit, his hands don’t linger like I feared as he pats me down briskly. He hesitates when he reaches my jeans pocket, pulling out the drive.
Turning, he walks to Jerry and places it in his outstretched palm .
“Well, well, well. We’ve been looking for this. You know you were supposed to hide it somewhere we’d never find it, right?” Jerry taunts as Jonas resumes his position beside Ethan.
“Gabriel has copies,” I blurt, clutching at straws.
Jerry’s eyes narrow as he examines me. “Does he, now? Being the upstanding citizen he is, I wonder why he hasn’t gone to the authorities with those copies. ”
Shit, shit, shit. Jerry may be a sleazy asshole, but he’s not stupid.
I narrow my eyes on him. “Why do you think? Insurance against you, asshole.”
Jerry’s laughter echoes around the parking lot. “Oh, look at you, all grown up and trying to be brave.” His gaze flicks to Jonas. “Put her in the car.”
Panic widens my eyes. “You have what you want. Let me go.”
It’s Gregory’s turn to laugh. “No chance. A beauty like you is still useful, even if you are used goods.” His gaze falls to my stomach. “But we’ll have to get rid of his spawn first.”
“Lay a finger on me or my baby, and I’ll fucking kill you!” I spit, struggling against Ethan’s hold. It’s an empty threat. He knows it. I know it. But I won’t go down without a fight. I’ll protect my baby’s life, my life, with everything I have.
Gregory tips his head to the side. “Funny. Your mother said the same thing the night you ran.”
“You left her there to die, you piece of shit,” I spit at him.
He shrugs. “So did you. Besides, she’s the one who chose to piss her life away on drugs. Never did know when to stop. Not my fault she didn’t make it.”
I open my mouth with a stinging reply, then snap it closed again as his words register. Not my fault she didn’t make it. Wait, he thinks she’s dead? Tears prick my eyes, and I know instinctively that Gabriel arranged it that way to keep Mom safe.
God, please let me find a way out of this. Please let Gabriel be okay. I just want to see him, hold him, one last time.
“Move.” Ethan pushes me toward the vehicle, causing me to stumble.
I’m about to scream, to fight, when a familiar voice echoes from the shadows of the garage.
“Take your fucking hands off my wife.”
All heads whip toward the sound, and out steps Gabriel, followed closely by Ed and half a dozen of their men. All armed, guns drawn and aimed directly at the men attempting to abduct me.
Relief, sharp and visceral, threatens to buckle my knees. I must make a noise because Gabriel’s gaze whips to mine. For a second, his eyes are tormented, but he quickly shutters his emotions, and icy determination settles over his features. My husband is in professional mode, all steely resolve and military might.
But my relief at seeing my husband whole and unharmed is quickly tempered as Ethan presses the cold barrel of his gun to my temple.