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1
WRYN
It’s been two weeks of nothing. No word from Viktor, which I’m relieved about, and nothing from the four men who held Connor’s life in the palm of their hands, which scares me.
People say no news is good news, but it makes me want to jump out of my skin. I busy myself by hovering over Connor, and I can tell it’s starting to irritate him. He’s healing, on the mend, but it’s slow going. His angry flesh on the side of his face is a stark reminder of what he went through and what could have happened if Viktor hadn’t stepped in.
Connor is mad at me about that. But I did what I had to do. And I don’t regret it. Maybe Viktor will never call in his favor, but as soon as I have the thought, I know it’s laughable. Men like him will always cash in their debts, and I need to be ready.
Connor hasn’t talked about what happened to him. Maybe it’s because he wants to put it behind him, behind us, but I know it’s not going to leave. This will follow us and hang over our heads until it’s dealt with.
I stop in front of his office door and raise my hand to knock but then think better of it. I’m his wife. I don’t have to knock.
Not that I ever did before.
I push the door in and stop abruptly. He’s in a meeting. Four pairs of eyes snap to mine, and I raise one eyebrow. It’s not surprising enough to me to be hurt that I wasn’t invited. I smile and advance into the room as if I were wanted here all along.
Connor is sitting in one of the wingbacks in front of the fireplace, his bandaged hand resting on his thigh, and I look around at the others. Geo, Ginny, and Dean.
“Did you need something?” Connor asks.
I look down at the cup of tea I’m carrying. It was for him, but I’m not going to offer it now. He wouldn’t take it. So, I wrap both hands around it and take a sip, staring at him above the rim. He raises an eyebrow, and so do I.
“I came to join the conversation,” I say. Now that I know a conversation is happening, I want to be involved.
“Outside.” Connor rises, stalking toward the door.
After a smile toward the rest of those acting like they aren’t watching us, I follow him. He shuts the office door as soon as I’m through and then crosses his arms, leaning against it. He winces slightly, and I know his body is still sore. He doesn’t take his medicine anymore. The bottle is still half full in his bathroom. I check it occasionally since he won’t talk about anything.
“What are you doing?”
“I came to bring you tea. I didn’t know you had company.” I lean my shoulder against the door, facing him.
“I don’t want any tea.”
He’s abrupt, wanting me to leave, but I don’t take it personally. Ever since he woke up and confessed he thinks about me more than he should, he’s started to close himself off again. I reach up with one hand and cup his cheek, the one with the still-healing scar.
“Don’t do that. Don’t push me away.”
“I’m not,” he says, but he leans into my touch, showing me that no matter what he says, he still wants it, needs it.
We are learning each other, still in a state of limbo, trying to figure out where we fit together. Before, we were so driven by what we wanted that it was hard to see ourselves outside of that, but now, we are starting to separate the emotions, compartmentalize the relationship.
“You are. Let me in. Let me make plans with you. I’m involved in this too.” I jerk my head slightly toward his office.
“I know,” he says, reaching up to rub his jaw, moving my hand in the process. I don’t know if it was intentional or not.
I know he hasn’t had many loving touches in his life, and I think it makes him uncomfortable. But again, he won’t tell me; he won’t talk to me about any of it.
“Fine.”
He pushes himself off the door, and I stand straight too, the tea in my cup sloshing around with my movements. I drink some of it as I step out of the way, trying to keep from openly smiling.
I trail behind him, taking an empty chair in the room, and settle in as I wait for them to start talking again. There’s a lot to discuss and so much to fix that the seriousness looms over us all. I notice that Lucas and Arie aren’t here. Geo told me about Lucas’s involvement at the flower shop when Connor was taken, and I wish he were here, only so I could sink a knife into his neck too. My eyes focus on the spot where I last saw Bertrand. There are some nights I still have nightmares about it, but I’m starting to accept it more with each day that goes by.
I find that my loyalties are turning and my heart is more involved. It’s not a business arrangement anymore. These people are becoming mine. Maybe it’s because I only ever had Ruby and she’s gone, or maybe it’s because I’ve never truly had family before, but I’ve started to latch on to the people here, and I’m strangely not terrified. I should be. I know that. This world has been anything but safe, but I don’t want or need safe. I need something that’s mine.
“I wasn’t followed,” Dean says, and I look at him.
