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“During the Williams job, I was so scared, Rhett. And seeing Tyler’s body was so jarring. You remember—I puked my guts out. I’ve never had a visceral reaction like that before. Sometimes the image of him lying in the snow all bloody just pops into my mind randomly. It’s . . . it’shorrible.”
Again, that feeling of helplessness settles over me. When we agreed to a relationship with Wren, we knew what we’d be subjecting her to.
The idea that we could hide our lives from her was delusional, and I think on some level we all knew that. And now she has to deal with the consequences of our fuck-up. All because we couldn’t stay away until we finished our business.
How could we do this to her?
“You understand this could backfire tremendously, right?”
“I’m willing to accept those consequences.”
“As long as you’re sure.” I search her face. She looks nervous, but she also looks determined. Why I expected anything else is beyond me. Our girl is stronger than she gives herself credit for.
She nods and rolls back her shoulders. “Let’s go.”
I could tell her no. Iwantto tell her no. But how can I? Whether I think she’s ready for this or not doesn’t matter. It’s her choice.
But what if she hates you after she sees you do this?
I don’t have an answer to that question. I just know that if our roles were switched, I’d be doing exactly what Wren is.
Opening the door, I usher Wren into the garage. A raw ache claws its way up my throat as I climb into my truck with Wren beside me. I need her to understand why I’m doing this. If she doesn’t, she’ll never look at me the same way again.
Before I start driving, I text Finn again. We’re going to be later than I originally anticipated.
Chapter four
Wren
Rhett’shandsaren’tshaking.
Is it because he’s gripping the steering wheel so tightly that theycan’tshake? Maybe.
His jaw is set, and his posture is perfect, like he’s a child being inspected by a judgmental, nitpicky aunt. When I reach across the console and place my hand on his thigh, he winces. I immediately pull away.
“I’m sorry,” he says quietly. Somehow, he grasps the steering wheel even tighter. “It’s not you.”
I figured as much, but the clarification still helps me breathe easier. As he makes a left turn, I sneak a better glance at him. He may not be able to sleep, but he looks so worn down. My first instinct is to give him some type of comfort, but I don’t know what to do since he can’t handle being touched right now.
We end up driving in silence for a half hour before Rhett pulls onto a road that looks like it leads into a private neighborhood. He stops at a gate and has to type in a PIN before we’re able to get inside.
“Finn’s safe house is in a gated community?” I ask as the gate automatically closes behind us. A few large houses come into view along with their pristine lawns and gardens.
Rhett throws me a surprised glance. “Thought you passed out.”
“Not even close.”
Long car rides tend to put me to sleep, sure. But stress makes me panicky whenever I get tired enough to stop thinking logically. Panic means no sleep. Eventually, my body gives in, but then the nightmares hit. It’s a miserable, endless cycle that I’ve never figured out how to break.
“We’ll get to Finn’s eventually,” Rhett says as he weaves through the quiet streets. “First, I need to show you something. And . . . do some explaining.”
Eventually, Rhett pulls over and slows to a stop. In a fluid motion, he puts the truck in park and turns off the headlights. I’m not sure where we are or why we’re here, but I get the feeling it means a lot to Rhett.
“Richard built a whole separate life and kept it from us.” His voice is hoarse, and I can tell he’s trying to hide it, but some resentment bleeds through. “After Sammy died and I moved in with Elliot’s family, I never looked back. Never looked him up to see how he was doing. If I didn’t know, then I could assume he was miserable. I was dealing with enough anger. So on the off chance that he’d moved on, I didn’t want to know.”
A concerned sound escapes my throat, but other than that, I stay silent. I don’t want to distract him.
“I don’t want to see him again,” Rhett continues. “I don’t want those old feelings to come back. It’s already difficult enough to deal with the memories. But now . . . having two brothers changes everything.
