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“You think your bravado will protect you from a bullet?” I let out a harsh laugh that had her flinching. “These people we’re working with have enemies. And when they realize we’re the ones who’ve been working with them, who do you think they’ll come after?” I looked pointedly at Wren, who still had to tip her chin up to meet my eyes, even though I was half-sitting on the counter next to me.
I expected her to cower, much like she had that other day when she couldn’t keep her focus from my body, when her desire overwhelmed her and threw off the fight she’d put up against me.
It was too easy to take advantage of the small crush I knew she had harbored when we first met. Her face was too easy to read, her hopeful eyes catching mine one too many times before I shut her down with a few harsh, single word responses to her flirting. But she didn’t break eye contact this time. Instead she leaned closer to me, chest brushing mine before she turned on her heel to call out to the figure who just walked through the door.
“Dev?” His brown eyes flicked up instantly to meet hers, warmth crinkling the corners when she gave him a broad smile that clenched my gut. She wasn’t backing down this time, whether because my clothes were on or because she was more prepared, I wasn’t sure. This time I was the one caught off guard, because I would have never expected the next words to escape her lips. “Will you teach me to shoot?”
“Do we think that’s a good idea? She could get hurt.” My rebuttal came too quickly, but I couldn’t stop the words from escaping as I imagined Wren’s small hands wrapped around a gun, delicate fingers struggling to pull the trigger. She was toned from the various home workout videos I knew she liked to do, but those were for wellness, not for strength. They didn’t give you the muscles you needed to control the kickback from a gun or that you used in a fight.
Dev frowned, one of the few times I’d seen his face take on the expression. He glanced at us, as if noting the minuscule amount of space between us and connecting the dots between our interaction and Wren’s out-of-character question. I wouldn’t be surprised if both he and Alex knew about our encounter in the pool the other day, courtesy of Ames, the lot of them giant gossips.
Dev answered hesitantly, as if still running through what we could’ve said to each other in the few minutes he took that phone call. To me, he said, “It’s a good idea for her to learn to protect herself.” To her, “Of course I’ll teach you, Wrennie.”
She responded with a grin and a running jump into his arms, Dev laughing as he spun her around like a little girl. But she didn’t look so little when her eyes caught mine over his shoulder, lips set in a smug grin as she knew she won this interaction. And fuck if her defiance didn’t make me all too excited to play again. So rather than wait for another opportunity, I forced one.
I pretended to check my phone, my gaze flickering over a few old texts as I rolled my eyes for show. “Ames wants to have family dinner tonight.”
“Might as well head over now. We can eat lunch, get a workout in, and get ready for dinner. I have to talk to Xan about a side project, anyway.”
“You go on ahead. I have to run a couple of errands around here. Wren and I can drive together. She still has a few arrangements to finish.” I forced a friendly smile on my face as I turned toward Wren, daring her to object with my eyes.
“Of course.” She smiled back with equal malice, and Dev rolled his eyes at the obvious animosity between the two of us.
“Not worth it,” I heard him mumble under his breath as he kissed the top of Wren’s head on his way out the door. He popped his head back in a few moments later, throwing my bag of food in my direction with a quick goodbye.
“Why -” Wren started, head swiveling toward me with questions in her eyes that I wasn’t sure I could answer.
“I’ll be back in an hour,” I bit out, grabbing my food as I stomped across the floor.
I dialed my sister’s number as I exited the store, the phone ringing a couple of times before she answered. I heard her pottery wheel spinning in the background and imagined how she looked when she worked, brows furrowing as she focused on pulling a piece against gravity until it matched the image in her mind.
Her greeting came a few moments too late, confirming my suspicion that she was mid-piece. Ames occasionally required a few minutes to switch her focus from her art to those around her. “Hello?”
“Hey Ames, just calling to see if you wanted a coffee.” Ames’s favorite café was half a dozen blocks away and a good excuse for my call. “Dev and I stopped by to bring Wren lunch so I’m close by.”
“Oh! You’re all together?”
“Yeah. Seemed like the gang was missing each other. Our last dinner was what? Two days ago?” I allowed the annoyance I felt to color my voice, pulling it back just enough that the irritation felt more good-natured.
“Lunch was a couple of days ago, but that was so quick. We haven’t had a proper dinner since the engagement party. I’ll have everyone over tonight. Will you come, Bex?” I heard the hopeful question in her voice, a true smile pulling at my lips at being able to give her the answer she wanted.
I knew she was disappointed with how often I ducked out of the get-togethers she planned, preferring to spend time with my sister one-on-one. It was easier to let my guard down around Ames, the only person alive who’d known me my whole life, the only one who knew the vulnerable bits of myself I hid from everyone else.
But this time, her hope wasn’t wasted. Forcing this car ride would help put Wren in her place and make my sister happy. Two birds, one stone.
“Sure, I’ll come. I’ll let Dev and Wren know about dinner, too.” Only there was no need since I already had.
“You’re the best! See you soon.” The line went dead as I turned a corner, still planning on buying a coffee even if she was too distracted with dinner to confirm she wanted one on the phone. I smelled the coffee shop before I saw it. The scent of roasted coffee beans permeated the whole block, and the line was half a dozen people deep despite it being past noon. I stopped at the end of the line, munching on my lukewarm fries as we slowly moved toward the counter.
“Bex!” Delon’s voice called my name with more warmth than I deserved, his attitude toward me colored by his love for my sister. Even so, I gave him a genuine smile as I stepped up to the front counter. “What can I get for you?”
“Just my sister’s usual. But can you do me a favor and make it in 15 minutes? I want to eat first and don’t want it to get cold before I take it to Ames.”
“Sure. You two in a fight again?” He asked good-naturedly, and I laughed at his memory. Ames and I had a habit of making up after fights with a coffee, meaning both he and his husband-slash-co-owner, Adam, had dealt with the two of us begrudgingly buying coffee in attempts at apology. Especially over the past couple months, since I moved back to town and spent more time with my sister than I had in years.
“Not today,” I reassured him as I tapped my credit card, an action I knew would color my sister green with envy if she saw it. It had been months since Alex set up a tab at the café, and not a single barista had taken her money since, something that both annoyed and pleased her in equal measure.
I ate my burger at a back table, my fries gone from my snacking while I waited in line. Just as I finished, Delon stopped by my table and dropped off Ames’s drink, piping hot and with two cups to insulate the heat. Knowing I’d come bearing a coffee for Ames alleviated the small measure of guilt that I felt at manipulating her into dinner tonight.
