just in case. I had no doubt Wren wouldn’t hesitate to shoot me if I walked in on Lou while she had her pants down. Or worse. Naked.
Just as my fist came bearing down, the door flew open. With honed reflexes, the man himself used his forearm to block my fist from connecting with his cheek. Something fell out his hand, and when we both rushed to pick it up, we bumped our heads instead.
“Fuck!” he barked in a volume louder than I’d ever heard him speak. I guess my head was harder than his—in more ways than one.
“Shit, sorry, man.” I grimaced as I rubbed my temple. This time, I was quicker and swooped up the blue, velvet box he’d been holding. I started to hand it over and paused when the lid popped open, revealing what rested inside. I gaped at it a few seconds, wondering if I was seeing things. The modest diamond curved on the sides, the ends too sharp to be a simple oval. I didn’t know shit about rings, but I knew that it was beautiful and exactly what I pictured adorning Lou’s finger.
“You’re going to propose?” I choked out when my initial shock cleared. “When?”
I watched the gray of his irises turn a startling blue before he spoke. Lou hadn’t been kidding. “Soon.”
“Fuck, man…” I stood there for a moment, not knowing whether to hug him or not. He didn’t seem like the type. “Congratulations,” was all I ended up saying when it got awkward. And then I made it even more so. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
There was relief in Wren’s eyes when he dipped his chin in gratitude. “Thank you.”
“So, are you nervous?” He had to be. My armpits were sweating just thinking about it, and I wasn’t even the one proposing. “Do you know how you’re going to ask her?” Wren simply shrugged in response, but I could see the wheels turning in his head. “You don’t talk a lot, do you?”
Neither did I, but that was because I had a lot to hide, especially from the former Exiled lieutenant. Wren had yet to learn that my father was once his rival. Even though he was no longer Exiled, I wasn’t quite sure if I could trust him with that information. He sure as shit wouldn’t be safe with it. The only reason my father hadn’t killed Ever for knowing was that he knew I’d never work for him if he did. The head of Thirteen also knew my desire to keep Ever alive wasn’t enough to give him what he wanted. For the moment, I had him trapped at a crossroads. Unfortunately, my father was clever, which meant my time was running out.
For years, he’d been searching for the perfect incentive—someone or something worth selling my soul. Remembering Tyra asleep down the hall, I realized if I wasn’t careful, he just might get it.
Smirking, Wren took the tiny blue box from my hand and slipped it into his pajama bottoms. “Lou talks enough for both of us.”
I snorted as he stepped around me, letting me have the bathroom. When I stepped inside and looked around, I realized he must have stashed the ring in here and was now looking for another hiding spot. Shaking my head at Wren’s naïveté, I stepped back into the hall, catching him before he made it to the stairs.
“Hey,” I called out, making him whirl around. Coming to stand in front of him, I held out my hand. “Give it to me.” Wren’s expression was blank as he stared at me—to the point that I wondered if I’d imagined the whole thing. “Unless you’re planning to propose tomorrow, she’s going to find that ring if she hasn’t already.” Although, it didn’t seem like Lou’s style to pretend while patiently waiting for him to pop the question. “Give it to me,” I insisted when he still hadn’t moved or spoken. “I’ll keep it safe, I promise.”
I patiently looked on as Wren considered it before slowly, finally handing over the ring. I took the box from him before slipping it into my pocket. He didn’t look happy about it, but at least he was smart.
“One last piece of unsolicited advice?” I took his silence as my cue to go on. “Don’t even think about proposing to her without us there to watch.”
His jaw tightened before he spun on his heel, grumbling all the way down the stairs. Grinning, I quickly relieved my bursting bladder before