opened. I didn’t have to question whether he was in pain. The moment his gaze found Lou’s, her composure shattered.
“You didn’t need any more scars,” she sobbed, referring to the three bullet wounds he already had and the knife to the gut that almost killed him after he freed Evelyn from Fox. “You’re already hotter than Ever.”
From my peripheral, I caught Ever palming his face as he slowly shook his head. Leave it to Lou to make light of a heavy situation. As everyone laughed, including a raspy chuckle from Wren, the tension in the room eased somewhat. I was still very much aware of Tyra hovering near the door, though. If she thought she’d slip away without me noticing, she had another thing coming. The moment she moved, I’d be on her ass like white on rice. The thought of her having my kid and not telling me made me want to do unspeakable acts, things that would undoubtedly turn me into my father. But then there was the part of me I kept locked away that wanted to fall to my knees and beg her to take me back.
“Who the hell did this?” Ever demanded.
I was thankful for the distraction when I felt my knees quake as if they’d decided for me. “My father did this.”
I felt every single gaze in the room fly over to me. They’d all been looking to Wren for an answer, not once expecting my announcement. I couldn’t keep this a secret. Not like I had when my father tried to buy me Bee’s hand in marriage. It was too big. Wren had almost died. The first to look away was Ever. The color had leeched from his skin.
“Fuck!” Ever’s shout came right before he shot to his feet and shoved his hands through his hair. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Apparently, he wasn’t finished exploding. Ever seemed perfectly content to leave us all in suspense when he moved to stand and stare out the window. “I should have seen this coming,” he mumbled after a while.
Lou’s eyes narrowed from her perch on Wren’s hospital bed. It barely looked big enough for the two of them, but I doubted even while in pain that Wren minded. “What do you mean you should have seen this coming?”
Wren still looked puzzled as he watched his half brother turn from the window and pace a hole in the floor. Ever ignored Lou, meeting Wren’s gaze instead. “That job we did on the house in Long Island. It was a setup. Eddie and Siko were behind it.”
Wren didn’t reply at first as he seemed to contemplate Ever’s confession. “That explains how and why Siko and Eddie rose from the dead to put a bullet in me,” he replied, his voice hoarse. The glint in his eyes told me exactly how he felt about being duped and betrayed by men he once thought were his brothers-in-arms. Men he’d likely mourned.
“They were spies for Thirteen the entire time,” Ever revealed. “Franklin sent them in to flush out Fox by killing you and Shane.”
“Which meant, Franklin knew exactly who Wren was,” Lou pieced together. Shooting to her feet, she glared at Ever. “How could you let us move to Blackwood Keep without telling us the danger he’d be in? He’s been a sitting fucking duck!”
Ever grimaced as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I fucked up, Lou. I’m sorry. I was a little distracted at the time.”
“Really? You were distracted? Oh, I wonder why? Could it be because Wren risked everything to save your mom’s life, and you couldn’t be bothered to do the same for him?”
“Lou,” Wren called, but his plea went ignored.
“You’ve barely spoken two words to him since finding out he was your brother. Wren didn’t tell you because he wanted to protect you from that deadbeat you both call a father. He was willing to give up yet another piece of himself to keep you in your bubble.” Tears glistened in her blue eyes as she continued to read Ever his rights. “You have no idea how lucky you’ve been. You had a home, a father who stuck around, a mother who risked her life just to make you whole, and it still wasn’t enough. How long before you push Four away because she won’t give your spoiled ass exactly what you want?”
“Louchana!”
This time, she listened, rushing back to Wren’s bedside when he grunted in pain from the exertion it took to get her attention. “I’m sorry,”