Chapter Seventeen

It's a Friday evening, and I'm stuck in the last meeting of the day. I glance at my watch, barely listening to shit conversation, my mind elsewhere. Wren's going to dinner with Jasper, Lily, his mom, and Lumi tonight. I don't know how I feel about it. Actually, I do—I don't fucking like it. She means nothing to me, and I honestly don't want to deal with her. But for Wren and my brother, I'll put aside my shitty feelings. Hopefully, it won't become a regular fucking thing.

They don't know I'm planning on going there, but the second I'm out of here, I'll head to the restaurant. Eat, have a couple of bourbons, then get the hell out.

The rain pounds against the window to my left, matching my mood. I'm fed up with the pointless chatter that's barely holding my attention. With an exasperated sigh, I sit forward and raise my hand, cutting off the conversation. My eyes close for a second as I stand, a scoff escaping my lips, and the room falls silent instantly.

As I open my eyes, I lean forward, planting my palms on the table, my gaze sweeping across the room.

"I don't know about the rest of you bastards, but it's a fucking Friday night. I'm done. I need a strong drink," I grit out, my tone sharp.

A few dark chuckles echo around the table, but I don't join in. My expression stays cold as I straighten up and grab my suit jacket, throwing it over my shoulders.

"Get the fuck out of here. We'll pick this up Monday morning," I order, the decision final.

They stand without hesitation, some nodding their thanks as they pass, but I don't acknowledge them. I just stare straight ahead, already thinking about the night ahead.

My thoughts drift back to Wren—my Wren. Everything feels hollow when she's not near, like a twisted addiction I can't shake. The pull she has on me is relentless, gnawing at the edges of my sanity. I adjust my collar, tightening the grip of my suit around my shoulders, then light a cigarette. It dangles from my lips as I pull out my phone, the screen lighting up with the address to the restaurant.

My eyes fall to the initial carved on my palm—her initial. I take a slow drag, the smoke swirling as I shove the phone into my pants pocket, stuck on the thought of her. Always her.

I think about how to break the news to Wren tomorrow about Savannah. She hasn't asked, maybe she's been too wrapped up in other shit, but it's time to give her the green light for revenge. Savannah's relentless since she learned about Carter's murder. She's hell-bent on joining him with death, a tragic love story for criminals. It's infuriating to kill with someone without getting the answers you need, but my patience is wearing thin. Her presence is becoming a serious fucking thorn in our side.

I take another deep drag of my cigarette, then turn and head out of the room.

Stepping out of my car in front of the restaurant, I glance up at the high-end establishment with a furrowed brow, wondering who the fuck paid for this. The rain pours down hard, thunder and lightning splitting the sky, but I'm unfazed. I actually like the fucking rain. It matches who the fuck I am.

I stride towards the entrance, where a guy holds the door open for me. As I walk in, I spot Wren immediately. Her back is to me as she's guided to a table, her red dress flowing elegantly, Lumi perched on her hip. Without waiting for check-in, I follow them, quickening my pace to catch up.

When they reach a table, my focus is entirely on Wren and Lumi. I slow as she settles Lumi into a highchair, but before she can take her seat, I move in swiftly. I slip my arm around her waist from behind, pull out the chair, sit down, and yank her onto my lap. She squeaks in surprise, and I grin. When she quickly turns to face me, her full, red lips curve into a bright smile. She looks fucking stunning, her makeup and dress perfect. I can't help but think about how I'm going to ruin that pretty dress and makeup later.

"Hello, baby. You made it." She whispers, her arm snaking around my wet shoulders.

She gives me a soft kiss on the lips, then gently wipes away the lipstick with her thumb. I shift my attention to Lumi, sitting unsteadily in the highchair. I reach out, stroking the soft curls of her hair. She looks up at me, her balance shaky, and as I lean in, smiling wide, she responds with a small giggle, her face lighting up.

Straightening in my seat, I tap Wren's ass lightly. "I wanted you to sit on me but let me get her out of this thing. She can sit with Daddy."

Wren nods easily, stepping aside, but the moment she moves, my gaze is caught by an older woman across the table. We lock eyes, and something stirs in me—something I can't quite explain. Her long, dark brown hair frames her face, mature, and her deep brown eyes—so similar to my own—stare back at me. I don't recognize her, but she feels familiar, like a distant memory or a dream I don't remember. She offers a faint, almost knowing smile, but I keep my face unreadable, unsure of what to make of it. This has to be Jaspers mom.

Breaking the weird exchange, I turn back to Lumi. Lifting her gently from the highchair, I settle her on my chest. She lifts her head, her tiny hands reaching up, grabbing at my face, and straight away, that strange moment slips away. As Lumi's giggles fill the space between us, a smile spreads across my lips.

"Cree didn't want to come?" I ask, turning to Wren and she looks at me, shaking her head once.

"He wanted to have dinner at his friend's house. You know, the one we talked about? They have a small school project together."

I raise an eyebrow, the familiar discomfort settling in at the thought of him being out of our sight. Wren senses it immediately and leans in closer.

"His parents are fine," she reassures me. "I get along with his mom, and of course, I did a background check. They're a decent, normal family."

Her words make me exhale, my shoulders relaxing slightly.

"We'll collect him after this," she adds with a gentle smile, her hand finding my thigh under the table.

I lift Lumi, turning her to face the table as she settles comfortably on my lap. Before I can say anything, the woman opposite speaks up, her voice cutting through the moment with bizarre boldness.

"Oh, isn't she the cutest little thing. Can I hold her?"

Her request is straightforward, but it grates on me, making my jaw clench. I stare at her, feeling a surge of protectiveness rise through me, like an instinct I can barely contain. My hands tighten on Lumi, my mind flashing to the idea of anyone touching her without my say.

Jasper catches my attention from the right, breaking through my thoughts. "This is my mom, Arlo," he says, his tone smoother than usual. "Vivienne."

She waves her hand back and forth with a scoff, a small smirk tugging at her lips. "People just call me Viv."

I nod, my expression neutral, though the unease doesn't fade. I'm still not sold on the idea of her holding my fucking kid. Vivienne looks classy, put-together—almost like she belongs in our world, as if she's always been part of the Elite. It's hard to believe she spent years locked away in a fucking institution. Outwardly, she seems normal enough, but it's impossible to tell what's going on inside her head.

I wonder sometimes, how she ever became involved with my father. Was she just a fling he picked up, someone he liked to mess around with behind his wife's back? Or was there something deeper? A connection to our world? I'll never ask, though. Whatever happened between them is their story, not fucking mine, and frankly, I don't give a fuck enough to care.

Vivienne's attempt at lightening the mood feels more calculated than casual. "It's great to have you all here and joining me for dinner," she says, quickly shifting the conversation away from Lumi, realizing I'm not about to hand over my daughter.

Wren responds immediately, her words polite but edged with curiosity. "Of course, Viv. Thank you for inviting us. This place is beautiful and totally unexpected." I catch the side-eye Wren gives me as she speaks, clearly picking up on the same unease that's gnawing at me.

Vivienne smiles, leaning back in her chair. "Well, go big or go home. It's been a very long time since I've been able to live my life freely, no longer bound by..." She pauses, her eyes locking with mine for just a moment. "Madness."

I raise an eyebrow, not entirely surprised by her choice of words. She's playing her cards close, but not close enough. Wren, sharp as ever, senses it too and keeps the conversation flowing. "I just didn't expect such a luxurious restaurant," she presses gently, fishing for something more.

It's clear this woman isn't just some forgotten piece of the past. Vivienne's wealth is clear as day, oozing from every corner of this fucking place, and power seems to leave her as naturally as breath.

Viv shrugs carelessly. "I thought I'd treat everyone to a special occasion. Family is important," she says, her gaze dropping to the expensive menu in front of her.

Family? The word feels like a fucking insult. I glance at Wren, then back at Vivienne. She's delusional if she thinks this sudden gathering ties us together in any real way. Maybe Jasper has some sort of bond with her, but me? Wren? My kids? We're nothing to do with her. There's no fucking family about it.

As the night progress, Vivienne's attempts to draw me into conversation have been testing my patience. She's been digging, pushing for some kind of fucking reaction, from just me alone, and if it were anyone else, they'd have gotten a cold, hard fuck you by now with a knife in their throat. But something about her keeps me restrained—maybe out of curiosity, maybe because I know she's doing it on purpose.

"How's your mom, Arlo? I heard about your father's passing," she says.

I feel a slow burn creeping up my spine at the mention of my parents, the fucking audacity to even ask about them but I keep my focus on Lumi, my head dipped as I feed her small pieces of vegetables from my plate, but her words linger in the air like the smell of shit.

"Passing?" I repeat, my jaw tensing as my dark eyes finally lifting to meet hers. "You mean murder."

She chews her food slowly, like she's measuring her next move. There's something odd about her, too fucking rehearsed.

"Murder?" she echoes, raising a brow. "Oh, right, yes. Murder."

The fork in my hand clatters onto the plate as I drop it, the sound sharp and sudden. I feel Wren tense beside me, her body still, probably sensing the agitation building inside me. I can't shake the feeling that Vivienne knows more than she's letting on and her deliberate nonchalance is pissing me the fuck off.

"You know," she continues, cutting through my rising anger, "you and Jasper don't look anything like your father. You definitely took after your mother."

I grit my teeth, my hands clenching into fists beneath the table. Every word out of her mouth feels like a calculated fucking jab. It's like she's trying to get under my skin, or worse, pry into something she has no business in. I feel the weight of her eyes on me, pushing and pushing until it takes everything in me not to snap.

I turn to Wren, my head low. "We're fucking leaving before I lose my shit," I mutter under my breath.

She side-eyes me, but I see the understanding in her, and she knows better than anyone when I'm on the edge. When I stand with Lumi, she does too and then everyone joins us.

"Going already?" Jasper asks and I give a small, wordless nod.

"Thank you for such a lovely evening," Wren says, her words full of a warmth that I could never grasp. "We need to go and get Cree, but we should do this again sometime."

I nearly roll my eyes at the suggestion—this again? Never fucking happening. But Wren is just being polite, as always. She exchanges goodbyes with Lily, while I keep my eyes fixed on Vivienne, who seems intent on closing the night with one last fucked-up gesture.

She approaches me, her eyes tracing my features when she stops. I stay still, watching her every move. She raises her hand slowly, as if she's about to touch me, but then she hesitates, her fingers hovering in the air before they recoil. Her eyes drift to Lumi, sitting quietly on my chest, and her expression softens with a small smile.

"Goodbye, princess," she murmurs to Lumi. "Maybe next time I can have a cuddle."

Yeah. That's e-fucking-nough for me.

Without a word, I grab Wren's hand, pulling her away from the weird vibe whirling around Vivienne. I don't stop until we're exiting the restaurant, stepping out into the rainy night air.