Chapter 39

thirty-nine

Cash

Wrenlee wakes up exactly fifty-two hours after being admitted to the hospital. The police have been in and out of the room since she opened her eyes almost ten hours ago. They’ve taken her statement and come back with more questions.

“We’ve got her in custody, Miss. Wilson,” the older of the two officers assures Wrenlee. “She won’t be getting out anytime soon.”

“Are you sure?” There’s a fear I hate in Wrenlee’s eyes. A fear I’ll do everything within my power to defeat. “She won’t make bail? She won’t—”

“We have her on multiple counts of homicide, Miss. Wilson, kidnapping, assault, the list goes on. She won’t be seeing daylight for a very, very long time.”

The way Wrenlee closes her eyes before opening them slowly has my heart squeezing in my chest. This woman.

“What about the boy she framed?”

The fact Alice framed a kid for murder, multiple counts of assault, and attempted murder—nearly getting away with it, with destroying his life and the lives of so many others, enrages me. My hands curl into fists at my sides.

“He will be released soon.” The officer leans close to touch his hand to her ankle as he rests a hip familiarly against her bed. “You have nothing else to fear from Alice Ratsgrotten. Nothing.”

Wrenlee pulls her lips to the side as she nods. I can see that she doesn’t believe she’s safe, but she won’t feel that way for long. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll do everything in my power to make her safe. To make her feel safe.

And I’ll do everything to make sure that nothing like this ever happens to her again.

“Thank you, Officers,” I say stiffly. “We appreciate the visit.”

The younger of the two tips his chin, moving slowly to the door. “If there’s anything we can do for you, you have our card.”

“Thank you.” Wrenlee forces a smile that wobbles. The sight of it nearly brings me to my knees.

When they’re gone, she turns to me with big eyes and murmurs quietly, “I just want to go home. Can you take me home?”

For this woman, I could move mountains.

A few hours later, we’re discharged from the hospital. The drive home is quiet, even with her dad sitting in the back seat. But when we take the elevator to the top floor, he’s done being quiet as wide eyes land on me. “Who are you?”

“Cash Jagger, sir.”

“I thought you were in a band?” He’s frowning at me. “Aren’t you supposed to be dirt poor?”

I swallow my hollow laugh. “I come from a wealthy family.”

“Don’t say,” he murmurs as he walks into the condo. I expect to find the remnants of a Thanksgiving dinner never eaten, but everything is gleaming clean. Candace.

I need to call her and thank her. I hadn’t thought about what seeing the condo in the state she’d left it would do to Wrenlee. But I haven’t been here since she was taken. I hadn’t been able to leave the hospital. Ian had brought me clothes, and clearly the guys and Candace had kept things here running smooth.

Thankfully, Candace had the forethought to think of Nemosis and Saint, or the pair would have starved.

Wrenlee would have skinned me alive if I’d let the two of them come to any harm. Again, I find myself in Candace’s debt.

I’m in all their debt. For the rest of my life. Without my brothers—I wouldn’t have been able to get to her in time. As it was, the paramedics murmuring, “Another minute, and I think we’d have been too late,” will live forever burned into my mind. Etched there by a trauma I know I’ll never fully heal from. It’s not possible.

I hope the bitch burns.

Pushing thoughts of Alice from my mind, I tighten my hold around Wrenlee’s hand, my eyes already on her face when she tips hers to me. Catching them and holding them, I mouth, “You good?”

She gives me a small nod, but at the sound of a loud meow, her head twists to the side to see Saint and his little black body zooming (her words) down the hall toward her. I’m surprised when I see Nemosis strutting not far behind.

She releases my hand and bends low to give pets and scratches, before lifting Saint in her arms to give him a snuggle. His purr is a motor in the room.

Yeah, Saint missed his Mama. By the way Nemosis weaves between her legs, rubbing against her with a motor purr of his own, I’d say so did he.

Her eyes move from Saint, to me, to her dad. “I’m pretty tired tonight. Do you think we can order in, maybe watch a movie and go to bed early?”

“Sure, kiddo.”

“What do you want?” I ask.

Her face softens when she looks at me in a way that could bring me to my knees for her for the rest of my life. “Wonton soup.”

I give her a grin. “Coming right up.”