Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

"I'm so stuffed," Wren complained as she sat on Safe's couch.

He grinned. He was just as full as she was, but it was worth it. They'd talked for hours as they ate chips and salsa and devoured tacos. He'd learned a little more about the woman sitting next to him, but he still wanted to know more. She'd mostly talked about her past jobs and how she'd ended up taking the position here in California.

The only bad part of the night was when her phone had rung. He'd expected her to answer, but when she looked at the screen, she'd stiffened slightly…and frowned. She shrugged it off, saying it was just another unknown number, probably a telemarketer, but for some reason her reaction seemed too concerned for a simple sales call. But then she'd asked how he'd become interested in the Navy and being a SEAL, and he'd put the call to the back of his mind.

Now they were at his house, lounging on his couch, trying to recover from eating too much food .

"I love Mexican food, but I don't eat it a lot because I simply can't control myself," Safe said.

Wren chuckled. "Right? Only a heathen can leave chips in the bowl and salsa uneaten."

Silence fell between them, but it was a comfortable silence. Safe hadn't felt this at ease with another person, other than his SEAL team, in a long time.

"Bo?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything. For helping me in Aces. For making me feel as safe as possible when I woke up in a strange place. For taking me to my apartment to get my stuff. For not making it weird when I freaked out about getting under the bed. Talking to the police with me. Taking me to work and picking me up. Getting me clothes. Offering to teach me stuff about being safe. Everything ."

Safe wanted to tell her that everything she'd just listed off were things any normal, decent person would do, but even he knew that wasn't true. So instead, he simply said, "You're welcome."

"Will you tell me more about your sister?"

"Susie?" Safe asked in surprise.

"Unless you have another one?"

He chuckled and settled deeper into the couch, his head resting on the cushion behind him, his legs stretched out, his hands resting on his belly. "No, Suz is the only sister I have. Thank goodness. She's a pain in the butt."

"She is?" Wren asked, sounding surprised .

"No, not really. But I think all siblings are supposed to think that. It's a rule or something."

"I always wanted a brother or sister," Wren said wistfully.

Safe wanted to know more. But he didn't push. "She's four years younger than me. Twenty-eight."

"And she has two kids?" Wren asked.

"Uh-huh. She was assaulted her freshman year. Went to a party and that's where her drink was spiked. The guy who did it took her upstairs to his room, and two of his friends followed. As I told you before, they were caught because one of them filmed it all." Safe took a deep breath. Even thinking about what his sister went through enraged him all over again.

"She was determined to follow through with pressing charges. It was extremely difficult on her. She dropped out of school and got a job close to home. For a while, we weren't sure if she would be able to pull through. But we underestimated her. Yes, she still has some issues today. I told you about being afraid of the dark and having issues when she meets new people. But she's funny, the greatest mom ever, and somehow she still has that sweet, innocent quality she always had."

"I want to ask something, but I don't want to be offensive," Wren said quietly.

"Ask," Safe encouraged.

She nodded but didn't say anything for the longest time. Safe took the opportunity to study her. She was curled up at the other end of the couch, leaning against the armrest. She had a pillow clutched in her lap and was staring into space. Her short black hair was a bit mussed, and her brown eyes held a wealth of emotion that Safe couldn't begin to interpret .

"Her oldest is five, right?" Wren finally asked.

"Yeah. Anders. Inez, her daughter, is three."

"So that means she had him when she was twenty-three. Conceived him when she was twenty-two. You said she was attacked when she was a freshman. So she was probably what, eighteen? Nineteen?"

"Yeah."

Wren looked at him. "So…she got over what happened in like, three years?"

Safe wasn't offended by her question. If he didn't know his sister, and Tomas, his brother-in-law, he'd be curious as well. "She didn't get over it. Not like you might be thinking. What happened will always be a part of her. It changed her in a way that makes me incredibly sad. But she was determined not to let those men rob her of living her life.

"She met Tomas when she was working in the grocery store in our hometown. She stocked shelves, and Tomas was a manager there. They clicked. Almost immediately. He was patient with her. Didn't push her for anything she wasn't ready to give. It took a while for Susie to agree to go out with him, and to Tomas's credit, he didn't blink an eye when their first date was at my parents' house, with not only our mom and dad there, but me too."

"You?" Wren asked.

"Yeah. I was stationed in Virginia, but there was no way I was going to miss being there for Susie. She asked if there was any way I could get leave to come meet the man she thought she might want to date. Of course I was there."

Wren was looking at him in a way Safe didn't understand.

"What're you thinking?" he asked her .

"I just…honestly? I don't understand that. At all. I mean, your parents were there. Why would you spend the money and take the time off just to go home for a dinner?"

"Because Susie asked me to," Safe said. "And because I knew what a big step that was for her, and that she was terrified. First, she had to have the meeting in a safe place for her, and that was the home where she grew up. Tomas couldn't do anything, like spike her drink, with her family around. And I think she wanted reassurance from her family that he was as good a guy as she hoped he was."

"Hmmm."

Safe didn't know what that low sound meant, but he went on. "Bless Tomas, he didn't blink an eye at the odd arrangement. He was a perfect gentleman, and their next four dates were also with my parents in attendance. My brother-in-law is perfect for Susie. They complement each other. She's a terrible cook, and he loves spending hours getting a meal just right. He doesn't like to drive, and she enjoys the freedom of it. They're both pretty low-key and low-maintenance, and when she has bad days—and yes, of course she has them—he does what he needs to do to help her get through them. Anders was a surprise for them both, but a much-loved surprise. They didn't get married until after he was born."

"I'm glad she found him."

"Me too," Safe agreed.

He could tell something else was on Wren's mind. But he didn't push. The woman next to him was strong and stoic on the outside, but he had a feeling just under the surface, she had a lot of churning emotions.

What she said next made Safe realize he was right. And the sort of deep anger he experienced at his sister's trial came back all over again.

"Her home, your home, being a safe place isn't something I understand either. Mine was a house of horrors, and I can only hope it's long been destroyed. Burned down, bulldozed. Something."

Safe sat up. This was a heavy conversation for two people who recently met, but the longer he knew Wren, the less odd their connection felt. "If you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen," he told her.

"It's not a pretty story," she warned. "I mean, it's probably not something two people who like each other and who just met should be talking about so soon."

"Screw that," Safe said urgently. "I think our meeting has been anything but normal anyway."

"True."

When she didn't speak after a moment, Safe got up. He went to the kitchen and put a cup of water in the microwave. As it was heating, he got a mug down from the cabinet and filled it with hot chocolate. When the water was boiling, he removed it from the microwave and poured it over the powdered chocolate. After stirring the drink, he turned off the overhead light and returned to the couch. The room felt softer with the light off. Less intimidating, maybe? All Safe knew was that he wanted to make Wren feel comfortable.

"What's this for?" she asked softly after taking a small sip of the drink he'd made for her.

"One thing I've learned from my sister and my mom is that chocolate helps almost any situation. "

Wren's lips curled in a small smile. "I think they aren't wrong," she told him.

"I'm not going to judge you, Wren. I might have had a good childhood, amazing parents, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware of the shit that happens to people. I've seen my share of horrible situations while on missions. Children begging on the streets. Women being abused. Suffering. Starvation. I help when I can, but each and every time I see something like that, it hurts my heart."

After a moment, Wren spoke. She looked into her mug of hot chocolate instead of at him, and there was nothing Safe wanted more than to take her into his arms, but he'd give her all the space she needed to say what she needed to say.

"I don't know who my father was. I think I was around four or five when my mom told me that he was a random guy she met in a bar. She screwed him, then stole his wallet when she left him sleeping in the motel they'd gone to. She told me he was no good, had done time in prison for murder, and that I was lucky she'd realized she was pregnant too late to abort me."

"Fuck, Wren."

"There were times I wished she had. Gotten rid of me, that is. She didn't love me. Not even a little. I was always a burden. She told me that all the time. Told me I was stupid when I didn't understand my homework, resented having to spend money to feed me. And especially hated that having me around was sometimes a deterrent to her getting laid. She'd go out and find some random man, bring him home, fuck him all night. If he was a good fuck, she'd keep him around for as long as possible. Playing the part of the poor single mother. She'd parade me out when it was convenient, but most of the time she made me stay in my room."

Screw not touching her. Safe moved closer and reached for one of her hands. Thankful when she didn't pull away, Safe held her hand tightly as she continued.

"I recognized the feeling of being drugged when I was in Aces because my mom used to do that to me all the time. She'd put stuff in my drink or my food. She wanted me out of the way, quiet and unable to tell anyone what she was doing. I'd go to my room and lie on my bed and feel the room spinning. For the longest time, I didn't understand where those feelings came from. But when I finally figured out that I only felt that way after my mom cooked, I stopped eating the things she made for me. I'd make my own dinner, making sure to only use foods that were sealed."

Safe felt sick. And outraged on Wren's behalf. "How old were you?"

Wren shrugged. "Six? Seven, maybe?"

The Mexican food he'd eaten earlier threatened to come back up. "And the hiding-under-the-bed thing?"

"When I was around eight, some of the men she brought home started expressing…interest in me. They'd sit next to me on the couch and put their hand on my thigh, or play with my hair. My mom thought it was funny . She sat me down one night and told me that men were only interested in one thing—and they'd pay good money to get it. She explained what sex was, and informed me that the time was coming when she'd expect me to contribute to the household. She said I could start out with blowjobs. She seemed almost giddy at the idea of how much money she could make by prostituting her own kid out for sex."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Safe asked. The question was harsh, but he managed to keep his tone mostly level and even.

"No. She wanted her eight-year-old to have sex with the men she brought home because she knew the perverts would pay. I, of course, didn't want to do that. The guys who hung around our house were gross. Overweight or missing teeth or smelly. I started spending as much time as I could at school. Joined after-school programs, forged my mom's signature. Did everything I could…but I still had to go home eventually. That's when I started hiding under my bed. Trying to stay away from whomever Mom was screwing each night."

Safe scooted closer to Wren. "Did they…" His voice trailed off. He couldn't even think about what she might have suffered.

"No. I went to my teacher first, told her what was going on, but I think she thought I was making it up. I mean, who would ever believe any mom would do that to their daughter? Then I called the child abuse line one day. The police came out to talk to Mom. She turned on the charm, and they believed her. Made up a story about how I was constantly lying to get attention. Showed them around the house. It was clean enough, my room looked like a normal girl's room to them, I guess.

"The police sat me down and warned me about lying, how I could go to jail for telling fibs. Then they left. That night…Mom was extra pissed. She put something in a glass of water and forced me to drink it. Literally sat on me and poured it do wn my throat. I knew that was it for me. If I stayed there, she'd let some man do whatever he wanted. So I ran away."

"How old were you?" Safe asked.

"Ten. And I didn't get very far at first. I passed out under a bush in a park, about a mile from our house. I woke up the next day, disoriented and dizzy. I was still under that bush. There was a bird staring at me when I looked up into the branches. I decided then and there that I was done. I wasn't ever going back to that house. I knew what would happen if I did. So I walked for miles. I didn't know where I was going or what I was going to do, I just wanted to get away. It was scary, but I was more afraid of my mom finding me than I was the people on the streets.

"I stayed for a few nights with a mentally ill woman, who was actually really nice. She shared the little food she had, and I stayed in her tent. But then she disappeared, and I was on my own again. Eventually, a couple of the homeless people I was hanging around with decided I was just too young to be on the streets, and they took me to a police station.

"I told them my name was Wren Defranco—that was the surname of the woman I stayed with for those first few nights. And I have no idea if the bird in that bush I woke up under was a wren or not, but I couldn't tell them my real name, because then they'd call my mom to come get me. When they found no record of me, and no missing children's reports, I was put into the foster care system…and that was that."

Safe was honestly stunned. This woman…she… fuck , he couldn't even think.

"Honestly? My life in the foster system was much better than what it had been. I always had a roof over my head. I didn't have to worry about being drugged. And most places were decent. The reason I asked that question about your sister earlier is because it took a long time for me to have any desire to be with a guy. Years and years, way later than most teen girls start thinking about boys. The things my mom told me about sex were scary, and they stuck in my head. I was a weird teenager, and I kept to myself. I certainly didn't date. I can't image Susie going through what she did and then getting into a relationship so soon after…you know."

Safe wasn't sure what to say. He was grappling with some pretty extreme emotions at the moment. Fury at her mom. Disbelief that a ten-year-old was living on the streets. Awe at Wren's unbelievable strength and resilience.

"I didn't tell you all that for you to feel sorry for me. I'm fine. I got through it. I'm nothing like my mother. I got jobs to support myself, took classes at a community college, and worked my ass off to get where I am today."

Safe squeezed her hand. "I'm in awe of you. You're amazing."

But Wren shook her head. "No, I was in survival mode for so long, I was doing whatever I needed to do to keep putting one foot in front of the other."

"Right—which makes you amazing. You ever hear from her again?"

Wren knew who he was talking about. "No. And I don't want to. I don't care where she is or what she's doing."

Thoughts swirled through Safe's head. About getting her mom's name. Having Tex find her. About going to wherever the bitch was now and making sure she knew she was a piece of shit, and how amazing her daughter was, despite her upbringing.

But he quickly dismissed those thoughts. If Wren didn't want to have anything to do with her mom again, he'd respect that.

"Wren?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd like to hug you. If that's okay."

She looked up at him through her lashes, then turned and put the now empty mug on the table next to where she was sitting. Then she leaned toward him.

Safe closed his eyes as her arms wound around him. He hugged her back, lowering his head and burying it into the crook between her neck and shoulder. He took a deep breath. Then another.

His life had changed the moment this woman had fallen into his arms in that hallway in Aces Bar and Grill. And tonight, it had changed again. So much about the little things she'd said made sense now. Wren had been to hell and back, and amazingly, she'd come out the other side dented and banged up, but whole. He made a mental vow to be the kind of man, friend, she could depend on.

Wren pulled away slightly, and Safe immediately loosened his grip. "Thank you for listening. For not judging me."

"Our experiences make us who we are," Safe said. "Take Blink, for example. He doesn't talk much, but when he does, his words have purpose. And Susie. She has scars from what happened, but she didn't let it keep her from opening her heart. My parents are now overprotective, even though Susie was an adult when she was assaulted. And you, Wren Defranco, are a beautiful example of resiliency. I respect the hell out of you."

She blushed and looked down.

"Look at me? Please?"

Her gaze lifted to his.

"I'm sorry for being overbearing this morning. About your job and your upcoming trip."

But Wren shook her head. "Don't be. You saying what you did validated the concerns I already had. I mean, people at work are acting like it's not a big deal, and I was starting to question my own worries about the trip. You going all macho protective made me realize I wasn't crazy."

"You aren't crazy. But it wasn't my place to insist you not go. As you said, it's your job. And there are plenty of places I go that I don't want to, but have to because it's what I'm ordered to do. My team and I are going to do everything in our power to make sure you have the knowledge to get through it. Okay?"

She quickly nodded. "I appreciate it. Even if my coworkers think it's silly and overkill, I want to know everything you have to tell me."

"It might mean some long nights, for both of us. Between you with your work and me with mine. We're gearing up to head out again, like I mentioned at dinner. So I'm not sure what our schedule will be like. And I'm not going to forget about this psycho Matt either. I'll get you a key to my place tomorrow and we'll figure out transportation for you. We can get a new key for your car, but will you let me arrange for my friends to pick you up from work? I can take you most mornings, but how late I work will be a crapshoot while we're preparing for a mission."

"You don't have to?—"

"I know. But I want to. Please let me make sure you get home safe. You'll never have to be solely responsible for your safety again, not if I can help it."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"No! Don't cry! I can't stand it when women cry. It tears me up inside."

Wren chuckled. "Sorry."

Safe gently wiped her cheek with his thumb when a tear fell. Then he slowly leaned forward, giving her time to object, and kissed her forehead. "Your life changed when you asked me for help, Wren. For the better. I know that sounds conceited as hell, but I'm going to do everything in my power to make up for the first years of your life by giving you anything you need."

"I don't need you to give me anything," she told him. "I just need someone I can trust. Who won't let me down."

"I wish I could promise to always be that person, but I'm not perfect. I'll eventually do something boneheaded that will probably disappoint you. But I can promise that you can trust me. If I screw up, you need to tell me, although I'll probably already know. Give me a chance to prove to you that not everyone is like those fuckerheads you knew growing up."

Wren smiled at the word. "They were fuckerheads for sure."

"And I'm not. Now…it's late. You're tired. I put the bags Julie packed for you in the guest room. You can go through th em in the morning to find something to wear. If that's all right."

"It is. There's no way I can try anything on tonight with all the chips and salsa that are in my belly."

Safe smiled, happy the conversation had eased up on the intensity. But he couldn't resist saying one more thing. "My parents and sister are going to love you. And Anders and Inez will have you wrapped around their finger in no time."

"You want me to meet your family?" Wren asked, sounding shocked.

"Of course I do. You'll meet my other family, my SEAL team, soon. And the retired SEALs and their wives. I'm a package deal, hon. If you're with me, you get them too. And trust me, it might sound like a good deal, but you'll see soon enough that my family can be a pain in the ass too."

In response, Wren leaned forward again and hugged him hard.

Safe returned the embrace. It felt like a promise. A new beginning. It felt good that Wren had opened up to him. He'd been impressed with her before, but knowing what he did about her childhood, he was even more so now.

"I haven't had the best luck with families, but I want yours to like me."

"They will," Safe reassured her.

He wanted this woman. Wanted her in his bed, in his arms, in his life. But things had been very intense for them both in the few days they'd known each other. He needed to go slow. Prove that he was someone she could trust. Tonight had been a good start. She'd opened up to him. Told him about her childhood. He wouldn't disrespect her by making a pass at her. No matter how much he wanted to.

"Come on," he said, disengaging and standing up. He held a hand out to her. "I could sit here and talk to you all night, but Kevlar would kick my butt if I was late in the morning, and your boss probably wouldn't be happy either."

She placed her hand in his and stood. Safe couldn't make himself let go, so he walked down the hall toward her room with her hand still in his.

"I should put my mug in the sink," she protested.

"I'll get it later," Safe said. When he reached the guest room door, he took her face in his hands. "You're safe here," he told her, wanting to make sure she truly understood that. "My door will be open if you need anything. If you want to get up and get a snack, feel free. My house is your house. I realize you still need a lot of stuff to replace everything that asshole destroyed, and we'll deal with that. In the meantime, do what you want, when you want. I'm not the boss of you, Wren. You're your own boss."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks."

"Get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Cereal again?"

"Of course."

Safe grinned, then couldn't stop himself from leaning down and kissing her forehead once more. "Good night."

"Night."

Safe dropped his hands and did his best to look nonchalant as he walked away from her. He wanted to turn around, see if she was watching him. To get one more glimpse of her, but he resisted the urge .

Baby steps. He wanted what his sister had. What his parents had. What Kevlar had. And he wanted it with this woman.