“Drink this,” I say, ignoring her question as I take the bottle of water Dex passes back and open it, pressing the tipto her lips. She tilts her head, drinking eagerly and trustingly.
Fuck, this little angel has me wrapped around her little finger. The way she trusts me to take care of her, to avenge her, to make sure she’s treated properly. It warms a heart I thought long ago was incapable of love.
My best friend, Francis, was the only person I ever cared about. I knew he had started drug running for someone else, and it would get him in trouble, but he wouldn’t listen. And when he was taken out by a hit-and-run right in front of me, I didn’t think I’d ever let anyone else get close to me again.
It was why I kept my cellmates at a distance. I don’t want to feel the grief when they get themselves killed. I frown as I think about Sly saving my skin back there. Why did he do that? If he let the biker kill me, it’d be one less person between him and Wren.
Dex did the same thing; he saved me from getting shot. Would I have done the same thing in their shoes? Or would I have taken Wren and run?
I’m not sure of the answer. But now that they’ve saved me, I owe them one.Just one.After the debt is paid, we’re even. Then the only person whose back I need to watch is Wren’s.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
WREN
“We’re staying here tonight?” I ask with wide eyes as I turn in a wide circle in our hotel room. That’s right,hotel, not motel. Now that we have IDs, we were able to secure a room at a much nicer place. The room is about four times the size of any of my previous ones and much cleaner, too.
“We’re moving up in the world, huh?” Pete asks, dropping one of our bags on the floor.
I decide to go check out the bathroom, and my eyes widen when I see the tub. “Oh wow! This tub is big enough for three people!” I yell as I run my hand around the lip.
“Is that an invi—omph!” Pete starts to talk, but is cut off, and when I step back into the room, I see him slightly bent over, rubbing his stomach as Jagger walks away from him.
Did Jagger just hit him?
I frown, wondering what I missed, but I’m distracted by Dex stepping right in front of me. He stares down at me with a pinched brow.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “You’refrowning.”
Suddenly, he drops to one knee and grabs my hand, startling me. “Wren, will you do me the honor of going on a date with me?”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and my jaw drops open.
“A date?” I ask nervously. He nods, and a slow smile spreads across my face as butterflies take flight in my stomach. “I’d love to, Dex.”
He pulls me into a hug with a celebratory cheer, then pulls me back to look at me again. “Be ready to go in one hour.”
“You can’t take her out by yourself,” Sly says as he takes a seat on the couch. “It’s too dangerous.”
“What if I promise to stay inside the hotel?” Dex asks over his shoulder with pleading eyes.
Sly sighs but nods his head. “Fine.”
Jagger signs something to Sly that I only catch part of, something aboutfollowing. Sly nods in reply. “Definitely.”
“What do I wear?” I ask Dex nervously. The only dresses I have are still dirty.
“It doesn’t matter. You’d look beautiful in a paper bag.”
I try not to laugh at the image as he stands up, kissing my knuckles. “I’ll see you in an hour.” He grabs a bag and closes himself in one of the bedrooms. Since we’d rented a suite, there was a large living space, one large bathroom, one small one, and two bedrooms, both with large king-sized beds. I didn’t like the idea of not sleeping in the same room as all of them, but I knew there was no other option.
“Is he going to just sit in there for the next hour?” I ask the others.
Pete snorts. “I’m sure he can think of something to bidehis time. Especially if he’s thinking about spending time with you.”
I’m not sure what he means, but as the others get settled around the room, I start to wonder if accepting the date with Dex would make them think I like him more. They kept telling me they weren’t going anywhere. But would they stick around if they thought I had chosen Dex?
But Dex asked me out, knowing that Jagger had kissed me. Just thinking about that kiss has my body warming. I had no idea kissing could feel like that. I figured it would be a little enjoyable, but it far exceeded any expectations I ever had. I felt that kiss all the way to my core. My entire body had lit up like a Christmas tree, and I had silently prayed it would never end.
