The officers exchange a look before the one on the driver’s side lets out an exasperated sigh and puts the car in park. “Fine. Just make it quick.”
Brennan nods once, leading me into the house while the rest of the guys wait for the officers. He hurries me into the bedroom, shutting the door behind us.
“Wren, I need you to listen to me very, very carefully.” His voice is low as he grasps my shoulders, looking into my eyes. “We’re lucky they let us back here, they really shouldn’t have. Whatever you do, donotadmit who you really are. Your family is dangerous. For all we know, these guys are working for them.”
“My parents don’t work with police officers.” I wrinkle my nose. I would know if they did.
He shakes his head. “No, I mean…they have half the police-force in a hundred-mile radius in their pockets. The best we can hope for is that they aren’t dirty cops who will leave none the wiser. But if it comes to it…”
“If it comes to what?” I breathe, looking up at him.
“If they try to take you from us…” he huffs, “Wren, I don’t know what I’ll do to them if they try to take you back to your parents, but it won’t be pretty. And then we’llreallybe on the run.”
I swallow, goosebumps settling over my skin as his meaning sinks in. “Okay, I won’t.”
“Good girl,” he sighs. “Okay, hurry and get cleaned up, I’ll rinse off in the other shower and meet you out there.”
I nod, and he presses a kiss to my hair before leaving the nest and heading to the other bathroom.
By the time I enter the living room, freshly showered and in one of the soft loungewear sets the guys ordered me, the two cops are sitting on the couch across from the rest of my pack.
“Ah, there she is,” one of the police officers says. His nametag reads “Bingham”, and the other officer reads “Espinoza”. Espinoza is the one who was talking to us from the passenger side of the car.
I give a nervous smile as I immediately climb into Maverick’s lap. His arm tightens around my waist.
“Alright, miss…?”
“Bloom,” I answer quickly, and Maverick’s fingers press into me slightly—a silent “good girl”. “Sylvia Bloom.” I’ve never been more grateful for my painting pseudonym than I am now. The anxiety that I felt early slowly starts to melt away with Maverick holding me.
“Miss Bloom,” Officer Espinoza continues, holding a pen in one hand and a notepad in the other. “Would you mind just quickly describing your trip to the lake? You said you were laughing, and not screaming?”
I nod my head fervently. “That’s right. We were rinsing the sand off, and the water was really cold. It was more of a…shrieking laugh, because Brennan splashed me.”
Espinoza nods, making notes on his pad. “Got it.”
But Bingham frowns, his hand coming to his chin. “Sylvia Bloom…why does that name sound familiar?”
I frown. There’s no way he knows about my paintings…is there?
“Oh! You’re that painter!” My brows shoot up. “Our omega loves your stuff!”
Their…omega? So these officers are pack brothers?
Espinoza sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Pete…you can’t go spouting off words like ‘our omega’ while we’re at work, remember? Home life and work life are separate.”
“Sure,” Officer Bingham shrugs, “but I’m right. This is the artist that Lydia has been telling us about.”
“Does your omega go to auctions often?” The question comes out of me before I can think better of it.
He gives me a confused look. “Auctions? No, there’s this influencer online that she’s obsessed with, and they showcase popular pieces. The video featuring your painting of a bumblebee has millions of likes.” He tilts his head. “Surely you knew that?”
The bumblebee painting. One of my favorites, one that I actually considered not parting with.Millionsof likes? Is that why my last two paintings sold for so much?
I quickly shake my head. “I don’t do social media.” Hell, I hardly know what social mediais.
“Ms. Bloom…” Espinoza gives me another funny look. “Could we see some ID, please? And then we can wrap this up.”
Fuck.
