Page 102 of Even if It Hurts

“Right,” I muttered. “I didn’t personally know any of them, but I know Wreckers have law enforcement on their payroll. Still, no one’s just gonna stumble across the records about Kaia. She’s a baby. They’re sealed. And I had a detective I trust look it up...no one’s searched for anything about her, Wyatt, me...nothing since everything went down.”

“So, what, someone told someone?”

I ran my fingers through my hair again and again before grunting something resembling a confirmation. “The question waswho. But when I went home to change, there was an envelope waiting for me at the front desk. It was a check from Wells.”

“So, they really do know where you live,” Lainey said under her breath.

“Apparently,” I muttered. “The manager said a police officer dropped it off.”

“No,” Lainey whispered, drawing out the word in her shock. “Could it have been one of the ones who was at your office?”

My head shook as I answered, “I had them show me the surveillance footage. I know him—sort of.” The same unease I’d been battling all night built in my chest. “And if I’m right, he’s how the Wreckers know about Kaia and where I live. If I’m right, this could destroy my team.”

Awheeze punched from my lungs when a body crashed into mine the next morning, waking me up in a jarring, yet familiar, way before arms banded around me, squeezing what little oxygen remained.

My eyes opened to Aunt Ada’s guest bedroom even though I couldn’t remember coming in here last night. I didn’t even remember falling asleep. Asher and I had stayed up early into the morning talking, and now the sun was peeking through the curtain as my sister’s muffled voice broke through the comforter.

“I didn’t know,” Wren said from where she was crushing me. “If I’d known you liked him, I would’ve never tried to pick him up. I swear.”

I awkwardly swatted at her, waiting for her to release me and sit back, and drew in a strained breath once she finally did. “One day,” I wheezed. “One of these days, you’re gonna kill me with that move.”

She flashed me her bright, carefree smile. “You love it.”

A wholly unamused laugh tumbled past my lips as I pushed wild curls away from my face, only to stop when I realized she washere. “What are you doing here?”

“Coming to see you, brat.” She flicked at my arm. “Aunt Ada invited me for breakfast and—oh my gosh—Huntley headlines are in.” Her eyes brightened with gossip. “Jackson came over last night.”

I felt every part of me deflate.

Grabbing the comforter, I tried pulling it from her hands so I could cover my face. “I don’t care. The last thing I wanna deal with this morning is more Jackson drama.”

“You’ll care about this,” she said slyly. When I stopped trying to tug the comforter free, she leaned close, her voice dropping the way it did whenever she had news she was dying to share. “He told Mom and Dad that if they wanted to merge, they needed to merge withhim alone, and that if they wouldn’t agree to it, he’d wait and ask the next owner.”

Considering how little I seemed to recognize Jackson lately, I hadn’t expected him to take anything I’d said at Huntley Square into consideration and was genuinely surprised he had. But given the way Wren was practically vibrating with excitement, I had a feeling that wasn’t the part she’d been waiting to share.

“And?” I asked a little hesitantly.

“And he was looking atme.” She grabbed my hands, shaking them. “He was talking about me when he saidnext owner.”

I scrambled to sit up, my shock apparent in everything. From my stunned exhale to the way I just sat there, staring at her as I tried to absorb that he’d actuallydone that, to the way I stammered over my words. “I can’t—what happened—what’d they say?”

Wren lifted a shoulder, trying to maintain that careless attitude she so easily portrayed, but I saw the flash of grief in her eyes when she said, “They laughed off the part about me. You know how they are. But they’re going to merge, so that’s good. It’s best for everyone.”

“Wren . . .”

“I thought you’d be more excited,” she said with a groan as she sat back. “In less than a few minutes, Jackson released you from everything.”

“You should be the one stepping up,” I said softly, gently.

Her eyes rolled. “Like I have time for that.”

“Just like you always saw how much I hated it, I can see how much you want it,” I told her firmly and watched her indifferent exterior soften. “You deserve this. They’ll see it one day. They have to.”

“Maybe,” she said, lifting a shoulder. “Until then, tell me everything about super tall, dark, and terrifying because—wow.”

I made a face. “Can you not?”

She looked at me like I might’ve lost my mind. “Lainey, have you seen him?”

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