Page 58 of Undeniably Enemies

I chuckle. “Thanks, man. But as memory serves, your place isn’t too shabby.” Understatement of the year. He lives in a big house with a great backyard in the South End.

He shrugs. “Just different.” He nudges me conspiratorially. “Remember our apartments in LA?”

I wince. “Yes, but I’d rather not.”

“Me neither.” The three of us raise our glasses and toast. “To living in Boston, to friendship, and to your new digs. Congrats.”

“Cheers.” We all take a sip of the smooth bourbon, and despite my inner turmoil over Wren, I can’t help but love how my place is coming together. Even with Vander taking over my living room.

“It’s weird, right?”

“What is?” I ask Owen.

“You living across the hall from Wren. It’s like the two of you can’t escape each other.”

“You’re telling me. Weird doesn’t begin to cover it.”

He smiles, and something hits his eyes I can’t quite read. “I’m glad you do, though.”

That catches me by surprise. “Really? Why?”

He shrugs. “It’s a nice building in a nice neighborhood, but I still wish she were living in a place like Stone’s and Mason’s.”

“You mean a high-rise with security cameras and a doorman?”

“She refused because she’s Wren, but I’m glad you live across the hall from her. You may not like her, but I know you’d never let anything bad happen to her, and you’d never let anyone hurt her if you could stop it.”

Jesus, Owen. Way to hit me with a bullet straight to the gut.

“Never,” I promise him because it’s true. I’d protect her from anyone. Just not myself, I guess, since I constantly seem to be someone who hurts her. I’m looking at Owen and talking about his little sister, a woman who’s ten years younger than us, and who I kissed last weekend and explained how I want to fuck her with her sex toys, while he’s worried about her safety, and it makes me feel awful.

He’s my best friend, and he’s asking me to protect his sister when I’m the one she needs protection from.

What is wrong with me?

Am I that bad of a human?

I never thought I was until now.

“Honestly, it’s why I wanted Estlin to live with you,” I tell him. “At least that way I knew she was safe.”

“It’s also why I wanted Katy to live with me when we were trying for Willow.” Bennett smirks. “Well, that and other reasons.”

Owen frowns. “I do not want to hear about that. As far as I’m concerned, Katy is like Wren, and they’re asexual. But speaking of that, now we have to find Jack a woman.”

Half of my sip of expensive bourbon shoots from my mouth while the other half drowns me as it tries to go down my trachea instead of my esophagus. I choke and sputter and cough like I’m dying, which this sort of feels like becausealcohol burns like fuck when it hits the back of your nose and lungs.

“You okay?” Bennett laughs, smacking my back. “Is there something you want to tell us?” He’s teasing me now, baiting me, and I don’t like it.

“No,” I wheeze once I’m semi back under control.

“Did you tell him our plan?” Alden asks, joining us.

“Plan?” I grab a paper towel and use it to wipe my face and the counter.

Owen, Bennett, and Alden are exchanging looks I don’t like either.

“What?” I’m already getting defensive.

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