Page 116 of The Trust We Broke
“You know how to reach us,” Spark says.
Wren’s lip quivers, as if they’re holding back tears. “I do.”
Saint puts his palm on their back. “It’s not forever.”
“I know.” Wren blows out a breath. “I’ll be okay.”
Grudge turns to me. Concern is ripe in his eyes. “You okay going with Catfish?”
“Yeah. I’m good,” I reply as calmly as I can. Because I can tell my man needs the reassurance.
It takes ten minutes of goodbyes to end up in my truck with Wren. Catfish and Wren’s luggage follow us in his truck to the bakery. Wren spends the whole ride to the bakery braiding and unbraiding the ends of their hair.
Catfish parks on the street behind me, then hurries to my door. “You two good to go?” he asks.
“Ready,” I say.
“Not like I have another choice.” Wren reaches for the door.
“I’ll come back and get your luggage,” Catfish says.
Wren shakes their head. “You won’t. What’s in them is irreplaceable. And I won’t be able to do what I’m here to do if I don’t have it.”
“I’ll help carry it,” I say.
Catfish looks over at both of us. “You really think I’m gonna let you two baby kittens carry heavy cases? Get your asses in the apartment so I’ve got fewer things to worry about.”
Wren raises an eyebrow. “Kittens.”
“Fine, puppies. Lambs. Whatever tiny version of any animal you wanna be.”
Wren bites down on a smile. “Fine.”
Quinn is there when we enter the rear kitchen of the bakery. In her hand are two paper bags. “Yours and Catfish’s favorites, plus a few extra of different types because I don’t know what you like, Wren.”
“Thank you, and before you ask, Wren doesn’t read,” I say.
“I don’t?” Wren asks.
“Unless you want to get dragged into her smut-lovers convention of a book club, you don’t read.” I nudge Wren to the door to the apartment. “Go, before she signs you up.”
“Hater,” Quinn yells after us, but it’s followed with laughter.
I show Wren to one of the two spare rooms because I’m already established and unpacked in the main bedroom. But as I do, I realize we don’t have enough bedding. “Don’t worry, I’ll get Grudge to bring some from his house,” I say.
Wren sighs as they sit on the bed.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Some days I feel like a hero. Others, I feel like a pawn.”
“I’m sorry you’ve been dragged into whatever this is.”
Wren huffs. “I’ve been in my own vortex for the last three years. One more thing happening isn’t the worst of it.”
“What the hell is in these that they weigh so much?” Catfish shouts as he noisily kicks the door into the apartment open.
I chuckle at the exasperated tone in his voice.
