Page 53 of Vicious Deception
I think of Wren and how hard it was to say goodbye to her. Of Oliver’s screams and begging, of the longing in Rhett’s eyes whenever he glances up at our windows.
Curling up on my mattress, I sob loudly until exhaustion washes over me. “Please be enough,” I whisper into the dark room.
I can’t watch him get hurt again.
Chapter sixteen
Wren
Ikeepmyheadtucked down as I throw the last bag into the back of Finn’s SUV. “That’s everything?”
“Yep. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
We pile into the car. It’s just me, Finn, and Meredith, and she takes the backseat. We left before Sparrow and Aubrey were up so we could make sure we had ample time to hit all of Ludo’s storage units. That was the last one, so it’s time to head back to the farmhouse.
As Finn pulls out of the parking lot, I breathe out a sigh of relief. I was worried we’d get caught, but all we had to do was act like we were supposed to be there, and no one stopped us. Hell, at most of the places, we didn’t even see anyone.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, so I pull it out, seeing a notification from Ava. I texted her and gave her my temporary number so I can give her updates. So far, everything I’ve told her is vague, but she’s been understanding.
Ava:Hey, your mom and Thomas stopped by the coffee shop today.
My stomach drops.What?Why are they in town? They never visit this often.
Frowning, I replay my last conversation with my mom in my head. We were fighting—over Thomas, of course—and then I hung up on her. She texted me a few times after that, but I ignored her. Since I left my phone at home, I have no idea how many times she’s tried to get in contact with me over the past couple weeks.
Wren:Did she say what she wanted?
Ava:She was looking for you. Said she was worried because you weren’t answering your phone.
I chew on my bottom lip. How long ago was that phone call? A few weeks? A month? Over a month? This isn’t the first time I’ve stopped talking to her, but I’ve never gone this long before.
Shit.Is she worried about me? I figured she’d just think I was extra mad at her.
Ava:I told them that you quit working here and that you moved in with your boyfriends, and that if you weren’t answering your phone, it’s because you don’t want to talk.
That makes me smile. Leave it to Ava to be as blunt as possible with them. She doesn’t know everything about my mom and stepdad, but she knows enough.
Wren:Thank you. I’m sorry you had to deal with them.
Ava:Are you doing okay?
Wren:Yeah. I’m hoping that everything will go back to semi-normal in a couple days.
Ava:Take your time, babe. We’ll catch up whenever you’re ready.
Smiling, I shut off my screen. I’m going to have to find some way to make the past couple months up to her. She’s been in the dark with barely any updates. Even now, shestilldoesn’t know what’s going on, and it’s not bugging her.
When we get back to the farmhouse, Sparrow and Aubrey are up. They help us unload all the cash, and we store it in a side room off the garage that we emptied out yesterday.
“How’d it go?” Sparrow asks once we’re all inside the house.
“Fine,” Finn says. “You heard anything?”
“Nothing yet. You leaving again soon?”
Finn nods. “Wren, Meredith, we’re leaving in an hour. I’m about to send the emails to King and Burbank.”
“Whoa, wait.” Sparrow holds up a hand and glances at Aubrey. “Raymond King?”