Page 17 of Joyride
“When he got off the phone, he said I was lucky he had business to take care of, but this wasn’t over. I stayed in the same spot for around thirty minutes, afraid to move in case he came back. When I was sure he was gone and wasn’t coming back right away, I ran. I ran home to get Sienna’s emergency stash and escape car, then drove until I got here.”
“Why here? Why not come to me? To the clubhouse,” I ask.
“Before that day, Zack never laid a hand on me. Sure he dished out some verbal abuse, but he would always use you and Shade against me,” she admits. “He would tell me how easy it would be for him to ruin the Savage Menaces. Or to put a hit out on you and Shade. I couldn’t let him do that.” She pauses, bringing her eyes back to mine. “I would rather take all his verbal abuse if it meant keeping y’all safe. But when he laid his hands on me, when he tried to take my innocence, I had to leave,” she explains to me.
Wait. Did I hear her correct? She said her innocence. She’s a fucking virgin? My Little Bird is so much more innocent than I originally thought she was. That only adds fuel to the fire. My hands begin to shake. There’s no way in hell I’ll be able to sit idly by and let that piece of shit get away with what he’s done.
“I knew if I ran to you or the club, Zack would know and come after y’all.”
“Wren.” It comes out as a whispered growl. Wren squeezes my hand this time. “I promised you I would think it through, and I will keep that promise,” I tell her. “But trust me when I tell you, I will go after him.”
“I only want you to be safe.” She scoots closer, so she’s right beside me and lays her head on my shoulder. I lean my head against hers, slowly calming down. The air in the room is heavy. I’m about to say something to her but she beats me to it.
“Can we do something to lighten the mood?” She glances up at me through her lashes. My heart skips a beat. Fuck, she’s gorgeous.
“Anything you want, Little Bird,” I whisper. I’m fighting the urge to kiss her. Now is the worst time for that. She hops off the bed, and I instantly miss the contact. She stops in the doorway, turning to face me.
“Are you coming?”
“Oh, was I supposed to follow you?” I tease. She rolls her eyes, giving me a small smile. One step closer to getting her back to normal. I stand and follow her to the living room.
“Hey, Elena, Diesel,” Wren calls out. “Want to watch a movie with us?”
They both walk out of the kitchen. Elena looks Wren over, checking to make sure she’s okay.
“Sure.” Elena nods. “What are we watching?”
“A comedy of some sort. We need some laughter,” Wren tells her. She shoots me a smile over her shoulder. Elena’s expression shows she understands. Wren has more than likely already told her, Aria, and Harper about Zack.
“I’m in as long as we can order some food,” Diesel says. Wren giggles and the sound goes straight to my heart. This chick has had a hold of it since day one. I wish more than anything I could tell her how much I care about her. Now is certainly not the time.
“What are you wanting,” Wren asks Diesel.
“Anything off Food Dash. I’ll buy,” Diesel offers.
“I want chicken tenders, fries, and mozzarella sticks from somewhere,” Wren says.
“I second that.” Elena grins.
“With lots of ranch,” Wren adds. I chuckle. The girl has an obsession with ranch.
“Bacon cheeseburger and fries for me,” I tell Diesel.
“Got it. I’ll order it now. Y’all pick a movie,” Diesel says.
“Oh! What about a Marvel movie instead,” Wren asks.
“I’m good with whatever you want to watch, Little Bird,” I say to her. Elena watches me for a beat before settling in the recliner. I take a seat on the couch while Wren flips through the movies, trying to choose one.
“Let’s do an Iron Man marathon,” Elena suggests.
“Yes! That’s perfect,” Wren agrees. She puts the first movie in and sits criss-cross on the couch next to me, her knee touching my thigh.
“Food’s ordered.” Diesel walks back into the living room. “What are we watching?”
“Iron Man, now shhh,” Wren shushes him. I chuckle and Diesel stares at her in shock before sitting on the second recliner.
12
