In the Crease (Assassins Book 11) Read online

  “Everyone keeps saying that. I don’t see it.”

  “Don’t know how,” her brother said before kissing her hard on the head and then reaching for Jensen. “I feel like it’s been years, you big asshole. How are you?”

  Hugging his best friend who was more like a brother, Jensen smiled. “I’m great.”

  “I can tell. Look at you two, all cute and cozy. Who would have thought it?”

  Wren smirked as Jensen smiled over at her. “I always did.”

  “Ugh, even that’s too gooey sweet for me, dude. Tuck it in.” Wells flashed him a grin before winking. “So I guess I’ll go out there and do damage control. I left Alex out there. Dad is probably trying to make sure he’s really gay. Or that I am. Who knows? But one thing is for sure, don’t come out until I fix things.”

  With that, Wells left. Jensen watched him go out the door and shut it. His stomach was in a knot, and while he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong, he didn’t like that his parents away from his parents felt he had gone off on them. Looking back at Wren, he found her watching him. “You want to go apologize?” she asked.

  “No, but maybe I should just talk to them?

  She shrugged. “I mean, I think everything you said was truthful and real. I wish I would have said it, but then, I think I’m a glutton for punishment.” She held up her hand. “Actually, from my years of psychoanalyzing myself, I felt that was the only way I got attention. So instead of pointing out what they’re doing wrong, I got angry. I closed myself off.”

  His face scrunched up. “Do you do that a lot?”

  “The angry part?”

  He laughed. “No, the analyzing part. I know you get angry a lot.”

  She pursed her lips at him. “I feel that was a dig.”

  “One I made with love,” he added, and she rolled her eyes.

  “But yes, you have no clue how much I have to do it. I’m probably the only therapist in the world who probably needs therapy.”

  He laughed. “Haven’t you said everyone needs therapy?”

  “They do, me included.”

  He chewed on his lip as he shook his head. “Either way, it had to be said. I don’t regret it, I just don’t like the way they received it. But if it makes me the bad guy, oh well. Since they are aware, maybe they’ll fix it.”

  Lying down on the bed, she cuddled into the pillows. “They won’t.”

  “Wren, come on. Give them the benefit of the doubt. They love you. I know they do.”

  She shrugged. “I mean, I know they do, but it will always be everything else before me. I’m easy, according to them, as long as they don’t piss me off and I get ‘dramatic.’”

  Jensen looked back at the door, hearing Wells out there with his parents. “I don’t know.”

  “I don’t think you should apologize.”

  He looked back at her. “Because you’re enjoying this.”

  “Oh, I am,” she teased, her lips curving. “Never has anyone stood up for me like that. I’m so hot, I’m on fire.”

  “Okay, Corny Christina, relax.”

  Her sputtering laughter made him smile as he looked back at the door, unsure what to do. Should he apologize?

  “I’ve got an idea.”

  He looked back at her. “Yeah?”

  “Why don’t we take a nap?” she suggested. “We all know I’m always tired, so a nap is good, and we can cuddle.”

  “That’s unfair. You know I love naps, and I love cuddling with you.”

  “I know, I’m evil.”

  “You are,” he decided, crawling into the bed and wrapping his arms around her. “Maybe it’s good to give them a minute. Give Wells time. I’ll wait.”

  “Yeah, give them a minute. Let Wells tell them the same thing, and let it work itself out. Because you aren’t wrong, Jensen. You weren’t rude, you were stern. And I, for one, really appreciate it.” Cupping his face, she kissed his top lip. “A lot. It means a lot to me that you did that.”

  Holding her gaze, he ran his finger along her collarbone. “It was nothing. You did it for me with Ophelia.”

  Her face changed, her eyes darkening as they narrowed with a sinister gleam. “I hate that bitch.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I think that’s pretty much established.”

  “She’s a cunt.”

  “She is.”

  “All fucking high and mighty. Man, she’s the one who missed out on a great guy.”

  Jensen’s lips quirked at the side. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah, and like I told her mama, ‘Her loss, my gain.’”

  “Oh,” he asked, his ears perking up. “I’m a gain for you? When did this happen?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You know you are.”

  His face broke into a grin as he kissed her chin. “Still nice to hear you say it.”

  “Okay, Needy Nelly.” He laughed as she smiled, leaning into him. “Hey.”

  His laughter subsided, and he closed his eyes as she cuddled into him. “Yeah?”

  “Something was bothering me when we were at home with your parents.”

  Surprised by that since he’d assumed she would tell him something else sweet about him being a gain, he opened his eyes as he leaned his lips into her temple. “What’s that?”

  “Did they not know that you couldn’t have kids?”

  His heart stopped as his mouth went dry. He completely hadn’t seen the conversation going this way. Swallowing hard, he shook his head. “No, they didn’t. No one knew but Ophelia and me, and then Vaughn and Wells.”

  “They never suspected? Because you said you two were trying for a while.”

  “Nope, it was never brought up on either side of the family, and when she cheated on me, getting pregnant, everyone was so mad she did that to me that no one asked why. Her mom didn’t talk to her for a year, neither did her dad. People were devastated.”

  “Not you, though?”

  He chuckled a bit. “I was embarrassed more than anything. But everyone acted as if she had cheated on them and not me, so I just ignored it. Did me. Thankfully, it happened during NateWay going up, so I focused on that. Oh, and those shorts you always wore.”

  Laughing, she shook her head before cuddling into him and nibbling on his chin. “Can I ask something else?”

  “Do you still have those shorts?”

  “Jensen!” she laughed, and he smiled. “I don’t, and I doubt they’d fit even if I did.”

  “Still like to see ya try,” he said, and she bit him softly as he laughed.

  “Anyway,” she singsonged as he cuddled deeper beside her. She was so warm, so soft, and smelled so damn good. “I know you don’t like talking about this, but I’ve wanted to know this for a while.”

  Without opening his eyes, he said, “Then ask.”

  “Have you been back? To check and see if you still can’t have kids?”

  That made him open his eyes. He stared at the wall above her head, and his heart stopped dead cold in his chest as his eyes started to blur. “No, I haven’t.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t want to know. I sort of gave up on it.”

  She looked up at him, her brows pulled together. “You? Give up?”

  He shrugged, his heart hurting. “I figured that if it were meant to be, it would happen. Plus, I already felt like a loser, not even a man, so I didn’t want to make that any worse.”

  Her eyes softened as she cupped his face with one hand. “Oh, Jenny.”

  “It’s fine. Really.”

  “It’s not, though. I can see that,” she whispered, her lips brushing his chin. “But that doesn’t make you a man, Jensen. I mean, it does because that’s how babies come. But when I look at you, I don’t see that you’re a man by your ability to father children. I see that you’re a man by your ability to give love.”

  He met her gaze, and his heart picked up in speed. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah, and you love hard.”

  “Eh, that’s only for you.”

&nbs