In the Crease (Assassins Book 11) Read online

  “We’ll have to check his schedule, and future events will have different rates.”

  “More money.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “And no golden cock.”

  “No, ma’am.”

  This was not her life. She was not on the phone with an escort company, trying to get a husband. This was ludicrous. Was she really this desperate?

  Yep. She was.

  Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she asked, “And when do I need to book?”

  “As soon as possible since the date is so close. He actually just had a cancellation.”

  “She found out she had to pay extra for the golden cock?”

  “Ms. Lemiere, his penis is not golden.”

  “For over a hundred grand, it better be,” Wren muttered as she ran her hand down her face, leaning on her elbows. Looking down at her desk, a picture of Wells, Jensen, Vaughn, and her at her graduation stared back at her. She hadn’t been honest with two of the three, and she’d really thought that maybe Vaughn would go for it. Act like her husband. But that was dumb of her. He loved Brie, and he wouldn’t break their trust to help Wren out. No matter that she’d known him before he even knew how to use that cock of his. And she couldn’t tell her brother. He had such a mouth on him, he’d let it slip on accident. But then…there was Jensen.

  Clearing her throat, she shook her head. No. She couldn’t ask him. But could she spend a hundred grand for a fake husband to get more money? What if the investment didn’t pay off? God, this was insane! “I’ll call you back.”

  “Sounds good, Ms. Lemiere.”

  Hanging up, Wren let out a sound of distress as she let her head fall to her desk once more. Man, she was in a mess, and she really needed to talk to someone.

  Sitting up, she hit Brie’s number. “Hey.”

  “Hey, got a minute?”

  “Yeah, I mean we’re waiting for our food. What’s up?”

  Shit, that was right.

  “Crap. I forgot you were out.”

  “It’s fine. It’s Vaughn and Jensen. They’re fighting over who would look better naked by the Cup. You’re actually saving me.”

  “It would so be me,” Wren heard Vaughn yell, and she wanted to laugh, she did, they were idiots. But she felt a panic attack coming.

  “I have abs. You have fluff,” Jensen spat back.

  “Lies!”

  “Can you walk away for a minute?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Brie said as Vaughn’s and Jensen’s voices started to fade into the distance. “What’s up?”

  “So, hypothetically—”

  “Okay, hypothetically.”

  “So, if you were going home to your family for a wedding and you were pregnant and had no husband, would you hire a husband for over a hundred grand, or would you ask a friend?”

  Brie paused, and Wren held her breath. “Why am I hiring a husband?”

  “Because you can’t go home without one.”

  “Why?”

  “’Cause you’re pregnant.”

  “So?”

  “So, if you’re pregnant and have no husband, you won’t get your inheritance.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Wren shut her eyes. She prayed that Brie had been really drunk the night they went out and talked about this, but knowing her luck, she hadn’t been.

  “Hypothetically.”

  “Yes.”

  “And this isn’t you?”

  “No. God, no.” The lies just kept piling up. “It’s a client.”

  “Oh, are you allowed to tell me that?”

  “Hypothetically, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah. Okay, I don’t know.”

  “Brie, that’s not helping me.”

  “Yeah, hmm. I think I’d ask a friend. Babies are expensive.”

  “This is true,” she agreed, thinking of that one time she went to the baby store and ran out because it was too overwhelming. The prices, the amount of stuff… Yeah, it was tough.

  “Yeah, I’d ask a really good friend.”

  “Okay.”

  “Yeah, like Jensen.”

  Wren paused. “I can’t tell my client to ask Jensen.”

  “I know, but if this client who apparently has a wedding to go to and is pregnant, which is kind of mind-blowing since I’ve been hanging out with the client almost every day and the client never said anything, Jensen would be the best.”

  “You don’t know the clien—”

  “Wren, you can’t lie to me,” Brie said, her voice full of compassion.

  The jig was up.

  “It all makes sense now. The sickness, the moodiness, your weight gain.”

  Biting her lip, she gasped. “Are you calling me fat?”

  “I’m calling you pregnant. I don’t know what’s going on and I’d love to know, but since we’re probably going to play this little game until you’re ready, just know that you should ask Jensen. He’d lay down everything to help you.”

  “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  Wren closed her eyes, her heart jackhammering in her chest. “Is he single?”

  “Yes.”

  Wren bit her lip so hard that she tasted the metal of blood before she nodded. “Okay.”

  “Okay.”

  “Don’t say anything.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Anytime. So, dinner tomorrow, so we can discuss how this happened?”

  “Ugh, do I have to?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Without wine.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “How far along are you?”

  Her face scrunched up as she muttered, “Six months…?”

  “Wren!”

  “I know!”

  “Lord, you’ve waited till the last minute.”

  “I know.”

  “Goodness gracious, girl.”

  “I know.”

  Brie clucked her tongue as Wren sat there, feeling like an idiot. “Well, I look forward to our date.”

  “I don’t.”

  Brie laughed, her voice so carefree and happy. And, if Wren were married to the love of her life who didn’t want to kill their child, she’d be all happy and shit too.

  Probably.

  Maybe.

  Damn it, was she seriously going to ask Jensen?

  Crap.

  Jensen rolled his eyes as Vaughn laughed from the gut. “No, really, dude. I would look better. My dick is bigger.”

  “You have a shrimp dick, you cocky shit. Shut up,” he shot back as he leaned back in his chair, letting the sun hit his face. They were at his favorite place, Hattie B’s, on the patio and enjoying the summer air. He was ready for a summer of relaxation and his trip home before he went to his buddy Wells’s wedding. It might seem like he was busy, but he wasn’t. Those were the highlights of his summer. The rest of the time, he’d be lying around. Watching HBO Go. Alone. It was slightly depressing.

  “You’re delusional,” Vaughn laughed as Brie sat down, tucking her phone in her purse. “Where’d you go?”

  “Phone call.” She looked a little stunned, and Brie never looked stunned. She was usually ready for anything. Except Vaughn. He kept her on her toes.

  “Wren? It’s weird you two are buddies. Isn’t it weird?” Vaughn asked Jensen, and he shrugged.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Neither do I. You just don’t like that she tells me all your old stories from when you were a kid,” Brie said.

  Vaughn glared. “I do not.”

  Jensen crossed his legs as the couple held each other’s gaze. It seemed like eons ago that the two of them were at each other’s throats about everything. Now, they were just in love. With a baby on the way. Something no one ever expected from Vaughn. He had always been the playboy. They thought he’d knock some chick up, but never the one he wanted. Or loved. It was nice, seeing his boy grow up, even if Jensen was green with envy.

  “Told ya.”

  “Whatever. What did she want?