In the Crease (Assassins Book 11) Read online

  “Good, now the reason I’m calling,” she said, clearing her throat. “You’re sure Wells isn’t upset we can’t come to the wedding?”

  Jensen laughed. “Yes, Mum, everyone knows Dad isn’t up to travel. It’s fine.”

  “I’ll send him lots of money.”

  “He’ll love that.”

  “And some glitter. Elaine said he wants doves with glitter or something.”

  “Of course he does,” Jensen said, shaking his head. His best friend was very eccentric and awesome, and shit, what if Wells hated him because of all this? “It’s fine, I promise.”

  “Okay, good. Are you sure I can’t help?”

  “Yes, Mum. Thank you.”

  “Sure?”

  “Yes,” he laughed, and she chuckled softly. Man, he missed her.

  “Fine, well, I’ll let you go, but call me if you need me.”

  “I always will.”

  “Good, I can’t wait to squeeze you!”

  “Me either, Mum,” he laughed as they said bye, and he hung up. Throwing his phone onto the bed, he looked down once more at his notepad and exhaled loudly.

  “Follow my heart,” he said aloud, which made Tricksie look up at him with her big brown eyes. “My heart leads to her.”

  And he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

  The following day, Wren leaned back in the plush chair as Brie set her with a look. Wren had somehow gotten wrangled into coffee, which she felt was a bit annoying. Brie was relentless when it came to getting information, but apparently, after their dinner, there was still more info to get. In Wren’s mind, though, Bradley didn’t exist, and the baby was given to her by the stork.

  “The stork did not impregnate you.” Brie glared as she leaned back in her own chair, not showing a bit but still wearing a shirt that claimed “Don’t eat watermelon seeds. This happens.” with an arrow pointing to nothing but her vagina, but Wren wasn’t going to be the one to point that out. “Tell me the truth.”

  “You don’t know him,” Wren said, frustrated since they had been on this subject for probably seven hours. “He doesn’t matter.”

  “Was he a boyfriend?”

  “No.”

  “A friend?”

  “Kinda.”

  “And he didn’t want it?”

  “No, told me to get an abortion, tried to pay for it, and said if I keep it, he’ll deny it’s his.”

  “What a fucking fucker. I’ll kick him in the taco because there is no way he has a dick. Asshole.”

  Wren laughed. “You’re insane. You’ll never know him.”

  “Thank God.” Brie shot her a serious look. “And he better thank his lucky stars you aren’t telling anyone who it is because the boys would kill him dead.”

  “Oh, I know. He doesn’t deserve to get his ass kicked by them. They’re men, he’s scum.”

  “Agreed.”

  “He hasn’t even reached out, nothing.”

  Brie rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Such shit.”

  “Yeah, but whatever. I’m good. We’ll be fine.”

  Brie smiled, sitting up as she looked across the table, leaning down over her little cup of tea. “So, it’s a boy?”

  Wren’s lips curved as she nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Have you thought of a name?”

  She shook her head. “I just call him kiddo.”

  Brie beamed. “That’s nice.”

  “Yeah, but I might need to come up with something better. Kiddo Lemiere doesn’t really have a ring to it.”

  “This is true.”

  They shared as laugh before both sipping on their tea. Licking her lips, Wren glanced over at Brie. “I asked him. Jensen.”

  Brie nodded. “I know.”

  Her lips parted a bit because she hadn’t expected him to tell them that she had spoken with him. But then, Vaughn was his best friend. Before she could ask what was said, Rodney, Brie’s brother, came to the table. “I need twenty dollars.”

  Brie’s face twisted in confusion. “I just gave you twenty.”

  “I know, but I need more. I want to buy something for Phyllis.”

  “Rod, you’ve bought enough stuff for her.”

  “Brie, please,” he whined, and like Wren knew she would, Brie pulled out a twenty and gave it to him. “You rock, thanks!” Before he turned, though, he glanced to Wren. “Are you getting fat?”

  “Rodney!” Brie exclaimed.

  “What? She is!”

  Wren laughed. “I’m having a baby, Rod.”

  “Oh, cool. Brie’s having a baby too. She’s gonna get fat.”

  “Thanks, brother.”

  “But you look super pretty today.”

  “Thanks, Rod,” Wren laughed as he trotted away, and when she looked to Brie, she was beet red. “He’s like a Sour Patch Kid sometimes, huh?”

  “Seems that way,” Brie said, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry.”

  Wren waved her off. “It’s fine. How’s he sleeping?”

  “So much better since you recommended that new drug,” Brie said, an expression of relief covering her face. “He wasn’t doing well for a minute there.”

  “With Down syndrome, it’s tough. You can’t tell what’s the Down syndrome and what’s anxiety. Plus, I think he has a little more anxiety than what he’s letting the doctor in on too.”

  “I do too,” Brie agreed, leaning on her hands as she watched her brother buy mounds and mounds of candy. “But he’s doing so much better now. They’re saying we might be able to travel, so I think before the season starts, we’re gonna take him to Harry Potter World.”

  Wren beamed. “He’ll love that.”

  “I know. All three of us running around with cloaks and wands. I already told Vaughn he’s wearing one.”

  Wren laughed. “And he will because he loves you two.”

  Brie nodded happily. “I’ll be big and pregnant, but it will be fine.”

  “Yeah, you’ll have a blast.”

  “Will kiddo be here?”

  Wren swallowed hard. She hadn’t realized that. Before the season started, she’d be a mom. Holy shit. Breathing in deeply, she nodded. “September third.”

  “Wow. That will be here before we know it.”

  “Yeah,” she said nervously. It was cool when she didn’t talk about the little guy growing in her because she could pretend it wasn’t real. But once she did, anxiety ate at her core. Would she be a good mom? Would she suck? But more than any of that, it scared her that she would be doing it all alone. “Hopefully, I’ll have a husband by then.” Brie nodded as Wren watched her. Sipping on her tea, Wren looked over her cup to her friend and asked, “And so Jensen talked to you guys about our conversation?”

  Brie shook her head. “Don’t do that to me, please.”

  Wren’s face twisted. “Do what?”

  “Put me in the middle. I can’t tell you what they say, the same way I can’t tell them what you say.”

  “You told Vaughn about me being pregnant,” she pointed out with a smile. She wasn’t mad; she understood Brie’s loyalty to Jensen. He would do the same for her.

  “You didn’t tell me I couldn’t.”

  “So they told you not to tell me what was said?”

  Brie shrugged as she looked down. “Yeah.”

  “Wow. Jerks.”

  Brie scoffed as Wren shook her head. “Is he gonna do it?”

  “Wren…”

  “Sorry!” she said, holding her hands up. “But in your opinion, do you think he’ll do it?” When Brie just looked back at her, Wren glanced away. “Fine.”

  “Just be patient.”

  She shook her head. “I expected him to just say yes, and I’d be good. I didn’t think I’d have to wait.”

  “Wren, you’re asking a lot.”

  “And I offered him five million bucks! Plus, I’m pretty sure I lied for all of them a lot when they were younger. Like when they were all shitfaced drunk, and I told my mom they had food poisoning. And the