The Moth and the Flame

by Reid, B. B.

  “This is stupid,” Wren grumbled for the third time. We’d just found a park after searching for ten minutes and were making our way down the crowded sidewalk. In the distance, I could hear what sounded like drums followed by trumpets and other various instruments and figured the local school band had come to play.

  “Will you stop worrying?” I said with a grin. “You look dashing and handsome, husband.”

  Wren wore a black suit and a tie that he was able to rent at the last minute, but he refused to wear dress shoes, so he paired the suit with high-top sneakers. He did let me style his hair although he bitched the entire time. And neither of us had called attention to the fact that he’d gotten hard while I ran my fingers through his hair. I’d taken my time making sure every single strand was perfectly coiffed.

  I chose to wear my hair down with loose curls at the end, courtesy of Granny Harlan’s curling iron. The long, fitted black dress I wore had spaghetti straps and a slit on the right side that reached my hip and showed off my garter and killer black pumps. Thanks to my bargain shopping skills, the entire ensemble had cost Wren less than fifty bucks, and when I came downstairs where he had been impatiently pacing, I could tell by his passionate reaction that he would have paid fifty thousand. It was a good thing I hadn’t chosen to wear panties.

  “Who the hell are we supposed to be anyway?” he griped.

  “I’m Jane, and you’re John.” When he gave me a blank look, I sighed and said, “From Mr. and Mrs. Smith.” It was the movie we’d been watching when he admitted to wanting more after kissing me for the first time back at the diner.

  “I’ve never seen it,” he claimed, and I grinned.

  “That’s because you were too busy feeling me up.”

  He sighed and refused to meet my gaze. “So where’s this party?”

  “It’s a parade, not a party, and it’s probably at the address printed right there on the flyer.”

  Not missing my sarcasm, he cut his gaze to me, and I hid my smile. “We should be keeping a low profile.”

  “Will you relax? No one knows us here.”

  He didn’t seem to hear me, though, as he searched every face in the crowd for Fox and the goons he used to call brothers. I knew it was wise to heed his judgment since he knew Exiled better than I ever wanted to, but I was determined for us to have one more good memory to take with us before we ran.

  It took us about five minutes to reach where the parade was supposed to begin, and by then, I was ready to spend the rest of the night barefoot.

  Wren chose that moment to glance at me, saw my grimace, and laughed. “Your feet hurt, don’t they?”

  “No.”

  “You want to get on my back?” he asked with a knowing grin.

  I almost cried out in relief, but instead, I ignored him much to his amusement.

  Just before the crowd thickened, I slowed, and as if we were one, Wren stopped and turned to me as I said, “There’s one more thing I need to make my costume complete.”

  He no longer seemed amused as he regarded me warily. “What’s that?”

  “Your gun.”

  He blinked once and then started walking again. “Forget it,” he bit out over his shoulder. His long strides made it hard to catch up with him in these heels, and he must have realized it because he suddenly slowed.

  “Please?” I whined. “I can’t pretend to be a badass assassin without a weapon.”

  “You can barely drive a car, and you expect me to trust you with a gun? My gun?”

  I stepped close enough that no one could see me grab his thigh. “If you do, I’ll make it worth your while.”

  He barked out a laugh, and I gasped when he yanked me closer. “My dick is not a bargaining chip,” he said with a growl, “and it’s definitely not a toy. When I want you to play with it, I’ll ask, and you and I both know you won’t need persuading.”

  He pushed me away, and we stared at each other for a couple of seconds before I trusted my voice enough to speak. “I know all that, bestie. I just needed this.”

  He gaped when I held up the long, black folding blade. “How the fuck—”

  “Did you forget already that I have magical hands?”

  “No, I haven’t forgotten,” he said as his eyes turned blue. I knew he remembered this afternoon when I snuck inside his dressing room. Coincidentally, after he came in my hand, he agreed to wear any suit I wanted.

  I grinned as I slipped the knife inside my garter, and once it was secured, he pulled me close again. I wasn’t prepared for him to slap my ass hard enough to draw attention. I looked around, and my cheeks flushed seeing the mixture of amused and scandalized gazes.

  “Why did you do that?” I snapped.

  “I told you that I’m the wrong person to steal from.” And then with an arrogant smirk, he took my hand and led me down the sidewalk. Embarrassed and a little turned on, I kept my head down the rest of the way.

  Since we were in costume, we were allowed to walk in the parade, which the locals were calling A Nightmare on Elm Street, while everyone else kept to the sidewalk. After a while, however, it got so crowded and crazy that the lines blurred, and it didn’t matter who wore what. Beers were passed around, and no one seemed to care if you were underage. Wren did. He allowed me one beer before he cut us both off.

  He spent the first hour tense and paranoid as if expecting to be caught partying by his parents at any moment. And just as I began to wonder if coming here had been my worst idea yet, a miracle happened.

  “I run into you twice in one year?” I heard someone excitedly shout just before a familiar face pushed through the crowd. Sonny was grinning from ear to ear as he quickly embraced Wren. “Holy shit!” he shouted when he stood back. “I’m happy you’re here, man, but aren’t you a little overdressed?”

  “It’s a costume,” Wren replied, and then he tossed his head my way. “Her idea.”

  Sonny frowned as he looked us over. “So what…you’re like a bride and groom?” He then lifted his eyebrows at me. “Shouldn’t you be in white?”

  I rolled my eyes when Wren faced me looking smug. “We’re rival assassins who weren’t supposed to fall in love, and now we’re running from bad guys who want us dead.”

  “Right, right, of course,” Sonny agreed while looking even more confused.

  “And what are you supposed to be?” I asked him.

  Sonny wore plain jeans and a hoodie, and the only indication of a costume was the Ghostface mask resting on top of his head. Raising the hand holding a beer, he smiled. “Drunk.” He then slapped Wren on the back and said, “Let’s get you two caught up.”

  Before Wren could tell him no, he melted back into the crowd, and reappeared a minute later with an arm full of beers.

  “Follow me,” he ordered, rushing in the opposite direction from where he came.

  We followed him to a white van with the word news sloppily painted on the side and bright red paint splashed on the window to look like blood. Sonny opened the back door, and a cloud of smoke billowed from the inside revealing two guys who looked stoned out of their mind.

  Sonny made the introductions before hopping onto the tail and handing Wren and me a beer. I quickly popped the tab and started chugging before Wren could say anything. Sonny whooped and cheered me on, and after finishing off half the can, I swiped my mouth and burped while Sonny stared on in awe. “Wren, man, where’d you find this one and are there more of her?”

  Wren pulled me closer to him and only said, “No,” before drinking his entire can of beer. He burped when he was done, and it was even louder than mine.

  “Show off.”

  Grinning, he pulled me close and kissed me before grabbing another beer. Before long, it was after midnight, and most of the town had called it a night except for a few stragglers. The party was more intimate but even wilder than before as some of the kids started TP-ing anything they could access, and when the toilet paper ran out, they used fire to vandalize everything that remained.


  That was the moment Wren decided it was time for us to go.

  He promised to catch up with Sonny later even though we both knew he wouldn’t. He grabbed my hand, and we quickly made our way down the street. Halfway to his car, someone threw a firebomb inside a car, and Wren decided I wasn’t moving quick enough, so he lifted me into his arms.

  We had just rounded the corner onto the empty street where Paula was parked when Wren stopped short. I’d been so busy looking over his shoulder watching the crazies making their way down the street behind us that I didn’t see what emerged from the shadows ahead of us.

  Turning my head, I instantly recognized the man donned in the heavy wool trench coat and light gray suit. The wind blew, ruffling the strands of his thick blond hair streaked with gray. The first time I saw him had been at a distance too far to see just how incredibly handsome he was. His dark brown eyes, strong jaw, and perfect lips could make any woman shake with lust while never knowing they had darker reasons to tremble.

  I was distantly aware of Wren lowering me until my feet touched the ground, but he didn’t move away. Instead, he pushed me behind him.

  Fox looked amused as he watched Wren’s attempt to keep me safe. “That’s not going to help her, son.”

  And before any of us knew what was happening, I was grabbed from behind, and we were surrounded by more men who had stayed hidden. Just as quickly, Wren had his gun out and aimed at Fox, but neither that nor the kicks and punches I landed on the man who grabbed me deterred the goon from bringing me to stand before Fox.

  “Let her go,” Wren demanded.

  “You know very well why I can’t do that,” Fox told him in a deceptively patient voice. His sharp gaze then shifted to me, and I was suddenly grateful for the knife still tucked inside my garter. “You have something that belongs to me.”

  Keeping my hand pressed against my thigh, I lifted my chin. “And you have something that belongs to me.”

  Fox looked surprised by my boldness and then intrigued. “And what might that be?”

  Without looking behind me where I knew my best friend stood ready to die for me, I answered him. “Wren.”

  If Fox was shocked by my answer, he didn’t show it as he reached inside his jacket pocket. “Would you propose a trade?”

  Before I could answer, I heard Wren growl as he said, “One more syllable and I evict your brain from your skull.”

  My heart fell to my stomach believing that at any moment, Fox would retaliate for the threat. When he only smiled fondly at Wren, I became even more uneasy.

  “I’ve been waiting for this,” Fox drawled.

  “Waiting for what?” I snapped when Wren only stared back at him. I instantly regretted it when Fox turned those soulless black eyes on me.

  “The day he’d inherit his father’s ruthlessness. I look at him now, and the resemblance is almost chilling. For five years, Wren has fought against it even though he knew this day was inevitable.” To Wren, he said, “Becoming a monster is your birthright, son. Seize it.” I held my breath when he reached out and boldly laid a hand on Wren’s shoulder. “You know what to do when you’re ready to return home.”

  Wren finally spoke, and the ice in his tone sent a chill down my spine. How Fox was able to look him in the eye was beyond me. Even I feared him at this moment though I wasn’t the one in his crosshairs.

  “I’m not coming back.”

  Just like that, Fox’s friendly ruse disappeared, and I found myself inching closer to Wren, ready to pounce if Fox so much as sneezed in his direction.

  “I think I’ve proven that I know you better than you think. One way or another, you will return.”

  Quick as lightning, Fox grabbed my wrist, ignoring the gun Wren pressed daringly to his temple. Fox just managed to press something cold and flat into the palm of my hand before all hell broke loose. The large crowd causing mayhem from the party turned the corner, and noticing the scene playing out on the dark street, they began shoving and screaming to get away. It wouldn’t be long before the cops showed up.

  “A token of your debt, Louchana,” Fox said low enough so only I could hear. “But I doubt you’ll wish to make that trade.” He freed my wrist, and I immediately felt Wren’s hand at my waist pulling me into him. To safety.

  But I didn’t want security. I wanted revenge.

  “You’re right to be afraid of me,” I told Fox as I held his gaze. “I am a threat. But not because I have the evidence to make sure you rot in prison, but because I stole the heart of the one person keeping you alive.”

  “Lou,” Wren said in my ear warningly.

  “You’re now alone because of me, exposed, and surrounded by enemies. You have nothing while I have everything.” When Fox’s eyes narrowed, I smiled. “You better hope I don’t come for you.”

  “GROSS.”

  Hearing Lou speak for the first time since we started heading North, I glanced over in time to see her looking around in disgust.

  “What is this place?” she asked.

  I looked around, too, wondering what she found so abhorrent. The trees were green and tall, the roads were clear of garbage, and because of the absence of smog, the sun shone brightly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s clean and…quiet,” she answered with a wrinkle of her nose. “Where are all the rats and homeless people?”

  “You mean your so-called family?” I teased her.

  “There’s no place like home,” she chanted with a click of her heels. “There’s no place like home.

  “You don’t have a home,” I reminded. “Hence why I brought you here.”

  She lifted that damn camera that got us into this mess and snapped a couple of pictures. “Who did you say lived out here?”

  “I didn’t.”

  She sighed. “Why won’t you tell me?”

  “Will it matter?” I slowed and turned down a well-groomed path. “You don’t have a choice either way.”

  She started to respond when a house bigger than either of us had ever seen came into view.

  “Fucking shit!” she screeched.

  “Language,” I scolded as I parked the car. I ignored her eye roll and took a deep breath, wondering how the hell I was going to ask for help from a guy whose life I threatened almost two months ago.

  “Please tell me we’re robbing the place,” Lou said as she bounced up and down in the passenger seat.

  I didn’t answer her as I slid from the car. She met me at the front but stopped short when she saw my expression. Lou knew me better than anyone and could tell that right now was not the time to fuck around.

  A few feet ahead, three vehicles were parked, one of which was a vintage-looking motorcycle.

  Popping her hands on her hips, she rounded in front of me. “I thought you said you were taking me somewhere safe.”

  I kept my gaze over her shoulder, watching the front doors of the mansion. “I am.”

  “Then why are you looking like that?”

  “Because I’m not sure I can trust him.” I felt the darkness fading away when I finally looked at her and said, “Especially with you.”

  She chewed on her lower lip, trying to hide the fact that she was affected. Lou and I haven’t exactly been on the best terms since the night she threatened Fox. My reaction when I got her alone had been…explosive. I doubt she’d forgiven me yet. “Is he Exiled?”

  “Not anymore.”

  “Is he a friend?”

  I hesitated to answer, wondering if the truth was best. Lou wouldn’t trust anyone who wasn’t a friend, but she’d also know if I lied, and then she wouldn’t trust me. Eventually, I said, “No.”

  “Then if we’re not going to rob him, I say we leave,” she suggested eagerly.

  I knew she wasn’t thrilled about getting dumped in some stranger’s lap, but we’d been on the run for almost a month, and I was quickly running out of cash and ideas. All the dirty money I’d earned over the years was currently stashed at my grandmother’s house, a
nd it had been too risky to go back after our run-in with Fox. Our only saving grace was Lou refusing to go anywhere without her mother’s rucksack. It was her security blanket.

  “We can’t leave, Lou. There’s nowhere else to go.”

  Before she could argue more, the front door of the house opened, and a girl who looked a little peeved stepped out wearing a blue blazer and a tan skirt. Clutched in her right hand was a helmet.

  Recognizing her immediately from all the reconnaissance I’d done, I stood up straight. I knew exactly who’d be following her in three…two…one.

  The door flew open, and Ever wore a vicious scowl as he emerged wearing an identical uniform. He swaggered over to Four, who was already straddling the bike and buckling her chin strap, and pulled her off the bike.

  “He doesn’t even fucking notice us standing here,” I muttered, feeling annoyed for some reason. Ever should have been careful and more aware of his surroundings. He had no idea who might be lurking. I gritted my teeth when I felt myself wanting to march over there and scold him. I shook my head, shoving away the feelings. Ever was nothing to me but a potential ally.

  A second later, I realized I’d spoken too soon when he glanced over, and I could tell by the promise of pain now shining from his eyes that he wasn’t happy to see me standing here.

  “Wren?” I heard Lou call as Ever pushed Four behind him. A heartbeat later, he was charging across the front yard. Four shouted his name, and when he ignored her, she ran back inside the house. Probably to get that douchebag that lived with them.

  “Yeah, Lou?”

  “Something tells me we’re not welcome,” she told me in a shaky voice.

  I didn’t get the chance to confirm her suspicions. I had only a split second to push Lou out of the way and duck when Ever swung without a single word spoken. Before I could get trapped against my car, I quickly threw my weight into Ever, sending us both crashing to the ground.

  Ever wasn’t pulling any punches, and neither was I. Hell, I needed to release this pent-up energy, and since fucking Lou silly was out of the question, I’d gladly settle for punching the shit out of Ever McNamara.