The Moth and the Flame

by Reid, B. B.

“The combination is 0618, and the safe is loaded. Cash, jewelry, bonds—make yourself scarce.”

  My jaw dropped while the Barbie, who rolled her eyes, didn’t seem the least bit surprised. “How do you know the code to her father’s safe?”

  Jamie stared back at me long and hard. I knew I was pissing him off, but I wanted answers. Besides, no one was scarier than Wren Harlan when pissed off, and his moody glares didn’t faze me, either.

  “Because the code is my birth date,” she said quietly.

  “Oh.” It was all I could think to say.

  It didn’t matter because they’d already forgotten me as Jamie and his plaything seemed to get lost in each other’s gazes. Feeling like a third wheel, I quickly retreated, escaping the awkward feeling. Pressing my back against the wall, I closed my eyes and opened my ears.

  “Why do you keep breaking into my house?” she demanded the moment I was out of sight.

  “Why do you keep making the key so easy for me to find?”

  “My father would get suspicious and would want to know why.”

  “And you’d get lonely,” Jamie announced knowingly.

  “It hasn’t bothered me in four years.”

  “I guess I should thank my cousin?”

  My eyes popped open at that. I hadn’t missed the way Ever had stayed at her side for most of the evening three nights ago but could barely keep his eyes off Four. I wanted to ask questions at the time, but I kept hearing Wren’s voice echoing in my head to mind my business.

  “Give it a rest, Jamie. No one’s feeling sorry for you.”

  His voice lowered and became huskier when he said, “You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew just how long I can go.”

  I heard her intake of breath, and when she spoke, her voice had lost some of its venom. “So I guess the rumors are true?”

  I threw caution to the wind and peeked inside just in time to see them drift closer at the same time. The crazy part was that neither one seemed to notice. It was as if they were drawn by the same invisible force, the push and pull that plagued Wren and me.

  “About my stamina?” The edges of his smile became sharp as he looked her over. “Take me for a test drive. See for yourself.”

  Her gaze turned mocking as she regarded him with her nose in the air. “You shouldn’t start something you can’t finish.”

  Jamie smiled wider, not the least bit perturbed. “I always finish, Bette…just not with them.”

  It was then that I remembered her name. Barbette.

  Believing I’d learned maybe more than I bargained for, I slowly backed away, and the moment I was safe from being detected, I bolted down the stairs. I could wait for Jamie in the car.

  But first, a little pitstop.

  After a couple of minutes of unsuccessfully attempting to lift the portrait, I discovered that it was attached to some kind of swinging mechanism. Keying in the code that Jamie gave me, I did a little victory dance when it disarmed. However, my glee died a quick death when I opened the safe and looked inside. The longer I stared, the more disbelief gave way to confusion.

  The safe was completely empty.

  Had Jamie not known Barbette’s father was broke?

  I took a look around and shook off the thought. Maybe he’d decided safes were old fashioned and gone digital. Hearing Wren warning me to mind my business, I pushed the Montgomerys’ finances aside and drifted from the house.

  Ten minutes later, I was so lost in my head that I didn’t notice Jamie coming until he was hopping inside the Wrangler.

  He didn’t speak, and neither did I.

  I watched him pull something white and lacy from his pocket, press it to his nose, and take a deep sniff. Once done, instead of stuffing them back into his pocket, he carefully arranged them around his rearview mirror. He then glanced my way and caught me staring.

  “What?” he asked as if his actions were normal. His eyes were low as if he’d gotten an actual high from sniffing his cousin’s girlfriend’s panties.

  “You took me on a panty raid…”

  “You had something better to do?” he shot back.

  I pressed my lips tight. “I hope those are clean.”

  He smiled wickedly as he started the truck and sped down the long driveway. “I hope they aren’t.”

  “You fucking stole them, didn’t you?”

  “It wouldn’t be as fun if I asked her nicely.”

  “Do me a favor,” I drawled as I eyed the panties hanging over the dash. “Count me out of the next panty raid.”

  “What are you complaining about? We both got what we needed.”

  “I’m going to ignore the obvious and insulting fact that you used me to rob and piss off your girlfriend’s father and tell you that you were wrong about the safe.”

  He took his attention away from the road and turned to me with a frown. “What do you mean?”

  “The safe was empty. No cash, no bond, no jewels. Not even the back to an earring.”

  He blinked and hit the brakes, coming to a stop in the middle of the road. “That’s impossible.”

  I shrugged. “There’s a plausible explanation.”

  “Like?” he prodded.

  “Aaargh!” I said mimicking a pirate. “Mayhap he moved all of his booty to another treasure chest, matey.”

  Jamie seemed to think it over before hitting the gas, and taking off again.

  Thinking of treasure, I slipped the gold coin Fox had given me on Halloween from my pocket. A token of my debt was what Fox had called it. On one side was the head of a Fox and the other the head of a Crow—Exiled’s other founder. I flipped the coin in the air and caught it against the back of my hand. Heads. I did it again. Heads. No matter how many times I flipped that damn coin, the outcome was always the same.

  “It’s a good thing you’re loaded,” I said as I shoved the coin back into my pocket. The father of the bride might not be paying for your wedding after all.”

  “Knock it off,” he growled.

  “Why? You’re the one stalking her.”

  “At least I’m not too stupid to realize when I’ve been friend-zoned.”

  I froze and let the humiliation Jamie wrought wash over me. Was he right? Had I been friend-zoned? Had all the emotion I glimpsed in Wren’s eyes and the passionate way his hands and body explored mine been a figment of my imagination? My body temperature rose, and I couldn’t tell if the heat was from embarrassment or anger. “You’re right,” I mumbled. “I’m pathetic.” Grabbing the panties from the mirror, I waved it like a white flag. “Truce?”

  He snatched them from me with a laugh. “Sure.”

  Staring out the window, I felt my claws slowly unsheathe as I hummed along to the song playing from Jamie’s speakers. I’d never heard it before, but the lyrics seemed to speak to my stupid but hopeful heart.

  Wren certainly did play it like a grand piano.

  “So don’t get mad, but I eavesdropped on you and long legs,” I said after a couple of minutes.

  His face twisted into a scowl. “What?”

  “I said don’t get mad!” I yelled as if he were the one in violation.

  Blowing out air, he relaxed but kept the scowl. “How much did you hear?”

  “Before it got weird? Not much. You two are pretty intense. I’ve only seen stuff like that on TV. Is there something—”

  “Lou,” he said in that same warning tone Wren used when he meant business. And like always, I ignored it.

  “I heard you tell Barbie that you have your cousin to thank for keeping her company,” I rushed out. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if he hadn’t sounded so…jealous.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t bother answering my unspoken question.

  “I’ve only met one of your cousins, so I’m going to take a wild guess and say you and Ever are in some kind of weird love triangle with sex on a stick?”

  He stubbornly kept his eyes fixed on the road and his mouth shut.

  Unperturbed, I continued to muse aloud. “B
ut then where does Four fit into all of this? I thought she was his girlfriend?”

  No response.

  I gasped dramatically as if he had.

  “Are you saying he’s dating them both?”

  The muscle in his jaw began to tick, but he stubbornly remained silent. I was starting to think he and Wren were carved from the same stone.

  Tapping my chin, I said, “No, that doesn’t sound right. Four doesn’t seem like the type to share her man.”

  This time, he snorted. It wasn’t much, but I could tell I was getting closer to a real reaction.

  “Then again, Ever is so dreamy,” I cooed. “I bet he could get any girl to do whatever he wanted.”

  Finally, I’d found the right nerve, and without mercy, I hammered at it until he exploded.

  “From what I heard last night, he certainly appears to have the stamina to keep them both satisfied. Maybe even all at once?” I leaned over until my lips nearly brushed his ear. “All. Night. Long.”

  “All right!” he shouted as I sat back in my seat. “Stop! Damn! I’m sorry. Wren wants you, and I know it. The whole goddamn world knows it.” He peeked over at me. “Okay?”

  “Okay!” I agreed cheerfully.

  He shook his head and barked out a laugh of disbelief. “Jesus, you’re a bitch.”

  I nodded and returned to staring out the window. “As long as we’re on the same page.”

  “I’m telling you, Lou. Clexa is going to happen! Mark my words.”

  “But you have nothing to base that on!” I shouted. “You’re just being a perv.”

  On the way back to the manor, I’d discovered that Jamie was another The 100 fan. Right now, we were arguing over the possibility of Clarke and the commander getting some girl-on-girl action.

  Dusk was just beginning to fall as Jamie drove through the gate, and I was trying to hide my anticipation of seeing Wren again. Soon. Hopefully. That anticipation skyrocketed when the house came into view, and I spotted the Crown Vic parked in the driveway. The Impala, in all its glory, would have been easily recognized by Exiled once he hit the city, so Wren had chosen to use the car Ever had loaned him.

  Jamie hadn’t been able to stop the Wrangler completely before I was hopping out.

  He’d come back.

  Wren had come back to me.

  I ran through the front door, eager for Wren to carry me off into the sunset, but stopped short at the scene playing before me.

  Four and Ever were there along with Thomas and Rosalyn and a slender woman I didn’t recognize. She had dark hair that was unkempt, olive skin, and only wore a pale pink nightie. As if she’d left in a hurry.

  The tension in the foyer was heavy as they all faced off with one another. Ever looked shell-shocked, Four looked worried, Rosalyn was clearly distraught, and Thomas…he looked seriously pissed.

  I didn’t hear Jamie come up behind me until his voice rang through with so much emotion.

  “Aunt Evelyn?”

  She whirled around, and a kind smile covered her face when she spotted Jamie. “Hi, Jameson. I’ve missed you.”

  Jamie made a sound, grasping for words, but when none came, those light brown eyes Ever inherited fell on me, and her smile disappeared. She took a hesitant step forward and reached out to me before thinking better of it and covered her lips with trembling fingers.

  “Are—are you Lou?”

  “Yeah…”

  She took a deep breath before her tears began to fall. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry.”

  WITH NOTHING TO DO BUT stare at four log walls and bleed on Fox’s floor, I ran through my plan for the umpteenth time trying to figure out what I did wrong or what I could have done differently.

  The answer was always nothing.

  Evelyn was free, and Fox had plans for me. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. My capture gave Evelyn the time she needed to get away, and I didn’t regret it. I only regretted not getting to see Lou one last time.

  I snorted in the dark. Wasn’t that just a fucking cliché?

  I didn’t care, though. I’d give anything, including my dignity, to see her again. I closed my eyes picturing her black as midnight hair, her sweet and subtle smell, and her soft skin. I should have told her the truth, begged her forgiveness, and made it all mine a long time ago.

  The door opened, and Shane walked in wearing his signature scowl. “You really screwed yourself, boy.”

  I licked the bloody lip he gave me at Fox’s command. “And you care?”

  “No, but Bethany and the kids would want me to talk some sense into you.”

  I stared up at him through my one good eye. “Would you give up Bethany?”

  “Fuck no.” He rubbed his bald head. “Which is why I’m not going to bother trying to convince you.” He looked me over probably admiring the number he did on me. “Are you sure she’s worth it?”

  I was surer of it than my own damn name. “Yes.”

  He nodded. “You’re a prick to make me kill you.”

  I laughed and was surprised that it was genuine. “I’m pretty sure I’m the one drawing the short stick, motherfucker.”

  He scratched his chin as he eyed me. “Boss isn’t going to make it easy for you.”

  I already knew Fox planned to torture me. If the threat of death wouldn’t make me give up Lou, he hoped that pain would. He’d first break a few bones and cut away pieces of me before removing limbs entirely. No, I wouldn’t be dying any time soon, but it would be a cold day in hell before I sold Lou to save myself. “I expected no less.”

  Shane grunted as the door opened and three of my former brothers entered with equally savage scowls. “You’ll be singing a different tune soon.”

  My expression remained impassive as I met each of their gazes.

  “Relax,” Shane said with a chuckle. “We won’t be fucking you up just yet. You have a visitor.”

  Two of them grabbed me and hauled me to my feet. Resigned to my fate, I didn’t bother fighting when they tied my hands and taped my mouth shut. Ever had everything he needed to make sure that Lou would be okay.

  I was herded from the basement of his mountain hideout and through the cabin until we reached outside. The air was crisp and cool, and the sky was bright and blue, telling me that it’s been at least a day since Evelyn’s escape. In the distance, I could see the gathering clouds and the storm brewing miles away. It would hit us hard and soon, though no one else seemed to notice. Fox, with his back turned to me, was too focused on something else, something I couldn’t see past his wall of guards. They eventually noticed us approaching and parted, and when we stepped through, I almost fell to my knees at what held their attention.

  No.

  Before I could collect myself, Fox turned to me with a satisfied smile. “So good of you to join us, Wren. Now we can begin.”

  My gaze wandered back to Lou standing there, head held high even with all the guns pointed at it.

  “As I was saying,” Lou said without acknowledging me. I knew she was putting on a brave face for Fox’s benefit, and if I weren’t living out my worst nightmare, I would have puffed out my chest. “I’ve got friends now. Friends who have copies of those pictures and won’t hesitate to share them if I don’t walk out of here with him in the next five minutes.”

  “I’m sure your friends are loyal to your cause, but I also have friends dedicated to mine as well. Friends who have the power and resources to find your friends. So tell me, little lady, who do you think strikes more fear? Your friends…or mine?”

  If Lou was affected, she damn well didn’t show it. “I’m well aware of your goons who hide behind badges and call themselves cops, but in this century, Grandpa, it’s the internet that will judge who is innocent or guilty. Your friends may have the law, but mine have YouTube.” She smiled then. “And you can’t pay off every cop in this country.”

  “No…only the ones with jurisdiction.”

  “Except, when you abducted those children right along with their parents and set
them on fire, your crime became a big, fat federal one. And when those angry moms around the world start rallying for your head, those local cops in your pocket are going to need backup—and lots of it.”

  Fox was silent for several seconds. The only sound was the occasional sway of the trees in the wind and the shifting feet of the suddenly nervous guards surrounding us. The fox had just been outfoxed, and everyone within hearing distance knew it.

  “I’m impressed with you, Louchana.” The sound of Lou’s name on his tongue made me want to rip his throat out for the gall. She was too precious to even be in his presence. “Coming here to rescue him was a very brave thing—generous even—considering what he’s done to you.”

  My heart dropped to my stomach. The air I was breathing suddenly felt too thick. The blood in my veins ran cold as the world around me began to crumble. I struggled against my bonds, wishing that I weren’t muzzled so I could tell Lou the truth. The truth that Fox was ready to so carelessly dump at her feet.

  Not like this.

  Her gaze shifted to me for the first time, and the minute she saw the plea in my eyes, she lost some of her bravado. “What are you talking about?”

  Fox feigned surprise. “Didn’t our dear Wren tell you about his initiation?”

  Her chest rose and fell faster now, and her voice was heavy when she answered him. “No.”

  Fox nodded his understanding and began pacing. “I suppose he wouldn’t.” He looked at me then and tsk-tsked as he shook his head in admonishment. “You were orphaned five years ago, were you not?”

  “How do you know that?”

  He ignored her question and asked another of his own. “It was all rather sudden, wasn’t it?” Stopping in his tracks, he faced Lou again. “Would you like to know?”

  Lou’s eyes narrowed as she sneered at him. “Do you really think I’ll believe anything you say?”

  “No, my dear, I don’t, but I know you’ll believe him.”

  Fox turned and nodded to the men holding me. My gaze was fixed on Lou, but it was Fox I addressed when the tape was ripped from my mouth. “Don’t do this.”

  There wasn’t an ounce of compassion to be found in him when he said, “Tell her what you did.”