“But you do remember him, right?” Tate asked.
“Of course I remember him. Little punk asshole that dated my sister and broke her heart before he left for college.” West grimaced. “Levi always did think he was better than the rest of us.”
“What do you know about him?” Tate asked, repeating himself but not really caring. Damn it, he wanted more details. Wren wasn’t talking. After seeing Levi at the BFD, the mood had shifted for the rest of the day. They went back to his place, watched a movie on Netflix, and went to bed early.
In separate beds.
Yeah. The night had definitely not gone as Tate had planned. The day had started with such promise too. Until she saw Levi and, for whatever reason, he threw a wrench in their unspoken plans, like an invisible third wheel looming in the background of his house.
Tate sort of hated Levi Hamilton.
“Why do you care? Did Wren mention him to you? I haven’t heard his name pass her lips since I don’t know when. Once he dumped her, she mourned and cried for a little bit, but then she moved on. Wren’s always been good at that. Moving on,” West explained.
Tate wasn’t so sure he liked the sound of that. “I met him yesterday at the BFD. He was there with his parents, visiting I guess.”
“Huh. Last I heard he graduated college and moved to Southern California. Orange County, I think. He’s some big financer type, makes a lot of money, his major life goal.” West sneered. “Was he decked out in designer clothes with a Rolex around his wrist?”
“I don’t remember seeing a watch, but his clothes didn’t have one wrinkle in them,” Tate said, his voice full of disgust.
West chuckled. “Sounds like Levi. He was nice enough when he and my sister were together and happy, but shit. They were just kids. My mom always claimed they weren’t right for each other, though she never told Wren that. They weren’t in the same league, she said.”
“What, like Levi was too good for her?” Tate was offended. Just because the asshole had money didn’t mean that he was better than anyone else. Screw that.
“Nah. It was just . . . Levi’s family was wealthy, and we weren’t, and it gave Wren an inferiority complex. Our mom hated that. I hated it too. Levi always acted like a smug bastard, like Wren was lucky to have him, you know? When it was more the other way around. That little prick was lucky to have my sister. She was the one who was too good for him,” West explained.
Exactly what Tate wanted to hear. West’s words proved Levi was an asshole, just like he thought. “Thanks for being so forthcoming,” he said wryly.
West chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t like it when my sister gets hurt. She’s the only one I’ve got. And since she’s the lone girl among all of us boys, we’re overprotective.” The chuckle disappeared and West sent him a meaningful look. “We still are.”
Tate got the hint loud and clear. “I’m not out to hurt Wren.” He wasn’t sure what he was doing with Wren. He’d kissed her once and he wanted more.
Needed more.
“The fact that you took her in when she had nowhere else to go earned you brownie points,” West said. “Though if your ulterior motive for this is to get her into your bed, I’ll beat your ass.”
Like he’d ever tell West that. He wasn’t an idiot. “We’re friends,” Tate stressed. “That’s it.”
“Well, you better tell her that.”
“I don’t think she really cares. She’s too wrapped up in seeing Levi again,” Tate muttered.
“Ah, jealous much? You’re not acting much like a friend right now.”
Whatever. He was a man who wanted to have sex with his friend. Perfectly normal. That whole just-friends thing was hard to maintain, and he realized quick the more time he spent with Wren, the more he liked her. Lately they’d spent a lot of time together.
Meaning he liked her a hell of a lot.
“If you don’t like Levi, then I don’t like Levi,” Tate said, trying not to sound too defensive. “He seems like an asshole.”
“Then he hasn’t changed much.”
“He wants to see Wren. Hang out with her.” Stare dreamily into her eyes. Kiss her. Strip her naked. Fuck her hard, before he left her again, crying alone in the dust.
Tate blinked. Where did those thoughts come from? And why did he feel so damn possessive at the mere idea of Wren being with another man? Worse, her first love? There were all sorts of emotions usually tangled up in an old high school romance.
“Barf,” West said, making Tate chuckle. Who said barf anyway? “I hope she makes up some excuse and doesn’t talk to him. Guys like that, they’re trouble.”
“Why do you say that?” Tate asked.
West shrugged. “Because it’s true. He only cares about himself and what he wants or needs. Forget what Wren wants. With Levi, it’s all about . . . Levi.”
Tate frowned. He could say the same about himself. He’d wanted to get in Wren’s panties for so long it was all he could think about. Now that he’d actually gotten to know the woman and realized how much he enjoyed being with her, he definitely wanted more. He wanted to know more, learn more, discover more. Wren made him feel greedy.
More, more, more.
Those words were a mantra in his head. Unrelenting. Reminding him yet again what hadn’t happened last night. She had to know he wanted more though. Right? Or was she clueless? Was she going to run back to that idiot high school ex and try to remake memories?
Hell, he hoped not.
“That’s why you shouldn’t mess around with her either. You’re not good with your feelings,” West said, his gruff words interrupting Tate’s thoughts.
How the hell did West know he wasn’t good with his feelings? And when did he become an authority on another guy’s feelings? He sounded like a pussy-whipped asshole. Like Harper Hill had West by the balls and refused to ever let them go.
Fucking great.
The idea of falling into that type of situation terrified him. Is that what he had to look forward to if he ever got into a serious relationship? Wren clamping her fingers around his nuts and never letting them go? Hell, making a permanent gesture by forcing him to tattoo her name on his fucking ball sac and proudly proclaiming him as her property?
A shiver moved through him. Yeah, he’d gone off the rails with that last thought, but he couldn’t help it. That sort of behavior was exactly why he’d avoided relationships. All the permanency, the mere idea of having one woman for the rest of his life . . . it was scary stuff.
“You don’t know shit about my feelings,” Tate muttered, shaking his head.
“Right. Fairly certain we’ve had this conversation before, and just like last time, it revolves around Wren and your intentions in regards to my sister. I’m hoping you get what I’m saying.” West tried to stare him down, but Tate only rolled his eyes. “I’m serious. Don’t fuck with her heart, Warren. Or I’ll fuck with your—”
A knock sounded, startling them both, their heads jerking toward the open door. Josh paused in the doorway, his expression grim, stride purposeful as he entered the tiny office. He nodded at them in greeting before he settled into the chair next to Tate’s. “Good morning, ladies,” he murmured, taking a sip of the coffee he clutched in his hand before he spoke again. “Hope I’m not disturbing you two lovebirds.”
Tate wanted to roll his eyes but controlled himself. The guy could actually have some solid, interesting information, and trying to find the crafty arsonist was driving them all crazy. They were like stupid puppies chasing their tails but never able to catch them. Whoever the son of a bitch was, he strung them along, too damn smart for his own good. Scary smart.
He hated it. They all hated it, especially Josh. Oh, and Lane Gallagher. The arsonist got Lane’s cop blood pumping, but the investigation wasn’t under his jurisdiction, and that infuriated him. Not that Tate could blame him.
“What’s going on?” West asked, getting right to the point. “Who burned my sister’s house down?”
Josh held
out his hand in a defensive gesture, shaking his head once. “We don’t know yet. The incident is still under investigation.” He took a deep breath, glancing at Tate quickly. As if he knew what he was about to say would piss him off. “I can’t rule out yet that the fire wasn’t started by the occupant.”
“Are you saying Wren started the fire? You gotta be fucking kidding me,” Tate all but roared. West sent him a look, and he clamped his lips shut, trying to contain his fury, but it was no use. The words burst from him like he had no control. “Why the hell would she do that anyway? She lost everything. Every single thing she owned with the exception of the clothes on her back and a few things she’d left in her car. She doesn’t even have renter’s insurance.”
“I’m not saying she set it on purpose,” Josh said, his voice calm and quiet. Which only infuriated Tate even more. He wanted to punch Josh in his smug-looking face. “It was most likely an accident.”
“No.” Tate shook his head. “I refuse to believe it.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. Bailey had a lot of nerve, accusing Wren of setting her own place on fire. She wasn’t even home when the fire started. How the hell could she have done it?
Leaving a curling iron on, or whatever the hell women used to primp and make themselves pretty. Or maybe she forgot to blow out a candle that burned for so many hours, the flame became higher . . . eventually catching a curtain on fire.
Tate frowned. He didn’t like thinking along those lines. Blaming her. She was smart. She came from a family of firefighters and he knew she wasn’t careless. She’d never leave a candle burning or a curling iron plugged in. She wasn’t stupid.
But sometimes we all do stupid things. You know this. You’re an expert at making dumb moves. Look at how you’re letting Wren slip right through your fingers and back into the arms of her arrogant ex.
Tate shoved the negative thoughts into the farthest corner of his brain.
“I’m not ruling it out yet,” Josh said carefully. “But we’ll see.”
“That’s all you’ve got?” West asked incredulously.
Josh’s expression betrayed nothing. The guy was one serious nut who proved almost impossible to crack. “That’s all I’m willing to discuss regarding the fire at Wren Gallagher’s residence. Otherwise, we have no new leads, no new fires. The Ridge fire has officially been declared as arson—”
“We already knew that,” Tate interrupted, earning a hard stare from Josh for doing so.
“Right. And that’s it.”
“Why the hell did you call this meeting then?” West asked.
“I wanted to let you both know that I’m not quite sure if Wren’s house was set by the arsonist. See if you have any info in regards to the fire or to . . . Wren’s state of mind over the last few weeks, especially before the incident happened,” Josh said.
“How are we supposed to know?” West made a face.
Inside, Tate seethed. He knew what Josh was getting at. And it pissed him off.
“Was she upset? Was something bothering her? Distracting her?” Josh looked from West to Tate, his gaze sticking to Tate. “Relationship troubles possibly?”
“Are you implying something?” Tate asked tightly.
“Not at all. You two are the closest to her, from what I can tell. Well, and your brother Lane. But that guy would rather pummel me into the ground than give me the time of day,” Josh muttered with a shake of his head.
Tate could relate. Lane was a solid judge of character.
“Well, our mother was going through some health problems . . . ” West’s voice drifted, and Tate sent him a meaningful look. One that said shut the fuck up.
West pressed his lips together, remaining quiet.
“She didn’t do it,” Tate said after a few moments of tense silence. “I know Wren. I’ve spent a lot of time with her lately, and I know she wouldn’t do something as careless as you’re implying. I don’t care how supposedly distracted or worried she might’ve been. She knows better.”
“I’m glad you have so much faith in her.” Josh stood. “She’s going to need someone standing by her side.”
The moment Josh walked out of the office, West cursed under his breath. “I really dislike that guy.”
“You and me both,” Tate muttered.
“THANK YOU FOR agreeing to meet with me.” Levi smiled at her, revealing his perfectly white, perfectly straight teeth. She remembered back in high school when he wore braces. Remembered when he used to flip his hair away from his eyes with a flick of his head, a gesture she always found incredibly cute. The way his brown eyes would crinkle in the corners every time he looked at her and smiled.
They were crinkling now as he watched her from across the table at the tiny local coffee shop tourists loved to come to. The end of the season was close, but there were still people flooding the area. Labor Day weekend was the final close-out for the summer, and it loomed.
It still surprised her that Levi was in Wildwood visiting his parents. It shouldn’t, considering his family never left. But if he came back over the years, she’d never heard about it. Though what gave her the right to know? After he ended their relationship, they didn’t even remain friends.
But just maybe . . . they could change that and become friends after all. She definitely didn’t want anything more. They were long done. Surely he had a girlfriend or even a . . . wife.
Her gaze dropped to his hands resting loosely on the tiny round table, and she leaned in closer, trying to see if he had a wedding ring on.
“So tell me. What’s up with you? What’s been going on for the last nine years?” he asked, drawing her attention back to his face. Staring into his warm brown eyes brought back a flood of memories, the majority of them pleasant. It was weird, how he felt so familiar yet like a stranger too.
How could she catch him up on nine years in only a few minutes? Ugh, she was a talker. It was both her greatest asset and biggest fault. Her incessant chatter had always driven her family crazy, but Levi never seemed to mind.
Then he dumped her, and she’d been so sad, yet so pissed, all at once. Why she was even talking to him, she wasn’t sure.
“There’s not much to tell. I never left Wildwood, so how exciting could my life be?” Before he could protest, she continued, “You already know about the biggest thing that happened to me this summer. My entire life just went up in smoke. Poof.” She laughed, trying to make light of the fire, but when she saw the sympathy flare in his gaze, she knew she blew it. Houses burning to the ground weren’t that funny.
“So awful, Wrennie,” he murmured with a shake of his head. “Do they think it’s the arsonist?” His voice was laced with concern. Hearing him mention the arsonist set her back a bit. Being a part of the firefighting community, she’d always known things before anyone else did. Not that any confidentialities were broken, but the Gallagher family always seemed to have the inside track when it came to local fire or police information. “My parents mentioned there have been a lot of fires here this summer,” he explained, no doubt because of the surprised expression on her face.
“I don’t know exactly what’s going on with the investigation, but I believe arson is suspected,” she answered carefully. She didn’t want to reveal too much information, not that she knew anything.
“Terrible. I can’t imagine what you’ve suffered because of this.”
“It hasn’t been so bad,” she started, but he shook his head, cutting her off.
“Next thing you know the entire town is on fire. Why isn’t anyone doing anything about this?” He sounded angry.
She laughed, though it was forced. “I think they’ll find him before anything as drastic as all of Wildwood burning happens.” Her brothers wouldn’t allow it. Neither would Tate.
Her heart ached just thinking of him. She knew he was frustrated. She’d been so distracted after they ran into Levi at the BFD, the entire rest of the evening had been ruined. She’d felt guilty about that.
So guilty.
> “Who says it’s a him?” Levi raised his brows, reaching for his iced vanilla latte and taking a sip. “It could be a woman too.”
“Doubtful. Most arsonists are male.” She could recite a list of facts on arsonists she’d learned from her father over the years, but she didn’t want to bore him with those details. “Now come on. You don’t want to hear my entire sob story. It’s boring. Tell me what’s new with you.”
He glanced down at the table and smiled, looking downright . . . bashful? That was so un-Levi of him. “There’s not much to tell.”
Wren grabbed her cup and sipped from her white chocolate iced mocha. Maybe they hadn’t spoken or seen each other in years, but she knew Levi loved to go on about himself. He’d always had a big ego and needed it stroked. She’d accommodated him, thinking that was what good girlfriends did.
Now she knew better. This time she was just digging for information to see what he’d been up to since he left.
“Come on. We haven’t talked in forever,” she coaxed, making his smile grow. “Have you even been back to Wildwood since you left for college?”
“Of course I have.” He looked downright offended at her question. “Always brief visits though. Work never allows me to get away for too long. Sometimes my parents come to visit me.”
“Where are you living now? Last I heard you were in Los Angeles.” Why did she just say that? He probably thought she was keeping tabs on him.
But it was like he didn’t even notice what she said. “I live in San Francisco. I, uh . . . well, you wouldn’t believe what happened, but I created this app with a friend, and it sort of took off.” Levi launched into a description of the app, how it revolved around banking and keeping track of various accounts and investments. The longer he talked, the more bored she got, folding her straw wrapper into a tiny accordion, stretching it out between her fingers before smushing it back in.
He said something about how he used to live in Los Angeles before moving to San Francisco almost two years ago, since that’s where all the app designers lived, and how he bought a house in the same neighborhood as Mark Zuckerberg.
Torch: The Wildwood Series Page 12
