Page 89 of After the Burn

“A chicken!” Wren produced a ceramic chicken missing one wing, then looked at him intently. “I liked his face.”

The poor bird looked perpetually offended, so it fit with what she was probably used to seeing on everyone’s faces she met.

Without another word, she walked over and set it proudly on the fireplace mantel. “There.” She stepped back to admire her work. “Now it feels like home.”

Beck leaned toward me. “…I’m afraid to see what else is in the pile.”

“As you should be,” Adrian murmured.

“I also brought an oven mitt.” She held it up triumphantly. “You can never be too safe these days.”

Lucas, asshole Lucas, whose face had worn a bitter look for months, threw back his head and laughed.

Actually laughed.

Wren beamed and clapped her hands. “I knew you’d love my housewarming gifts!”

“This woman is coo coo for Coco Puffs,” Beck mumbled under his breath.

I elbowed him as she disappeared down the hallway. “That’s my sister, asshole.”

“Funny,” he smirked, pulling me in for a hug. “Maybe I’ll ask her if she wants to move in.”

“She can’t be any worse than the woman we’re already living with.” Lucas snarked as he walked by.

“Keep on, and you’ll be living in the backyard.” I narrowed my eyes, tired of his shit.

We found Wren a minute later standing in the smallest bedroom, her fingers trailing across the windowsill. “This one is perfect for my sister.” Her voice had gone quiet. “Robin always liked the cozy rooms.”

The smile slipped from my face at the look on hers.

I had no idea what this woman had been through, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

We heard the front door slam open, hard enough to make all of us jump.

“What the fuck is going on? Did Gideon put us in this town’s version of Grand Central Station?” Lucas asked, striding down the hall toward the living room, all of us close on his heels.

“Lila?” I questioned, shocked to see her so soon.

She stood just inside the doorway, tears streaming down her face, her shoulders shaking as she tried to catch her breath. “I…” she whispered. “I don’t know what to do.”

“What’s going on?” Adrian took charge of the situation.

“Gideon visited and told me that Mace had requested that I join his family group.” She wiped her face with her sleeve. “I have no clue what to do.”

Behind me, Wren stepped into the living room. She looked from Lila to me. For the first time since she’d barged through the door, the scattered look on her face faded, and she fell strangely quiet.

Thoughtful even.

Then, almost like she was talking to herself, she said, “I’ll fix it.”

Before I could ask what she meant, she turned and wandered back toward the front door, humming softly under her breath.

As the screen door creaked shut behind her, Lucas turned to us. “Was she humming ‘It’s Tricky’ by Run-D.M.C.?”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

TARYN