GirlMostLikelyTo (27 page)

As fast as he could, he stripped out of the hardly there
pants and pulled on chinos, guilt constantly tightening its grip on his heart.
His fingers flying, he fastened his shirt and ran through scenarios and
possibilities. If this was about money, it gave them time. Revenge wasn’t so
straightforward.

If Marco believed he’d been compromised, he’d have resorted
to damage limitation. Mouths would be permanently shut. He shuddered. He hoped
the police acted quickly before records were lost and people were moved or
eliminated. He needed to move his butt and get back to Tomas fast before he
disappeared as well.

Wren’s head hit the floor and she let out a muffled cry. The
hood was still in place but looser. The two guys sounded farther away. She
pleaded with her hands to move and to her intense relief she was able to lift
them. She found laces and tugged. She expected to be hit or kicked at any
moment and desperation made her heart race.

Her breathing grew more ragged as she yanked at buckles.
When she finally managed to wrench the hood off her head, she filled her lungs
and blinked against the light. Tomas’ apartment. She was alone in the living
room, lying next to the couch.

There was a loud thud from the hallway and Wren pushed
herself into a sitting position. She dragged off her shoes. The heels would
slow her down. She struggled to her feet, shaking from head to toe, arms and
legs like a newborn foal’s. The men who’d taken her were in the hall. She had
to get past them to get out of the apartment. The river wasn’t a good option.
Maybe if she rushed, screamed… She heard a cry from the hall, knew it was Tomas
and clapped her hand to her mouth.

Her first inclination was to rush to his aid but she’d be
useless against two guys. She needed to get help. Wren stumbled to the patio
doors. She twisted the lock, slipped outside and closed the door again. There
was space to hide out of sight of anyone in the room, but how long before they
looked for her here? And how could she hide when Tomas was in danger?

Wren opened her mouth to scream and spotted the light
shining from Adam’s apartment. His balcony was five or six feet away. There was
no time to think about it. She climbed up on the rail, her hand against the
wall to steady herself. Adrenaline and fear gave strength to her wobbly legs
and she jumped.

For one heart-stopping, gut-wrenching moment Wren thought
she wasn’t going to make it. Her toes snagged on the metal rail but she had
enough forward momentum to propel her to safety and she crashed onto the wooden
deck, landing just short of the table and chairs but scraping her arms and
knees. Not quite Spider-Woman. Biting back her yelps, she pushed herself up,
dragged open the door and threw herself inside. When she saw Adam, she
collapsed.

“Wren! Oh my God.” Adam ran over and dropped beside her.

“Police,” she gasped. “Dragen and other man. Got Tomas.”

Adam pulled out his phone and tapped 999. “Police,” he
snapped. “Apartment 17 C, 7 Dock Street. Attempted murder. The guys are still
here. Be quick… Yeah, yeah. Adam Kesey, I live next door. Hurry. Tomas is an
undercover cop. Speak to DSI Julia Markham.”

He passed the phone to Wren. “Talk to them. I’m going to
help Tomas.”

Wren pressed the phone to her ear. “Please hurry. My name’s
Wren. My father’s DCS Ellis. They’re going to kill Tomas. They nearly killed
me. I’ve got to call my father. Sorry.” She broke the connection and called her
dad.

“Hello?”

When she heard his voice, she whimpered. “Dad.”

“Wren?” her mum gasped.

She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. She dashed the
tears from her eyes.

“Wren. Are you safe?” her father asked.

“Yes.”

“Thank God.” Her mum let out a sob. “We’re driving to Dock
Street.”

“Dad, Tomas is being held in the next apartment by two guys.
Dragen’s one. Don’t know the other. Big, bald man. They’re going to kill him.
Adam’s gone to help him. They’re going to kill him too. Please, hurry.”

“Calm down. Stay where you are. Do not leave the apartment.
Help’s on the way.”

Wren took a deep breath.

“Keep talking to me,” her mum said. “You sure you’re all
right?”

“Yes.” Wren looked at the wall keeping her from the guys she
loved. “Sorry,” she whispered and ended the call.

Adam banged on Tomas’ door. He’d tucked a kitchen knife into
the back of his pants and he held an open bag of flour. It had been the first
thing on hand. His aim was disorientation so he could get into the apartment
and work out what was going on.

“Tomas,” Adam yelled. “I need to borrow your iron, mate. I
know you’re in there. I heard you come home.”

He kept banging and shouting, wondering if he could spring
the door open with a well-placed kick. Then it opened and Adam threw the flour,
smacking the bag over the bewildered guy’s head. As the dark-haired man
staggered backward coughing, Adam slammed his fist into his gut and followed
that up with more blows as the guy choked and spluttered. Once he’d knocked him
to the floor and it didn’t look as though he was going to get up, Adam rushed
into the lounge. The bald man who’d talked to Tomas in the pub stood there. No
sign of Tomas.

“Where is he?” Adam snapped.

“Tomas? He just stepped out.”

Adam heard a loud splash and his heart sank. Had Tomas been
holding on and let go while he’d fucked round in the hall? As he ran toward the
balcony, the guy grabbed him. Fueled by pure fury, Adam drove his fist into his
throat and jerked free. He stepped through the open door, looked down into the
river and saw Wren struggling to keep Tomas afloat. Adam didn’t hesitate. He
jumped.

Shit, shit, shit.
The water was cold. His feet
tangled in something and he kicked out, relieved when he tugged free and his
head broke the surface.

“Wren, hang on,” he shouted and splashed his way toward them
only to see them disappear under the water.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Adam powered through the black water to the spot where Wren
and Tomas had gone down and dived below the surface. He swept his arms from
side to side and to his intense relief snagged a sleeve. He yanked and kicked
out, dragging Tomas up, even more relieved to see Wren holding onto him. Tomas
was barely conscious, too disoriented to help himself. Wren was coughing.

“Don’t fight the river,” he said. “Just relax. Don’t let go
of Tomas, but let me support him.”

He looked around but could see no obvious way to get out.
The river was walled where it ran through the city. As he turned, he glimpsed a
flash of light from the apartment building they’d jumped from, heard cracking
noises followed by several splashes in the water around them.
What the fuck?

Wren gasped. “They’re shooting at us?”

“Kick toward the opposite bank,” he said. “Keep your face
that way.”

Her silver hair was like a beacon but Adam had no way to
protect her. There was a bend coming up. Once they’d rounded it, they should be
safe from bullets at least. Although not the river. He’d taken a walk the day
he arrived and was pretty sure there was no way to climb out for a few hundred
yards. He started to shout for help and Wren added her voice.

“Cold.” Her teeth chattered.

“Don’t you dare let go.” Adam tightened his grip on Tomas.
“I can’t hold him on my own.” He could, but he didn’t want to have to pick
which of them to help.
I can’t choose.

He became aware they were gradually being swept toward the
opposite side of the river and when he saw a life buoy hanging from the dock
wall, he kicked harder.

“We need to get to the side,” he told Wren.

Tomas began to come round and flailed.

“Don’t struggle.” He grunted as Tomas kicked him.

He realized they’d miss the first buoy but there was another
about twenty yards away.

“Wren, grab hold of the life belt. Hang on to it even if I
don’t and I’ll take Tomas to the next.”

“Don’t miss it.”

He didn’t. It was a relief to hang on to something, and at
least they were together, but they were still in trouble.

“Help,” Wren shouted. “We’re in the water. Help!”

“What’s…” Tomas mumbled, his teeth chattering.

“Don’t fight me,” Adam said. “We’re okay, but we’re in the
river.”

“Help,” Wren screamed.

“Hang on.” The woman’s voice came from above them.
“Emergency services are on their way.”

Wren gasped. “Monique?”

Adam frowned. The Frenchwoman out of Wren’s conversation
class? The sound of sirens split the air and he groaned.
Thank God.
Wren’s face was pale in the dim light. The water was bloody freezing.

“Hurry up,” Monique snapped above their heads. “Over here.
Two men and a woman in the water. Get someone down there to help them.”

“Next time we should use the bridge,” Tomas mumbled.

* * * * *

Adam sat shivering under a blanket provided by the emergency
services, holding Wren’s cold hand. A few yards away, despite what had to have
been a vicious blow to his head, Tomas stood wrapped in a blanket arguing with
two paramedics who wanted him to go to the hospital. No doubt Tomas itched to
find Marco and his goons, but he probably needed to get checked out.

Swimming in the River Aire was not something Adam wanted to
repeat. Even without the bullets, it was dark, dirty and dangerous. He
preferred a pool in a tropical climate. For the first time in a long while, he
actually wanted to go on holiday, but he needed these two with him.

Monique crouched in front of them. “You okay?”

“Where’s your accent?” Wren asked. “Damn, my teaching was
good.”

Monique chuckled.

Adam stared at her. “Who are you?”

She stood up. “Private detective. I’ve been looking for
twins who were registered at Ezispeke but seem to have never attended.”

Wren sighed. “That’s why you didn’t say anything to Olive
about me being in the office.”

“You were doing my work for me. At least the police will
listen now.”

After she walked away, Adam pulled Wren closer. “What part
of staying in the apartment did you not understand?”

“I heard this big splash and guessed what they’d done. Tomas
wasn’t swimming. I worried he might be unconscious, and I was right. If I’d
hesitated, he could have drowned.”

Adam pressed his lips to her forehead. “You were very brave
and I’m sorry I let you down.”

“How? If you hadn’t jumped in, we’d have both drowned.”

“I said I wouldn’t let you out of my sight.”

“I didn’t expect you to come into the bathroom with me.” She
squeezed his fingers and suddenly stiffened. “Oops. My mum and dad.”

Wren pushed to her feet as a tall, gray-haired guy rushed
toward her, followed by a pale-faced woman. Wren’s father pulled her into his
arms. Adam stood up as her mother reached them and she hugged Wren too.

“What part of staying in the apartment did you not
understand?” asked her father and Adam swallowed his smile.

“Did you get them?” Wren asked.

“Yes. Their car was stopped before they got out of the city
center. They’d tied up the Dock Street concierge to get access to Tomas’
apartment. The man managed to free himself, saw the car leaving the parking
area and took the number before he called the police.”

“How did you know there was trouble before I called you?”

Adam had wondered that too.

“Jovana called. She claimed to have helped Dragen because he
promised to tell her about Lule Kona. When she understood Lule was dead and
dumped at sea, she had even more reason to hate the guy. She felt bad about
what she did to you, sweetheart.”

“What about Marco?” Wren asked.

“Nothing yet.”

She shivered.

Tomas walked over wrapped in a blanket, his exposed knuckles
white.

“You okay?” Wren’s father asked.

“Yes. Need a hot shower.”

“I owe you an apology.” Her father faced Tomas. “I suspect I
was responsible for your loss of cover. I told Wren’s mother the amount of
money stolen from my daughter and she told her sister, who told her daughter
Belinda. She works at Ezispeke and blabbed to Olive, who repeated it to Marco,
along with the information that my sons and I are policemen. Olive hasn’t
stopped talking since she was taken in for questioning. Her assistant and
accountant have also been arrested.”

“It’s over.” Wren smiled.

“Apart from the hours you’ll spend giving statements.” Her
father held out his hand to Adam. “Thank you for jumping into the river and
saving my daughter.” He glanced at Tomas. “And one of my officers. I want all
three of you checked out in the hospital.”

“I’m fine,” Tomas said.

“You were unconscious in the river. You need antibiotics at
the very least. Get in the ambulance.”

“I quit,” Tomas said.

“Noted,” Wren’s father snapped. “Now get in the ambulance or
I’ll add to your concussion.”

Wren took hold of Tomas’ hand and tugged him toward the
vehicle. “My dad’s always right.”

Adam grinned and followed.

* * * * *

Wren stood under a torrent of hot water in the hospital
shower room and sighed with pleasure. In a perfect world, Adam and Tomas would
have been in here with her, but the men’s showers were down a different
corridor. She had a bruise on her ribs where she suspected she’d been kicked,
cuts and scrapes on her arms and legs from the rough landing on Adam’s balcony,
but other than that she was fine. Even the leather hood felt like a bad dream
now.

She rinsed the last of the shampoo from her hair and turned
off the water. A towel hung over the shower door and she dried herself before
she stepped out. Blue scrubs had been left and Wren dressed, slipping her feet
into paper bootees. Her dad had agreed to leave their statements until
tomorrow. All she wanted to do was curl up in bed with her guys. Tomas’
apartment had apparently been sealed off, but there was no reason they couldn’t
use Adam’s. Neither her mum nor her dad had asked about their relationship and
Wren was relieved. No way could she explain she was sleeping with both guys.
Not yet, anyway. Maybe never.

Tomas had insisted a nurse wait for her outside the shower
room but when Wren opened the door, a white-coated doctor stood there, a mask
over his—
oh fuck
. Marco slapped his hand over her mouth, cutting off her
scream, and shoved her back into the room. She spotted Veton behind, dressed in
scrubs and a mask, but he stayed outside. Marco wrapped his other arm around
her chest, trapping her arms by her sides.

“You’ve wrecked my business,” Marco hissed in her ear.
“Everything I’ve built up is gone because of you.”

Wren struggled and he tightened his hold, pressing his hand
more firmly on her mouth. She drew air through her nose in noisy bursts.

“You’re going to repay me. I know a guy in Paris who wants
to kill a woman while he’s fucking her. A million pounds for the act and
another million when I blackmail him afterward. Maybe more. It’s not enough, but
it’s something.”

The door opened and Tomas and Adam barged in. Marco’s
breathing hitched.

“Let her go,” Tomas said.

Marco dragged her backward. “I could snap her neck.”

Oh God.

“And go down for murder?” Tomas shot out his arm to stop
Adam moving forward.

The guys and her father had warned her to be on her guard.
They’d said not to fight, but damn that. She kicked her heel back into Marco’s
shin. His hold on her shifted and she twisted round and brought her knee up
hard into his groin. He let her go with a grunt of pain and she sprang forward
to Tomas and Adam. The door opened again and her father appeared.

“Well done,” her father said as Tomas wrenched Marco to his
feet.

“Now it’s over,” Wren said.

Her father smiled and nodded. “Now it’s over.”

* * * * *

Wren widened her eyes. The moment Adam had them both safe in
his apartment, he’d dragged the hall cabinet in front of the door.

“Get me a couple of stools out of the kitchen,” he said to
Tomas.

Tomas laughed. “Building a barricade?”

“He’s target hardening,” Wren said.

Adam turned and grinned. “I need to lock the door to the
balcony too, in case some other lunatic takes a leap. Christ, if I hadn’t left
it unlocked…if I hadn’t seen you, heard you.” He dragged his fingers through
his hair.

“I was champion hurdler at school. Along with girl most
likely to…”
Oops.

Tomas pulled her into his arms. “Most likely to what?”

“Not telling.”

Adam growled. He came up behind her and slipped his hands
under the waistband of her pants to cup her bottom. “We’ll tease it out of you.”

Tomas bent his head and brushed his mouth against hers. One
touch and Wren melted. His gentle nibbling of her lips sent ripples of pleasure
skittering down her spine. He slid his tongue along hers, circled it and kissed
her more deeply. While Tomas stroked her face, Adam caressed her butt.

When Tomas pulled back, his eyes glistened. “Thank you for
saving my life, girl-most-likely-to.”

“Adam did most of the work.”

Tomas squeezed Adam’s shoulder. “I owe him too.”

Adam leaned over Wren and kissed him. She groaned. If she
hadn’t already melted, that hot kiss would have done it. Watching the pair of
them made firecrackers jump in her belly. Then Adam switched to her, stealing
the air from her lungs. When he released her, Tomas scooped her into his arms.
He carried her into Adam’s bedroom and laid her gently on the bed.

“Girl most likely to?” Adam asked.

“Nowhere near enough teasing yet,” Wren said.

He and Tomas shot each other a look that wet her scrub pants
and then they stripped. Their cocks were already hard, jutting out from their
bodies, dark with blood, shiny with pre-cum.

“I thought you were supposed to take it easy. You’re
concussed,” Wren said.

“If I’m not allowed to go to sleep, I don’t think you two
should either.”

Wren swallowed as she stared at them. Tall, dark and
delicious.
Mine.
She wriggled out of the scrubs.

Tomas’ face darkened. “How did you get that bruise?”

“A kick, I think. It needs kissing better. All of me needs
kissing better. You’re so good at that.”

Adam lay on one side, Tomas the other, and they lowered
their mouths to her breasts. Wren groaned and squirmed as Adam licked and Tomas
sucked. Their fingers drifted down her body, thumbs drawing loops and circles,
hands dancing to the same tune and then a different one until Wren’s head began
to spin.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she surrendered, no longer sure
who was doing what, content to ride the electrical storm thundering in her
brain. Her inner thighs were soaked and she spread her legs, wanting to be
touched there, kissed, licked, fucked. But they stayed at her breasts, nipping,
laving, sucking while their hands remained north of her crotch. She threaded
her fingers in their hair, knowing the shorter cut was Adam’s, and stroked down
the nape of their necks to their shoulders.

Their mouths kissed wet paths to join their hands and when
they licked around her navel and made her skin flutter, her back arched. She
sucked in a breath, digging her nails into their backs.

“Enough kissing better,” she groaned.

“Girl most likely to what?” Adam asked.

Wren pressed her lips together, only for them to burst apart
a moment later when a soft mouth settled over her swollen folds. The muscles of
her sex clenched and she cried out.

“Together,” Adam whispered.

The two fingers taking turns sliding inside her belonged to
both of them. They held her legs apart with their bodies, their faces pressed
in the junction of her thighs. Two fingers thrusting in and out of her, a
tongue fluttering over her clit before another took its place, and Wren knew
she was being shared in every way.