Page 109 of Five

“We will when you’re ready,” I say.

“We?” His voice is filled with so much hope and sorrow.

“Silly Little Wasp,” Bez whispers.

“We love you, Lori Boone. You belong with us. It’s a promise.” I kiss his wet cheek and push his curls back.

“Love you right back,” he whispers.

“Your gran sounded amazing. I wish I met her.”

“She loved spicy romance, if we put her urn in here, she’ll have a front seat to your hotness every night.” I’m glad to hear some mirth in his voice again.

“And morning,” I add.

“She wanted to be tossed in Lake Michigan, but I-I can’t let her go.”

Ollie let it slip out when I asked him about the urn. I open the nightstand and pull out a silver chain with a small pendant. A ball I had made for Lori. I place it in his palm. “It’s a tiny urn. If you twist the bottom, it opens, so you can keep a very small part of her always with you.” Lori stares at me, eyes unblinking.

Did you break him with the mushy present?Bez grunts.

“Uh, you can also engrave the ball, writing something to remember her with.” Still nothing.

He hates it! Stop talking.

“If it’s a bad idea, just forget about it. We can put it back—” I try to take it from his palm, but Lori makes a fist around it.

“This is crazy,” he finally breaths out. “How can you be this perfect when I thought you were all wrong?”

A wave of relief washes over me and our crazy, consuming love seems to sparkle all around us.

Then I hear a thump coming from the bathroom in the corridor—Wednesday’s room now—just as my phone starts ringing. It’s Rague.

“I’ll go check on her, you answer the phone,” Lori tells me after giving me a hard kiss.

“Any news?” I say into the phone.

“Not what you’re expecting. Meg is still the same. Raph, Michael, and Linda are at the hospital with her.”

“So, what is it?”

“Someone dropped Philip Bailey, tied up like a pig, on Uri’s lake house steps. He’s still alive, but he had an arrow in his left arm and one in his left cheek…ass cheek.”

Fuck yes,Bez comments.

“Do we know who?”

He grunts. “Nope. You need to come to the base. Bring Lori. I have a little surprise for you.”

“Coming.” I leave the bed, and Lori is back just as I hang up. “Meg?” he asks, leaving Wednesday on the floor. She starts pecking at the carpet. I’ll have to change it soon if she keeps using her beak to make holes.

“No, but Philip Bailey is at the base.”

“They got him?! I’m coming too!” he hurriedly says, taking a defensive stance, which is not very convincing since he’s butt naked. And all mine.

Ours,Bez reminds me.

“You are coming.”