by Eden Summers
“That’s not going to happen. Your family love you too much to leave you on your own.”
“No. You don’t understand.”
“I do. I get it now.” I step forward. “And what you’re feeling makes sense. It’s just unnecessary.”
“No.” She trembles. “No.”
“Come here.” I reach out. My chest tightens, waiting for her to deny my offer of physical comfort yet the rejection never comes.
She remains immobile as I wrap my arms around her and draw her into my chest. I hold her tight as she remains rigid. I cling to her as if my hold can fix her broken pieces.
But even now she doesn’t give in to weakness. There’re no tears. No sobs. Just silence.
She keeps everything bottled, the powder-keg of her suffering lying under the surface, waiting to explode.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise. We’ve all got your back,” I whisper into her hair. “Trust me.”
A shuffle of feet sounds near the door, making it clear someone is eavesdropping.
I expect to see Keira when a shadow passes the frame. Or maybe the kid. But when I tilt my gaze, it’s Decker who stares back at me, his expression of utter devastation letting me know he overheard at least some of our conversation.
He lowers his attention from my face to my hold on his sister and with each passing second his suffering increases. “I need to speak to you.”
Penny startles at his voice and shoves from my arms.
Yet again, I’ve taken two steps forward with her and ended up ten yards back.
“Give me a sec.” I return my attention to Penny as she continues her retreat.
Those moments of comfort did diddly-dick to help her. She’s still trembling, her face stricken and pale.
“Pen, I’ve gotta go and see what Decker wants. Will you be all right on your own for a minute?”
She doesn’t respond, just keeps distancing herself from me. From help.
“Penny?” I walk after her. “Are you going to be—”
“I’m fine.” She raises a hand, warding off my approach. “I’m fine,” she repeats softer. “I don’t need you.”
I’d love to say her words don’t sting like a bitch, but they do. Again she’s slicing me. Gashing.
“I’ll be back.” I stalk for the door, each step pained from the distance building between us, and enter the hall to be greeted by one temperamental motherfucker.
“How much did you hear?” I murmur under my breath.
“Enough.”
“She needs help.”
He scoffs. “I fucking know that. It’s the person she’s going to for the help that pisses me off.”
“She thinks she’s placing you in danger.”
“I heard,” he grates through clenched teeth.
“Well, did you also hear that she thinks you’re judging her? That you’re ashamed of what happened?”
His face transforms with fury. “Are you kidding?”
“No.”
“Fucking hell.” His voice echoes off the walls. “I’m not fucking judging her. I feel sorry for her. I hurt for her.” He pounds at his chest. “But what good is that when she won’t listen to me?”
I grab the sleeve of his shirt and drag him farther down the hall. “You need to sit her down and talk to her.”
“I fucking wish I could, but I can’t do it now.” He jerks away from me. “She shortened our timeline with the guard. You need to get back in there.”
“Shortened it how?”
“She stabbed him in the femoral. He’s bleeding out.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“How much time do we have?” I start for the gym, striding out the distance.
“I don’t know. I placed a tourniquet around his thigh, but it’s not going to save him. We might only have minutes. An hour at most.”
“How’s Torian?”
“Pissed. He’s sending her home.”
Whiplash brings me to a stop, making Decker almost walk straight through me. “When?”
“As soon as the jet returns, she’s got a one-way ticket to Portland.” He shoves me forward. “Without the kid.”
No, not without Tobias. That will fucking kill her.
I storm for the exercise room, needing to extinguish this fucking blaze before it builds. “Stay with her. Let me handle this.”
“Me? What the hell am I going to do? She won’t let me near her.”
“Just watch her. Make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.” I shove open the frosted glass door, make my way through the gym, and pull open the sauna.
Cole stands before the unconscious fucker in the chair, his hands bloodied.
“Is he still alive?” I ask.
“Does it matter? He’s past regaining consciousness.” Torian glares at me. “He’s useless to me now.”
I clamp my mouth shut, well aware that the look in his eyes is born from rage. There’s no reasoning with him when he’s like this. There’s no hope in hell.
“As soon as the jet returns, she’s gone,” he seethes. “Not a second longer.”
Fuck me, but I nod.
I agree because I want her away from all this.
I fucking comply because the sooner she’s safe back in the States, the sooner she can heal. “Let her take the kid.”
His lip curls as he straightens. “No. She gets no favors from me.”
“The kid isn’t a favor. It’s a safety concern. Let him go with her.”
“No,” he snarls. “He stays with me.”
“You’re going to risk his life by keeping him here?”
“I’m not risking anything.” He takes a threatening step toward me. “I protect my family. Always have. Always will. Reinforcements are on the way. Our asses will be covered soon enough.”
“That’s helpful, but—”
“We’re done discussing this. I’m not negotiating for her. She’s too much of a fucking complication. Her ass is leaving and that’s final.” He bumps by me to shove from the sauna, the quick nudge to my shoulder a burning poker to my brain.
Fuck.
I stumble into the gym after him, then stop to hang my head and massage my temples, hoping the movement will help me figure out where to go from here. How to fight for her.
“Is he dead?” Keira asks.
I glance up, finding her and Decker holding open the frosted door to the hall.
“He might as well be.”
“What happens now?” Decker continues forward, looking to me for guidance I don’t fucking have.
“She’s leaving.”
He winces. “With the kid?”
“No. But maybe it’s for the best. For Tobias and her. She’s not stable enough to be his main caregiver.”
“Well, good luck telling her that.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “She won’t take it well.”
“I’m not going to be the one to tell her.”
His eyes flare. “You expect it to be me? Are you fucking kidding? Seconds ago you were hugging her, but I’m the one who has to deliver the bad news? She can’t even stand the sight of me.”
“She’s going to have to get used to it. You both are. I’m not telling her, or taking her home. That’s up to you now.”
“Fuck me.” He wipes a hand down his face.
“Unless you’d prefer if I was the one who escorted her.” It’s a joke. A lame one. But for a second my chest tightens at the thought of being her savior for a little longer. It’s not a role I want, though. My sights are firmly focused on taking down Luther’s operation one motherfucker at a time. I made Penny a promise and I intend to keep it.
“No way in hell.” He turns to the door. “I’ll take care of it.”
I follow him with Keira close at my back.
We reach the open doorway to the bedroom, Penny’s soft sniffles sounding from inside.
“Give me some fucking space,” Decker grumbles, then disappears into the room, flicking on the light and closing the door in his wake.
/> There’s a feminine murmur of protest from inside as Keira gently grabs my arm.
“Let them have some privacy.” She attempts to tug me farther along the hall.
I don’t move. “In a minute.”
She blinks her pretty eyes at me, soundlessly begging me to follow.
“Not now, Keira. I said I’ll follow in a minute.”
“He needs time alone with her. Please don’t make this harder for him.” She pauses, waiting for a reply. “Please, Luca, don’t interrupt them.” She backtracks. “I’ll be waiting for you in the living room.”
I ignore her as she leaves, all my senses hyper-attuned to what’s going on behind that door.
Yes, I know Decker is protective of his sister. But I am, too.
I’m not going to leave her at the mercy of a situation she doesn’t want, even if she’s going to have to face it sooner rather than later.
I lean against the wall beside the doorframe and listen for every word.
“Stay where you are,” Penny demands. “Don’t come near me.”
Decker sighs. “I’m not going to hurt you. How do you not know that?”
She doesn’t reply.
“You’re going home,” he continues. “I think Cole’s waiting on his jet to return from this morning. Or maybe he’s calling in one that’s close by, but this is all over.”
I picture her gorgeous face pale with surprise. Bright eyes. Shock-parted lips. Her panic would be a tragic sight I itch to see and the temptation to take a peek eats at me.
It’s the painful reminder of the remaining news that keeps me in place.
“Did you hear me?” Decker asks. “Do you understand? You’re going home. You’ll be able to see Mom and Dad. And God, they’re going to be so fucking happy.”
Shit. I should’ve warned him not to mention their parents.
“I don’t want to see them.” Her protest is growled. “You can’t make me.”
“It will be good for you. They can help.”
“Penny?” Tobias’s voice carries down the hall, his sleepy face coming into view from a bedroom up ahead. “Where is she?”
I hold a finger to my lips as he approaches, lazily blinking away sleep as the shirt I gave him hangs from his shoulders like an oversized bag.
“She’s in there,” I whisper. “Talking with her brother.”
“Can I see her?”
“In a minute.”
“No.” Penny raises her voice from behind the wooden door. “You’re not taking me away from him. Tobias stays with me.”
The little boy’s eyes widen. “They’re talking about me.” He lunges for the handle, determined to get inside. “Penny?”
For a second I consider grabbing him, using a hand around his mouth to smother his yell. It takes another split second to figure out how fucking stupid that would be. Not only because it would scare the shit out of the kid, but because there’s no way Penny didn’t already hear him.
“Tobias?”
The boy shoves open the door and rushes inside.
I don’t follow. As much as it kills me, I remain there against the wall, giving them the privacy Keira requested.
“What’s going on?” Tobias demands. “What’s happening?”
“Nothing.” I imagine Penny soothing him with a motherly cuddle. “My brother and I are just having a misunderstanding.”
“It’s not a misunderstanding, Penny. You’re going home. After all this time you get to return to the people who love you the most.”
“No,” she yells, the pitch razoring through my head. “You’re not taking me away from him. Tobias stays with me.”
Silence stretches, and this time I have no trouble picturing the standoff inside that room. I can clearly see her defiance. The strong stance. The warrior expression.
“Penny, please,” Decker begs. “Torian isn’t going to let his brother go anywhere without him.”
“Then he can return to the States with us. He can leave, too, because I won’t go anywhere without Toby.”
“Penny…”
“So help me God, Sebastian, if you separate us you’re as good as dead to me.”
Fuck.
I push from the wall and step into the open doorway. They all look at me. Three sets of eyes begging for my assistance.
“Talk to him,” Penny demands. “Tell him I’m not leaving Toby.”
I wish I could.
Right now, I’d give anything to make her panicked gaze soften. To relax the stiffness in a posture that must be almost crippled with exhaustion.
“It’s not your brother’s decision.” I start toward her. “That lies with Torian, and he’s not going to change his mind. Tobias needs to get to know his family. They will look after—”
“No.” She shakes her head and clutches the boy’s shoulders, dragging him to stand before her. “No.”
“Let him get to know them. Let him spend more time alone with Keira and Cole now so you can see how comfortable he is before the jet arrives.”
“No.” Her eyes widen, growing frantic. “I won’t leave without him.”
“Penny, no amount of protesting will change Cole’s mind. After what you pulled with the guard, you’ve stamped your own ticket home. It’s your choice whether you willingly walk onto the jet, or if we need to take alternate measures to get you on there safely.”
Her lips part on silent words and the pained betrayal she levels on me is fucking brutal. I’ve gone from being her rescuer to her tormentor in the space of a few heartbeats, and I’ve gotta admit, the punishment is more severe than the pound in my head.
I want to help her. I always have. But right now, I can’t stop agreeing with Torian. She needs to get out of here. If not for safety reasons, then for her mental health. “Leaving without him will be a good thing. You can focus on yourself to start healing.”
“Do not make decisions for me. You can’t do this. You promised,” she implores, clinging tighter to a boy who seems more frightened of her reaction than his future. “You said—”
“I promised to keep you safe. To protect you.”
She backs herself into the wall, frantically dragging Tobias with her. “You said you wouldn’t hurt me. This is you hurting me.”
“Penny,” I warn. “You’re scaring the kid. I’m sure you realize the last thing you want to do is drive a wedge between him and the people who will now be taking over his care.”
She swallows, her tongue frantically snaking out to swipe her lower lip. “I’m all he’s got.”
Somehow, deep down, I think she knows she’s got the statement backward. He’s all she’s got. He’s her hope. Her light. He’s probably the only thing she has left to fight for, which makes this even harder.
“Penny, it’s okay. I don’t mind staying.” Tobias peers up at her. “They were nice to me while you were gone. Keira told me lots of things about my family that I didn’t know. I even have a niece who lives in Portland where Baba came from. But she’s my age. Isn’t that weird?”
The poor fucking kid is trying to console her and I’m sure she sees it.
Her wince says it all.
“She’s also Luca’s niece,” he adds. “Luca and I share the same family.”
Penny glances at me, her wince transforming to confusion before settling into more betrayal. She’s judging me, disapproving of yet another connection to a crime-riddled syndicate. “You’re family?”
I wish I could ignore my spike in annoyance but that fucker increases the pressure in my skull. “My brother married Torian’s other sister, Layla.”
She narrows her eyes. “Congratulations. Their relationship must be lucrative for you.”
I don’t respond, not with more than a mimicked squint.
I can be her punching bag if that’s what she needs. Yeah, it fucking stings after everything I’ve done for her. But I get it. She’s hurting.
“Tobias, why don’t you let Penny have some space for a little while?” I reach out and beckon him forward.
“She needs time to think.”
“Penny?” The boy looks between me and the woman holding him hostage, searching for guidance from opposing sides. “What should I do?”
She drags her gaze to him, the tip of her nose turning red.
“It’s okay.” I keep my arm outstretched. “She’s going to be right here. I just want you to get to know your family better before she leaves. It will be good for her to see you settle in.”
Tobias continues ping-ponging his attention between us, raising the tension in the room. When he takes his first step away Penny’s face falls, her arms wrapping around her middle as she squeezes her eyes shut.
“I’ll take him.” Decker reaches for the kid, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go see what Keira is up to.”
Penny turns her back to me and faces the wall, her posture stiff as Tobias is led from the room. She doesn’t cry. Or if she does, I don’t hear it. There’s no tremble in her shoulders. No more sniffling.
She remains strong. So fucking strong.
I don’t break the silence and neither does she. I just watch her, wishing I knew how to make this easier.
“You promised,” she mumbles. “You said you wouldn’t hurt me, but you already have.”
“This isn’t me hurting you. Being sent home is a result of your actions, not mine. We needed that guard to talk and now he’s useless.”
“Useless?” She swings around to face me. “Why?”
“You hit an artery. He passed out from blood loss. And if he isn’t already dead, he soon will be.”
For a brief second, I expect her to crumple. To wither under the news. Instead, she squares her shoulders, emboldened by her increasing murder tally.
“We needed him for information. Now we’re back to flying blind.” I chance a step forward. “You can’t blame Torian for being pissed.”
“I can blame him for a whole lot of things.”
I shrug. “And if it makes you feel better, go ahead. But you don’t know the guy. He had no clue about his father’s schemes. He didn’t even know about Tobias. He might be a bit sketchy when it comes to the way he earns his money, but he’s not like Luther.”
“I find that hard to believe. Luther spoke to people in Portland all the time. Almost daily. They knew what was going on.”
