He sits up straighter and cocks his ear toward the glass doors. “Well, that’s too bad, because I can already hear their boat.”
8
Penny
I encourage Tobias onto the bed and begin to pace.
Luca had repeatedly referred to one of my brothers, never mentioning which of the two he was in contact with. Then he’d placed the call and the answering message had kicked in.
The familiar voice had collided with my skepticism, smashing it to smithereens.
Sebastian—the youngest of my two older siblings. The one who kept the high school bullies at bay. The playful jokester.
He has ties to Luca? He’s on his way here?
“What’s wrong?” Tobias pulls his knees to his chest and cuddles his legs. “What’s happening?”
“Nothing.” I stop mid-pace. “I’m just thinking.”
“About Nina and Lilly?”
“Yes.” I paste on a smile. “Abi and Chloe, too. We need to get back to them. It’s really important.”
He nods, not a moment of hesitation. “I don’t want to stay here.”
“Me either. And we won’t. Not for long. But we might have to be a little sneaky to make sure we leave as soon as possible. Do you think you can handle that?”
“I’m always sneak—”
I hold up a hand, silencing him at the rumble of sound approaching the island. It’s a boat. The grumble grows louder and louder.
My chest tightens. Arrhythmia takes over.
If that’s Sebastian… if my brother is actually here…
A curdled mix of emotions strangle my insides—excitement, apprehension, impatience, fear.
I rush to the door and tilt my head to hear Luca and Cole’s conversation. They’re arguing about Anissa and when she should be sent home.
I hear the monotonous scrape of cleaning. The increased rumble from the boat. The building pound in my ears. Then the engine is cut and the fading gurgle makes me nauseous with indecision.
I itch to run for a brother that might be here to save me, yet I should hide from him, too.
I need him, and I have to stay away.
I can’t fall victim to weakness now. Not when my battle is far from over. Those women in Luther’s house are my top priority and succumbing to the allure of a savior won’t help any of us.
A door whooshes open in the distance. An unfamiliar woman’s voice rings out. And another. More men, too. But none I recognize.
I begin to sag with pained relief that my brother isn’t here when a cocky voice enters the mix.
“I’m told I have some secret present waiting for me.”
I suck in a ragged breath.
It’s him.
Sebastian.
My blood surges. My heart pounds.
I’m torn. Broken in two. It’s killing me not knowing if I should knock down my walls or build them higher. Keep battling or finally embrace vulnerability.
Every limb trembles with the need to surrender. I want, want, want my demons slain for me. It’s all I yearn for. Yet I can’t count on anyone. Not even a brother I previously would’ve entrusted with my life.
I back away from the door, letting longing slowly slip through my fingers.
“We need to get out of here, little guy.” I paste on a smile and turn to Tobias still sitting on the bed. “Are you ready for an adventure?”
“Where are we going? Will we take Baba’s boat back to Naxos?”
“Maybe. Do you know how to drive a boat?” I make the question light-hearted even though I seriously have no idea how we’re going to get off this island. I’m not sure I’d even know how to drive a car anymore, let alone a boat.
He gives me a sheepish grin, the first pleasure-filled expression he’s shown since this morning. “A little. Baba would let me steer the wheel sometimes.”
“That’s perfect.”
It’s entirely not perfect, but I’ll figure it out.
If we can escape without being noticed maybe I can wave down a fisherman or some tourists. Someone has to be on the water nearby.
I help Tobias from the bed and lead him to the window. “We’re going to climb out.” I grip the frame, about to pull the window open when I notice the motion sensors attached to the glass.
Goddammit.
“What’s wrong?” Tobias asks. “Do you need my help to lift it?”
My heart clenches at his sweetness. “No. It’s okay. But maybe going out the window isn’t the best idea.”
I need to think.
Think. Think. Think.
My brain fails me, my concentration continuously returning to the mumbled words carrying from the living room.
“Penny?” Tobias grips my blouse. “I need to use the bathroom.”
Shit.
“Can you hold on? Just for a little while?”
He winces. “I don’t know.”
“Where. The fuck. Is she?” My brother bellows from the living room.
He knows.
He’s been told I’m alive.
I swing around, searching for another way of escape. I can’t see him. Fragility already chips away at my bones.
“Penny?” Tobias tugs my blouse. “I’m scared.”
I exhale a pained breath.
Think. Think. Think.
Pounding footsteps approach, the thunder echoing inside my chest, the noise adding to the thud of my pulse.
Then everything stops as if the world was carried away on the breeze.
There’s no sound. No movement. Only the skitter of awareness at the back of my neck that tells me we’re no longer alone.
“Penny?”
This time my name isn’t spoken by Tobias.
It’s him. The man I’ve fought not to think about for months on end.
I tremble. Everywhere.
It’s hard to breathe as I turn and meet Sebastian’s stare in the doorway.
Sweet relief floods my system, drowning me in happiness.
Weakness.
I raise my chin to the threat. Square my shoulders and force myself not to break.
“Penny?” he repeats, his forehead wrinkled in anguish.
He’s older now, his bright eyes dull, his full smile non-existent. The man standing in the doorway has been hardened from the joyful young adult I remember.
I’m not sure I know this man and I’m certain he no longer knows me.
Tobias tugs my blouse again and whispers my name.
“It’s okay, Toby.” I clear the emotion from my throat but can’t stop myself from guiding him to move behind me. “There’s nothing to fear.”
It’s a lie.
I used to dream of this reunion. I’d picture how I would run to Sebastian once he’d saved me from this horror. I’d cry. He’d cry. Mom, Dad, and my older brother, Graham, would be there, too.
But those thoughts were merely fantasies when my captor made certain I would never be free.
I fear for my safety like never before. I’m scared this man will blind me to reality. That I’ll get washed up in the reunion I’ve longed for and forget that Luther has a plan for me that won’t end even though he’s dead.
“Oh, God, I can’t believe you’re alive.” Sebastian rushes forward.
I panic. Full-blown hysteria takes over.
“Stop.” I scramble backward, shielding Tobias behind me, one hand on his shoulder, the other stretched out in front of me in warning. “Stay where you are.”
My brother freezes. “Penny, it’s me.” His voice is filled with rejection. And the way he looks at me. God. I can’t take it.
I don’t know how he got mixed up with Luca and Cole. I’m not sure I want to know. But I can’t join him.
My sisters are still in danger. My new family need my help. And I won’t be anything other than worthless if I let my brother take one step closer to my temperamental stability.
“I don’t want to see you.” I backtrack, inching closer to the window.
He jerks as if my words hit him
like a physical blow.
I can’t take the guilt. His sorrow strips layers from me—his judgment at who I’ve become slices deep.
“Please leave.” I hold his stare, not softening the harshness of my expression. “Now.”
His lips part. Shoulders slump. “I…”
Luca appears in the doorway, infusing me with relief.
“Get him out of here,” I beg. “Please.”
“Don’t panic.” Luca edges into the room, stopping beside Sebastian. “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
I have everything to worry about—my brothers’ safety, and that of my parents. I don’t want any of them near me. Not now. Not ever.
“Make him leave.” I creep closer and closer to the window.
“I will, I promise, but you need to tell me why.”
I shake my head. I don’t need to tell him anything. Not when my trust in him bounces like a rubber ball. One minute he’s my savior, the next my captor.
“What the hell is going on?” Sebastian murmurs. “Why is she scared of me?”
The answer clogs my throat, the words filled with far too much depth and destruction for anyone to understand. Nobody here is capable of comprehending my fear over what I could do to him. What the dangers surrounding me will bring.
I just want to go back to pretending my family doesn’t exist. My meager strength was far less brittle then.
Luca doesn’t quit holding my gaze. He keeps the visual connection steady, not judging, not sympathizing. Just strong.
“Penny, Decker has put his life on the line for a long time all in an effort to find you.”
I continue to back away, not wanting to hear the placations.
“He didn’t willingly begin working with Cole,” he continues. “It was all for you.”
“You work for Cole?” I pin my brother with a stare, my insides begging for him to deny the betrayal. “You work for the family who took me?”
“It’s not like that.” He shakes his head. “It’s complicated.”
“We didn’t know.” A woman inches into the room. “We had no idea what was happening in Greece.”
I cast my gaze over her, from the gleaming shoes, to the designer clothes, all the way up to her subtly perfect make-up. She’s beautiful. But there’s something about her that sets me on edge. A familiarity. “Who are you?”
“Keira.” She gives a sad smile. “I’m Cole’s sister. And I’m told this little guy is my half-brother.” Her smile increases as she looks at Tobias. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
The hair on the back of my neck prickles.
The familiarity makes sense now. She’s Luther’s daughter. She even has the devil’s eyes. His full lips, too.
“Get them out of here,” I demand of Luca. “Or give me a way off this island. Now.”
Tobias trembles behind me, the tremors of his body sinking into mine.
“Penny.” Luca’s voice is smooth. “You’re not a prisoner here. You can both move around freely—get something to eat, have a shower, get changed, sleep if you want. But it’s not safe to leave.”
“I can look after myself.”
“Can you?” He raises a brow. “All on your own? Without the kid? Because there’s no way in hell Torian will let you leave with his brother.”
I don’t react to the threat.
I knew Tobias would be their invisible shackle. Yet the delivery of the blow still leaves a gaping wound. “So he’s the prisoner now?”
“No.” Luca takes another step. “There are no prisoners. The kid is Torian’s brother. He’s family. You have no right to take him.”
“I have every right. I’m the only parental figure he has left. I’m his teacher. His friend. His cook. His maid. I’m the one who tucks him in at night.”
“Penny.” Tobias clings tighter to me. “Please don’t leave me.” His heartbreaking kiddy sniffles return.
“You would take him from me after everything he’s witnessed today? After all the stories he’s been told?” I beg Luca with my eyes when I’d prefer to glare. Claw. Retaliate. “Can you imagine what he’s thinking right now? Luther told him you were the enemy. He was forced to attack Cole. Now you want to take him from the only familiarity he has left?”
Toby’s trembles increase, adding fuel to my argument.
“I’m not the enemy.” The woman crouches. “Tobias, I would never do anything to hurt you. We’re family.”
Her words are gentle. The delivery soft. She’s trying to win him over, bit by bit, second by second.
“You can attempt to brainwash him all you want,” I snip. “Believe me, he’s grown accustomed to the family trait, but he still can’t stay here. He needs his medicine.”
“What medicine?” Luca demands.
“He’s diabetic.” I squeeze Tobias’s shoulder and hope to hell he realizes it’s a sign for him to keep his mouth shut. “He needs regular injections. If I don’t get him home soon he’ll get sick. He could die.”
Keira stands, her attention swaying from Sebastian to Luca and back again. “We need to tell Cole.”
“Wait.” Luca’s eyes narrow on me. “The kid is diabetic?”
I swallow, suddenly unsettled with the thought of pinning more attention on Tobias.
“I assume there are risks associated with taking them back to Dad’s house,” Keira adds.
Dad.
God, the parental term when referencing Luther is abhorrent. He was never a father. Only a monster.
“The risks are monumental,” Luca growls, his focus turning harsh. “They’re not going back there.”
I stand taller. “Do you plan on forcibly stopping me?”
“You bet I do.”
“Luca,” Sebastian warns. “Watch yourself.”
My heart squeezes at the protection. Squeezes then flounders.
I remain locked tight in a visual battle with Luca, his scrutiny scathing as he attempts to stare me down.
“We need to talk,” he tells me. “In private.”
“Like hell you do.” Sebastian steps closer. “I’m not leaving you alone with her.”
Luca doesn’t falter. He keeps his eyes narrowed on mine. “Now,” he speaks to me.
I don’t know what this is about. But I can see the determination in his expression. Whatever it is holds importance.
“Leave us,” I murmur.
“That’s not going to happen.” Sebastian crosses his arms over his chest. “I’ll never let you out of my sight again.”
My heart protests the protection, wanting it and rejecting it at the same time.
“Get out.” I raise my voice. “I don’t want you here.”
Pain seeps into his features, tainting everything it touches—his eyes, his lips.
“And take the kid,” Luca adds.
“What?” I grasp Tobias’s shoulders. “No.”
“It’s only for a few minutes. Keira can get him something to eat.”
The woman nods. “I’ll look after him.”
I glare at her—the daughter to my rapist, the blood of my nightmares.
“Nothing is going to happen to him,” Luca continues. “He’s with family here.”
“I don’t like this,” Sebastian growls. “I want to know what the hell is going on.”
The room falls silent waiting for me to make the next move. I don’t know what to do—succumb to my brother, give Luca what he wants, or forge ahead with my demand to leave.
Every option has pitfalls, but none more so than my lack of confidence to get off this island alone or my fear at dragging my brother into a mess he won’t survive.
That leaves Luca.
“Let us talk in private.” I glance away, wanting the surly man to know I’m not happily obliging to his request.
There’s more silence, where I feel my brother’s wince instead of seeing it. His disappointment ebbs through the room, dirtying my skin.
“If you need anything,” he bites out, “you fucking yell, okay? Scream and I’
ll be back in here to kill this motherfucker before he can take another breath.”
I don’t show my appreciation. I can’t. Letting my guard down and thanking him isn’t something I can come back from. Instead, I turn to crouch before Tobias, yet again pasting on a dishonest smile.
“I don’t want to go,” he starts. “I want to stay with you.”
“I know. But you’re going to be fine.” I pray I’m not lying to him. I beg the heavens to grant me this one favor. “It’s only for a few minutes.”
“You promise?”
“Of course I do. I’d never put you in harm’s way. You know that.” I grab his hands. “Go. Get some food. Take a look around.”
“But—”
“It’s time to listen, Tobias. This is important. Remember what I said about getting back home?”
He nods, his face pinched with understanding.
“Good.” I squeeze his fingers. “We need to get the others. And to do that I have to talk to Luca.”
He sinks his teeth into his lower lip as if fighting off the need to disobey.
“It’s only a few minutes,” I repeat. “Find me something to eat.”
“Come on, kiddo.” Sebastian’s voice is filled with reluctance. “Neither one of us want to leave her, so let’s do it together.”
I ignore the ache in my heart and lean forward to whisper in Toby’s ear. “Don’t answer any questions. Don’t tell them anything.”
He wraps his arms around me, clinging tight as if we’re about to be separated for months instead of moments. “I’ll be smart.”
“I know you will.” I pull back and give him a quick kiss on the forehead. “Go.”
He holds his head high as he walks toward the strangers, Keira reaching out a hand he refuses to take.
That little boy has a wealth of fortitude. With his upbringing, he had no choice. Violence has been an everyday occurrence. He was raised on a steady diet of brutality.
He hasn’t even cried over his father’s death—there have only been a million sniffles to hold the emotion at bay. He will break, though. Once he feels safe he’ll temporarily slip into the child he’s meant to be, letting the heartache free before he becomes the product of his emotionless father all over again.
“We’ll be back soon.” Sebastian starts for the door. “And we’re not going far.”
Savior Page 9
