“I rang Deck. He’s freaked. Torian said he’d make some calls. Both are on their way here so you should probably hide. Her brother is going to kill you.”
“Me?” I glare. “I looked after her flawlessly for weeks. Then she spent two seconds with you and decided to run.”
“It wasn’t us she was running from.” Sarah speaks up. “It was you.”
“What the fuck does that mean? What the hell did I do?”
“Who gives a shit?” Hunter asks. “She took my car. My ninety fucking thousand-dollar car.”
I stop pacing and lunge for him, grabbing the front of his shirt. “She’s missing, and all you care about is your fucking car?”
He bares his teeth, his eyes narrowed. “That car is fully customed, asshole.”
“Your face is going to be fully customed soon, motherfucker.” I shove at his chest and back away before I kill him. “Which way did she go?”
“Why don’t you give her a few minutes?” Sarah follows after me. “She might calm down and come home on her own.”
“Calm down from what?”
She cringes. “She was asking questions about where you were. Hunter told her the truth.”
“The truth?” After weeks with minimal headaches, my brain pounds with an energetic migraine. “What did he tell her?”
“That you went out to get laid.”
Her answer hits me like a sucker punch.
Penny knows. She knows, and she ran.
“Forgive me for not being aware it was a huge fucking secret.” Hunter gives me the bird. “A little insight would’ve gone a long way.”
I’m going to kill him. Slowly. Painfully.
“Decker’s here.” Sarah jerks her chin toward the road as a car pulls into the curb.
In seconds, Penny’s brother is running toward us. “Where is she?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to start searching.” I make for the driveway, unwilling to stand here with my dick in my hand. “Don’t go anywhere.” I shove a finger in Hunter’s direction. “Call me as soon as you hear anything.”
“How come I get stuck here?”
“Because you’ve got no fucking ride, you piece of shit.”
I climb into my car, gun the engine, and start circling blocks. One after another, after another.
Apart from making the decision to run, Penny’s a smart woman. She wouldn’t have gone far. I’m pinning my hopes on her remaining close to familiar territory.
But the more blocks I circle, the more I panic.
She could be anywhere. Without a phone. Without money. Without a fucking safe haven.
“Fuck.” I smash my palms against the wheel. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
This is my fault.
If I hadn’t let her kiss me… If I’d been able to keep my fucking dick in line…
“Where the hell are you, Penny?”
I drive faster, scanning darkened sidewalks and house yards.
If something happens to her I’ll never forgive myself.
Never. Fucking. Forgive.
My phone rings. This time, it’s Decker.
“What?” I answer.
“I just got a call from Torian. He thinks he found her.”
“Where? Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. Just get back to the house. He said he’d meet us here.”
14
Penny
I’m lost.
I don’t know what side of the city I’m on. I have no clue which direction leads home.
Home.
God.
That’s not what Luca’s house is. Not anymore. Not when visions of what he’s currently doing assault my mind with every blink.
I should never have relied on him in the first place.
Now I’ve lost Abi and Chloe. Tobias is no longer in my care. And my protector is gone, choosing to share his body with a stranger.
I’m stupid not to have figured it out earlier. I’d been floating in a dream-like state as we’d kissed, my lips gently pressed to his, while he drew back in revulsion.
He couldn’t get away fast enough.
I pull over and shift the car into park on a quiet industrial road, barely able to see through the blur in my vision.
I’m not going to cry again. Those days of tears didn’t help anyway.
Grief still weighs me down. My past hasn’t changed.
But the pain from Luca intensifies.
I’d wanted him to like me. I’d carelessly thought he had. That his protection was more than a job. That he wasn’t like the other men who were only interested in sex.
Boy, was I wrong.
“Goddammit.” I pound my fist against my thigh and scream. The piercing sound fills my ears. My head. I keep belting my heart out until there’s no voice left to give. Until my lungs are dry and my throat is hoarse.
Then I slump into the leather seat, and become illuminated by the bright lights of a car pulling up behind me.
Shit.
They found me. Already. I haven’t even successfully left the city,