Sweet Pain (Amatucci Family #3) - Sadie Jacks Page 0,5
attention. “Penn,” he said.
I looked down at him. Raised my eyebrows.
“If some of what I’m seeing and hearing from these videos is even close to verifiable, there’s going to be a shitshow I can’t contain.” He looked at Willow. His mouth twisted into a broken line. “Seventy-three victims. She’s going to be crucified in the media.” He looked up at me. “Get in front of this. Now. Start working with someone who understands media relations. Put together a press package.”
I opened my mouth to slap him back.
He held up a hand. “We won’t be pressing charges.” He shook his head again. “There’s obviously enough data here that indemnifies her, exonerates her. But the families? They’re going to want blood. If you care for that woman at all, get a media consultant. A good one.” He let me go, turned back to his laptop.
I looked at my woman. Stronger than anyone knew, she was a huddled mess of nerves and anxiety right now. I saw her foot tapping under the table, her shoulders vibrating as she wrote her account. All I wanted to do was wrap her up in my arms and carry her far away from here. But I couldn’t. It simply wasn’t in the cards yet.
Joining Mas and Nico, I caught the tail end of their conversation. “It’s happening, Nico. I can’t not look into it. Tell Momma and Papa.” Mas shook off his brother’s hand and turned around. Headed out the door.
Nico growled low in his throat. “Fuck.”
“He going to find his daughter?” I asked softly.
Nico nodded as he turned around. “I can’t say I blame him, but now isn’t the time to be doing it. We need to stay under the radar. We’ve already brought too much attention to ourselves as it is. Our business could end up suffering from all the police exposure.”
He lifted his head, looked at Willow. The woman he’d loved for a long time. The woman I was pretty sure he now considered merely a sister. At least he’d better. He squeezed his eyes together, scrubbed his hands down his face. “We’ve got to get out of this bunker. Breathe some fresh air.” He yanked at the collar of his shirt.
Tali came in, a police officer trailing behind her. “I gave them Nathaniel’s name.” Her teeth were gritted. “His punishment should be mine to dole out, but he’s on that stupid footage.” She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “He just better hope he gets sentenced to a very long term in prison.” She glared into the empty space between us.
I shuddered mentally. I was fiercely glad I wasn’t on the other end of that look. Tali might look like a puffball with a sexy mouth, but after watching her protect Willow and drill me with looks that froze my balls? Yeah, I wasn’t going to get on the woman’s bad side. I almost felt bad for Nathaniel.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Willow rise from her chair. She walked over to Wright, the slightest limp in her right leg. My brow furrowed. I ran over my abuse of her from the night before. I hadn’t done anything to her legs—they’d had enough damage.
I leaned forward, whispered to the Amatucci siblings who were lost in their own worlds. “Does it look like Willow is limping to you guys?”
They both turned.
After a minute of watching their adopted sister, they looked at me. Nodded.
Shit. I met Willow in the middle of the room. Swung her up into my arms. “Wright, we’re going to see the doctor in our group. Send a man to follow us if you need to.” With that, I spun on my heel and walked out of the room.
I looked at the woman in my arms. “You’re limping. Are you okay?”
She looked up at me, studied my face. With a sad smile, she nodded. “I’m tired, Ryker. So very tired.” She laid her head on my chest. “Everything hurts.”
My heart seized in my chest. “Like medically hurts or emotionally hurts.”
Her chuckle was raw. “Both.” Her breath gasped in and out of her chest. “Both, hero.”
I pulled her closer to me and picked up my pace. “Jessa!” I called out.
The good doctor looked at me from down the hallway. She came rushing over. “What’s wrong?” She looked at the woman in my arms. “Willow?”
My girl dissolved into tears. “It hurts. Everything hurts.”