“No.” She scoots away. “I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to see any of them. I just want to leave.”
I let her place space between us, taking it as a win that she’s finally acknowledged her brother, no matter how minimal the admission.
“Penny…” Tobias tangles his fingers in her blouse, pulling the material down until he’s close to popping a button. “I’m scared.”
Her hyperventilating lessens.
Everything dilutes—the shaking of her head, the blink of fear-filled eyes. She reins in her crazy for the boy’s sake.
“I’m sorry.” She pivots to him, engulfing his shoulders in her arms to pull him tight against her. “There’s no need to be scared. I’m just a little…”
“Overwhelmed?” I offer.
She winces and follows it up with a nod. “He’s right. I’m overwhelmed.”
“Is he still a bad man?” the kid mumbles, looking at me from his shielded position against her side. “Dad said he was telling Cole bad things.”
Great. Fucking great.
I turn my attention to Penny and raise a brow. I’m not touching the kid’s question with a ten-foot pole. One, because he sure as shit won’t believe me. And two, because I have no idea what the fuck his scumbag father told him.
“We’re going to be okay.” She runs a hand through his hair, the placation timid at best. “Luca is trying to help us.”
Trying?
My fucking ass I’m trying.
I conquered that bullshit when I risked my life to run through a spray of bullets and tackle her to safety.
We both know I mastered that motherfucker like a pro, but I don’t have the focus or patience to point out the obvious.
“I’m going to leave you two alone.” I hold tight for a few seconds, waiting for her to protest. Waiting for anything.
When she doesn’t speak, I give up and back away. “I’ll be in the living room. Call out if you need me.”
Still, she doesn’t react. All she does is continue to taunt my need to win her over.
I don’t understand my obsession with earning her trust. But it’s there, clawing its way under my skin.
It isn’t until I reach the door that she breaks the silence.
“Luca.” My name is gentle on her lips. “They don’t have a lot of time.”
“They?” I pause, not turning to face her.
There’s a squeak of my mattress. She’s on my fucking bed. “The women—my sisters. They aren’t safe. Luther had plans to ensure we’re never freed.”
I remain in place, forcing myself not to imagine her sliding between my sheets. “How much time are we talkin’ about?”
“I don’t know.”
“Okay.” I nod, my back still facing her. “I’ll take care of it.”
God only knows how, but I will.
I leave them in the bedroom, my boots thudding down the hall, then into the living room where I find Cole still on his hands and knees on the bloodstained tiles.
“Have fun?” he asks.
“Yeah. A whole heap.” I snatch my cloth from the floor and return to the gore plastered on the wall. “Just so you know, she’s itching to get away from here. She says those women at your dad’s house are under threat.”
“I don’t doubt it,” he grates. “But we’ve got more important issues to deal with. Keira is already on the water. She’ll be here any minute.”
I pause my circular scrub. “Then I should also point out that Penny isn’t doing cartwheels at the thought of seeing her brother, either.”
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