“You don’t understand.” She busies herself righting the dress, her attention downcast. “You’ve got no idea.”
“Then tell me.”
She shakes her head.
“Tell me.”
She stiffens, her frantic gaze raising to mine. “Luther may be dead but his shackles still enslave me. There’s no escaping what he did. He’ll always own me.”
“I fucking disagree.”
“I wish I had your optimism. I guess it’s true that ignorance is bliss.”
Her argument is solid, but I refuse to fucking believe it. There’s no way this woman can’t bounce back. There’s too much life left in her to give up now.
“We’ll discuss this later.” I grab her hand and lead her from the room, stepping over the dead guy in the hall. We reach the front door together, then as soon as Penny makes her way outside she stumbles forward to her friends. The other women are already crying, their sobs increasing tenfold as Penny engulfs them in a group hug.
“What the fuck took so long?” Decker storms toward me. “We need to figure out what we’re doing.”
“What do you mean?” I frown at Hunter as he approaches. “I thought the plan was to get straight back to the island.”
“That was the original plan.” He stops before me, one hand clutching his gun, the other raking through his hair. “But these women aren’t stable. They haven’t stopped crying to take a fucking breath. And you and I both know Torian won’t be able to cope with that drama. He needs to focus to finish what you came here for. So it’s best if we get them out of here now.”
“I’ve already spoken to Torian,” Decker adds, “and he agrees. He’s going to make a call to the pilots and also find a way off this island via a private dock. It’s less dangerous that way, seeing as though only one of us is going with them.”
This is bullshit. Fucking bullshit. “You haven’t thought this through. Penny can’t leave.”
Hunter raises a brow. “She can’t? Or you don’t want her to?”
I get in his face and smile. Laugh. I try to fake a disregard to his assumption even though it hits too close to home. “If you were smart, you’d remember the fight she put up just because she wanted to bring the kid on this little escapade. So if you try to send her to another country without him, you’re going to have full-blown hysteria on your hands. Contagious fucking hysteria. Which means instead of four blubbering messes, you’re going to have a group of inconsolable trouble.”
“Then she can stay.” Hunter shrugs. “From what I’ve seen she hasn’t shed a tear anyway. It’s the others who need to go.”
“And who the fuck is going with them? They can’t make that trip on their own.”
“I guess that depends if Penny stays or goes. If she remains in Greece I assume lover boy—” he jerks his chin at me “—and big brother will want to keep hovering close. That leaves me to do the heavy lifting, because don’t forget that asshole who got away could be planning any number of things.”
I clench my teeth, biting back a reply to his “lover boy” comment that will only strengthen his derisive argument.
“It’s the best option,” Decker grates. “Hunt can go back and—”
He stops mid-sentence at the sound of crunching pebbles behind him. It’s Penny, her fragile frame coming to stand a few feet away.
“I heard my name.” She inches closer. “What’s going on?”
Hunt clears his throat. Decker glances off in the distance while rubbing the back of his neck. Both of them act as if they didn’t hear her question, making it fucking clear they expect me to be the bearer of temperamental news.
“Fuck you,” I mutter under my breath, then walk to stand in front of her. “We’re changing things up a little. It’s for the best if we get your friends on a jet and send them home right away.”
“What do you mean right away?”
“He means now. From here, to a boat, to the airport.” Hunt speaks up. “You need to decide if you’re staying or going.”
Her eyes flare in shock, those dark depths cutting me down at the knees. “Without going back to the island to collect Tobias?”
“Yes.” I nod. “Torian has already organized the jet.”
Her lips part and her already pale skin turns ashen. “Then I’m staying. I won’t leave Toby behind.”
Decker winces. “You’d be safer—”
“I don’t care what’s safe. I’m not leaving without him. He’s just a little boy.”
“And what about your friends?” I ask. “You’re happy