Without the anger, he almost reminds me of Kase. There are still differences, of course. Things that Kase says even Penny has a hard time putting her finger on. But in this second, I could almost pretend. Cruz is pouring over the details of my face, and there's a question in his eyes. The same one that I asked Kase in the cabin after his disastrous phone call.
Are you really worth all of this?
If Cruz comes to a conclusion, I can't read it on his face. Then a strong arm wraps around my waist and another slings around my shoulders, wrenching me from Cruz's grip.
"Get your hands off of her," Kase snaps.
"Fine, next time I'll let her hit the floor," Cruz mutters.
"I swear I'm going to kill you." Kase is seething and if he wasn't holding me, I really believe he'd do it.
"Would all of you just shut the fuck up for a second?"
All eyes turn to Penny, who's leaning against the wall and glaring at us like she wishes she had more feet to plant in each of our asses. Her eyes are steely, her mouth thinned into an angry line. She jabs a finger at Cruz first.
"You're being a bastard. You don't get to break the rules just because you don't like them, Cruz. If it were Holly on the line and Kase refused to help her, you'd put a bullet in him. Same principle goes here."
"It's Brooklyn Gardel–" Cruz begins.
"I don't fucking care!" she snaps. "It's Calamity we have a score to settle with, not his daughter."
Penny rounds on us next. "But he's right, Kase. Brooklyn can't stay here. It's too dangerous for her. Even if Gardel doesn't change his mind, the Hellions are going to find out eventually. They'll tear South Hollens apart looking for her."
She pinches the bridge of her nose with thumb and forefinger, breathing heavily, as though we're a group of squabbling toddlers that are trying her limited patience.
"Cruz, call Drew at the chop shop. Tell him we need a truck that can at least get us from here to Seattle."
"I'm not-"
"That was an order, not a fucking request."
It's official. I think I might have fallen in love with Penny as well. At the very least I want to plant a wet one right on her cheek for this. It's a testament to how much of a badass she is that Cruz actually listens to her. He seizes Holly's hand and they disappear further into the clubhouse to make the call.
Kase relaxes a fraction when Cruz leaves the room.
"Thanks for getting him off our backs, sis. I really do appreciate it."
"Don't thank me just yet. I was serious about getting you out of town. This is bad, Kase. Really, really bad."
And she continues to talk while we wait for the weasel that runs the chop shop to turn up, but I'm not listening. I'm faint, exhausted, and I'm a little nauseous. I shouldn't be upright. I shouldn't even bealive.But against all odds, I am. I'm alive and snug in the arms of the only man I've ever loved. Everything else seems pretty secondary at the moment.
I fade in and out, so it might have been minutes or hours later when I'm slid into the backseat of a navy blue Chevy Silverado that's only slightly banged up. Kase arranges a pillow behind my head and drapes a cover over me, bundling me against the cold, wet slap of rain that's hit South Hollens once more. Oh well. Good weather never lasts around here. Good thing we'll be leaving soon. I've heard they get one hundred and fifty two sunny days in Seattle, as compared to the ninety-eight we get in South Hollens.
He kisses my forehead, holding me gingerly away from his body. He's so careful of me, even now.
"Sorry for scaring you," I whisper. "But I couldn't let him die."
Pain etches his face and his admission is grudging. "I know. When it came down to the wire, I didn't kill him either."
Tears swim in my eyes, hazing my vision for a choked second and I lean up to kiss him properly.
"Thank you, Kase."
It had cost him something to walk away but he'd done it. He'd laid that vengeance aside for me. Because he loved me.
Cruz's eyes echoed my question.Are you really worth all of this?
Kase's eyes screamed the answer.
