“I think I’ll leave that to Krystal,” I say, knowing it will drive her crazy. She glares at me, but there’s no heat to it.
“Pretty sure you were put on this earth to torture me, Lincoln Carlson.”
“You’re not wrong,” I reply and pull her tighter to my chest.
I can’t imagine what Aiden is going through right now. The only reason I’m not panicking is because he specifically said that they were okay. But the idea of Penny being in that type of danger makes my stomach sink.
“I’ll check in on Aiden while you meet with Jessa tomorrow,” I say against her hair.
“I think he’d like that. I wonder how serious everything got. I mean, I knew her ex was a controlling asshole, but to break into her cottage?”
“They’re okay,” I repeat.
She rests her hand against my chest as we lie on my bed and I send up a prayer that this is the way I spend the rest of my life. In my bed, knowing my family is safe, with the girl I love in my arms.
Penny takesher and Jessa’s food upstairs to Aiden’s room while I hang out with him in the kitchen.
“How bad was it?” I ask. He looks like shit. His green eyes are weary and heavy with bags from lack of sleep.
He scrubs his chin, and the scratch against his scruff is audible.
“The bastard had a fucking gun,” he says, gripping the edge of the counter. “I thought…” He shakes his head, and the intrusive thought away. “I’ve never been so fucking scared in my life.”
I rest a hand on his shoulder and squeeze for comfort.
“You’re okay, she’s okay.”
Aiden looks up at the ceiling like he’s able to see what she and Penny are talking about right now.
“Physically, yeah. Everything else?” He lets out a groan of frustration and sits on the bar stool and rests his chin in his hands. “I love her more than anything. He almost took her from me.”
“But he didn’t. You took care of her, you’re taking care of her. You need to take care of yourself, too.”
He glances up at me and then back down at the table.
“I know, I will.”
“Delegate more at the office, work from home. Put you and Jessa first. Fuck the rest.”
“You’re right,” he agrees.
He looks at me skeptically. “Since when do you give sound advice?”
Since I also met the person who means the most to me, but I don’t say that, at least not yet. Now that I have Penny in the capacity I want, we’ll take it at her speed to tell the family. As much as I’ve pushed and pushed over the last few months, it’s time to let her run the show.
“I’m very wise. You just never noticed.”
Penny comes down the stairs looking a little downtrodden, she barely spent any time up there.
“Jessa wanted to lie down for a bit,” she says with a sigh and scrolls through her phone. “She really wasn’t in the mood for talking, but my therapist’s office does virtual appointments. Maybe you’d like to mention it to her?”
Aiden gives Penny a warm smile. “Thanks, Pen. We didn’t get much sleep last night. This was probably too much too soon. I’ll let you know when she’s ready for you to visit again.”
Penny smiles at him and looks like she’s contemplating something. “Whatever you need at the office, just let me know.”
I wince, feeling guilty over the plans I have for Penny and how that might affect Aiden. But my brother remembers fucking everything and just gives me a look, knowing I wanted her to come to Vegas with my company.
“Thanks, Penny. Working from home shouldn’t be much different. It’s time for Zach to step up if he still wants to have a part in the company, anyway.”
