"What if you can't find him?" Her voice is so soft, I can hear the fear seeping in. "What then?"
We will, but to entertain her, I offer up a small smile. "You stay here. Not here specifically, but under Steelwood's protection. You'll have to leave everything behind and start new here."
None of those options secures her a spot at my side, but I can't offer her a fourth option without being demanding.
I want to. I want to get on my knees and beg her to stay. But that's not fair. That's not a real choice.
Frowning now, she stares at her hands for the longest time before lifting her gaze.
"He left us knowing they'd come." Her voice wobbles, and her eyes turn glossy. "He's distanced himself to the point that I wasn't even aware of what he was doing."
There it is. The crack in her armor. She's not defending him. She's not making excuses.
Hearing her confession makes me question what I'd seen. What if their paradise wasn't as perfect as what those lenses caught? What if Penny wasn't happy with the guy?
What if she's been waiting for someone to show up and remind her what it feels like to be wanted?
It means I still stand a chance. More than a chance. If she's saying this out loud...
"If he's alive, what's stopping him from putting Leliah in danger again?" The question leaves her in a whisper, her feelings revealed.
She's not asking me what we should do. She's telling me what she needs.
She can see it too. He's a liability every minute he remains unchecked, and she's handing me the permission she can't bring herself to say out loud.
I want to cradle her to my chest and wipe away any tears before they can fall, but I force myself to remain still. "You're not a bad person for making him take on what he's responsible for. You're not a bad mother for keeping your daughter safe, either. Let me shoulder all the ugly, Pen. I'll handle it all, and you can live how you want to."
Let me be the bad guy. That's what I'm here for.
She swipes at her eyes and nods her head. "Okay."
"Okay?"
The last thing I expect her to do is step toward me and lift her arms. It's not until she's hugging my neck that I realize what's happening.
She's holding me. She's choosing me. Right now, at this moment, she's choosing me.
My heart starts pounding even harder as I wrap my arms around her. Feeling her nod against my shoulder, it's the shakiness of her sobs that sends me over the edge.
She's crying, and I'm the one she's holding onto.
There's no going back now. This woman really owns my heart. I'm happily willing to send a man to his death if it means this woman can wrap herself around me like this because she trusts me. To the point of feeling safe.
Stroking her hair, I coax soft whispers of reassurance against the strands as she calms herself down. The last thing I want is for Leliah to see her mom in this state.
But when she pulls back, when she looks at me with those red-rimmed eyes, I see something new there.
Not guilt or uncertainty, butrelief.
The sooner I take care of this problem, the sooner this woman will be able to smile again without ever having to look over her shoulder. Not unless it's at me for following right behind her, and I will be.
Every step of the way.
eight
Penny
The next couple of days almost feel normal. As normal as they can be for someone in my shoes.
