Page 61 of The Complete Truth Duet
A friend. A family member. A stranger.
Or even a woman just as trapped as you.
Releasing her wrists, I gave her a sharp tug and pulled her into a hug. She struggled against me, but there was no fight in it, and seconds later, silent sobs racked her body as I wrapped her up tight.
“You don’t have to sleep with someone to make them stay in your life, Savannah.”
“You won’t know until it’s too late,” she croaked, burying her face in my neck, her thick, red ponytail tickling my nose.
Motion at the mouth of the hall caught my attention. I glanced up and found Drew standing there, leaning against the wall as if he’d been there for a while, his fists clenched so tight that his knuckles were white. He was staring at Savannah’s back, but I didn’t have time to focus on him before I felt Penn’s heat behind me.
Annnnnd they’d been listening. Fantastic.
Penn was careful not to touch me or break my hold on Savannah.
But he was very much there, sandwiching me between the broken girl in my arms and the man she desperately wanted to save us.
His voice was like a rock, steady and firm, as he leaned over my opposite shoulder and aimed his words at her. “Seven hundred years, Savannah.”
Her body locked up tight, but Penn kept talking.
“That is how long a man who cares about a woman would wait to sleep with her. They don’t leave. They don’t lose interest. And they sure as fuck don’t take something that doesn’t belong to them. A man doesn’t take. A man doesn’t manipulate you for your body. A man doesn’t give the first fuck if your hair and makeup are done. He doesn’t even care if you force him to watch stupid-ass musicals with your girls. A real man would wait those seven hundred years, his belt cinched tight, because every single second he gets to spend with his woman is a reward of its own.”
My breath caught and my insides melted as I peeked over my shoulder at him.
“Don’t talk to me like I don’t know how men work,” she sniped. “You want one thing. And if she’s not giving it to you, you’ll find someone who will.”
“Honey, stop,” I pleaded. “This is stuff between me and Penn. It’s doesn’t affect you.”
“That’s a lie,” River chimed in, stabbing a finger in my direction. “Admit it. Everything you do affects us. Right down to who you are or aren’t sleeping with. How the hell do you think this is going to end? The Guerreros buying you and Penn a wedding present? Offering to hold the ceremony here at the building? Dante is never going to let you go. And you are lying to yourself if you think he is.”
The pain amplified as the fragments of my heart shattered into a million pieces. “So I should roll over and let him win?”
“Hell no!” she yelled. “You get some freaking help. What we want to know is: Is Penn that help?” Her eyes filled with tears. “Truth. I also felt better about your relationship when I thought you were sleeping with him. Because he always came back. But, now, I’m wondering if he’s only coming back because he enjoys the chase. What happens when he stops? And, worse, what happens when he leaves? Word will get around. Even if it’s just a snitch at the grocery store. Where is Penn going to be when they do show up? Because we all know where you’ll be.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Penn jerk, and then his back straightened, making him seem taller. She wasn’t wrong. I’d been living in a dreamland if I thought I wouldn’t pay in one way or another for being happy. But I got to experience that so rarely that it felt worth the gamble.
Now though? After seeing the girls like this? I wasn’t so sure anymore.
“River,” I breathed, holding my arm out so she could join Savannah in my embrace.
She backed away. “No. I don’t need a hug, Cora. I—we—need answers. And we need you to be honest.” She paused and sucked in a deep breath. “Truth or lie.”
I reached up and caught my star necklace, nervously sliding it back and forth over the chain. I had no idea what she was about to ask, but I couldn’t promise that I’d tell her the truth. “Okay. Go ahead.”
She shook her head. “Not you. Him.”
I looked back and found Penn staring at her.
His tongue snaked out to dampen his lips as he cocked his head to the side. “Shoot, kid.”
“Are you going to take care of her? And I mean, really take care of her. More than cupcakes and stupid dinners.” She took a step toward him. “I’m talking putting your entire family’s life on the line against the Guerreros if and when it comes down to it?”
