Page 36 of Penny
My hips remained pressed against his, and I squeezed my thighs as the nagging voices in my head clamored for him to keep me. He took a step back and released my thighs, causing me to slide down his legs. My feet ached as my head told me to make a run for it. To sprint out of here and the city.
“Come with me.” I surprised myself by asking this of him. “You and Liam. Run away with me,” I continued to blabber, not knowing how to stop now that I had started.
“I used to want to do that, but Liam doesn’t, and I can’t leave him while I live happily somewhere else,” he admitted and took in a deep breath of air. “You can, though, and should. You came in here, and I don’t know how, but you changed everything. Now the only gift I can give you is the ability to never see me again. Now, go, before Liam gets home.” He pushed away from me, sweeping my bag off the floor. My stomach sank, knowing I would be leaving without my own bag, but I had to know I could get through this. My freedom was around the corner.
“Take this, and follow me,” Connor demanded. His movements were jerky, and his stare was shaky and wandered everywhere but my face.
I shakily walked behind him. Each step tightened the noose around my heart. He pounded on the keys of his safe, and the dings of the keypad echoed in my hollow mind. The door to the lockbox clicked open, and stacks of money and jewelry filled the space.
“This should be enough to get you that trailer. I would personally go for one of the larger motorhomes.” He was solemn as he spoke and shoved stacks of money in the bag.
“I don’t need that much.” It was too much, and this was all wrong. “Stop, just stop, and please, listen to me.” I grabbed his arm, shaking him to get his attention.
“No, not now, Mo Cuishle. Just leave,” he growled, zipping and slamming the overfilled bag in my arms.
“What doesMo Cuishleeven mean?” I asked in a whisper.
“That you are my pulse,” he answered, staring at me with a weight I couldn’t bear.
A hot tear slid down my cheek, and my arms burned while holding the gift of freedom he gave me.
My mouth fell open, and I tightened my grip on his hand, wishing I could drag him with me. I didn’t get to say goodbye to Liam, and I didn’t even know if he would let me leave like Connor had. Something in my gut twisted, screaming at me that he wouldn’t. His loyalty was to his family, and I was nothing compared to his devotion. Connor broke my hold and walked away from me. The noose that was constricting my heart tugged as he walked, telling me it was fastened tightly to him.
The kitchen felt empty, and when Connor took a sharp turn away from the front door to lead us into his office, my gut wrenched sideways. I knew he would change his mind. The whiskey bottles filling the shelves behind his desk were neatly organized like a luxury bar, and the stacks of paperwork were haphazardly spread on his desk.
He pulled up the drawer to the right of his office chair and yanked out a black garbage bag. The plastic rustled, and when it floated to the floor, so did the last shred of the wall I built. My tattered bag was in his hands, and he held it close, looking it over.
“Who was Bubbles?” he asked, staring back at me.
A sob racked through me, and I reached out to grab the only thing that mattered. She was the only happiness I’d had. Growing up, bouncing around in foster systems, I’d never had my own family. She was my family and was always happy to see me. I’d kept a small box with her ashes and her dog tag. The photos I had of her burned in the fire that took my last shot of being successful in this world, but her image was always with me.
“She was my family. My dog,” I whimpered as tears slid down my cheek.
I snatched it out of his hand and slugged it over my shoulders. The bag he gifted was heavier now that I had to carry two things, but I didn’t care. I had everything I’d ever wanted. It was time I put myself first and did what I’d always wanted.
My steps were wobbly, but I shifted away from him, leaving toward the front door. The ropes around my heart untwined, chafing into me with rope burn as they slid away. Turning the doorknob, I lingered, trying not to look back at him, not knowing if I could handle seeing him one last time. The heat from the hallway breezed in, stifling me. My breath filled my lungs as I took a shaky step out of my wolf’s den.
Tempting fate, I looked over my shoulder. Connor stood in his living room, slouched, and his hands stuffed in his pockets. Unable to see his defeated stare, I ran, repeatedly slamming my free hand on the elevator's down button. The doors opened with a chime, and I fell into the small space and whipped around to see Connor’s front door close.
I paced in the elevator. My hands burned as I clutched the duffel bag holding more money than I had ever seen. The floor numbers lit up as I went down, and I held my breath to fight the urge to not stop my descent. This was wrong. I couldn’t leave him, but the nagging voices screamed in my head to run. The first motorhome I saw for sale would be the one. I’d count my money in the bathroom at the dealership. At least I didn’t look like I was homeless. I was wearing a short black lounge dress, which made me realize I would be cold. Dropping the bag, I carefully unzipped it and moved the stacks of hundreds to the side to pull out one of the coats I had packed.
The elevator chimed open right when I covered myself. Picking up the bag, I casually walked through the bright lobby. The white decor was a strong contrast to the dark ambiance of Connor’s penthouse. In the middle of the space was a concierge sitting at a large marbled white desk. Maybe she would be able to tell me where to get a motorhome around here?
“Excuse me, can you tell me where the closest motorhome dealership is?” I asked, noticing my voice was shaky.
Her brows furrowed before a strained smile appeared.
“Uh, yes, I can.” She grinned, tapping on the keyboard’s keys.
My foot tapped as I waited for her to find the location, and the bag became heavier in my hands, but I didn’t want to set it down. The faster I got into a cab, the safer I would be from robbers. They didn’t know what I was carrying, but they wouldn’t care. A girl carrying two bags was a beacon to them. Really, what I needed was to get out of this lobby before I ran back into Connor’s arms.
“I found one. Travelers Triad Auto Trader is right up the way on Park Ave. Would you like me to write it down?” She didn’t wait for me to say yes to her question as she dug into her drawer for paper.
“Please,” I answered her question, even though she didn’t need it.
She ripped off the piece of paper and handed it to me, still wearing a forced grin. I gave her a quick nod and quickly made my way out of the building. The sidewalk outside the luxury apartments was filled with people, and as I looked around, I realized how close we were to Times Square. I walked down the street, needing to get closer to the intersection to hail a cab, clutching my bag for dear life. My tattered backpack rocked against my back, reassuring me that it was with me.She was with me.
Tires screeched, catching my attention and making my head whip around. A black-tinted Mercedes-Benz came to a sliding stop next to me, and two men lurched out of the vehicle.
