Page 23 of Penny
He weakly nodded, and I followed him up the stairs to the very highest point on the playground. We could do anything together.
My childhood memories haunted me, and every day I wondered if we should have run away together. Before Connor had started to drown himself in a bottle of whiskey to get through the day, he used to ask me to run away with him. Whether it was to create a band or just be free of our obligations. I had so many opportunities, but here we were, at the table with another girl, forcing her to be a part of our world. We were no better than the so-called sluts we stripped of their lives.
“Connor, Liam,” Arthur, my father, greeted us. “Liam, where is your date?” he asked as he pulled out the seat at the head of the table.
“She should be here any moment. We are twenty minutes early,” I answered promptly, laying a napkin on my lap.
“Then she should have been thirty minutes early,” he snapped, looking over at Emily.
“I had her running errands for me. She needs to be given the freedom to see if she will return,” I blurted out, clutching the fork, irritated that he didn’t know my steps of training a woman yet.
“She has a tracker in her?” Arthur didn’t look away from examining Emily, and Connor deepened his scowl.
“Yes.”
Emily’s mouth parted, and her eyes widened.Yes, darling, you would have one too.
The door opened almost on cue, and Candice strode confidently into the room. Her short blonde hair was styled with curls, and her brown eyes lit up on seeing me. The crook of her lips lifted, showing off cute innocent dimples. She was perfect for being an escort for older men. I stood, pulling out the chair next to me.
“Welcome,” I greeted her, kissing the top of her forehead.
The smell of vanilla whirled around me, and I smiled, knowing she wore it to please me. Her heart would soon be shattered when I sent her off to start working. This was the best method for training escorts who didn’t keep trying to run away. Emily looked over at Candice, and her brows furrowed.
“Now that everyone is here, we can begin,” my father grunted. He hated when people weren’t early. I’d have to play with Candice’s mind later to punish her for this. “Connor, you failed again. What will you do to make up for this fuck up?”
“I have a new girl for the business, and I combed through the paperwork to make sure nothing was traceable back to us. The manager had a fake business name. He could have his suspicions, but I made sure I was never on camera. I will investigate the next location more thoroughly next time before bringing the girls there,” Connor replied, puffing out his chest and not breaking eye contact with our father.
“What’s your name?” my father asked, ignoring the daggers my twin shot, and continued to look at Emily. He didn’t know my date’s name and usually didn’t care to learn them. Women were only merchandise to him, and if he could call them an item number, he would.
I took in a deep breath, trying to quiet my thoughts. This was going to be a long night.
Chapter 14
Emily
“Penny,” I answered, raising my chin so he wouldn’t see the fear that raced down my spine. He didn’t deserve my real name, and Connor’s shoulder leaning into me reassured me that he agreed.
“Aren’t you a lucky little girl for meeting my sons?” he bragged, raising one of his eyebrows.
I bit my tongue to hold back my scoff. More like a deficiency of luck.
Silverware clinked on the plates, and chefs and the butler scurried behind us as we ate. I quietly cut into my meat and took small bites, wanting the chair to swallow me whole. Arthur peered over the table at me, forcing me to keep my stare downward. His lingering glare monopolized my thoughts, searing the side of my face.
If this was what a family was like, I was glad I didn’t have one. The depths of my trauma became a relief that the foster care system took me in when I was three. Supposedly, my father was a drunk who kept ending up in prison. I didn’t know if my mother was ever in the picture, but it was probably for the better.
“I have to use the girls’ room. Can I be excused?” Candice sweetly asked Liam.
I snapped my eyes up at crappy timing, and my stare connected with Liam’s. He shot me a wink when he saw my disdain and smirked.Isn’t he just a pleasant man.
“Yes, you may,” he answered her without breaking our connection.
Candice looked between us, frowning, which made me quickly look away. Warmth coiled in the bottom of my stomach, and I bit my tongue, not wanting anyone to see my reaction. Connor’s foot wrapped around the leg of my chair, and he pulled me into him with a god-awful screech that broke the silence of our dinner.
“Do you need to use the restroom… I’m sorry, I forgot your name,” Candice chimed with an innocent smile.
My chest tightened, and I had to force myself not to react. That innocence would be stripped from her.
“It’s Penny, and yes,” I quickly replied, placing my linen on the table and untangling Connor’s traveling foot from my leg. I needed to get away from the never-ending glares examining me like they were determining the price I was worth.
