Page 87 of Saving Her

He lowers his attention from my face to my hold on his sister and with each passing second his suffering increases. “I need to speak to you.”

Penny startles at his voice and shoves from my arms.

Yet again, I’ve taken two steps forward with her and ended up ten yards back.

“Give me a sec.” I return my attention to Penny as she continues her retreat.

Those moments of comfort did diddly-dick to help her. She’s still trembling, her face stricken and pale.

“Pen, I’ve gotta go and see what Decker wants. Will you be all right on your own for a minute?”

She doesn’t respond, just keeps distancing herself from me. From help.

“Penny?” I walk after her. “Are you going to be—”

“I’m fine.” She raises a hand, warding off my approach. “I’m fine,” she repeats softer. “I don’t need you.”

I’d love to say her words don’t sting like a bitch, but they do. Again she’s slicing me. Gashing.

“I’ll be back.” I stalk for the door, each step pained from the distance building between us, and enter the hall to be greeted by one temperamental motherfucker.

“How much did you hear?” I murmur under my breath.

“Enough.”

“She needs help.”

He scoffs. “I fucking know that. It’s the person she’s going to for the help that pisses me off.”

“She thinks she’s placing you in danger.”

“I heard,” he grates through clenched teeth.

“Well, did you also hear that she thinks you’re judging her? That you’re ashamed of what happened?”

His face transforms with fury. “Are you kidding?”

“No.”

“Fucking hell.” His voice echoes off the walls. “I’m not fucking judging her. I feel sorry for her. Ihurtfor her.” He pounds at his chest. “But what good is that when she won’t listen to me?”

I grab the sleeve of his shirt and drag him farther down the hall. “You need to sit her down and talk to her.”

“I fucking wish I could, but I can’t do it now.” He jerks away from me. “She shortened our timeline with the guard. You need to get back in there.”

“Shortened it how?”

“She stabbed him in the femoral. He’s bleeding out.”

Fuck. Fuck.Fuck.

“How much time do we have?” I start for the gym, striding out the distance.

“I don’t know. I placed a tourniquet around his thigh, but it’s not going to save him. We might only have minutes. An hour at most.”

“How’s Torian?”

“Pissed. He’s sending her home.”

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