Page 76 of Wicked Spite
“Seriously, though,” I press, my eyes searching his face for any hint of what he’s truly pondering. It sounds silly because our whole relationship has been based on Penn hiding things from me, but if he’s found something out about Graham that I don’t know yet, I don’t want him to have to handle all of that on his own. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine,” he assures me, leaning in to place a tender kiss on my forehead. I both love and hate when he does it. It feels too intimate, which is saying a lot because he’s damn near been wrist deep inside of me. Penn shifts with a chuckle, rolling over on top of me like a steamroller and pressing me into the mattress.
As I run my hands down his back, moving fluidly up to caress the back of his neck, I know there’s a darkness within him, a hidden well of pain and rage that he fights to keep contained, but he lets me in to see his depthssometimes. I think that’s one of the things I’ll remember most about my time spent with him.
Penn pulls back and his fingers gently brush my cheek, drawing me out of my thoughts and back to the present moment. His eyes hold mine, neither of us unable to disengage.
“I wish I could stay here all day,” he murmurs, pressing his lips softly against mine. The taste of him sends a shiver down my spine, and I long for more—but it seems he has other plans. “I need to go visit Graham at the hospital while everyone else is in class. He’s been asking for me and then I need to go see Declan at the gym. He’s got an issue that I’m uniquely qualified to handle.”
“Of course,” I reply, trying not to let disappointment cloud my voice. I know how much Penn’s brother means to him, and I would never stand in the way of family. I’m not even going to touch on the whole Declan thing. He’s as fucking bat shit crazy as Penn is and honestly, if he was a Blackwood than I would be seriously concerned for this family. They can only handle one of Penn and Ramsey is bad enough as his mini me.
“Stay in bed and fucking chill, okay?” he urges, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. “You had a long night,” he grins because he knows that he’s the reason for my strenuous night.
“Don’t forget to miss me,” I say, offering him a teasing smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. I have a weird feeling, like something bad is going to happen. I try to shake it away because I suspect I’m growing more attached to this man than I ever thought possible.
“Cross my heart,” he promises, making a playful ‘X’ over his chest before planting one more searing kiss on my lips.With a final, lingering touch, he slips out of bed, quickly dresses and heads for the door.
Sighing, I snuggle back under the covers, allowing the scent of him and the warm blankets to cocoon me.
It takes me a while to relax after Penn leaves, but finally I doze off. An incessant ringing jars me awake and I fumble to grab it off the nightstand. My heart skips a beat as I squint against the sudden brightness of the screen, noticing it’s been two hours since Penn left. Reese’s name flashes across the display, and my breath catches in my throat.
“Reese?” I rasp, my voice thick with worry as I press the phone to my ear. “What’s wrong?”
“Reagan!” she cries, her voice high and frantic. “There’s this guy here at school. He’s trying to take me away!”
“Trying to take you…what the fuck?” Panic claws at my chest, threatening to steal my breath. “Where are you right now? The exact location, Reese.”
“Outside the main building! I was just leaving class, and he grabbed me, tried to pull me into his car!” Reese’s words tumble out in a desperate rush, her fear palpable even through the static crackle of the line. “I managed to break free, but he said he’s friends with Dad. He’s on the phone with him, and he’s still here! He’s watching me!”
“Reese, listen to me.” My voice is firm, my protective instincts kicking into overdrive. “Get inside, lock the doors. Do not tell anyone. Not a teacher, no one. You don’t know what Dad has told them. You need to hide out until I can get there.”
“Okay. Okay,” she stammers, her breathing ragged and uneven. “He’s really old. Like forty or something.”
“I’m coming. I promise. Just be as quiet as you can.” My heart races as I scramble out of bed. I shove my feet into my boots before I’m out of the bedroom. The sense of urgencybuilds with every passing second, my blood thrumming in my ears dulling my other senses.
I’m running on instinct as the memory of my own abduction slams into me like a freight train, the smell of stale cigarettes and fetid breath pervading my senses.
“Fuck,” I swear under my breath, my pulse pounding in my ears as panic seizes me whole. Every cell in my body screams to protect Reese, my sweet little sister who deserves none of this darkness, as I freeze with my own anxiety.
“Reagan, please hurry!” Reese’s voice is a desperate plea through the phone, her ragged breathing tearing at my heart. I need to reach her before it’s too late, before history repeats itself. This is all my fault. Ashley isn’t available, so Dad is throwing Reese to the wolves. He’s fucking punishing me.
“Listen to me, Reese.” My tone is both assertive and calming, a desperate attempt to keep her breathing steady and her mind focused. “I’m coming, okay? Just stay on the line, keep talking to me.”
“Okay, Reagan,” she whispers back, her voice sounding far too fragile, and the sound rips at my heartstrings.
“Is he still there?” I ask, forcing myself to take deep breaths as I sprint down the hallway, my feet barely touching the ground in my haste.
“Y-Yes, he’s across the street. He’s just…watching.” Fear laces her every word, and it fuels the fire burning within me.
“Stay inside,” I command, my voice steady, honed by years of facing Dad head-on. “I’ll be there soon, I promise.”
“I will,” she repeats, her voice gaining a trace of my strength. “I trust you.”
“Good,” I reply. My mind is a whirlwind of panic.
But then I hear her scream and the line goes dead. I barrel down the hallway, grabbing the keys to the Escalade off of theentryway table and gripping them so tightly that they dig into my palm, their metallic edges imprinting themselves onto my skin. As I round the corner, my phone slips from my trembling hand, clattering to the floor with a sickening crack.
“Shit,” I hiss under my breath, but there’s no time to stop and retrieve it. Reese needs me now, more than ever, and every second counts.
