45. Penelope
Chapter 45
Penelope
It feels like this day has gone on forever by the time we go home. My head still feels like it’s spinning, and I’m reeling from everything that happened.
I always knew I was going to have to tell my husbands the truth, but I never, ever expected my past to come back to haunt me this way.
Maybe that was foolish of me. To think I could leave it all behind me and run away forever. Isaac and the others were never the type to let things go.
My stomach churns with anxiety about all of it. That parting threat carried real weight, and everything they said they could do to make me pay for leaving them is something that would hurt the men eventually. Dragging my name through the mud would mean they would be caught up in it, and its the last thing I want.
“Penelope,” Xavier says, stroking a hand through my hair. “Go take a shower and get into your pajamas, all right? You’ve had a long day.”
“It’s not that late yet,” I mumble.
“Doesn’t matter. You need some rest.”
He’s not wrong. I trudge upstairs on weary feet and get undressed. I laugh without humor when I realize I’m still wearing my apron. It feels like days ago that I was worried about which apron to wear for the opening. That was my biggest problem then, and now everything’s just fucked up.
I can’t turn my brain off in the shower, and by the time I’m dressed and back in my room, I’ve worked myself up into being more anxious.
The men come in, changed into more comfortable clothes, and they take up positions in my room.
“You’re spiraling,” Dominic says.
“Yeah.” No point in hiding it. “But you heard them. They’re going to make my life hell unless you give them money. And I can’t ask you to do that. Not because of my mistakes.”
“You didn’t make any mistakes,” Tristan cuts in.
“But—”
“No,” he says firmly. “You were manipulated and lied to and then treated badly. Running away from that wasn’t a mistake. It was the only right choice.”
“And they’re probably just talking a big game, Pen, honestly,” Xavier offers. “They’re just bullies and grifters, trying to make a quick buck. They’re looking for an opening, a way to take advantage of the situation. I think they’re bluffing.”
I chew on my lip, unsure. “I don’t know. You don’t know them like I do. They can be incredibly cruel when they want to be. It’s like they get off on it.”
“Then we’ll handle whatever happens,” Dominic says. “You’re not in this alone, and we’re not going to let anyone hurt you. We’ll take care of it. And you.”
I nod, somewhat reassured by that. At least I have them on my side. This would be so much worse if I’d lost them.
They pull down the covers on my bed and tuck me in before getting in with me. They curl around my body protectively, like they can shield me from whatever comes.
I’m still afraid of what might happen, but at least there’s comfort in that.
In the morning, I wake up to the sound of voices.
“Are we taking their threats seriously, then?” Tristan asks.
“We need to assume they might follow through,” Dominic replies.
I know they’re talking about my old Alphas, trying to figure out how to handle them. It’s like a bucket of cold water being thrown over me, interrupting the comfortable warmth of the morning.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, burying my face in the pillow. They have enough to deal with without having to worry about this too.
“Don’t be,” Tristan says, burying fingers in my hair. “We promised to protect you from them, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
“I still think they’re bluffing,” Xavier points out. “But we have to have a plan just in case. That’s just good sense.”
I nod, still feeling crappy about it. All I really want to do is hide in bed and feel sorry for myself for a while, but I have to go to the bakery. It’s the day after the grand opening, the first real day of business, and after the fiasco the grand opening turned into, I have to be there to run things like normal. I can’t afford to let this slow me down.
I tell the men as much when they ask what my plans are for the day, and they nod, looking proud of me.
“It’s good business sense,” Dominic says. “But—if things get too intense, or you need a break, take one. There’s no shame in that.”
“Okay,” I promise. “I should start getting ready.”
We all go to get dressed for the day, and I tell the men I can just take the bus down to the bakery, but they insist on having Jonas drop me off.
“It’s out of the way,” I tell them as we climb into the car. Xavier and Tristan are on either side of me, hauling me in so I can’t argue too much.
“It’s not a problem, Ms. Penelope,” Jonas says, smiling kindly.
“See, it’s not a problem,” Xavier echoes. “Put your seatbelt on.”
I do, pouting a little, although it’s basically just for show at this point.
It’s not a long drive to the bakery either way, and Jonas pulls the car to a stop in front of it. Dominic curses under his breath, and I look up to see what he’s seen and gasp.
My bakery, my beautiful bakery is a mess.
The front windows are all shattered, jagged edges of glass still in the frames. The curtains have been torn down, and there’s graffiti all over the outside walls. In bright red letters the words “bitch”, “liar”, “thief”, “whore”, and so many other horrible things have been spray painted.
My heart sinks as we get out of the car, the guys keeping me between them just in case. I unlock the door and we step inside to see that the inside is just as bad off.
The tables are overturned, chair legs splintered off. The menu board that was painstakingly drawn by an artist I commissioned has been erased, and in the place of all the offerings and their prices, is a note from my old pack.
We told you this wasn’t over , it reads in harsh letters. You have two days to give us what we want .
I feel like I’m going to be sick.
“Stay here,” Dominic says gently to me. He pushes back through to the kitchen, probably checking to make sure none of the Alphas are still here, lying in wait. I just keep looking around at the destruction, unable to believe what I’m seeing.
All that hard work. Ruined in a single night.
Dominic comes back looking grim. “No one’s here,” he says. “But they emptied out the fridge. All the milk and eggs are in the sink and all over the floor.”
I swallow hard. “Sounds about right.”
My voice sounds like it’s coming from very far away, and all of a sudden, I feel faint. Xavier puts an arm around me, guiding me to a chair. I sit down hard, putting my head in my hands.
This was supposed to be my second chance. The revival of my dream. It was supposed to be proof of how far I’ve come and how much better things are now.
But instead it’s just turned into a nightmare. More proof that it doesn’t matter how far I’ve come. My past will always be there, dragging me down.
Isaac, Mitch, and Vincent are having the last laugh, making me feel as helpless and afraid as they always used to when I was in their clutches.
“Penelope,” Tristan says gently. He comes over and puts a hand on my shoulder, and I flinch away from him. “We can fix all this,” he continues. “We’ll make some calls, and?—”
I shake my head, cutting him off. “What does it matter? Isaac and the others will just ruin it all again. It’s a waste of money at this point.”
“We’ll get better security,” Dominic says firmly. “Post a guard here at night if we have to.”
“You can’t do that,” I mumble.
“Why the hell not?”
“Because! Because it’s a waste. I’m a waste. Don’t you get it? I’m never going to be free of them. They’ll always be lurking, trying to ruin my life because I got away from them. If you keep throwing money at fixing what they break, you might as well pay them to go away. It’s the same thing.”
“It’s not the same thing,” Tristan cuts in.
“It basically is. At this point…” I trail off, tears burning hot in my throat. “At this point you’d just be better off without me.”
Xavier stands in front of me, putting his hands on my cheeks. “I don’t want to hear that,” he says. “We would definitely not be better off without you, and this doesn’t change the way we feel. You are our wife, Penelope. You’re a part of our family now. And that means we’re going to take care of you, no matter what it takes.”
“But…”
“No buts. Nope. No. You listen to me, shortcake. You’re stuck with us now, and that means we’re with you, no matter what.”
“You matter to us,” Dominic says, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. “And that means we’re going to fight for you.”
Tears are streaming down my face now, and I can’t hold them back. All of them sound so sincere, so determined, but they don’t get it.
“It’s too messy,” I say. “ I’m too messy. It’s always going to be something.”
“Pretty sure our wedding vows covered standing with you in the messy times,” Xavier says.
“You weren’t signing up for this. It’s too complicated. You can’t even get to your company because you’re so busy dealing with my issues.”
None of them look like they’re about to back down.
“It doesn’t matter what you say, angel,” Tristan says. “We love you. So you’re stuck with us.”
“What?” My mouth drops open a little. “What did you say?”
“I can’t speak for the others,” Tristan says. “But I love you too much to care about the mess. Or anything else. I want you in my life, and at this point, I need you, too.”
My lower lip trembles at the sincerity of his words.
Dominic moves in next, kneeling down next to my chair. “He’s right. I love you too. You’ve made our lives so much better, little bird. I don’t know why you can’t see that. With you, we’re complete. We’re not letting that go.”
Xavier drapes an arm around me and pulls me into his side. “We had that brief connection on the first day we met, and it’s only grown since then. I knew you were important then, and you’re so important now. I love you just as much, and I’m not letting you go. This might have started out fake, but it’s real to us.”
“It always has been, if we’re being honest,” Dominic adds.
I don’t have any more arguments in the face of their devotion. All I can do is stare at them, overcome by warmth and emotion.
“I love you too,” I whisper, crying even harder now. “I love you all so much. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You’re not going to,” Tristan vows. “Never.” He’s the first to kiss me, a deep, intense kiss that has my heart racing. Xavier and Dominic follow suit, each of them taking their time to make sure I can feel their emotions through their lips on mine.
My heart is racing, and I cling to them, trying to pull myself together.
The three of them hold me, keeping me grounded between them.
“We’ll do whatever it takes, angel,” Tristan promise. “Whatever we have to do to keep these assholes from harassing you. They’re not going to win.”