Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
PENELOPE
I blink awake on the couch with a blanket around my shoulders and Silas’s sweatshirt under my cheek. Someone tucked my legs in. Someone else set a glass of water on the table in front of me.
Morning light spills across the room in soft gold stripes, warming my skin. My joints protest as I sit up, stretch, and rub sleep from my eyes. I smell coffee.
I turn my head.
Minxy is already awake.
She’s sitting cross-legged at the dining table, hair messy, hoodie too big, a cup of coffee in her hands. Not hiding. Not timid.
She looks pissed.
Talon sits beside her, elbows on the table, watching her like she might break or explode. Gideon is at the end of the table with his laptop open, reading something with a tight jaw. Silas leans against the counter pouring another mug of coffee.
All three men look up the second I sit up. Talon’s dark brown eyes soften behind his glasses; Gideon’s storm-grey ones sharpen like he’s assessing the room for threats; and Silas… Silas watches me with those sea-glass eyes that always see too much.
Talon smiles. “Hey. Morning.”
Minxy lifts her chin. “Your house needs more cereal options.”
Silas smirks. “What do you want, kid?”
“Lucky Charms,” she says flatly. “And justice.”
Talon groans. “She’s been awake for twenty minutes.”
“And she’s been talking nonstop,” Gideon adds. “She has opinions.”
“I have facts,” Minxy corrects. “And rage. Mostly rage.”
She takes a slow drink of her coffee. Her hands are steadier than last night.
I pull myself off the couch and tug my blonde hair into some semblance of order as I shuffle toward them. “How’d you sleep?”
She shrugs. “Better than I did at school. No one woke me up to talk about progress charts.”
“That’s a win,” Talon mutters.
Minxy fixes her gaze on me. “When are we sending that woman to prison?”
Her glare hits me full force, and for a second I wonder if my own brown eyes look half as fierce when I’m pissed.
Gideon closes his laptop, eyes sharpening. “We aren’t rushing into anything today. Step one is keeping you hidden. Step two is getting Penelope through her meeting with her dad aka that woman's fiancé. Step three is collecting every piece of evidence before we go to the police.”
Minxy frowns. “That sounds slow.”
“It’s thorough,” Silas says.
“It’s boring,” she counters.
“It’s how we win,” he returns.
She folds her arms, not convinced but listening.
I move to the kitchen, pour coffee, then sit next to her. “My dad—Chad—wants to meet me today. Two p.m. At the park.”
Minxy’s expression coils tight. “She’s already spinning something. I know she didn’t tell him the truth. She probably made up some story about you disrespecting her or stealing something or sleeping around.”
Talon mutters, “She did say some of that last night.”
Silas snorts. “She said all of that.”
Gideon leans forward, elbows on the table. “Penelope is not walking into that meeting alone. One of us will be nearby.”
Minxy brightens. “Me.”
“No,” all three men say at once.
She throws her arms up. “I’m not a porcelain doll. I’m traumatized, not incompetent.”
Silas gives her a look that would stop a grown man in his tracks. “You’re also the only witness to a potential homicide. And heard about another. You staying hidden isn’t optional.”
She glares at him. “I don’t like being handled.”
“That makes two of us,” he replies.
She goes quiet for a moment. Then her jaw sets. “Fine. I’ll stay here. But when this blows up? I want to testify. I want to sit in the courtroom and look her in the face while they cuff her.”
Talon pulls her in by the shoulder. “We’re going to get there. One step at a time.”
Minxy rests her cheek against his chest for a heartbeat, then straightens. “So what’s the plan for today?”
Gideon taps his laptop. “Penelope and Silas go to the meeting with Chad. Talon stays here with you.”
“And you?” Minxy asks, pointing her spoon at Gideon.
He lifts a brow. “Me? I’m spending the morning digging.”
“Into what?” She presses.
“Into anyone Abi might be talking to,” he says. “Anyone she trusts. Anyone who helps her stay one step ahead. I need to comb through her bank records, her email, her contact logs.”
Minxy tilts her head. “So you’re basically hacking my mom?”
Gideon smiles. “No. I’m exposing her.”
Silas gives a quiet grunt of approval.
Minxy lifts a brow. “Does Abi or your dad know you’re dating all three of them?”
My coffee goes straight down the wrong pipe. I cough so hard my eyes water. Silas pats my back like this is the funniest thing he’s heard in years.
Talon’s jaw drops. “Minx.”
“What?” she says. “I’m only asking questions.”
Gideon clears his throat. “We aren’t discussing our relationship dynamics with a minor.”
“I’m almost fifteen, not five,” she argues. “And if Penelope hurts my brother, I’ll go full Abi and bury her in the garden.”
“Jesus Christ,” I whisper.
Talon groans again. “Ignore her. She’s running on spite and Chinese.”
Minxy leans toward me, eyes narrowed. “Do you care about him?”
“Yes,” I say immediately. “Very much.”
“And Silas and Gideon?”
My cheeks heat. “Yes.”
She nods slowly. “Good. Because I’ll make your life hell if you hurt any of them.”
Silas mutters, “She’s definitely Talon’s sister.”
Gideon stands and pushes his chair back. “Alright. Enough threats before breakfast.”
Minxy sighs dramatically. “You ruin all my fun.”
“We do our best,” he says.
Silas looks at me next. “Shower and get dressed. Today’s going to be interesting.”
My stomach tightens. “Right.”
Talon squeezes my hand as I pass. “Don’t let him get into your head.”
Minxy waves from the table with a spoon. “Bury him in the park if he tries.”
“Not helping,” I say. “And I’m not burying him; he's my dad. Burying one parent early was enough for this lifetime.”
Silas grabs my wrist gently as I reach the hall. “I’ll be right beside you.”
Something eases in my chest. “I know.”
I take a steadying breath and head for the bathroom.
Today we face my father. Soon we face her mother.
And Minxy?
She’s not scared anymore.
She’s ready for war.
Steam still clings to my skin as I walk back into the living room, hair damp, wearing one of Silas’s shirts because it was the first thing my hand landed on. My head feels clearer after the shower, but my stomach is already twisting with the thought of meeting my dad.
Silas hands me a fresh mug of coffee as I sit. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m about to walk into a trap wearing mascara,” I admit.
Gideon looks up from his tablet. Something in his expression shifts. “Good. You’ll need to be prepared.”
My heart stutters. “For what? I thought I was just meeting my dad and explaining why I was at Velvet with Silas.”
He turns the screen toward me and taps. “I think I figured out who Abi's been working with.”
Silas straightens. Talon freezes mid-reach for his toast, dark brown eyes widening behind his glasses. Minxy sits up so fast her chair squeaks.
“Who?” she demands.
Gideon’s voice drops. “Jensen Rowe.”
Talon frowns. “Who the hell is Jensen Rowe?”
Silas’ shoulders lift, rise, fall in a slow wave of recognition. “Your mom dated him in high school,” he says. “He was…not a good guy.”
“Felony assault,” Gideon confirms. “Served time. Got out six months before Dominic died.”
Talon’s jaw flexes hard. “And?”
“And Abi’s been sending him two thousand dollars a month,” Gideon continues, “for the last five years. I hacked the bank website and have been combing through her accounts.”
The room goes silent.
Minxy presses a hand to her mouth. “Five years… that’s when Dad died.”
Gideon nods.
She lowers her hand. “So she’s paying him to stay quiet.”
“Or to handle things for her,” Gideon says. “But one way or another, he’s involved, and he’s not doing it out of loyalty.”
Talon’s voice cracks with disbelief. “Why the hell would she trust him?”
“Because abusers keep other abusers close,” I mutter.
Gideon turns to me. “You’re even sexier when you’re smart.” He turns the laptop toward Talon and Minxy. “Have either of you two ever seen this guy?”
“Once,” Minxy says. “Two summers ago. Mom said he was helping her with some landscaping stuff because he ‘owed her a favor.’ He creeped me out. Smelled like cigarettes and something sweet.” She shudders. “He called me mouse.”
Silas’ expression darkens. “She let that man near her kid.”
Talon leans forward. “I remember once I overheard Mom and Dad fighting about someone. It seemed irrelevant, but Mom wanted Dad to hire a guy she knew. I didn’t catch a name.
They yelled for like twenty minutes. Dad kept saying he was dangerous, and Mom needed to let the past go.
Mom said she owed him. That was two weeks before Dad died. ”
Silas mutters something sharp under his breath. Gideon’s jaw works once like he’s holding back the urge to throw something.
I blow out a breath. “So now we know she has help.”
Gideon nods. “It makes her more dangerous, not less.”
Minxy suddenly pushes her coffee cup away. “Good. Let her be dangerous. I’m not hiding from her anymore.”
Talon shoots her a warning look. “Minx…”
“No,” she snaps. “I’m done being scared. I’m done letting her decide what happens next. You guys protect me for now, fine. But after Penelope talks to her dad today? After he knows the truth?” Her chin lifts. “I want to help bring her down.”
Silas sits beside her. “And you will. But not today.”
She huffs but doesn’t argue.
I stand, heart thumping. “Speaking of today—I should do my hair and makeup. I need to look put together enough that my father can’t use anything against me.”
Gideon rises too. “I’ll go over last-minute strategy before we leave.”
“Leave?” Talon echoes. “You’re going with her?”
Silas stands. “We both are. You stay with Minxy.”
Minxy blinks. “Babysitting? Seriously?”
Silas gives her a look. “Security.”
She rolls her eyes but doesn’t push.
I start toward my room, nerves firing under my skin.
Behind me, I hear Minxy whisper loudly. “If my mom shows up, punch her.”
Silas replies, “Sweetheart, I’ve been waiting fifteen years.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or throw up.
Today I face my father and confess that I’m seeing not only Silas, but Gideon and Talon too. That his little girl is a regular at a sex club and I’m in a relationship with three men, all of whom are related.
I’m nervous but not scared. Honestly, I’m ready for him to know the truth about everything. I plan to tell him about Abi too, but the guys don’t know that. I won’t let him become her next victim.