Chapter 7 Penelope #2
My sister has always had walls, leaving only cracks big enough for me to slip in.
Taking a breath, I step inside. Instantly, my legs feel like jello as I try to make it to her.
Despite the reassurance, she still growls out her frustrations. I’ve never seen her this mad. Reaching for her, hoping to change her mind, she doesn’t allow for it.
She’s my strength, and I’m her weakness.
This is going to go the same way it has any time something has happened to me.
Whenever our foster siblings bullied me, Raven wouldn’t hesitate to knock out a tooth in revenge.
One time, she beat an older kid while he was in bed.
Hit him with a sock full of pebbles, just because he cut off a chunk of my hair.
She’s always been violent, but only when it came to protecting me when I couldn’t do it myself.
A sick sensation pours into my stomach as I watch her punch in numbers to the large weapon safe, numbers she shouldn’t know.
She reaches inside without hesitation, pulling out one of his hunting rifles. “I’m going to make sure he can’t do it again. He doesn’t deserve his dick if he’s not going to act like a man. He can be a disfigured monster for all I’m concerned.”
“He’s not a—”
“Penelope, I’m sorry to have to spell it out to you, but what happened between you two isn’t normal.
You’re a seventeen-year-old girl who…” She shakes her head.
“Who isn’t used to real kindness. That kind of kindness…
He’s an animal. Even when it hurt, he didn’t stop.
That’s rape, Pen.” She grits her teeth, wincing like she’s the one in pain.
“He’s a monster wearing human skin. I’m sorry I didn’t see it.
I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you this time. ”
“Raven…” Gasping her name, I cover my mouth to try to contain my emotions. “We’re so close to getting out of here.”
In six weeks, we’ll be out of the system, and we can do something with ourselves. No more running, no more people. We can get past this. Whatever it takes, I’ll move on. Even if it’s really hard, I’ll forget. Isn’t that enough?
She ignores the fact, reaching for a box to pull out two bullets. One in case she misses, or another to kill him? With her, I can’t tell.
“Pack a bag. Grab something of value. He owes you fifty dollars.” She frowns at the rifle, trying to figure out how it works. “Take the pill and leave the packaging. Let her figure out what happened. After that, we’re leaving once he gets what he’s coming.”
“Raven—”
She squeezes the gun, her jaw clenching. “It’s my fault for leaving your side. Let me do this. Otherwise…” She swallows hard. “I’m never going to forgive myself.”
Heart aching, I know her like the back of my hand. She’s serious once she sets her mind on something. Even if it’s murder, she’ll spill blood if that’s what it takes to feel better.
* * *
As soon as we’re off the bus, Raven’s taking my hand in hers, walking us deeper into the town like she already knows it.
Willowbrook Ridge. A small dot on the map. Another town for us to act invisible until suspicion rises.
She stops when she spots a diner. Maplewood Diner. I should’ve known. She’s always looking for somewhere warm to blend in. Personally, I think we stick out like sore thumbs.
Entering the diner, we are greeted by delicious smells. Not wanting to set my stomach off, I breathe through my mouth and hope I won’t taste the food I know I won’t be eating.
Raven leads, claiming a booth. Stuffing our backpacks beneath our feet, she finally relaxes. Well, as much as she knows how to.
A waitress strolls up with menus, her name tag reading Eva. She’s all smiles, greeting us.
“Just coffee. Black.” Raven doesn’t bother looking at the menu, handing it right back to her. “Please.”
Coffee is cheap. It helps keep the hunger at bay.
“Thank you.” Muttering the words, my attention drifts out to the glass windows at our side. The sky is full of clouds. Looks like it could rain.
Staring at my reflection, I grimace at the person looking back. I should have taken a nap on the bus while the seats were comfortable.
I, no, we look terrible.
Eva returns with our cups. She pours our cups full, pulling out creamer from her apron pocket. Her smile is soft. “Comes with the drink for no extra. Just in case you change your mind.”
She doesn’t linger, moving away when someone calls her name.
Raven steals five packets of sugar, tearing them open to pour them into her cup. Frowning at the creamer, she snags one. Sniffing her cup, she grimaces and takes another. She’s never liked coffee.
It’s laughable, watching her. It always has been. Every laugh ends with a sigh, though, ruining the humor.
If we give ourselves up, it’ll be better this way. How many years can someone be locked up for first-degree attempted murder, anyway? If we’re locked away for life, then at least we’ll get a place to sleep and food to fill our stomachs.
Could we get less time since Dale lived? I mean, Raven didn’t mean to miss, but a bullet to the thigh is a lot better than to where she tried to shoot.
Instead of drinking my cup, I draw my knees to my chest and sigh into my thighs.
“We can check out the grocery store after this,” Raven hums, already planning our next steps. She’ll see what she can sneak into her bag before we make a run for it. “Pen, it’s going to be okay.”
“It’s not going to be okay.” Muffling my words against torn jeans, I shake my head.
Telling myself not to cry, not to make her feel bad, it’s hard not to soak the fabric once my eyes start watering.
I’m tired. So tired.
Eva’s sweet enough not to make a comment during her refill rounds. The next time she swings around, it’s not the smell of coffee beans that gives her away.
“Here you go, you two.”
Lifting my chin, I’m surprised by the savory scent that hits my nose. My eyes double in size at mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and a greasy burger that makes my mouth flood with hunger.
Eva plants down the food with confidence, despite our immediate rejection.
“We didn’t—” Raven swallows, even her expression faltering. While I know a big part of her wants to accept the mistake, she tears her eyes away from the steam. “This isn’t ours.”
The woman nods before she throws a thumb over her shoulder. “Those two ordered it for you.”
Turning my head to where she’s pointing, I see two men engrossed in their own meal. One of them smiles wickedly and talks with his hands while the other simply listens. They look a little older than us, at least by ten years.
With the leather wrapped around their shoulders, they look dangerous. The kind of people I’d avoid.
“Perverts.” Raven grumbles the insult under her breath, but she doesn’t think twice about digging in. “Eat before they want something in return.”
She’s right. Over the last two months, it’s become pretty clear that no one does anything out of the goodness of their heart anymore. The world is cruel.
Thanking the waitress, I turn to my plate. Wiping my eyes before the emotions can set in, I eat without chewing. It’s delicious. The best thing I’ve eaten in a long time.
When the woman returns to refill Raven’s coffee, she offers another smile when spotting our cleared plates. “Are you two in the mood for dessert? We have a fine selection of pies.”
My sister jerks, staring at the men across the diner. Eva laughs, finding amusement in her displeasure.
“John’s a little strange, but Samuel is a sweetheart, though he might not look it.” She looks between us. “If it’s any reassurance, they’ve taken plenty of runaways over the last few months. They don’t have bad intentions, not as far as I’m aware. Let them buy you a slice or two.”
While my sister scowls, I look past the woman and realize that one of the men is now looking our way.
My heart flutters in my chest when I meet the heavy gaze. It’s not a pounding from fear, but light and airy. My stomach clenches at another new sensation. Butterflies.
“Apple pie.” The words leave my lips, much to my sister’s dismay. “If you have it. She’ll take cherry.”
Eva nods, scribbling it down on her notepad.
“Bring mine to their table, though, would you?” Heart still going rogue, my legs join the party as I move.
“Penelope.” Raven panics when she realizes what I’m doing. “Penelope.”
Leaving them both behind, I’m walking across the diner. Something twists in my gut, demanding I see him up close.
When I stop at their table, he lifts his gaze. His eyes are green, like a forest. Beneath the start of a beard, his mouth forms a flat line. He doesn’t look old, but he’s got some gray hairs already decorating his temples. Strange.
He smells like cigarettes. On his back, he’s got the image of a terrifying skull, tree roots spilling from its open mouth and eye sockets. Steelwood MC is spelled out across his shoulders. He’s a biker.
Where we came from, bikers weren’t common. These two are nothing like what I’ve seen before.
The other male stops talking, his brows furrowing together at me. He’s upset, I’m interrupting their meal, or what looks like what’s left over of it.
“Samuel?” Asking just to be sure, my voice betrays me, wavering.
“Judge,” the other man corrects, almost like it’s an insult.
He doesn’t come off too friendly, despite keeping a smile on his face.
Talk about unsettling. He gets silenced with a wave of a hand, this guy calling him Ripper.
Strange nicknames. They don’t like their real identities. I kind of understand.
“Penelope.” My name leaves me as an introduction, and I know Raven will scold me for telling them. The less we reveal, the longer we can stay. My toes curl in my sneakers as I stir. “Just Penelope.”
The corners of his eyes crinkle, giving away the only sign that he’s feeling anything. Without warning, he’s shifting in his seat, making room in the booth. He’s a big guy, built like he has the strength to fend off ten men.
I sit without asking. The other guy grunts, surprisingly keeping his mouth closed.
“Thank you for the food.” Getting that out of the way, I fight to keep my jaw from trembling. “But… why?”
A simple question seems far more complicated with the way he looks at me. It’s not in some perverted way like Raven’s thinking. His gaze is soft, his frown natural.
“Looked like you two needed it.” He answers honestly, but it doesn’t feel like an insult.
The smell of cinnamon and apple reaches my nose as Eva makes her appearance. I’m not expecting the ice cream paired with it, and I can’t help the groan that leaves me.
Ice cream.
“How long are you staying in town?” His next question leaves me surprised. Is it that obvious?
“However long we want,” Raven answers for me, sliding next to Ripper, much to his dismay. She’s clutching her pie in one hand and her coffee in the other. Her grip on that coffee is tight enough to make me think she plans on using it as a weapon.
“Polar fucking opposites, I see.” Ripper curls his lips as his smile turns into more of a snarl. “Aren’t twins supposed to be identical?”
While my sister corrects him with bared teeth, I realize Judge is still waiting for me to answer.
Why is my heart still pounding? Is it nerves? I can still feel the flutters happening in my stomach. The butterflies are going on a rampage, now.
“Could be a couple of days. A week or two, if we’re lucky. Depends if…” If people start asking too many questions. “If we can find a place or not.”
The lie feels silly, but he accepts it, not pushing.
“Well, while you enjoy your dessert,” he leans in, his voice softening into a rumble that makes me dizzy. “Can I ask for something in return?”
My sister growls, and I’m nodding.
I’d give this man anything he wants right about now.
The corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement, and he signals Eva down for the check. I don’t want to imagine what he’s going to have to pay, but after requesting a pen, I watch as he scribbles down words on the extra copy. An address.
“A place to crash, if you need it.” Grabbing my hand ever so softly, he presses it to my palm. “A place where you can be whoever you want to be, Penelope.”
Saying my name so sweetly, my body does the strangest thing. It warms. From my cheeks, down to the tips of my toes, I feel heat travel through my veins.
For a few seconds, I’m speechless. Then, he declares that they’ve got to move on.
Ripper immediately gets up, demanding my sister let him out, but he looks like he wouldn’t mind stepping on her.
“Sorry about him.” He forces out a chuckle. “He’s working on himself.”
I shake my head, already knowing Raven can hold her weight.
Getting up so Judge can leave, my breath catches when he pats my shoulder. He leans in, his breath tickling my ear. “I’ve got people here and there around the town. Just look for the patch. If you can’t make it by your own wheels, find one of them and tell them Judge sent you.”
Nodding, I almost lean toward him when he pulls back, giving me a soft smile. Hard to believe he can do that, hold such a power that others will stop what they’re doing to appease him.
Clutching the paper in my fist, I thank them again for the food. Watching them leave, saying goodbye to the other workers, it’s the sound of motorcycles that follows with their departure.
“Do not keep that.” Raven shakes her head and frowns when I ignore her again.
I think… I’m in love. So, I will keep it.
If there’s anything I know about Raven, even if she completely goes against it, she’ll follow me wherever I go. And I think… I want to take a risk. Even if it’s a dangerous one, I’ll do it. So that I can explore these new feelings and see what they can lead me to.