Page 131

“And what about the other things they said?” Xavier asks. “About you stealing from them.”
I shake my head. “I didn’t. I didn’t want anything from them. Stealing from them would have just given them more reason to come after me, and all I wanted was for them to leave me alone.” I look at the three of them in turn, willing them to believe me about this, at least. “I would never steal from you either. That’s never been what this was about. Please believe that. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth earlier. I kept trying to convince myself that there would be a magical right time to do it, but the truth is I was afraid. I knew I’d lose you if I told you, and I couldn’t face that. But now, here we are. And that’s… that’s the whole story. That’s the truth, I swear.”
There’s silence when I finish, and it’s still so hard to tell what the three of them are thinking. My heart sinks, and I know this is going to be the part where they say they’re done. That we’ll get a divorce and they don’t want to see me again.
Tristan steps forward, his face hard, and I fight not to flinch at the sight of it.
Chapter 44
Tristan
It’s hard to remember the last time I was this angry. I’ve been so distant from my own emotions for so long that the fury I feel now is hitting me hard. I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
The anger isn’t toward Penelope. It’s clear she was a victim in this mess. But I have half a mind to march back to the bakery and haul those three men out to answer for what they did to her.
Because the truth is clear that they did abuse her. Penelope looks cowed. She looks like she feels powerless and afraid, and the look on her face when she first saw the three of them was enough to prove that they aren’t good people. Even if she had stolen from them, they probably deserve it.
Her eyes are red rimmed from crying, and I hate to see it. I kneel down in front of her, reaching up to take her face in my hands. With my thumbs, I wipe away the fresh tears that spill down her cheeks and look right into her eyes.
“None of that was your fault,” I tell her. “They had no right to treat you like that, and you were right to get away from them.”
Her eyes go wide and then she blinks in surprise. “Aren’t you mad?” she whispers. “I’ve been lying to you this whole time.”
“I know. And I wish you hadn’t lied. I wish you hadn’t felt like you needed to. But I do understand why you felt like you had to.”
“They hurt you, Pen,” Xavier says, coming to sit down with her on the bench. “They treated you like shit and isolated you. Of course you had to run. Of course we understand why.”
“He’s right.” Dominic sits down on her other side. “And it doesn’t take a genius or a bleeding heart to take one look at those guys and see they aren’t good people.”
Both of them touch her, trying to ground her the way I am. Dominic takes her hand, threading their fingers together, and Xavier rubs soothing circles into her shoulder.
“But…” Penelope whispers. “I thought you would hate me for this.”
“We don’t,” Xavier says. “We couldn’t. We know you better than those fuckers do, and we know you’re not the kind of person who lies for personal gain.”
“And it’s not like you approached us about marrying us,” I point out. “It wasn’t your idea. You weren’t manipulating us or anything.”
She bites down on her lip. “That’s true. I just… didn’t think you’d take it so well.”
“We can be reasonable,” Xavier teases gently. “And I remember how you looked that day that we ran into each other. You were so upset and so lost. You can’t fake that kind of emotion. You needed someone then, and I was happy to be there for you, just like I’m happy to be here for you now.”
Penelope’s eyes spill over again, and she cries softly, using her free hand to wipe at her eyes. “I hated lying to you,” she admits. “We kept getting closer and closer, and I wanted you to know everything about me, but I was so afraid.”
“We know,” I say, stroking her cheeks. “We get it.”
All three of us lean in close, surrounding her. We hold her between us, letting her cry it out.
“This doesn’t change how we feel about you,” Xavier says. “You’re still our wife. Still our queen.”
“But no more lies,” Dominic says, and there’s a hint of steel in his tone. “If this is going to work, we have to be honest with each other.”
“Okay,” Penelope murmurs. “I promise.”
“Good girl.”
She seems calmer now that she knows we’re not angry, but I share a look with the other two members of my pack, sharing a silent communication. They know this isn’t over as well as I do. We’re going to have to deal with this other pack if we want to get them out of Penelope’s life for good.
Xavier looks resigned and Dominic looks determined, but we keep focusing on Penelope for now. She’s the most important thing.