Page 13

Chapter 13

I grabbed Penny by the shoulders from behind and peered around her to stare this Carl guy dead in the eye.

"Actually, we've just come to pick up some things for Penny. She's staying with us tonight," I said.

Penny glanced at me over her shoulder, her eyes shining. I raised my eyebrows at her, hoping she would get the message. She couldn't stay in the same house as this aggressive stranger when he had acted so inappropriately toward her.

"Yeah," she said. "I'm not… staying."

Carl opened his mouth to speak, but I used Penny to barge past him into the hallway and up the stairs. I at least knew my way around her house enough to get us quickly to her room. Edward and Asher slipped in after us and a quick look over my shoulder had me grinning at Carl squaring his shoulders but not daring to speak a word.

"I don't know that I should do this," Penny said as we hurried into her room. "If Carl is mad, then mum will be-"

I whirled Penny around, sat her on the bed, and grabbed her school backpack. "How long has this guy been around?"

"He moved in two weeks ago-"

"Exactly." I opened up her wardrobe and started slipping her neatly folded clothes into the bag. "That guy isn't just a creep, Penny. He's barely made it through the door and he's trying to control your every move."

Edward and Asher muttered things I couldn't make out to each other as I walked in. Ignoring them, I carried on packing for Penny who sat on the edge of her bed, gripping it with both hands. She swayed back and forth, her eyes glazed over.

I pursed my lips as I rummaged around under her pillow for her pyjamas. Not a shred of me could let this slide. I knew better than anyone what people could do when they gained control over someone. They could determine the course of their life forever, but in Penny's case, she risked getting assaulted by this nefarious jackass.

Edward sidled over to me while Asher leaned on the doorframe with crossed arms, filling the doorway well enough. "Are you sure we need to do this right now? You've had a bit to drink and-"

I whipped around and waggled a finger in his face. "Don't you dare tell me I'm overreacting."

"I wouldn't say that , but-"

"Then shut up and make yourself useful."

Edward closed his mouth and sat down next to Penny, muttering reassuring things to her while I filled up her rucksack and a few suitcases with all her things. Maybe the booze was affecting my judgement a little bit but the urge to remove Penny from this toxic environment was too strong to ignore.

"Penny!" A shrill voice rang up the stairs.

Penny squeaked and withdrew into Edward's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around hers. I stopped what I was doing to stand in front of her, hoping the barrier would help ease her tensions.

A petite woman with her brown hair in a beehive appeared in the doorway and glared at Asher until he stepped aside and let her through. Her satin pyjamas clung to her figure and she held a half-empty glass of wine in one hand, which she waved around the room as she entered.

"What's all this?" she asked. "Running away from home?"

I clenched my lips together to stop all the responses I wanted to hurl at her from escaping. I had rarely crossed paths with Penny's mum when I came to visit, but the stories Penny had told me were enough for me to get a measure of her.

"I'm staying with some friends for a while," Penny mumbled.

"Oh, really ?" Her mother folded her arms, swirling the wine around and around in the glass. "And bringing all your friends round to help you pack isn't a little overkill? Anyone would think you're desperate for attention after all the tizzies you've thrown lately."

Penny shrunk further into Edward's shoulder. My rage billowed like a volcanic cloud into the sky, sizzling with embers and lightning. Was it any wonder Penny could barely make selfish choices when everything she did made her feel selfish?

In the corner of my eye, Asher placed his hands on his hips and glared at Penny's mum, who either didn't notice or didn't notice.

I jerked the suitcase I was holding upright so quickly that Penny flinched.

"That's probably everything you need for now, right Pen?" I said. "We should get going."

"'For now'?" Penny's mother's laugh came out nasal. "Sounds like you are running away from home?"

"Well!" Edward rose from the bed and encouraged Penny up with him. "Penny's more than welcome to move in with us if she wants to. Maybe she'll do us the honour of accepting our invitation one day soon."

Penny's cheeks flushed, and I suppressed a grin at the sight. If my nagging wasn't enough to get her to stay with us then maybe Edward was.

Penny's mum honed in on Edward, her shoulders clenching and eyes narrowing. She looked him up and down.

"That's enough of this. Get out, all of you. Not you," she said, shooting a sharp look at Penny. "I've had enough of your tantrums without bringing other people into our family business."

"She's a grown adult," I said, linking an arm through Penny's. "She'll go where she likes."

The irony that I was telling her she was coming with us hadn't escaped me, but hopefully after a few glasses of wine, it would go over her mum's head.

Penny said nothing, her head bowed, but squeezed my arm with hers. That was all in the indication I needed that this was what she wanted.

"I knew you were a bad influence." Penny's mum snorted. "Are you the one I can thank for Penny's crappy behaviour lately?"

My skin prickled, goosebumps popping up all over my arms as rage spread like wildfire through my muscles. Penny didn't dare stray from the path when it came to how she acted; if anything she kept me on the straight and narrow. I couldn't corrupt her if I tried. It was a wonder she had any self-esteem at all living with this woman.

"Okay, you know what?" I said through gritted teeth. "We'll just get out of your hair."

With that, I marched us toward the door, but Penny's mother slammed her glass down on the dresser next to her. The glass smashed, the shards and a torrent of wine cascading over her hand.