Page 17 of Regrets

Colt seems on board with that, but P shakes her head vehemently. “No. You guys need to let this go. You’ll just cause trouble for me.”

“We have to do something, Pea.”

She turns to Colt, desperately pleading with him because she knows it won’t work on me. “You have to promise me, Colt. Please tell me you won’t do anything. You won’t go near my foster father. You won’t report it. You’ll just leave it alone.”

“Don’t you fucking dare promise her that, Colt,” I growl.

Neither of them look at me, and I see my brother is lost in her blue-eyed, red-lipped trance. “Please, Colt.”

I watch his throat bob as he nods his head, still looking into her eyes. “Okay. I won’t.”

“Promise?”

He nods his head again. “I promise.”

What the everloving fuck?I shake my head and look at my brother, disgusted that he could promise that. “Colt.”

Penelope lays a quick kiss on his lips, brushing his cheek with her hand and then turning to me. “Don’t make any trouble for me, Linc. Let it go. Please.”

“I’m not making any promises.”

She looks furious, and I see that fire I enjoy. “You’ll only make it worse. Stay away from him.” She turns to Colt. “I love you. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

She walks back inside the house and closes the door behind her. I turn to face Colt. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

He walks toward my car. “I don’t want to make more trouble for her. She seemed adamant.”

I follow him, standing by the driver’s side. “She’s a victim of abuse. They never want to report it. You’re her boyfriend, for Christ’s sake.”

“Linc, drop it.”

“We have to do something. Send him a fucking message.”

“No. I promised her we wouldn’t.”

“No.” I point at him, my keys in my hand. “Youpromised you wouldn’t. Leave me the fuck out of it.”

“Linc, you can’t do anything.”

I open my door and climb behind the wheel as he joins me. “I’m just going to talk to him.”

“Don’t. I promised her.”

“You did. I didn’t.”

I start the engine and take off.How the fuck are we even related?

There’s no way I’m letting this go.

10

PENELOPE

THREE YEARS AGO

“Linc!” I burst through the front door of the Sterlings’ massive home. I never do that, but I’m furious.I could kill him. How could he do that to me?

“Lincoln Sterling! Get down here!” I shout up the stairs from the family room.

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