Page 209 of On a Fault Line

“Okay, so Nic just informed me that two security guards confirmed they remember her exiting the building in a very distraught state.”

“When?” I snap.

I hear a muffled discussion happening in the background, and it’s only causing my blood pressure to rise.

“At least an hour ago.”

Fuck.

How did no one notice she was gone for that long?

And how am I going to do my job when I’m so worried over Penny?

We might not be together, but she will always consume my thoughts.

“Why didn’t you inform me the moment you noticed she went missing?”

“Because you’ve hurt her enough.”

I let out an angry sigh. This has gone on too long. I fucking miss her. I’ve only ever wanted Penny to soar. And now I broke her heart by not fighting for us. The truth is, I also hurt myself in the process by not fighting for us.

Flipping through my phone, I pull up the trackers I have on her shoes, hidden in her phone, and on numerous pieces of jewelry. I sift through the list of potential ones, hoping to see movement on at least one of them. I also check the ones I have on her new car.

“Her car is still parked in the garage.”

“That wouldn’t stop her from hitching another ride.”

I’m all too familiar with that scenario. Hell, I sure hope she is using some self-preservation skills at the very least.

I should have had eyes on her despite being apart. I wanted to give everyone space from me so they could calm down and hopefully come to terms with what transpired between us. Time can heal a lot of things, but maybe that’s not what was needed at all. Maybe I should have verbally professed my desire to be Penny’s man, regardless of those who opposed it.

Looking at the screen while still driving the car toward where Tanner should be, I discover Penny’s current location.

“She’s on her way north. The tracker keeps moving.”

“Toward Seattle?” Graham asks in disbelief.

“Yes, probably. Her phone must not be working or is out of battery.”

“Do you think she’ll admit herself back to the facility?”

“I would assume so.”

And as soon as Tanner takes his last breath, I’ll be going to get Penny and make her see that I’ve always chosen her even when I was going through the motions to make her brothers happy. They just need time to see that Penny belongs with me, and that I’ll fight until everyone accepts that we are together.

I’m done doing what others want.

I have my own life to live, just as Penny made it her life’s mission to do the same.

Now she’s possibly going back to the very facility she fought so hard to leave. And she’ll be there alone.

This is a major slip in her forward progress.

“She’s probably at least one hour away.”

I hear Graham talk to someone, telling them to try her phone.

“Nic keeps trying her phone and it goes right to voicemail. How close are you to your destination?”

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