Page 43 of Savior

“I don’t know.”

“Okay.” I nod, my back still facing her. “I’ll take care of it.”

God only knows how, but I will.

I leave them in the bedroom, my boots thudding down the hall, then into the living room where I find Cole still on his hands and knees on the bloodstained tiles.

“Have fun?” he asks.

“Yeah. A whole heap.” I snatch my cloth from the floor and return to the gore plastered on the wall. “Just so you know, she’s itching to get away from here. She says those women at your dad’s house are under threat.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he grates. “But we’ve got more important issues to deal with. Keira is already on the water. She’ll be here any minute.”

I pause my circular scrub. “Then I should also point out that Penny isn’t doing cartwheels at the thought of seeing her brother, either.”

He sits up straighter and cocks his ear toward the glass doors. “Well, that’s too bad, because I can already hear their boat.”

8

Penny

I encourageTobias onto the bed and begin to pace.

Luca had repeatedly referred to one of my brothers, never mentioning which of the two he was in contact with. Then he’d placed the call and the answering message had kicked in.

The familiar voice had collided with my skepticism, smashing it to smithereens.

Sebastian—the youngest of my two older siblings. The one who kept the high school bullies at bay. The playful jokester.

He has ties to Luca? He’s on his way here?

“What’s wrong?” Tobias pulls his knees to his chest and cuddles his legs. “What’s happening?”

“Nothing.” I stop mid-pace. “I’m just thinking.”

“About Nina and Lilly?”

“Yes.” I paste on a smile. “Abi and Chloe, too. We need to get back to them. It’s really important.”

He nods, not a moment of hesitation. “I don’t want to stay here.”

“Me either. And we won’t. Not for long. But we might have to be a little sneaky to make sure we leave as soon as possible. Do you think you can handle that?”

“I’m always sneak—”

I hold up a hand, silencing him at the rumble of sound approaching the island. It’s a boat. The grumble grows louder and louder.

My chest tightens. Arrhythmia takes over.

If that’s Sebastian… if my brother is actually here…

A curdled mix of emotions strangle my insides—excitement, apprehension, impatience, fear.

I rush to the door and tilt my head to hear Luca and Cole’s conversation. They’re arguing about Anissa and when she should be sent home.

I hear the monotonous scrape of cleaning. The increased rumble from the boat. The building pound in my ears. Then the engine is cut and the fading gurgle makes me nauseous with indecision.

I itch to run for a brother that might be here to save me, yet I should hide from him, too.

---