Page 99 of Shattering Nash

The woman’s face lit up, and her smile widened. Without hesitation, she rushed forward and sat next to Charley.

“Hi, I’m Cleo.” Her smile faltered, and she lowered her voice, “Are you okay? You look a little scared.”

I am.

“I’m okay.” Charley leaned closer, whispering. “I don’t know what’s going on or how long they’re going to keep me, or” —Her voice cracked— “What they’ll do to me.”

Cleo rested her hand on Charley’s leg. “They don’t usually kidnap women. This has only happened one other time, as far as I know.”

This has happened before? The fear must’ve been evident on her face, because Cleo quickly turned on the bench and squeezed her leg.

“But they let Taryn go and didn’t hurt her, I promise. And, um” —Cleo leaned closer, whispering— “I overheard them talking. Nash is coming to get you.”

“He is?”

From everything she’d learned and everything she’d been told, doubt should be plaguing her mind. But knowing he was on his way gave her an unexplainable ease.

Cleo tapped her leg, offering a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. You’re going to be okay.”

Am I?Only time would tell. But Charley was willing to believe in everything Cleo said. It gave her hope.This is all going to work out.She just had to keeping believing it.

“So,” Cleo dug in her basket pulling out a washcloth and a small bottle of peroxide, offering it to Charley. “I thought you might want to clean up your cut.” Cleo leaned forward, staring at the side of Charley’s face. “I have some ointment you can have so it doesn’t scar.”

“Thank you.” Charley took the washcloth and winced as she dragged the cloth over her wound. She hadn’t thought much of it until now.

“Do you want me to do it?” Cleo asked but didn’t wait for an answer. She grabbed the cloth and gingerly cleaned the cut. She dabbed some peroxide on the cloth and tended to her injury. At one point, the sting was so strong, Charley squeezed her eyes shut. She heard a faint gasp and a whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m almost done.”

Cleo slathered her cut with a generous amount of ointment, and when Charley opened her eyes, Cleo was tucking the materials in her basket.

She’s like a little nursing fairy.

“Thank you.” She drew in a breath. “I’m Charley, by the way.”

Cleo cocked her head. “Are you” —She paused— “Are you Penny’s Charley?”

Penny’s Charley? She’d spent less than forty-eight hours with this woman and somehow had become a possession of Penny’s.And right now, I’m okay with that.

“You know Penny?” Charley asked.

“Yeah.” Cleo shrugged, “I mean, we’re not friends or anything. but I know her a little. She only comes around when…”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Cleo!” The man shouted so loud, in the narrow hallway his voice echoed off the wall.

“I was just…”

The man glared, and his brows dipped tightly. “Yeah, I know what you were just fucking doing. Do you understand that every time you pull this shit, it’smewho has to deal with Wraith? Not you. Me.”

“I didn’t do anything. I just wanted to…”

His phone rang, and he pulled it out from his pocket and looked down at the screen. His brows knitted, and he held it up to his ear.

“Yeah?”

Charley couldn’t hear the person on the other line, but from his facial expression, it wasn’t a welcomed call.

“None of your fucking business.” His lips twisted. “I ain’t putting anyone on the phone.”

His jaw squared, and his grip tightened, whitening his knuckles.

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