Page 19 of As Thick As Thieves

“Back off, Lennox. I stopped by to tell you I’ve seen her, but that girl’s traumatized and broken. You can’t go playing the white knight card when, right now, you’re one of her villains.” She turned and glared at me next. “You’re lucky I don’t drag you back to the shed and pin you with assisting with the skin trade, you dick. I can’t believe you were so selfish that you’d blindly believe that shitbag over her.”

“I thought she was sick and I was helping,” I insisted, my face burning from her fists. “It was just a bonus that it meant she wouldn’t be here anymore.”

“You’re so fucking stupid. You had a loyal girl who meant the world to your best friends, and you fucked it up.” She stalked from the room and I stared after her, the room silent as Cruz stared at me. I couldn’t look at him, and he snorted when I didn’t move.

“Got nothing to say? Did you seriously shoot yourself or something?”

“I didn’t know—”

“Save it!” he snapped, turning to face his computer, and I glanced over to find multiple surveillance screens up while he scoured them for Penelope. I knew the moment he found her because the keys stopped clicking and he went still.

It was a recording of Harley’s bar in Ashburn Valley, Penn sitting at a table with Beckett and Zavier. He rewound the footage a little, pausing it on the spot where Zavier and Penn arrived together.

“What the fuck?” Cruz whispered under his breath, rewinding more until it was at the start when they arrived in Reid’s car. He switched cameras to follow their tracks back to a house in the Heights, his knuckles cracking as he balled his hands into fists when it showed they’d left together.

It seemed she was Zavier’s mystery girlfriend that Cruz had been joking about.

“Cruz—” I didn’t know what to say, but I had to say something.

He didn't let me though, standing and walking towards the door.

“Fuck you.” He left without another word, leaving me sitting alone like an idiot. I went through the footage again and again, the guilt getting worse. She looked so tiny, her clothes hanging off her small frame and her cheekbones more prominent than usual.

The thought of what she’d been through because of me made me feel sick.

Cruz

I tracked Zavier’s phone to Raven’s house, slamming my car door as I stalked towards the porch. I wanted to tear him to pieces for not telling me she was okay.

I slammed my fist against the door, trying not to take my anger out on Raven as she opened it with a frown. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Where the fuck is he?” I gritted out, her frown deepening.

“Who?”

Footsteps sounded from behind her, and Logan moved into view, scowling at Raven.

“Why the fuck did you open the door? It sounded like a psychopath pounding on the door. What if you’d been hurt?” I tried to push inside but Logan’s arm shot out to block me as he pulled Raven behind him out of harm's way. “Dude, what the fuck?”

“Where is the piece of shit?” I spat, and he was lucky I didn’t punch him in the face for keeping secrets from me too. Had they all known?

Of course they did, Zavier told them everything.

“Who the hell are you looking for, man? Calm down,” Logan grunted, motioning for Raven to get back from us. “Don’t barge your way into our house demanding shit.”

“Did you know?”

“Look, you’re making zero sense. I don’t know what you’re even talking—”

“Penn,” I bit out.

“What about Penn?” he frowned, confusion filling his face. I calmed a fraction when I realized he didn’t know, lowering my voice.

“Lopez’s secret girlfriend is Penn. He had breakfast this morning with her and Beckett.”

Logan raked a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath. “Jesus Christ. Maybe they were just eating together?”

“Zavier arrived with her. Reid dropped them off at Harley’s,” I answered, and Reid materialized beside him and crossed his arms.

---