Page 51 of As Thick As Thieves

“Owen!” I squealed, his head lifting to find me as he finished speaking to the man lifting weights beside him. He trained a lot of people here, me included, and he’d been one of the only people to give me the time of day.

He smiled, ending his conversation before moving towards us, holding his arms out wide. “There’s my girl! Where the fuck have you been? I was starting to worry.”

I threw myself at him, hugging him tightly and ignoring the burn from my wounds as he hugged me back. “Long story.”

Knox growled, and Owen raised an eyebrow as he stepped back. “New friends?”

“Oh! This is Knox, Drake, and Cruz. They’re—”

“Her boyfriends,” Cruz said bluntly, looking Owen up and down with a frown.

“Boyfriends, plural? Damn, girl. You must be having fun in the real world. Daddy let you out?” Owen chuckled, giving the guys a once-over, too.

“Doubtful. He sold me.”

His eyes narrowed and he tugged me against him, his attention on the guys. “These assholes bought you? You can stay with me if you need, I’ll—” Knox was definitely about to tear him apart, so I quickly replied.

“No, a friend of mine bought me to keep me safe. These guys really are my boyfriends.”

Knox stepped forward, grabbing my bicep and yanking me into him with a scowl. “Don’t touch her or you’ll lose hands.”

“I worry about her, it’s nothing personal. I know how rough she’s had it, and I’ve been trying to keep her safe,” Owen answered, his expression softening as he smiled. “I’m glad she has more people looking out for her. You need to feed her more though, she’s too skinny.”

“We’re aware,” Drake said dryly, scanning the room. “What kind of security do you have? We can’t have our girl here unless it’s safe.”

“Walk with me,” Owen said brightly. “I’ll show you.”

Knox and Cruz followed, but Drake took my hand to stop me from following them. I frowned, turning to find him assessing Owen cautiously. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t like him.”

“Give him a chance. I’ve known him for years and he’s never hurt me. He took me home some nights because he was worried about me walking around alone in the middle of the night, he’s sweet,” I explained, giving his hand a squeeze. “I think you guys would be good friends if you tried.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” he grumbled, letting go of my hand to drape an arm around my shoulders.

The guys grilled Owen for over an hour before seeming satisfied, the three of them standing off to the side to murmur amongst themselves while I stood back with Owen, amusement on his face. “They’re intense.”

“You have no idea,” I chuckled, motioning around the room. “I thought you got the green light to hire help? It’s pretty busy in here.” He was basically an unofficial manager since he’d been here for so long, but he definitely needed help.

“One of the guys helps out a lot. He keeps the place clean, and I deal with all the paperwork. You sure you’re doing okay?”

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. The guys look after me, and I’ve made a few friends, too, which is nice. I don’t have to sneak around anymore either, which feels weird.”

“You should’ve run to me, Penn. You know I would’ve kept you safe,” he said quietly, reaching out to ruffle my hair like he always did. “I’ve always got your back.”

“I’d still be locked in my tower if the guys hadn’t found me. I didn’t run, I had to be rescued,” I huffed. “These guys took me the first time, then when Dad found me and dragged me home, he sold me. Luckily, it worked in my favor, or I’d be dead by now. I had a nasty infection that I’m still fighting off.”

“You’re hurt?”

“Dad whipped me, and it broke the skin,” I explained, turning to lift the back of my shirt. “My friend got me medical help, so it’s healing now.” His fingers peeled the bandage back a little, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

“Jesus, Penn.”

I went to speak, but Cruz was suddenly there, putting my shirt back in place and tucking me under his arm. “C’mon, Donovan’s waiting for us.”

Owen gave me the side-eye. “You’re making friends in high places.”

“Hardly. She spends most of her time wanting to beat me up,” I deadpanned. “I’ll see you soon.”

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