Page 28 of Cash

Zane was on the couch, tablet in one hand, mug in the other—normal.

Cash was walking into the room from the kitchen, smug, cocky smile fully formed on his lips—normal.

Penny was sitting in a chair near the front window, looking at her phone, worrying her bottom lip. Her head snapped up when Cash came into her view and her eyes narrowed on him. She’d been growing impatient.

This was not good.

This was catastrophically bad.

Burn the world down to ash bad.

This was selfish and ugly and other than killing her I was powerless to stop it.

And trust me, I’d thought about how easy it would be for me to make Penny disappear.

I glanced back at Cash and all the reasons why I hadn’t buried her came rushing back.

“Before we get to work,” Penny started softly then cleared her throat and began again stronger, “I need an hour of your time this morning, Cash.”

I watched Cash’s smile fade and the shutters slam shut over his already guarded eyes. He thought Penny was hitting on him. The way the woman stumbled and stared at him, I understood his assumption.

But it was worse.

So much worse.

Now was not the time for her to spill her secret. I didn’t know when it would be, I just knew Cash wouldn’t respond well if she did it here and now. I needed to get Penny alone to explain she needed to find a better way. My problem was I didn’t people very well. I had one friend, Nebraska, and she was more of an acquaintance-friend than a real-friend.

Fuck.

“Hey Penny, let’s go for a walk,” I suggested.

Her startled eyes shot to me and I understood that, too. I’d made it clear I didn’t like her. What she didn’t know was she was in good company. I didn’t like most people. In my vast experience, people sucked. They were liars, users, abusers, and in general selfish assholes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Zane and Kira had both abandoned their devices and were watching me. Again, fair. Zane was probably worried I’d take Penny for a walk and bury her somewhere on his land.

“I just need to talk to Cash,” she returned. “It won’t take long.”

How she thought that was beyond me. The chick was about to shove a knife through his heart, it would take more than an hour of his time to repair the damage.

Fuck.

“Penny, seriously, let’s go for a walk.” I put more authority into my tone.

Unfortunately that garnered more of Zane’s attention and shrank Cash’s already miniscule patience with Penny.

“I just need⁠—”

“For fuck sakes, woman,” Cash growled in Penny’s direction.

Shit. Fuck. Shit.

It was time to pivot.

“Cash!” I cut him off. “Come with me outside.”

If I couldn’t stop Penny, and Cash was getting ready to chew her up and spit her out—something he’d likely feel bad about doing later—I needed to get Cash out of the house.

Maybe I could tell him.