Page 73 of One Step After Another

Penny’s hands lifted like she was considering playing the piano, but stopped short of resting on the keys when she said, “You know, Roz was more of a mother to me in the time I spent with her than my own ever was for my entire life.”

This was not the conversation he expected. Especially not when she was supposed to be here for a briefing on her work. He didn’t think she would share that information with him, either, but he wondered why she had Roz on her mind. Particularly in a mothering sense.

He wasn’t going to pass the opportunity up to once again remind Penny that the woman she cared about enough to consider a mother still loved her and worried every day. Like a mother would.

“She still talks about you,” Luca said, letting his fingers zip down half the keys in the span of a second, the twang annoying even to his own ears. “Sometimes, she’ll be in random conversation and something reminds her of you ... it’s like she can’t help herself. You’re always on her mind. Those photos she took when you lived there? She hung them up with the family photos she had done with Naz and little Cross, too. You’re still there even if you’re not.”

“I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

Luca nodded. “I know.”

“Do you, really? Do you know how it aches inside my chest when you tell me that people I only wanted to help are hurting because—”

“That’s why I keep telling you,” he interjected, not unkindly even if he could plainly see her pain staring back at him from ice-blue eyes. “Because maybe if I do it enough, you’ll let me go back and tell them you’re okay. Even that would be better than what they have now, Penny. I’m only here because they want to know why.”

“It’s not occurred to you even once, has it?”

“What?”

Penny stood from the bench, muttering, “That I’m only here because they loved me, Luca. I don’t need you to tell me things I already know.” She didn’t give him time to dissect those words. With a wave as she headed for the door, she told him, “Let’s go. It’s time to leave before someone changes their mind, and your bed tonight ends up being at the bottom of a hole somewhere.”

Well ...

Okay, then.

• • •

PENNY DIDN’T HAVE Ahome.

She had a hotel.

A suite—a nice one, mind—that felt nothing like her. It was the first thing he noticed when she slid the card through the lock and opened the door. There wasn’t anything that suggested she had been here before, recently left, or even planned to return. Sure, the sitting room and small kitchenette were meticulously cared for and clean. The walls had a few scattered pieces of art that matched the decor. Likely compliments of the hotel.

But the place felt ...

Sterile.

Cold, even.

Penny must have noticed his curious stare sweeping the place because she was quick to say, “It does what I need it to, that’s what counts.”

“Which is?”

“A place to sleep.”

Was that all she needed?

Just a place to sleep?

Hell, people did that on the fucking streets. Not by choice in most cases, he knew, but still ... if all she wanted was somewhere to lay her head at night, then he was sure there were cheaper or closer alternatives to the complex that had taken them over an hour to drive to once they hit the dry desert land.

At least the view was decent. He took the chance to admire the sight of the Vegas strip lit up down below as he followed behind Penny without a word. She hadn’t suggested he should chase after her, but he also wasn’t going to give her the choice at the moment.

Up until then, Luca had been fine to play whatever game she had going on between the two of them. If doing so meant gaining more information on her and possibly being able to bring her home, then what did it hurt?

She called the shots.

He let her.