Page 33 of One Second After Another

A pause answered her back. Then, the hacker asked, “What files?”

“You know what files.”

Every single image and video of her as a child—each scrap of evidence that proved her sexual abuse and trafficking by her parents. Everything that The League spent years finding and hiding at her behest. It served two purposes—one to help her heal while also erasing her very existence. Or a part of it, anyway.

“I want it to be clear,” Penny said, “that girl and the white ghost are one in the same.”

“Penny, I can’t willingly release child po—”

“They are my files. They are my images and videos. Of me. Only me.”

“Penny—”

“It’s my choice, Marcel. Unseal and dump them.”

“But ... why?” the hacker asked.

Well, that wasn’t an easy answer. And not one she planned to give to the man on the other end of the call. It wasn’t like she wanted people to see those images and videos. She didn’t want to give other predators more fodder for their dark and illegal desires. But she also had no other choice.

Penny had to throw as many wrenches into the plans of others as she could—including releasing any and all information about herself that she could afford to without putting her safety at risk. Especially if it hurt her mother and any plans Allegra might have.

Like her marriage. This would certainly make that hard to see through. At least, on Senator Gilles Tracey’s side of things. The woman might be able to scare one reporter away, but she seriously doubted Allegra would be able to do the same when Penny’s files were dumped and available for public consumption. Not to mention, when those files made their way to the offices of reporters and journalists all over the state.

Eat your heart out, Mother.

It’s what you deserve.

“Because I said so—one more thing,” Penny said to Marcel as she readied to end the call.

“Christ, what now?”

“How are they doing? The League, I mean?”

“Tracking you.”

“Obviously. I meant—”

“You’re ahead of them,” Marcel murmured. “But only barely. You’re both in New York now. Or at least, a team is there. It’s only a matter of time, Penny.”

Right.

But she just afforded herself some more.

And that’s what counted.

One second after another.

It all added up.

8.

Luca

“WHAT are you doing right now?”

Luca didn’t usually like when conversations opened up that way. It almost always meant someone was going to pile more shit on top of his to-do list, and he really couldn’t afford more at the moment.

“Depends on what you’ve got to tell me,” Luca said, taking a right turn onto the next block. “And my godson is in the back seat, so keep that shit clean, you know?”