Page 53 of One Second After Another

He suspected there were probably a couple of guns at the bottom, and whatever else Penny might need to get by.

“I had more,” she said, pulling the zipper closed again, “just in case. But I don’t really need it. Dumped it on the way back here.”

“As long as you’re satisfied.”

She gave him a second look.

Fuck.

Maybe Luca hadn’t tempered his tone enough to hide the anxious note lingering in his words.

“You didn’t think I would come back,” she said.

Luca sighed. “You really don’t give me many reasons to assume otherwise.”

“That’s fair.”

But here she was.

And they had bigger things to deal with. Even Luca knew that. His hurt feelings and anything else that might get in the way and complicate shit could wait a while. He was fine with that.

“And consider before you make another phone call,” Penny said, pointing at the phone he had left sitting where he put it on speakerphone earlier, “that if Allegra or anyone else from her side of things manages to connect you to me right now, we are one step away from Naz, Roz, or—”

“I don’t need the reminder. And I think we’re safe.”

Penny arched a brow. “Maybe, but still ... I take enough risks.”

But not with them, he knew. Hell, she ran away to become an assassin just to protect them. Luca didn’t think it was the right time to point that out, however.

But that gave him another thought.

“All these years, huh?”

Penny had been reaching for the handles of the duffle bag, but froze mid-grab. Her bright stare darted upward, slamming into his when she asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Naz’s father knew for all these years. Where you were, I mean. What happened. Cross knew all of it because he orchestrated it.”

A slow, steady stream of air left Penny’s parted lips, but otherwise, she gave nothing away. Even when she replied, “It’s not him I have to worry about here. He just signed a paper once—cleared up the details, so to speak. The rest was me.”

“You don’t think he has influence with one of the organizations currently hunting you down right now considering he was the one who brought you to The League?”

Penny’s jaw flexed. “They’re not the same as The Elite. Regardless of what they’re doing right now, they’re not the same even if their goal is a similar one.”

“Your point?”

“They’re the least of my worries. Like my ex-boss.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Because he thought they might be the only real threat left when it came to her safety. She had already severely wounded The Elite as an organization—their hired dogs on Penny’s trail were probably about as useless as the people in control of their leashes at the moment. The League was not the same. And the only connection between her and them that could be helpful was Cross Donati. He figured that was an important detail.

“Are we done talking?” Penny asked, snatching up the duffle bag. “Because if so, we need to go. No point in staying here longer than we need to. The city is buzzing right now.”

Luca heard what she didn’t say. “I know a place we could go for a couple of days, or whatever you need.”

Far away from city lights.

“What I need,” Penny muttered, “is time to let things work.”