Page 26 of Keeping Penny

Penny glanced at Pyro. His tone of voice was…odd. He almost didn’t sound like the man she’d gotten to know. A muscle in his jaw was flexing and his neck was flushed. The hand that wasn’t holding hers was in a fist, and he looked mad enough to seriously hurt someone.

For a split second, Penny was back in the apartment she’d shared with John, waiting for her husband to hit her because of some imaginary thing she’d done wrong.

Then she blinked, and she was back in the ship library with Pyro. He wasn’t John. He wouldn’t hurt her. Of that she was certain.

“John Burns.”

“Not your husband, the man who said he would sell Bowie.”

It hit Penny then that Pyro was losing his cool not about Colvin extorting money from her…but for threatening her daughter.

Nothing could’ve endeared him to her more. It would be difficult for some people to understand that she wasn’t upset that he was pissed on Bowie’s behalf and not her own. But for Penny, it was a gift. She was an adult. Could take care of herself. But Bowie was vulnerable. At the mercy of those around her. And seeing Pyro so upset over the threat against her made Penny feel not so alone anymore.

“Colvin Jackson.”

“Does he work for the same oil company your husband worked for?”

Penny shook her head. “I don’t think so. I don’t know where he works. I’d never seen him before the day he came to the apartment, saying John owed him money.”

“Is he Gabonese?”

“No. He’s white. I think maybe he’s British because of his accent.”

“You’re never going to have to worry about him again. You won’t have to give him another penny. You and Bowie will be able to live your life free from his threats. I’m sorry you had to live with a man who didn’t see your worth, Penny. And I’m even sorrier that you got caught up in his shit. But you’re free of him now too. You and Bowie.”

His words meant the world to her. And now she understood he wasn’t only upset on Bowie’s behalf.

She’d been okay with him wanting to champion her daughter, because Lord knew Bowie could use more champions. But realizing she was included in his circle of protection felt really damn good.

Though…she was also a realist. It wasn’t as if Colvin couldn’t find her again. He’d told her more than once that if she tried to disappear, to get out of her supposed obligation to pay off her “family’s debt,” he’d find her. That there was nowhere she could go that he wouldn’t come after her. And that if he had to put effort into finding her, she’d regret it. Penny believed him.

“Just because I’m not in Gabon doesn’t mean he’s going to stop wanting his money,” she told Pyro.

“Tough shit. His days of tormenting innocent women and children are over. Let him try to come to the US and extort you. I’m not that loner foster kid anymore. I’ve got friends. Powerful allies who can put him on watch lists so he can’t even get into the country. And if he sends assholes to do his dirty work, they’ll regret it. I’ve got you, Penny. You and Bowie-Bear.”

His nickname for her daughter was adorable. And it made Penny want to cry. “Why?” she whispered. “You don’t even know me.”

“Because people like us? Former fosters? We stick together. And because you’re a good person who got the raw end of a deal in your marriage to an ass like John Burns. And because I don’t like bullies. I’m probably overstepping again, but at this point, I don’t care. Do you have a place to stay when we get to Virginia?”

Penny bit her lip and dropped her gaze. “I’m sure I’ll find something.”

She felt Pyro’s finger under her chin, and he gently lifted her gaze to his. “Not what I asked,” he said quietly.

“No,” Penny admitted. “I was going to look into finding a women’s shelter to stay at until I found work and made some money. I have my passport and ID. Bowie’s passport too, as well as our birth certificates. I have all the paperwork I need to get a job. I don’t care if it’s at a fast-food restaurant, I’ll do anything as long as it brings in enough money to get a safe place for me and Bowie.”

“I have an idea. You know Laryn is pregnant, and that she and Casper are stressing about childcare once their baby is born. Would you consider being a nanny to their child? You can get to know both of them better while Laryn is cookin’ the baby, and by the time it’s born, I’m more than sure you two will be the best of friends. You could look after the baby when we get deployed.”

Penny stared at Pyro in shock. “Do they know you’re proposing this to me?”

“No.”

Penny sighed. “Then my answer is also no. I won’t ever be foisted on anyone again.”

“It isn’t like that,” Pyro said. Then it was his turn to sigh. “But I can understand where you’re coming from. Fine. How about this…I tell Casper what I’m thinking. Let him and Laryn get to know you in the next few months. If they want to hire you, it’s up to them.

“In the meantime, I know my friends and I can help you find a safe apartment for you and Bowie. I’m not sure of the details at the moment, but we can work them out when we get back to the States.”

Penny couldn’t stop the excitement bubbling inside her. She wasn’t above taking a handout. Bowie was the important thing here, and she needed a safe place to live where she didn’t have to worry about anything but being a kid. And Pyro was dangling that in front of her like a giant carrot. She so wanted to grab it but didn’t want to feel as if she was a burden to anyone.