Throne of Truth (Truth and Lies Duet #2)(42)

I didn’t want to give him a penny more than he’d already squeezed out of me. But I wouldn’t give Greg any reason to come after me again—suing me for incorrect dismissal or otherwise.

“Do you know what time he’ll be collected by the police tomorrow?” I delivered my question void of emotion. However, it held two sides. One innocent. One plotting.

I wanted Greg behind bars.

But not before I had a few moments alone with him.

Don’t do this...

It could backfire royally.

I told myself to hush up.

For three years, I’d done nothing to help Penn. There was no way I could do that again. I could never live with myself.

I kept my body stiff; my secrets hidden. Ever since I’d found Gio’s driver’s license in Penn’s box, a seed had been planted. I didn’t know what that seed had been or what actions it would have me take, but now it had sprouts, straining for truth like a flower strains for sunlight, giving me a blueprint of a plan.

I knew what I had to do.

Penn was Nameless.

Nameless was Penn.

That put me in an uncomfortable situation.

Nameless, I owed a debt. That debt was still unfulfilled and never paid. Penn, I owed thanks for repeating history and saving me, but it didn’t wipe his behavior clean. If we were to have any chance at fixing this, I had to know the real him...not the many faces he hid behind.

Nameless—I’d fallen for him in a lightning strike of adolescent stupidity. Penn—I’d fallen out of love with every lie he’d told.

It looked as though the same had happened to him with me.

We both had grudges.

Perhaps, a third chance would fix everything that went wrong.

“No idea. Probably early afternoon?” Steve said. “I think he has a final check up in the morning.”

It’s now or never.

I picked up my turquoise fountain pen, tapping it against my palm. “I want to see him.”

“What?” Steve gripped the back of his neck. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

“Too bad. I want to.”

His face scrunched up. “Uh, okay. I’ll come with you and act as a mediator to ensure you’re safe.”

“No. I want to be on my own.”

“But—” His skin turned a sick pallor. “Elle, you have every right to hate him. I know you gave your statement this morning, which you have every right to do. But please...you’re better than he is. You’ve always been so much gentler and smarter than all of us.”

His tone switched to begging. “I’m outraged with him and don’t know how to call him my son after what he did, but I’m begging you on our friendship, please don’t send him to jail.”

A cold smile slipped over my face. “Do you honestly think I have any power over that? He has to answer for what he did.”

His head hung. “I know. I just...shit, it kills me that it ended this way.”

“It kills me that the man who came to my rescue is now in jail because of Greg’s statement.” I cocked my head. “Would you say that’s fair?”

He gulped. “No. That’s not fair.”

“If David had been the one to knock a little sense into Greg in order to save me, do you think he’d be rotting in prison right now with no bail?”

He sighed heavily, air expelling from his body, knowing that whatever pleading he’d come to do had backfired. “No. He’d be justified.”

“Exactly.”

My hands curled as my temper worked through me thick and fast. “Greg has to pay for locking up an innocent man—not to mention answer for what he did to me.”

Steve flinched. “As you have every right to do.”

“You keep saying I have a right to do these things, yet your voice says otherwise.”

He looked away, unable to keep eye contact. “It’s hard for me, Elle. I love you both. I hate everything about this. I hate Greg for what he did, but I still have the inherent need to protect him.”

“Just like I have the need to protect Penn.”

“I know.”

“I’m going to talk to your son, Steve.” I leaned forward, my wrists aching from hovering my weight over my desk. “But like you just said, I’m better than he is. He’s a greedy little bastard who thought he could take from me. I won’t stoop to his level. I want Penn’s freedom, and Greg will give me what I want. He owes me, Steve. I’ll get what I want, one way or another, so if you can’t handle that, I can arrange human resources to give you a comfortable retirement package and sever our relationship right now.”

He held up his hands. “No, I can keep this separate from work.” He lowered his voice. “I love your father almost as much as I love Greg. If Greg gets taken away from me, I need to have someone to support. Your father’s heart—I’ll watch over him.”

I twitched a little at his audacity saying I couldn’t look after my own father, but I knew the bond the two older men shared. He wasn’t answerable to his son’s actions. I had to remember that just because blood made family, family didn’t necessarily share the blame.

Penn didn’t share Larry or Stewie’s blood, but they were family, and they would stand by one another regardless.