Throne of Truth (Truth and Lies Duet #2)(62)

“Why did they hit you?” Her gaze danced over my face, latching onto a healing scratch on my neck. “Can we do something?”

My heart raced in fear of her making things worse. “Don’t do a thing. It’s my fight. Not yours.”

Larry backed me up. “He’s fine, Elle. Leave him be.”

She sniffed, anger replacing her sadness. “I hate all of this.”

“Me, too.” My joints splintered to drag her over the table and into my lap. To kiss her and delete the awful cluttered space between us.

Larry caught my wistful expression. I wished he hadn’t.

“It’s going to be okay, Penn.” He patted my arm, smiling at mine and Elle’s joined hands. “You’re doing great.”

Once upon a time, I hadn’t trusted him when he’d said the exact same thing. I’d laughed in his face. This time, I merely accepted his assurance with a grateful nod.

Elle brought my hand to her lips, kissing me quick. “I positively hate seeing you in here.”

Her passion and affection electrocuted my heart.

She gave me the power to keep fighting.

Returning the favor, I ran my lips over her knuckles. “Same. Prison doesn’t suit you.”

She shuddered, sucking in a breath similar to what she did when I first entered her.

My body hardened, my voice softened, my promise beckoned to be believed. “Don’t worry, I’ll be out soon. And when I am, I’m never letting you go again.”





Chapter Twenty-Seven


Elle


THE LOCUSTS FOUND me the moment I stepped out of jail.

“Ms. Charlston, can you confirm you’re engaged to Penn Everett? Do you know he’s served time for three other incidents?”

Larry gathered me in a hug as we walked swiftly to David and the Range Rover. David once again barreled through the journalists, his large mass shoving people out of the way with no apology. Once in front of us, he cleaved the crowd like a giant snow plow, giving us a clear path.

He couldn’t stop the photos or recording devices from being shoved in my face, but he could at least get me to the vehicle a lot faster than before.

Penn’s words echoed in my head. “I’ll be out soon.”

Would he?

The more time I spent with Larry, the more I understood his mannerisms. Just like Penn favored shoving his hands in his pockets, Larry favored scratching his jaw where salt and pepper stubble appeared at the end of a long day when he was either unsure or telling a white lie.

I said white because I doubted he’d ever truly lie. But he definitely wasn’t showing his own nervousness about Penn’s particular case.

He’d already been locked up for four weeks, four days. The fear that he could be held so long before a resolution or verdict was reached petrified me.

It couldn’t be much longer.

I can’t leave him there.

I have to do something.

If Greg wouldn’t retract his statement and admit he lied under oath about the attempted murder, then I’d have to find other ways to free Penn.

I slammed to a stop in the midst of our rush from the paparazzi.

Larry glanced at me. “Are you okay? Did you trip?”

David looked back, his eyes darting to my feet. “Do you need me to carry you, ma’am?”

I scoffed. “No, I do not need to be carried.” Peering at the reporters, losing count after seven of their eager faces and blinking cameras, I said, “I wish to make a statement.”

“Of course, Ms. Charlston. We would be honored!” A female shoved her mic close.

Another said, “We offer great packages for exclusives if you’d like to come with me to the office!”

I ignored both, pushing Larry away to stand firm and on my own. I shouldn’t do this. I shouldn’t feed the vultures when they circled over carrion. But if I could start the campaign on Penn’s innocence, perhaps it would help us get him home faster.

David’s shoulders tensed, but he didn’t try to grab me or interrupt what I was about to do. Thank God because the picture of a silly little CEO being bundled up by her security guard and driven away was not the look I wanted to portray.

Dad will kill me.

But I was past caring.

Inhaling hard, I said, “Penn Everett is innocent.”

Questions landed around me like slingshot pebbles. I tuned them out, focusing on the short statement I wanted to make on his behalf. “Penn is innocent, and we will prove that.”

“What do you mean by that, Ms. Charlston?” another reported asked.

I held my head higher. “I mean that Mr. Everett has been incarcerated unjustly and when he’s freed, I won’t stop from persecuting those who stole weeks of his life with lies.”

The irony that lies had come back to bite the liar wasn’t lost on me.

Penn wasn’t innocent on that account. But I’d claimed him, and I wasn’t an enemy people wanted.

I had funds.

I had power.

I had a grudge.

I’ll make those people pay.

Smiling at the flashing cameras, I hoped my stand had finally shown New York (and my father) that I wouldn’t run away from this; I strode confidently to the getaway vehicle and climbed inside.

“Let’s go home, David. I have work to do.”