Hostage
Page 36
Penni had met her briefly when she had arrived. Willa had hired the young nineteen-year-old to help cook and clean.
Penni soundlessly sat down on the steps, listening to her sing as she took clothes out of the dryer. It was a common song, but she had given it a sultry, melancholy quality that tugged at her heartstrings.
As she carried the laundry to the bottom steps, Genny gave a small scream, dropping the laundry basket.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Penni felt terrible. Hopping up, she went down the steps to help her pick up the clothes.
“It’s okay. Did you need something?”
“No, I was just enjoying listening to you sing.”
“Genny? Penni? What’s wrong?” Lucky rushed from the hallway, wearing a pair of jeans he hadn’t taken the time to button. “I heard you—”
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just doing the laundry and didn’t know I wasn’t alone,” Genny explained.
“You sure?”
Genny nodded. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
“I was getting ready to take a shower. You didn’t wake me up or anything. I’ll see you two at breakfast.” Lucky went back through the door that led to his bedroom.
“I’m really sorry. You had folded the clothes in such neat piles. I’ll straighten them out as soon as I drink my coffee.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Please, it’ll make me feel better.” Penni carried the basket upstairs.
Left with no choice, Genny followed her up.
Penni set the laundry on one of the chairs at the kitchen table before she poured herself a cup of coffee, sniffing appreciatively at the rolls Genny pulled out of the oven.
“Would you like one?”
“Yes, thank you.” Penni accepted the plate she was handed and took a seat at the table. “You have a beautiful voice.”
“Thank you.”
Penni glanced at her surreptitiously as she finished breakfast. Her light brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, she didn’t wear any makeup, and her clothes weren’t very expensive.
“How long have you lived in Treepoint?”
Genny turned from the stove, her complexion going pale. “A few years.”
“So you’re not from Treepoint? Where are you originally from?”
“Ouch…” Genny exclaimed, dropping the skillet back onto the burner.
Penni rushed to her side, turning the stove off.
“Put it under the faucet,” Penni directed her, turning the water on so the girl could ease her pain.
“I’m fine. It’s what I get for not paying attention.”
“I shouldn’t have distracted you. I knew you were busy. I’m sorry.”
Genny removed her wrist from the water, drying it. “It’s fine. See? It’s barely red.”
Penni moved back to the table, sensing the woman wanted to be left alone.
She had finished the last bite when Rider came in from the living room. Genny was standing at the stove as Rider made himself a cup of coffee then took a paper towel to take two of the cinnamon rolls.
Lucky came in as Rider was about to take a seat at the table.
“You ready?” Lucky asked Rider.
Nodding, Rider went to wait at the back door as Lucky readied his own breakfast.
“You’re not going to sit?” Penni asked as she started to fold the laundry.
“Can’t. My battery is giving me trouble. Rider offered to switch it out with one from one of his bikes.”
“I’ll see you in church, then.”
Lucky was probably the only pastor in Kentucky who rode a motorcycle to church.
Penni finished folding the clothes as they left, deciding to pour herself another cup of coffee.
Penni watched Genny make a large plate of bacon, eggs, and three cinnamon rolls.
“Whoever you’re making the tray for will have to hit the gym in the basement after eating all that.”
Genny blushed. “Too much?”
“Depends on which of the men you’re making it for.”
“I don’t know. He’s staying in the room beside Viper’s. I haven’t met him yet. From the way he sounds, he’s pretty big.”
Penni’s lips twitched. “He sounds big?”
“His room is over the kitchen. I hear him walking on the floor.”
It must be Hennessy she had been hearing. He was certainly large, and Shade had told her that he was next to Viper’s room so he could keep an eye on him.
Genny set an empty cup on the tray then turned to fry more eggs.
“His food is getting cold.”
“I thought Rider would have been back before now. If he doesn’t come back, I’ll put it in the oven to keep warm. I’d carry it up myself, but I’m not allowed upstairs.”
“I can do it.” Penni poured the hot coffee into the empty cup.
“Are you sure? You won’t get in any trouble?”
“They haven’t told me not to go upstairs.” It wasn’t an untruth, but it wasn’t strictly the truth, either. Usually when she had gone upstairs, it was when Shade or Winter had escorted her, and the men had all been told she was on the floor.
While she and Shade hadn’t been raised together, she had traveled with the band members, so she was sure seeing one of The Last Riders in their underwear wouldn’t have her screaming for help. And if she were lucky, she might catch a glimpse of Train.
“Whose laundry was in the basket?” Penni asked, hesitating before sitting on the chair.
“The same man.”
“I’ll kill two birds with one stone,” she joked, setting the tray on top of the folded clothes.
Penni had thought a couple of the T-shirts looked familiar, having seen him wearing them during the rally.
“It may be too heavy …”
Penni lifted the basket easily in her arms. Shade’s weight training had come in handy, and she hadn’t spilled a drop of the coffee.
“I’ve got it. Save me four of those cinnamon rolls for Shade and Lily in case Rider gets back before I come back down.”
“All right.”
Balancing the basket, she went through the living room and up the flight steps. The hallway remained empty as she walked to the door that was beside Viper’s. Damn, she had forgotten to ask which room. Viper and Winter’s bedroom had two doors next to theirs since it was at the end of the hall.
Left or right? Penni bit her lip in indecision then chose the one on the left, guessing it had a better chance of being directly over the kitchen.
She knocked on the door, hoping she had guessed right. If not, one grumpy biker was going to be pissed.
“Come in.”
Hennessy’s voice coming from inside the room had Penni opening the door. It was everything she could do not to drop the basket.
Shade had told her Hennessy was hurt, but she hadn’t expected how badly he had been incapacitated. Now she could understand why Viper hadn’t put a guard in front of his door. His arm was wrapped in a bandage and held in place with a sling. His ribs and upper body were covered with varying shades of blue and purple. It looked as if feet had stomped all over his chest, and his face made Jackal’s and Shade’s look like they had been done by an amateur. More than one person was responsible for the destruction she saw.
Penni soundlessly sat down on the steps, listening to her sing as she took clothes out of the dryer. It was a common song, but she had given it a sultry, melancholy quality that tugged at her heartstrings.
As she carried the laundry to the bottom steps, Genny gave a small scream, dropping the laundry basket.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Penni felt terrible. Hopping up, she went down the steps to help her pick up the clothes.
“It’s okay. Did you need something?”
“No, I was just enjoying listening to you sing.”
“Genny? Penni? What’s wrong?” Lucky rushed from the hallway, wearing a pair of jeans he hadn’t taken the time to button. “I heard you—”
“Nothing’s wrong. I was just doing the laundry and didn’t know I wasn’t alone,” Genny explained.
“You sure?”
Genny nodded. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I disturbed you.”
“I was getting ready to take a shower. You didn’t wake me up or anything. I’ll see you two at breakfast.” Lucky went back through the door that led to his bedroom.
“I’m really sorry. You had folded the clothes in such neat piles. I’ll straighten them out as soon as I drink my coffee.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Please, it’ll make me feel better.” Penni carried the basket upstairs.
Left with no choice, Genny followed her up.
Penni set the laundry on one of the chairs at the kitchen table before she poured herself a cup of coffee, sniffing appreciatively at the rolls Genny pulled out of the oven.
“Would you like one?”
“Yes, thank you.” Penni accepted the plate she was handed and took a seat at the table. “You have a beautiful voice.”
“Thank you.”
Penni glanced at her surreptitiously as she finished breakfast. Her light brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, she didn’t wear any makeup, and her clothes weren’t very expensive.
“How long have you lived in Treepoint?”
Genny turned from the stove, her complexion going pale. “A few years.”
“So you’re not from Treepoint? Where are you originally from?”
“Ouch…” Genny exclaimed, dropping the skillet back onto the burner.
Penni rushed to her side, turning the stove off.
“Put it under the faucet,” Penni directed her, turning the water on so the girl could ease her pain.
“I’m fine. It’s what I get for not paying attention.”
“I shouldn’t have distracted you. I knew you were busy. I’m sorry.”
Genny removed her wrist from the water, drying it. “It’s fine. See? It’s barely red.”
Penni moved back to the table, sensing the woman wanted to be left alone.
She had finished the last bite when Rider came in from the living room. Genny was standing at the stove as Rider made himself a cup of coffee then took a paper towel to take two of the cinnamon rolls.
Lucky came in as Rider was about to take a seat at the table.
“You ready?” Lucky asked Rider.
Nodding, Rider went to wait at the back door as Lucky readied his own breakfast.
“You’re not going to sit?” Penni asked as she started to fold the laundry.
“Can’t. My battery is giving me trouble. Rider offered to switch it out with one from one of his bikes.”
“I’ll see you in church, then.”
Lucky was probably the only pastor in Kentucky who rode a motorcycle to church.
Penni finished folding the clothes as they left, deciding to pour herself another cup of coffee.
Penni watched Genny make a large plate of bacon, eggs, and three cinnamon rolls.
“Whoever you’re making the tray for will have to hit the gym in the basement after eating all that.”
Genny blushed. “Too much?”
“Depends on which of the men you’re making it for.”
“I don’t know. He’s staying in the room beside Viper’s. I haven’t met him yet. From the way he sounds, he’s pretty big.”
Penni’s lips twitched. “He sounds big?”
“His room is over the kitchen. I hear him walking on the floor.”
It must be Hennessy she had been hearing. He was certainly large, and Shade had told her that he was next to Viper’s room so he could keep an eye on him.
Genny set an empty cup on the tray then turned to fry more eggs.
“His food is getting cold.”
“I thought Rider would have been back before now. If he doesn’t come back, I’ll put it in the oven to keep warm. I’d carry it up myself, but I’m not allowed upstairs.”
“I can do it.” Penni poured the hot coffee into the empty cup.
“Are you sure? You won’t get in any trouble?”
“They haven’t told me not to go upstairs.” It wasn’t an untruth, but it wasn’t strictly the truth, either. Usually when she had gone upstairs, it was when Shade or Winter had escorted her, and the men had all been told she was on the floor.
While she and Shade hadn’t been raised together, she had traveled with the band members, so she was sure seeing one of The Last Riders in their underwear wouldn’t have her screaming for help. And if she were lucky, she might catch a glimpse of Train.
“Whose laundry was in the basket?” Penni asked, hesitating before sitting on the chair.
“The same man.”
“I’ll kill two birds with one stone,” she joked, setting the tray on top of the folded clothes.
Penni had thought a couple of the T-shirts looked familiar, having seen him wearing them during the rally.
“It may be too heavy …”
Penni lifted the basket easily in her arms. Shade’s weight training had come in handy, and she hadn’t spilled a drop of the coffee.
“I’ve got it. Save me four of those cinnamon rolls for Shade and Lily in case Rider gets back before I come back down.”
“All right.”
Balancing the basket, she went through the living room and up the flight steps. The hallway remained empty as she walked to the door that was beside Viper’s. Damn, she had forgotten to ask which room. Viper and Winter’s bedroom had two doors next to theirs since it was at the end of the hall.
Left or right? Penni bit her lip in indecision then chose the one on the left, guessing it had a better chance of being directly over the kitchen.
She knocked on the door, hoping she had guessed right. If not, one grumpy biker was going to be pissed.
“Come in.”
Hennessy’s voice coming from inside the room had Penni opening the door. It was everything she could do not to drop the basket.
Shade had told her Hennessy was hurt, but she hadn’t expected how badly he had been incapacitated. Now she could understand why Viper hadn’t put a guard in front of his door. His arm was wrapped in a bandage and held in place with a sling. His ribs and upper body were covered with varying shades of blue and purple. It looked as if feet had stomped all over his chest, and his face made Jackal’s and Shade’s look like they had been done by an amateur. More than one person was responsible for the destruction she saw.
