Hostage
Page 37
Barely able to hang on to the basket, she set it on the chair beside the bed.
“What are you doing here?” Hennessey tried to lift himself unsuccessfully into a sitting position.
“I thought you might be hungry.” She wanted to help him, but she wasn’t sure how without hurting him further.
Gingerly, she moved to the other side of the bed, gripping his good arm and helping him to rise to the mound of pillows at his back. When he was settled, Penni laid the tray on his lap.
Hennessy ate hungrily, devouring the cinnamon rolls.
“Did The Last Riders do that to you?” she asked.
“No.”
Penni let out a relieved breath. She had hated Hennessy for not letting her go, but what had been done to him made her sick to her stomach.
“Ice and Viper are the reason I’m still breathing.”
“Good. I mean, I’m glad you’re not—”
“Dead?” Hennessy finished for her.
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t mean I’ll be staying that way.”
“If Viper were going to kill you, he would have done it before now. He wouldn’t have bandaged you up. He would have let the Unjust Soldiers finish you off.”
“He would have done me a favor.” Hennessy’s grave expression had her wondering how he could eat. Had Viper told him he was going to be killed in retaliation for kidnapping her?
“I told Shade I would stay out of his clubs’ business. Jackal wanted me to try, anyway, to smooth things over between you two.”
“Don’t bother. I wouldn’t listen to anything a bitch had to say.” Hennessy grimaced in pain, trying to lift his arm into a more comfortable position.
“Fine. I’ll tell him you don’t want my help.”
If he weren’t already so hurt, Penni would have pounded him into the mattress.
Penni went out the door and into the hall. She was about to slam his bedroom door closed when she came face to face with Raci as she exited the bedroom across the hall.
She was only wearing a white T-shirt. Her perky breasts had Penni feeling envious until she looked through the opened door and saw Train standing by his bed, about to put on a pair of jeans in his hands. Penni wanted to sink through the floor in embarrassment.
“Excuse me,” she mumbled, not knowing how to get out of the awkward position.
“You’re not supposed to be up here,” Raci said as they stared at each other.
“I was … I …”
The door next to Hennessy’s opened.
Was the whole house going to witness her humiliation?
Turning her head, she saw Jackal standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean disturb anyone. I took Hennessy his breakfast.” Closing the door on Hennessy’s curious gaze, Penni tried to pretend it was a natural occurrence to see Train in the nude. “And I wanted to tell Jackal his breakfast is ready.”
Since she was in a shitload of trouble, she decided to go for broke. Before he could react, Penni kissed Jackal on his surprised mouth. The kiss lasted much longer than intended, but she blamed him for cupping her butt and pulling her into his hard body.
Leaning into him, Penni stared into his lowered eyes, feeling the world tilt. She imagined she heard the world crashing down around them.
The image of Train in the bedroom faded away as the sensation of Jackal’s firm lips on hers brought her mind to a standstill, making her forget they had an audience. Damn, when Jackal kissed, he was like a man on a mission. He didn’t try to make them sweet kisses. No, he took no prisoners. You stood transfixed, waiting for each brush of his tongue.
She nipped on his bottom lip when he pulled away.
“Pour me a cup of coffee. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Dazedly, she took a step past the door he had come out of, seeing the curvy bottom belonging to Jewell facing the open doorway.
Fury had her dodging Jackal’s restraining hand when he saw her reaction. First Train and then Jackal; how much rejection was a woman supposed to take? Technically, though, neither man was rejecting her. Train had no idea of her interest, and Jackal was only pretending to be interested.
“I was asleep when Rider decided to have company last night,” Jackal explained. “I spent the night in Hennessey room. I just came out of the shower.” Jackal nodded to the bathroom door. “I went to Rider’s room to get my boots and a clean shirt.”
The thump she had heard wasn’t the world stopping, but Jackal dropping his boots.
“So you didn’t spend the night with Jewell?” she asked.
“That’s her name? How can you tell?” Most of Jewell’s body was covered by the blanket. Even a pillow was tossed over her head.
Penni snorted. “I’m a girl, but even I can recognize that ass.”
Jewell turned in a huff on the bed. “If you’re discussing my ass, shut the fucking the door. I’ve got an hour before I have to get ready church.”
She laughed as Jackal closed the door.
“I’ll check on Hennessy. Don’t forget my coffee.”
“I won’t.” She started down the hallway, seeing Train standing in his doorway, his jeans now on. “Morning, Train.” Damn, now she remembered why she was in love with Train. His body would make any woman stand up and howl.
He didn’t speak, only nodded his head.
Jackal’s expression became thunderous when he caught her captivated gaze. Penni just shrugged, leaving the three behind as she hurried toward the kitchen.
Genny turned her head at her approach. “Did you have any trouble?”
“No. He said thank you.” Or he would have if he had any manners.
Penni barely had time to pour a cup of coffee before Jackal showed up. She had just handed it to him when Train came in. Penni conveniently forgot Train as she hurriedly gave Jackal his coffee then went to the counter for the cinnamon rolls, putting them down in front of him.
“I thought those were for Shade,” Genny said as she carefully maneuvered a hot pan she had taken out of the oven.
Penni bit down the inside of her cheek to keep from flushing. “I forgot Shade’s on a diet.”
“Oh … What about Lily?”
Could the woman give her a break? Penni rolled her eyes behind the men’s backs.
“Uh … Okay …” Genny muttered. “I’m getting ready to add icing; you can bring Lily some of those.”
Penni took the opportunity Genny had given her to save face.
“They’ll be warm,” Penni agreed as if that had been the plan along.
Penni took a seat at the table. Neither man noticed. Jackal was too busy eating his food, and Train was watching them. Did he think they would make out at the table?
“Shade awake?” she asked Train.
Train lowered his coffee to the table. “How should I know?”
“I thought you might have texted him since you saw me kissing Jackal … the way you did last night.”
“He’s your brother. He wants to make sure you don’t get hurt.” Train didn’t deny it.
“I’m twenty-four, not sixteen and never been kissed.”
“There’s a big difference between Jackal and most of the men you’ve dated.”
“How do you know what kind of men I’ve dated?”
“What are you doing here?” Hennessey tried to lift himself unsuccessfully into a sitting position.
“I thought you might be hungry.” She wanted to help him, but she wasn’t sure how without hurting him further.
Gingerly, she moved to the other side of the bed, gripping his good arm and helping him to rise to the mound of pillows at his back. When he was settled, Penni laid the tray on his lap.
Hennessy ate hungrily, devouring the cinnamon rolls.
“Did The Last Riders do that to you?” she asked.
“No.”
Penni let out a relieved breath. She had hated Hennessy for not letting her go, but what had been done to him made her sick to her stomach.
“Ice and Viper are the reason I’m still breathing.”
“Good. I mean, I’m glad you’re not—”
“Dead?” Hennessy finished for her.
“Yes.”
“It doesn’t mean I’ll be staying that way.”
“If Viper were going to kill you, he would have done it before now. He wouldn’t have bandaged you up. He would have let the Unjust Soldiers finish you off.”
“He would have done me a favor.” Hennessy’s grave expression had her wondering how he could eat. Had Viper told him he was going to be killed in retaliation for kidnapping her?
“I told Shade I would stay out of his clubs’ business. Jackal wanted me to try, anyway, to smooth things over between you two.”
“Don’t bother. I wouldn’t listen to anything a bitch had to say.” Hennessy grimaced in pain, trying to lift his arm into a more comfortable position.
“Fine. I’ll tell him you don’t want my help.”
If he weren’t already so hurt, Penni would have pounded him into the mattress.
Penni went out the door and into the hall. She was about to slam his bedroom door closed when she came face to face with Raci as she exited the bedroom across the hall.
She was only wearing a white T-shirt. Her perky breasts had Penni feeling envious until she looked through the opened door and saw Train standing by his bed, about to put on a pair of jeans in his hands. Penni wanted to sink through the floor in embarrassment.
“Excuse me,” she mumbled, not knowing how to get out of the awkward position.
“You’re not supposed to be up here,” Raci said as they stared at each other.
“I was … I …”
The door next to Hennessy’s opened.
Was the whole house going to witness her humiliation?
Turning her head, she saw Jackal standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean disturb anyone. I took Hennessy his breakfast.” Closing the door on Hennessy’s curious gaze, Penni tried to pretend it was a natural occurrence to see Train in the nude. “And I wanted to tell Jackal his breakfast is ready.”
Since she was in a shitload of trouble, she decided to go for broke. Before he could react, Penni kissed Jackal on his surprised mouth. The kiss lasted much longer than intended, but she blamed him for cupping her butt and pulling her into his hard body.
Leaning into him, Penni stared into his lowered eyes, feeling the world tilt. She imagined she heard the world crashing down around them.
The image of Train in the bedroom faded away as the sensation of Jackal’s firm lips on hers brought her mind to a standstill, making her forget they had an audience. Damn, when Jackal kissed, he was like a man on a mission. He didn’t try to make them sweet kisses. No, he took no prisoners. You stood transfixed, waiting for each brush of his tongue.
She nipped on his bottom lip when he pulled away.
“Pour me a cup of coffee. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Dazedly, she took a step past the door he had come out of, seeing the curvy bottom belonging to Jewell facing the open doorway.
Fury had her dodging Jackal’s restraining hand when he saw her reaction. First Train and then Jackal; how much rejection was a woman supposed to take? Technically, though, neither man was rejecting her. Train had no idea of her interest, and Jackal was only pretending to be interested.
“I was asleep when Rider decided to have company last night,” Jackal explained. “I spent the night in Hennessey room. I just came out of the shower.” Jackal nodded to the bathroom door. “I went to Rider’s room to get my boots and a clean shirt.”
The thump she had heard wasn’t the world stopping, but Jackal dropping his boots.
“So you didn’t spend the night with Jewell?” she asked.
“That’s her name? How can you tell?” Most of Jewell’s body was covered by the blanket. Even a pillow was tossed over her head.
Penni snorted. “I’m a girl, but even I can recognize that ass.”
Jewell turned in a huff on the bed. “If you’re discussing my ass, shut the fucking the door. I’ve got an hour before I have to get ready church.”
She laughed as Jackal closed the door.
“I’ll check on Hennessy. Don’t forget my coffee.”
“I won’t.” She started down the hallway, seeing Train standing in his doorway, his jeans now on. “Morning, Train.” Damn, now she remembered why she was in love with Train. His body would make any woman stand up and howl.
He didn’t speak, only nodded his head.
Jackal’s expression became thunderous when he caught her captivated gaze. Penni just shrugged, leaving the three behind as she hurried toward the kitchen.
Genny turned her head at her approach. “Did you have any trouble?”
“No. He said thank you.” Or he would have if he had any manners.
Penni barely had time to pour a cup of coffee before Jackal showed up. She had just handed it to him when Train came in. Penni conveniently forgot Train as she hurriedly gave Jackal his coffee then went to the counter for the cinnamon rolls, putting them down in front of him.
“I thought those were for Shade,” Genny said as she carefully maneuvered a hot pan she had taken out of the oven.
Penni bit down the inside of her cheek to keep from flushing. “I forgot Shade’s on a diet.”
“Oh … What about Lily?”
Could the woman give her a break? Penni rolled her eyes behind the men’s backs.
“Uh … Okay …” Genny muttered. “I’m getting ready to add icing; you can bring Lily some of those.”
Penni took the opportunity Genny had given her to save face.
“They’ll be warm,” Penni agreed as if that had been the plan along.
Penni took a seat at the table. Neither man noticed. Jackal was too busy eating his food, and Train was watching them. Did he think they would make out at the table?
“Shade awake?” she asked Train.
Train lowered his coffee to the table. “How should I know?”
“I thought you might have texted him since you saw me kissing Jackal … the way you did last night.”
“He’s your brother. He wants to make sure you don’t get hurt.” Train didn’t deny it.
“I’m twenty-four, not sixteen and never been kissed.”
“There’s a big difference between Jackal and most of the men you’ve dated.”
“How do you know what kind of men I’ve dated?”
