On the run

Twenty Three

I was looking at myself in the mirror, Victoria babbling on as she trimmed my hair. She was the family hairdresser and was waiting for us the second we got back into the house and I was rushed off up to what had been our room, immediately sat down and the work started to bring my back to my natural colour. I was kind of tainted with happiness that I'd finally get to be back as a redhead. I loved how I looked with my natural colour and I missed it terribly. But the more I thought about what I told Alex, the more I was very aware he was walking into the devil's lair with no prior warning of what he was coming into.

I'd told him Jaxson was a dangerous man. That there was guns involved but never the full, drug cartel, mafia thing. That was my first mistake. I should have told him so he knew. We should have had a frank conversation about this before things started so he knew the danger he was setting himself up for. He couldn't take this place over alone. It wasn't possible and if they find out he's coming, I'd have a gun at me head before he could get close.

I know for a fact if I told him this, he'd only want to get here quicker. He'd be more adamant. I was hoping he was thinking things through. Weighing up his options and not jumping in feet first without thinking it through. I was praying he was thinking about this. He had to.

"So, then I said to him Antonio- you've never cut your own beard what made you think now was the time to do it. You should have seen him Penelope. It was worse than when Amelia cut her own fringe with kitchen scissors." I let out a single laugh. "Are you okay Hun? Awfully quiet. Do you not like the colour? I tried to get it as close as I could."

"No, it's fine. Sorry Victoria, I just don't feel like talking. How long are we gonna be?"

"I'm just about done. I'll curl it and then you're good to go." I nodded. He wouldn't let me get out of this chair until it was styled properly. I'm not gonna play him at that. "What are you wearing tonight?"

"Tonight?"

"The party? Jaxson's throwing you a welcome home party? It's a real shame you got taken for all that time you know. You missed a lot. Jaxson thought you'd been killed because he couldn't find you. Their mistake taking you out of the country huh?"

"Mhm." I nodded.

"Who even did it?"

"Who did Jaxson say did it?"

"Not the Morelli's they're actually in his good books right now. I bet it was the Lombardi's. Probably gonna cause a lot of messy nights now you're back. Jaxson was not happy when I spoke to him this morning." She took a step back and looked at me, tilting her head. "Why do you look sad?"

"It's just weird to be back. I feel like a stranger here now."

"Oh Darl, you're no stranger. Everyone's super excited to see you again tonight, I know that for sure. I'm doing Livvy's hair after I leave here, I had to stop her squealing before I could get out of her what she wanted me to do." There was a knock at the door and Victoria looked over me at it. "Come in."

"Just me." Cam shot me a smile in the mirror. "Hey trouble. Good to have you back."

"Thanks Cam, what's up?"

"Just your dress for tonight, special delivery courtesy of your doting fiancé." Gag. He had a large flat box in his hands, carefully slipping it onto the bed, sitting down beside it. "You done Tori?" She looked down at me and I nodded.

"I'll curl it don't worry."

"Then yeah, I'm done, I'll head to Livvy's early." She gathered her things quickly, just having her scissors and a few other things out now. You learned to tidy as you went here in case you had to pack up quickly. Within 5 awkwardly quiet minutes, she was gone and I sighed, looking in the mirror. I didn't even recognise myself anymore.

"Pretty good run. 4 years."

"Shut up Cam. I'm so not in the fucking mood." I spun around in the chair, crossing my arms. "You told him."

"I had to Pen."

"No. You didn't. Do you know what you've done? What I've had to give up coming back here? I was safe Cam. I'd gotten out. I was happy. Like beyond happy. I have a man who completely adores me. But because you couldn't keep your damn mouth shut, I'm back here, right in the middle of it all and I don't doubt he's gonna show up and end up dead and then I'm next in the firing line. So not only am I back here, but you've also essentially signed your own sister's death warrant, so well fucking done." He sighed as I threw the lid off the box angrily, pulling the black dress out of the box with a sigh.

"I'm sorry Pen. I didn't know where you were! I didn't know what happened any more than he did. I genuinely thought you'd been taken."

"No. I left. I left because I heard him and Antonio and Lucian talking about how I wouldn't be top of their list to save in a home invasion. They were putting my head on a chopping block Cam. Do you think I'd have voluntarily done what I had to in order for me to be away from this. Do you know how many men have groped me or sexually assaulted me whilst I worked in some shady bar just so I could pay my bills?"

"I'm sorry what?"

"I quit. They got their own don't worry about it."

"Pen-"

"I said don't worry about it." He stared at me. "He made me safe Cam. He held me and walked me to my car; he sat in the corner for every shift when he knew until I quit. He gave me a fucking pay rise. From 26k to 70. Just so I'd leave the pub and he could keep an eye on me. He hasn't left my side in 3 months. I love him. More than I loved Jaxson. More than I've ever loved anyone. And you told them. You told him. And he found me and now I'm here and the love of my life is trying to find me and he's walking into a gunfight with a knife and I can't stop him. But I've got to put a smile on my face and go to a welcome home party. I've got to smile and pretend I'm happy to be back here. Like I wasn't happy where I was. Like my life isn't back there."

"Pen-"

"No Cammy." I collapsed into the bed below me, holding the dress in my hands. "Don't. Please don't. It's hard enough without you telling me it's gonna be alright. I need to be not okay right now. Before I have to put my makeup on and smile and drink and laugh through my broken heart. Just do me a favour. You're on door duty right?"

"Yeah."

"And you know what he looks like?" He nodded. "Don't let him in. Don't let him get hurt. Tell him who you are, who this family are, how dangerous they are. Warn him. If he wants to still come back another day and try, that's on him. He can't do it tonight when everyone's here, he'd have no chance." He sighed. "Please Cam. For me. You owe me this one thing."

"Fine Penny." I exhaled, laying back on the bed. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. Are you okay?"

"Not a scratch, no more scars than you left." I nodded. "Got a kid though." I looked up at him and he smiled. "I didn't get a chance to tell you Soph was pregnant. Her names Ella. She's nearly 4."

"God. I did miss a lot."