Danny Torent's POV

"Rise and shine, Daisy's bitch. What the fuck happened to you?" Penny's loud voice wakes me from my drug-induced slumber.

"Could you shut up for a second?" I ask with a groan.

I could feel her heated glare as she locks the door and approaches me. She wrenches the covers off my body and gasps.

"I want answers, Goofy. I want them now."

Nice to know old habits never die.

Swallowing down a curse, I sit up in the bed with her help and rest on the headrest.

"Last night, while all of you were busy, Shane and I went on a mission. Marci was in her haven when Valentiá came to finish the job. I believe you're acquainted with Taryn's twin brother, Terry?"

She opens her mouth to answer, but I cut her short with a wave.

"Terry comes in with flying boomerangs and helps me subdue the crazy nurse, but the woman had more strength than we gave her credit for. She broke out of his hold, shot poison darts at Terry and me, and went to Marci to finish her job. Marci had no choice but to kill her."

Because of her current state, Terry allowed Marci to leave and helped me into the penthouse. I knew Shane was nearby to help her get to safety.

Penny sighs and walks to the adjourning bathroom. She comes back with a first aid kit and raises my shirt. The bullet wound is a bloody mess and emits a funny smell.

She cleans the wound as she speaks. "So Marci got traumatised without entering the British Empire? Truth be told, I saw it coming. No one connected to the British Empire lives a simple life or gets away that easy."

I groan in agreement as she presses the bandage on the injury. I raise my torso for her to pass it around.

"I made a deal with Terry. He'd keep Marci safe and in return, he let us leave with Valentiá's body. It's the only way I could repay my debt."

"What debt?"

"He saved me last night. Were it not for him, Marci and I wouldn't be alive right now."

"So, where is Marci?"

"I'm assuming she's with her parents or the Hispanics. Unless she has another haven we don't know about."

Penny returns to the bathroom to drop off the kit and wash her hands.

"So, when do we go back?"

I cock my brow at her eagerness. "I thought you wanted to leave that place as soon as possible?"

"I do. And I can't leave because we made a deal with Grandpapi. We have to give him what he wants and hopefully, he'll get another heir."

"Another heir from where exactly?"

She huffs and comes out of the bathroom with an ominous look. "Danny, you of all people understand why I don't want to rule the place."

"I agree. I know, but you should also know that it won't be that easy. You can't expect Sam to let you go just like that without a catch. He has proven that he will protect his own but for his selfish reasons. If Sam had another heir, do you believe he'd go into all this trouble to make you and I adequate?"

A low blow, but it was the truth. As much as Penny wants to leave the Empire, I've decided to stay.

It's easier to protect your loved ones when you are the danger itself.

"So, what are you saying, Danny?" she asks.

"I'm saying that if you want to leave the Empire, you'd have to convince Lola to take your place. It's the only way."

The anger on her face is instant. Creased brows and fisted her hands were putting it likely; and were it not because I'm already injured, Penny would have attacked me on this bed.

She inhales, but the anger doesn't dissipate. It's clear in her tone that she wants to bite my head off.

"I want to protect my loved ones, not throw them into the fire."

This girl needs to realise some things, and I'm going to be her teacher.

"Let's get some things straight." I maintain eye contact with her to show her I am dead serious. "You can't be selfish and selfless at the same damn time, Peyton Griffin. Peyton, you want to protect your sister, and that's fine. Do you want out of the Empire? It's fine too. But how do you plan on leaving and them not coming after you? If Sam lets us leave when this year ends, and he finds another heir, do you believe the people would bow down to them? You don't know it yet, but those people already have respect for you. You won't see it because you're a woman and they won't wound their egos before you, but they know Sam's brutality runs in your veins. They know he's been training you for months. They know what you did to that other spy."

Her eyes widen before narrowing. "What spy?"

I scoff before saying, "Do you take me for a fool? Racheal told me that when you ran out of the torture room and to her cottage, you meet her at gunpoint from another spy. The timing was perfect. They knew we'd be busy on the one that attacked me, that we won't have our eyes on other places of the British Empire. She told me how you took him out, made him beg for mercy as you killed him."

She sighs and turns away from me. "You don't know what you talking about." She says as she hugs herself.

"I saw the tape Peyton and Racheal said it. Hell, Sam walked at the moment the last blood left his body."

My words hang in the space between us, and I observe her. I've watched this girl grow up from her pigtail wearing destructive younger years to where she is now. The thought of her being like Sam gives me mixed emotions. But who am I to judge?

When I'm worse.

After a while, she walks out of the room without another word.

-

I hobble into the kitchen and grab a bowl of cereal. Settling on the dining table, I eat and observe Gail from opposite me.

She concentrates on her schoolwork and keeps biting her pen.

"You know, if you're hungry, I can make you a bowl of cereal," I say.

She grins sheepishly and nods. I get up, make up a bowl and pass it to her.

After taking a few spoons, she says, "So I heard you guys are leaving soon."

"And where did you hear that from?"

"A little birdy told me this morning."

"Does this Birdy happen to be your brother's girlfriend?"

Her dark cheeks couldn't hide the guilty blush on her face as she lied, "No."

I say, "Right."

Shaking her head, she continues to eat and read.

"So, what are you reading?"

"I'm doing my math homework, which is due tomorrow."

I nod. "How come you didn't watch cartoons first?"

She pauses her writing to look at me. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. Why wouldn't you?"

"Well, Caleb said I could watch after I'm done and besides, if I didn't do what he told me to, Peyton wouldn't read me a story."

"So, the bedtime story is your chip?"

She pats her nose with her pen. "Ditto."

Taryn walks in with Jack and they stop their conversation to glare at me. I raise my hands in mock surrender with a grin.

"Easy folks. No need to burn me to ash. I'll be out of your hair soon."

Taryn raises a brow. "How soon?"

"Faster than Jackey boy can make you cum."

The man in question goes to tackle me, but his girlfriend holds him back while I chuckle.

"What's cum?" Abigail asks with her head bent at her note.

Taryn sighs before helping Abigail out of her chair and towards the exit whilst saying, "I'm not sure we know the meaning. Ask Caleb."

The girl nods and leaves to search for her brother.

Jack pinches between his brows and says, "What are you getting at?"

"I'm sure Terry has already filled you guys in. The mission is complete, and Peyton and I will leave soon."

"Thank God," Taryn says.

I can't help but wipe off the grin from her face. "You should know that I know the truth. I'll convince Charlie to follow you home."

She eyes me. "What's in it for you? Dealers don't do favours for free."

I get up from the table and head over to the sink to wash the bowl. "I want Charlie to be safe and to do that, I need her out of the continent for a while. When are you guys planning on leaving?"

"At the end of Winter." She sighs. "Deal."

With Charlie gone, I'd handle Mr Li's enemies with Shane.

-

As the car approaches the townhouse, I force myself to look at the duo behind me.

Penny rests her head on Caleb's shoulder as she sleeps. He smoothens the frown on her forehead and kisses it. Then he kisses their intertwined hands.

I fake a gag. "Can you stop that?"

"Stop what?" The bastard grins at me as he pecks her lips.

"Never thought that America's favourite musician would be a love-sick fool one day."

He rests his hand on his chest and feigns hurt, "Lovesick is correct, but I think a fool is a tad bit too much."

Penny humours us from her sleep. "Danny, if you don't leave my boyfriend alone, I will straddle him and give you a show."

Now I swallow down barf, "Stop the car!"

Jacob laughs from his place in the driver's seat. He says "No can do, sir. I'm being paid to ensure your safety. Enjoying the show is just a bonus."

I scoff. "You people are mad."

Penny cracks open an eye and winks at me. After our minor argument this morning, she hasn't spoken to me since. She remained in Caleb's company for the whole day.

Her wink would look playful, but I know this girl too well. She can fool anyone, but not me. I know she will come to terms with what I said because it's the truth and she'd want to hatch a plan, most likely on our way back home.

The car pulls up in front of the townhouse and we come down. Jacob sprints to the front door and knocks with a smile. The matriarch of the household greets us with a newspaper in hand and a menacing look.

"Hola Abuela." His smile doesn't falter, even with a weapon aimed at his jugular vein.

He reaches for her glasses on the bridge of her nose and pushes them upward for the older woman.

Her glare melts off when she realises who showed up at her doorstep. She moves aside for us to enter, but eyes me.

I force myself to not return a favour because I'm against hitting women and if it came down to it; I think this woman could beat me in a fight.

The talking in the room stops as we walk in, sticking out like a sore thumb. Abuela approaches us and taps my shoulder.

"Sígueme."

Translation: Follow me.

She bounds up the steps two at a time with me at her heels. Approaching a black door, she knocks before opening it.

Inside is the Wellington family in tears. Marci's eyes are the most swollen of the three as she wipes her face clean and gives me a blank stare.

I cross my hands behind my back and address them. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to speak to Marci."

They hesitate in their actions. They watch the teenager for her response. After what seems like forever, she nods.

Dinah is the first to function as she walks towards me, and hugs me tightly. With swollen eyes and trembling lips, she thanks me and leaves.

Marcel stands, kisses his daughter's hair and walks to me. He extends his hand for a handshake before leaving, not wanting to say anything.

Abuela points her newspaper at me with a glare. She scans my form before saying. "Watch yourself."

Then she leaves the room.

After she closes the door behind her, I rest on it and observe the bedroom. The scheme of the room goes well with the teenager's personality; dark brown furniture with black and grey carpet, bedding, paints and clothes.

"If you're done checking out my room, I believe you have something to say." She says.

"I see your sassiness is still working properly."

"What can I say," she shrugs, "It's my superpower."

"How are you, Marci?"

"What do you think?"

A rhetorical question with many answers, answers I'm not sure she can comprehend.

"I'm not sure my thoughts are your biggest worries right now. I'm here to ensure your safety."

"How's that working out for you?"

I ignore her question and say, "I did not mean for last night to happen the way it did. Compromising your safety is the price of having your father's blood run through your veins. That is why you will be under protection, but not the kind that'll suffocate you."

"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" she frowns.

"Depends on how you take it. I can't lie to you because that's happened already and you already know how it ended."

"So, what happens now?"

"Since Valentiá is dead, no one I know of wants your head. To be on the safe side, I told Terry to watch after you and you have to promise me not to go anywhere alone."

"Even the bathroom?" she humours me.

I roll my eyes, "Even there."

Eating the distance between us, I pull her into my arms and hug her. "I want you to know that we're friends and no matter what happens, you can always meet me for help. If it were up to me, I didn't want this to happen because I didn't want you to be tainted. The fear I felt when I saw your eyes closed is not one I want to experience ever again."

She hugs me back tightly. "Neither do I, Danny. Thank you for saving me. I appreciate it. I have a message for you from a blonde woman. She talked to me before you showed up. Said that she and the French Dynasty are coming for Kasie. Mind telling me what that's about?"

A frown climbs my face and sits there, but I refuse to let Marci see it as I speak. "The woman that spoke to you is Lola, and she is a friend and a foe. Telling you a story to give you more trauma isn't my plan, but I want you to promise to never stay on your own. I know you can handle yourself, but I'm not risking it."

When we reach Mother's soil, Peyton and I need to prepare for war.

"Promise."

I release her and hold her shoulders in place.

"We're worlds apart, moving with the same aim; to protect the ones we love while we fight demons. These demons we didn't know were out to get us."

She continues, "Having to make deals like our daily bread. Not knowing when to stop bloodshed when it has started, and no matter what happens, we won't leave any man behind."

"Originated from a line of criminals who are bloodthirsty for justice that never came. Breaking what is to what should be."

"Becoming like our forefathers in a new light."

We say, "We came as Dealers, and we die as Dealers."

And in that room, I taught Marci how to make deals for her good.