Page 18 of Tower

“You said we would talk,” she pointed out.

He sipped his coffee. Maria had used the dark roast.

“I did say that.”

“So—talk,” she urged him.

“I expected less attitude from you this morning.”

“You’ll have to forgive me. I’m new to this whole abduction thing.” She grabbed her cup, spilling a drop onto the table before bringing the mug to her lips.

“Tell me about your mother.” He decided to ignore her jab. If she wanted to talk, he had a few questions.

“What about her? She’s a mother.” Azalea faced him.

“What sort of work does she do? Your father? How about him?” He didn’t recall seeing any pictures of a man in the library there.

“She’s in sales or something. I’m not entirely sure.” Azalea’s voice softened. “She’s going to be very upset if I’m not there when she gets home. You don’t understand.” The same sense of urgency laced her words as the night he’d driven her home from Tower.

“Any mother would be upset—”

“No! You don’t understand. If she finds out you took me, if she finds out I’m not home—” She lowered her head.

“She’ll blame you?”

“Just let me go home.”

“That’s not happening. Tell me more about her. Why lock you in your room?”

“It was for safety,” she said with gritted teeth. “Do you think you saved me from something? Because you didn’t. You’ve made it worse.”

“Made what worse? You’re talking in circles.” Peter leaned forward, ignoring his coffee. “I want a straight answer. Why were you locked in your room?”

She took a deep breath. “My mother lost a daughter before I was born. She was kidnapped and never found. So, my mother is a little overprotective. Scared it will happen again.”

“You’re not a child. And your door was locked from the outside. Keeping you in, not people out,” Peter pointed out.

Azalea rubbed her forehead. “She wants to be sure I don’t get hurt.”

He could piece together the truth of it. Azalea didn’t want to be stuck inside, so she’d go out, and to be sure she didn’t stray from the house, she was locked in.

“And your father?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember him, and Mother doesn’t talk of him.”

He hadn’t had the most traditional family growing up, but he remembered both of his parents. Knew what lengths a parent would go to to protect their child, but still, he couldn’t see either of them locking him away in the name of safety.

“And Richard Santos?”

Azalea put her head back and let out a groan. “He works for my mother, keeps the house safe. Now, you answer me. Why did you take me? If Santos owes money, my mother will pay it for him.”

“You’re here because I want you here. That’s all you need to know.”

“You talk about my mother with contempt, as if her keeping me safe is some unthinkable crime. But, you’re the same. You didn’t lock the bedroom door, but I bet if I walk out the front door, your men will stop me. I’m just as much locked in here as I was there. And you’ll say it’s for my safety.” She pushed the cup away and stood from the chair.

“I’m sure it seems the same to you, but it isn’t.” He couldn’t offer any more than that, seeing as he was acting purely on gut instinct.

“I want to go home.” She slammed her open palm on the table, knocking over her mug. What little coffee was left spilled.

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