Page 77 of Tower

Peter closed his eye. He’d done so well at not thinking about her. Well, he’d at least been able to control the thoughts. Mostly. He’d been able to recognize he was thinking about her. That was the same thing, right?

“Her name is Azalea. Or at least that’s the name Bellatrix gave her. I don’t know her real name.”

“Crystal. That’s her real name—but from what I understand, she doesn’t want to use it.”

“She’s doing well, then?” Peter raked a hand through his hair. He needed a shower and a damn shave.

“She’s been released from the hospital. She’s with her brother at Hunter’s estate.”

“Good.” Peter nodded. His time with her hadn’t been long enough. Not nearly. But he had to recognize it was time to let her go. She hadn’t wanted to be there in the first place. She’d been forced, and then coerced. Better she stay with her brother and start over.

“Haven’t checked your phone, then?” Ash asked.

“No. I told Daniel to get me if something came up that needed my attention. I figured a few days of quiet wouldn’t hurt.” Peter scratched the back of his neck.

“Well, asshole, if you had checked your phone, you would have seen that Damien and Hunter have both been trying to get ahold of you. They’ve demanded you see her. Apparently, when you abandon a woman, they have this silly way of expressing their pain.”

Peter’s eye snapped to Ash’s expression. The sarcasm could be a little less dramatic, but Peter got the idea. “Is she okay?” he demanded.

“Physically? Yes. It was a pretty deep cut from what they told me, and she’s going to have a nasty scar, but it’s healing like it should. No damage to her throat or her vocal cords.”

Peter’s hands worked their way into the front pocket of his jeans. He needed to get control. His heart beat too damn fast.

“I shouldn’t have let that crazy fucking woman take her out of here.” Peter said the words that had been playing on repeat in his mind since the second Bellatrix pulled away from the mansion with Azalea.

“Well, it happened anyway. You can’t change the past, and you sure as hell can’t make her wallow it in, either.” Ash stood up, his jaw set firm.

“This is different. I let her down. I told her she wouldn’t be hurt.”

“Fuck, Peter. You got to her in time. What were you going to do with her surrounded by four guys and Bellatrix? Just start firing into them and hope you didn’t hit her, too?”

“It doesn’t matter. She never wanted to be here in the first place. Now she has her freedom.”

Ash shook his head. “You know, cousin, sometimes your stupidity amazes me. If you think Azalea is free because she’s not here—you’re a bigger idiot than I gave you credit for.”

“You weren’t here. You don’t know.”

“I know this much. I know that you are well versed in telling me when I’m in love with a woman, but fucking clueless in seeing the symptoms in yourself.”

Peter clenched his jaw. In love. No, he may care about her a great deal. Because he wanted to make sure every second of every day was filled with some form of pleasure and she was always safe, didn’t mean he loved her. He may think about her too often. And his chest might clench when he thought about never seeing her again, but that didn’t mean he was in love.

Fuck.

Peter heaved a heavy sigh. “Even if that were true, she doesn’t return the feeling.”

“If you believe that, you’re an idiot. Either way, get your ass over to Hunter’s and see her. You owe her at least that much, don’t you think?” Ash made his way toward the door.

“Since when have you gotten all touchy-feely? I think that wife of yours has ruined you,” Peter shot at him.

Ash laughed. “And I’m damn grateful for it. Now get going.”

Peter watched the door close behind his cousin and sat staring at the wood paneling for a long moment after. Checking in on her would be okay.

Just a quick visit.

Chapter 25

Azalea sat on the back porch of her brother’s home, pulling the coat she’d been given tighter around her. The turtleneck sweater she wore irritated her neck, but it was better than everyone seeing the nasty wound. The stitches would come out in a few days and leave an ugly scar behind.

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