I don’t know where Colt and Hal went while I was in the study, but maybe it’s a good thing they’re not here to witness the impending shit show.
When he realizes it’s me, Azrael’s upper lip lifts in a snarl. He storms over to me, the thud of his heavy boots on the marble ominous.
I start backing up in the face of his obvious wrath without even realizing it. Before I can decide whether to turn around and run, my back brushes the wall, and he’s in my face. He slams his hands next to my head, hard enough to dent the drywall.
I’m proud of myself that I only flinch a little at that. But that small movement just seems to stoke the fires of his anger.
“When the fuck are you going to grow a backbone and stand up for yourself?” he snarls at me, close enough that I can smell the alcohol on his breath. “Or are you too weak? You let everyone walk all over you, and you’re content to let your weakness get others hurt. It’s fucking disgusting.”
His words arrow straight into the still broken and bloody part of my heart after Wren’s death. He’s right, though. If I were less of a coward and pushover, Wren would’ve never married Marcus.
She’d still be here.
I can’t fight the tears that trail down my cheeks as I try not to drown in how much I fuck everything up. “You’re right,” I whisper.
Because he is. He’s one of the only people here who sees the real me. The me I try so hard to hide and change. The me I wish were gone instead of Wren.
My agreement just enrages him further.
“That’s all you fucking have to say for yourself? You’re pathetic.” Azrael lifts his hand from the wall suddenly, and I flinch back, bracing for a blow that never comes. He’s silent for a beat too long before leaning down and roaring, “I’m nothing like him!”
I swallow hard and open my mouth to apologize. For what, I don’t even know, but I never get the chance because he’s yanked back.
I stare at Colt in confusion as he slams Azrael into the now-closed front door. He throws a punch that Azrael doesn’t even try to dodge. It lands with a sickening crack as blood from Azrael’s nose flies everywhere.
When Azrael doesn’t make a move to defend himself, Colt shakes his head and steps back. He takes a deep breath before pinning his friend with a glare so icy I feel chilled to the bone. “You get to have your problems. You get to be fucked up and struggling. But what you absolutely don’t get to do is take out your damage on Lark. Go clean yourself up and fucking sleep it off.”
He dismisses Azrael without a backward glance as he stomps over to me. Without uttering a word, he lifts me up by my hipsand holds me against his strong frame. I wrap my arms and legs around him, not wanting to be dropped. He storms up the stairs with me in his arms, leaving Azrael to sort out his problems alone.
My heart breaks for the sorrow and self-hatred I see in his liquid gold gaze as we move out of view.
When we reach the top of the stairs, we hook a right and walk for a little while before I hear Rook ask, “What happened?”
Colt sighs and lets me slide down his body. He spins me so that my back is to his front and I’m facing Rook.
When Rook gets a look at my red eyes and tear-streaked cheeks, his face falls and he rushes forward until he’s pressed against my front. He places his hands on my waist and gives me a comforting squeeze.
“Azrael happened.” Colt sounds like he’s about five seconds away from hunting down Azrael and giving him a beatdown. Hopefully I can stop him from hurting his friend any further if it comes to that.
“What the hell did he do to her?” Rook growls. “Jesus fucking Christ, he’s going to lose all of us if he keeps treating her like this.”
My heart thumps painfully in my chest at that. It’s easy to see how close the five of them are. The fact that Rook would destroy his friendship because he doesn’t like how Azrael treats me makes me feel like I matter to him. Although, the last thing I want is to come in between any of them.
Colt’s chest rumbles behind me. “I don’t know what all he did. I walked in when he was screaming at her that she was pathetic. I kinda lost it at that and don’t really know what else happened until I was punching the fucker in the nose.”
Rook’s eyes tighten in anger before he softens his expression. Cupping my face in his hands, he strokes his thumbs over my cheekbones, wordlessly trying to reassure me. “Oh, dove. Youknow that and whatever other nonsense he spewed wasn’t true. He’s dealing with his own shit and taking it out on you.”
I’m shaking my head before he even finishes. “It’s all true,” I choke out as a sob rips out of my chest. I clamp my mouth shut until I can be sure words instead of cries are going to come out. “Everything he said was true.”
“What makes you say that?” Rook asks gently, instead of continuing to argue with me. I don’t know how he knows that I’d keep arguing until the end of time right now, but he clearly realizes that’s not the way to make me feel better.
I squeeze my eyes closed because I can’t bear to look at him when I softly admit, “Because I’m the reason my sister is dead.”
Colt’s hands flex on my hips, and Rook traces small circles on my waist. But neither of them says anything immediately.
Rook’s quiet for long enough that I cautiously peek my eyes open. That must’ve been what he was waiting for.
As soon as my gaze is locked on his misty gray one, he says, “I don’t know what happened with your sister, dove. What I do know is that you care deeply about others and love fiercely. If there was anything you could’ve done to save her, you would’ve. I have no doubt in my mind about that.”
