Page 58 of Uncrowned

“I should have killed you. I still might. Right now I need you for The Order. I can’t step into my place yet. She’s not ready, and I’m not leaving her here. God, I could—” My fingers tightened around his bicep with my unspoken threat.

Redmond staggered as I pulled him forward, sitting him in the chair. Blood was soaking into the lining of his waistband, and multiple areas of split skin lay open, exposing shredded muscle. Penelope carried over a basin of water, cloth, and bandages, tucked into the crook of her arm.

“Vaughn, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You weren’t. What you did was reckless. It was deadly. He’s going to come for you, Red. Maybe for me. You know this.”

Redmond nodded, and he cried out as Penelope took over, washing the blood from the jagged lacerations marking his back. I could tell she wasn’t happy or even wanted to be around him, but she did her duty, taking care to wash away the blood as we continued.

“I can’t begin to wrap my mind around why you would be so careless. Do you have a death wish? Is that it?”

“Vaughn—”

Redmond cried out, jolting as Penelope applied the antibiotic cream. The satisfaction quickly vanished when she saw that I was watching her. Her face hardened again, and she placed on the bandages.”

“I’ll take care of this. I’ll make it right.”

“Make it right? You can’t,” Penelope snapped. “You took that man’s life when you killed his family.”

“She’s right.” I let out a deep breath. “For a Main Master to marry. He loved her. God, he fucking loved her and you killed her and his children.” My head shook. “Dammit, Red, you know better.”

“She was a slave,” he growled. “The message it was sending—Whitlock. Dammit. I wasn’t the only one who felt the threat it poses.”

“Taking a wife and having children is a message?” Penelope looked at him as if he were daft. “What about Vaughn? What about me? Is it not the same thing?”

Redmond’s lids lowered through the confusion. He didn’t speak at my threatening look.

“Penelope, it’s different.” I sat on the edge of the bed. “It doesn’t matter. It’s done. Now we deal with the consequences.”

“I’ll deal,” Redmond said, standing but swaying. “It’s partly my fault. I know you’re talking to your sources, but I’ll make some calls of my own. I’ll see what I can do.”

“You do that.” I helped him to the stairs. “Call in Lord Oxley, too. Let him assess you.”

“I will. I’ll keep you informed of anything I learn.”

I followed him up, ignoring his paleness and locking the door behind him. I watched on my phone as he left. I quickly pushed the button, setting my alarm and bolting the doors before I headed back down the stairs. Penelope was sitting at the edge of the bed, staring at the floor.

“You did good today.”

“I don’t feel like it.”

“Are you kidding? You wielded that flogger beautifully. You didn’t hold back. Not even a little.”

“He deserved it.”

“He did. I’m proud of you.”

A cross between shock and surprise had Penelope’s slightly bowed head lifting. Her lips parted and her look was enough to have me slowly sitting.

“What is it?”

“I… I don’t think anyone has said that to me before. I—Thank you.”

My head shook. “No one has ever said they were proud of you?”

“No. Not that I can recall.”

“Well, … I’m proud.”