Page 57 of Winter's Waltz
“Because you paid me to, you rotter,” Wilmore countered.
“The charleys are waiting in the hall,” Sutton said. “They’ll be taking the both of you with them.”
Charleys Sutton bribed, no doubt.
“You’ve done enough to her,” Max told Peter. “Have mercy and go in peace.”
But Peter’s eyes were still on her, entreating.
“It makes me sick,” she said. “To think of how thankful I was for all your help, cleaning up the mess you had made. None of this would have happened if not for you and your jealousy.”
“I love you,” he repeated. “I wanted to protect you.”
“By destroying everything I have worked for?” She could not contain her laugh of disbelief at the daring in those words. “I don’t want that sort of love, Peter. No woman would.”
“Please—”
“No,” she bit out, not wanting to hear another word, for there was no explanation he could offer which would induce her to forget what he had done. “I want you gone now.”
Max seized Peter’s arm. “Come, man. You heard Miss Winter. She doesn’t want you here.”
“You stay away from ’er,” Peter growled, taking a swing at Max.
But the marquess was prepared, and he moved out of reach in time.
“Don’t you dare touch him!” Gen cried, charging toward Peter, grasping the nearest available weapon that would harm without maiming.
A pot, as it happened.
She struck Peter on his beefy shoulder with as much force as she could manage. He yelped and turned toward her.
“Gen?” he asked, as if asking her forgiveness.
And she would give it to him. But not now. Not yet.
“Go.” She shook her head. “Just go and do not come back.”
* * *
At long last,the doors closed on the charleys, Jasper Sutton, and the two men responsible for the attacks on Lady Fortune. Gen faced Max, looking wearier than he had ever seen her. Sadder too.
His heart ached for her.
She had stormed to his rescue.
With a pot.
Max would forever hold the memory of his fierce empress attacking the massive brute who had betrayed her. She had dared to take on the wrath of a giant for him, and he could not lie. He had enjoyed watching her rush to his side.
Her defense was a week too late in coming, it was true. He could not deny that her lack of faith in him had hurt.Hell, it had hurt more than any physical blow he had ever received, and as he had been on the receiving end of more than one merciless thrashing over his unpaid debts, that was truly saying something.
He longed to take her in his arms, but he also recognized that much had changed between them on the day he had left. Further, that she was still grappling with the knowledge that a man she had considered another brother had been so treacherous.
She stopped just short of him, hugging her waist in a protective gesture he had never seen from her. There was such sadness in her eyes. Unlike most ladies in her circumstances, she was bereft of tears. But if there was anything he had learned in his time at Lady Fortune, it was that Gen Winter was not like any other woman.
She was herself, alone. An individual. Unapologetic. Determined. Stubborn.
Beautiful.
