Chapter 267: Saviours, Part 24

Richard

I’m pulled from my reverie by Charlotte’s reply. “Yes, I would do that again. I couldn’t leave Beth in here by herself. And I had to stop them realising that you were here.”

James' eyes soften, losing a little of their slit-eyed savagery. He glances across to Elizabeth, then back at Charlotte. “Beth is not your responsibility….”

“But she is,” insists Charlotte. “She’s my friend. It matters what happens to her. If you’re going to punish me, then get on with it. I’d rather not wait, and I’m sorry for upsetting you, but I’m not sorry for what I did.”

His head tilts back, his gaze heading ceilingward for a few seconds, but the first blast of his rage is ebbing away. When he turns back to her, his voice is milder, although still with an edge.

“I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to punish you. Astonishingly, I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

She looks up to him, meets his eye, then away again, blinking fast. “I didn’t want Beth to get hurt.”