[This whole time. That tone hits him like a punch, but it somehow manages to make him more intent on meeting her gaze. This is really the bottom line of it, at least in terms of background.]

Never said I was proud of it. [Lord, is that putting it lightly.] It was leave town or give Julien a chance at carvin' me up. He never was keen on the weddin' idea, but he got worse about it over time.

[After Henri was hurt, there was no telling how much worse it would have gotten if he'd stayed. He didn't much care to find out. Julien was completely unhinged. The upper limits of what the man might do were probably much higher than anyone would realize.

Hell, she'd zapped him once. She probably knows full well just how crazy that guy was.]

'Fore I left, he an' Marius were callin' for my head. Judgin' by how they were when I went back, that didn't change much. Maybe I shouldn't be jumpin' to conclusions, but that contract ain't gonna work if they kill me first.

[And there's the heart of his logic. She'll probably still be angry, still be hurt, but this whole time wasn't meant to do any of that.]