Page 24 of Protected from Malice (Blade and Arrow Shadow Team #1)

Eden squeezes my hand. “I’m so sorry, Rafe. I didn’t know.”

“No one knew except the guys on the team. It wasn’t something I wanted to talk about.”

“You guys were close,” she states. “I remember you talking about how she spent almost every weekend at your house when you were kids.”

“We were.” Mandy’s face appears in my mind—first smiling, as she always did when she was young, then pale and still, the way she looked the final time I saw her, lying motionless in her coffin.

“Even though I didn’t see her often, we stayed in touch.

So I knew she was seeing someone. But I wasn’t around enough to actually meet him. ”

Eden sucks in a breath. “Did he?—”

“Yes.” My jaw clenches. “He was hurting her. Beating her. And she never told. Not me, not the rest of the family, and definitely not the police. Not until…” I turn Eden’s hand in mine, stroking the fine lines etched across her palm.

“He beat her badly enough that she had to go to the hospital. A nurse there convinced Mandy to call the cops. The asshole abuser—his name was Emmett Storm—got arrested. But he had money. Rather, his family had money. So it was easy for him to post bail.”

“Did he go after Mandy again?”

“Not right away. First, he paid for the best attorneys. Attorneys that were pushing to have the charges thrown out, claiming Mandy was nothing but a—” My teeth grind together. “A whore. That she was sleeping with more guys than she could count, and one of them was the one who beat her up.”

Eden gasps again. “Rafe.”

“She wasn’t. Sleeping with other guys. Storm was the only one. But this fucker… he had so much money. And it was her word against his.”

Belatedly, I realize the terrible parallel between Mandy’s story and Eden’s. “I’m sorry,” I hurry to add. “I shouldn't have?—”

She leans against me, tilting her head to meet my gaze. “Don’t hold back because you’re afraid of upsetting me. This is important. I can handle it.”

“While he was out on bail, he went after her again,” I continue, hating every word that comes out of my mouth. “And that time, he killed her.”

“Rafe.”

“They found proof that time. DNA under her fingernails. It should have been enough. Right? You’d think it would be.

But already, his attorneys were claiming she attacked him.

Storm had this whole story… It was all bullshit.

Even if he’d had a trial, it was iffy he’d get the sentence he deserved.

But he didn’t go to trial. The fucker ran. ”

Understanding dawns in her eyes. “And you went after him.”

“Not right away. I was still in the Army when Mandy died. But when I heard about what happened, the guy had been a fugitive for over a month. No leads. No one even seemed to be looking that hard. It was just… Shit.”

“How long ago?”

“Just about two years. My contract was coming up for renewal, but I couldn’t focus on anything but making that asshole pay for what he’d done. So I separated from the Army. Came back to the States and went after him.”

“And you found him.”

“I did. In this nothing town out in New Mexico. The fucker was dating someone else by then. Hurting her. While I was running surveillance, I saw him hit her. And she just took it. Just like Mandy did.”

Swallowing hard, I force out the rest—the part that could ruin this thing between me and Eden.

“I had to do something. He’d already killed Mandy.

This new woman, she could have been next.

With all his money… There was a good chance he’d get off.

Or get a slap on the wrist. Maybe I should have called the cops on him. Left it up to the police.”

“But there was no guarantee,” Eden says.

“He could have run again. Could have paid off the judge. He could have gone on to hurt more women.” She sighs.

“Don’t you think I think about that all the time?

Even if I’d seen the man who attacked me, it might not have made a difference.

A lot of times it doesn’t. Not when it’s a woman’s word against a man with money. ”

I wrap my arm around Eden and hug her close. “I know. And I’m so fucking sorry.”

After a few moments of silence, she says quietly, “So you decided to make sure he couldn’t hurt another woman.”

“He’d done it before. I saw his police records.

Half a dozen other women from when he was eighteen to thirty-six.

Aside from Mandy, they all dropped the charges.

He wasn’t going to stop. How could I walk away knowing he could do it again?

That I might never find justice for my cousin?

So… I killed him. No one will ever tie it to me. I made sure of it.”

“Are you sure? What if?—”

“I’m sure.”

Eden goes quiet for a minute. And I just sit. Waiting to hear my fate.

Then she stands.

An icy hand reaches into my chest and pulls everything out of it.

Shit.

I don’t regret getting vengeance for Mandy. For doling out justice to a killer. But if I’d known back then that it would cost me Eden?—

“Rafe.” Eden sits on my lap. Then she touches my cheek. “I’ve thought about what I’d do if I ever found the man who set the bomb that hurt Indy. And you know what I decided?”

“What?”

“I’d hurt him. I’d want him to suffer just like Indy did.”

“Eden. You don’t have to say that.”

“It’s true.” She brushes her lips across mine. “I would. And I wouldn’t feel bad at all. Not after seeing Indy… No. I wouldn’t feel bad. And the man who killed your cousin? Who hurt all those other women? He didn’t deserve mercy.”

Looking at Eden’s determined expression, a flicker of hope sparks to life again. “You really don’t think I’m a monster for what I did?”

“You? A monster? Never .”

“Eden,” I add, “I have to be honest with you. I haven’t done something like that again. I don’t want to. But under the right circumstances, I would.”

Like if I ever find the man who assaulted Eden.

“Okay.” She nods slowly. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Yes. I accept that.”

“But Eden. I’m not the white knight you deserve. I have blood on my hands. I do things?—”

“Rafe.” Turning, she straddles my lap. “When did I say I wanted a white knight?”

“You deserve one.”

“What if that’s not what I want? What if I want a man just like you?”

The spark of hope turns to a flame.

“Do you?”

Eden’s lips quirk. “Ah, Rafe. Don’t you know?”

I frame her face with my hands. “I think I do.”

“I don’t want a white knight,” she says firmly. “I want you. Brave, honorable—and yes, you are —smart, kind… You’re perfect as you are, Rafe. That’s what I want. You’re what I want.”

My heart lifts.

Then I lower my mouth to hers.

Tasting. Stroking. Capturing.

Eden twines her arms around my neck and kisses me hard.

Her hair brushes my face, soft and sweetly fragrant. Her nails lightly scratch the back of my neck. Her breasts press against my chest.

My body is right there with her. But my brain is slow to catch up. Slow to accept the gift she’s giving me.

When we finally break apart, I have to ask, “Are you sure, Eden? If you think about things and change your mind, I’ll understand. We can just be friends again. Or whatever you want.”

“I won’t change my mind.” A beat. Then her cheeks go pink. “I’ve wanted you since the first time Indy brought you for a visit. Nothing’s changed. I promise.”

“I’ve wanted you, too, Brain. Ever since that first time.”

Eden stares at me for a second. Then she snuggles against me, notching her head under my chin. “Okay, then.” Her lips curve against my neck. “So, can we tell Indy now?”

Right. On to the next part. Telling my best friend that I’m with his little sister.

“Yes.” I close my eyes as I press a kiss to the top of her head. “We’ll tell Indy. We’ll tell everyone.”