Page 38 of Protected from Malice (Blade and Arrow Shadow Team #1)

Three years ago, I might have felt differently. I might have insisted on due process and letting the police do their jobs. I might have said that we have no right to choose who lives and dies. That what Indy did was morally wrong.

Now? I know things aren’t black and white.

I know we live in a world of varying grays.

I understand that sometimes rules need to be broken in order to stop truly evil people.

And I know that heroes come in different forms. Sometimes they exist in the shadows, doing things they’ll never speak of to keep the people they love safe.

I don’t judge Indy and Rafe for it.

In truth, I’m thankful that I’ll never have to worry about Kurt Wilson again.

“I wish we could stay longer,” I tell Rafe, couching my imminent refusal with a smile. “But I really need to get back to work. Now that the application’s been approved, the drug is going to phase one trials. I have to be there.”

Rafe picks up his mug and takes a long sip of coffee before he responds. “I know. I worry, though. You know that.”

I kiss his stubbly cheek. “I know you do. But like I said, as soon as the initial trials are done, I’ll look for another job. It won’t be right away, but hopefully, soon.”

Owl swipes a piece of bacon from Lara’s plate and pops it in his mouth. Once he swallows, he asks, “What are you thinking about doing, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I’ve been putting out feelers at some local universities,” I reply. “So I’m hoping something comes out of that. If not, I’ll look into some nonprofit research groups.”

“Or you can take some time off work,” Rafe says. He grabs my chair and scoots it closer to his, then wraps his arm around my waist. “There’s no hurry to go back to work. I can take care of things for as long as you need.”

Owl lifts his chin at Rafe. “So you’ve decided to stay in Portland?”

Rafe nods. “I’m still working out the details, but yes.” He gives me a tender smile. “There’s no way I’m leaving Eden. Not unless she tells me to.”

And there goes my heart, melting into a gooey puddle again.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” I tell him. “I get to have you around, and Indy, too? I’m beyond excited about it.”

“Any idea what you’re going to do?” Owl asks. “Are you planning to stick with bounty hunting? If not, I might know some people out that way who could help with a job.”

“I’ve got a few leads,” Rafe replies. His lips curve into that mysterious smile he gets whenever he talks about the future. “Probably not bounty hunting, since that requires too much travel. But once we get back to Portland, I’ll figure it out.”

“Sounds good.” Owl glances across the dining room to where Brick—the founder of the Refuge—is standing beside his wife, Alaska. Brick gestures at Owl to come over to him, and Owl responds with a quick chin lift of affirmation. “Looks like I’m needed,” he says. “Sorry to eat and run…”

“No worries.” Rafe leans across the table to clap Owl’s shoulder. “We’re good.”

“I guess I’d better get back to the cabin so I can relieve Jasna,” Lara says. “She’s so great about stepping up to babysit, but I don’t like to take advantage.”

“We are paying her,” Owl adds with a chuckle. “So I’d hardly call that taking advantage.”

Jasna is Henley’s daughter, and they both live at the Refuge with Tonka, as his buddies call him.

Tonka used to serve with the Coast Guard, but now he helps run the Refuge, specializing in taking care of the animals on the property.

He’s quiet and kind, which is a great combo when it comes to dealing with some of the traumatized animals they take in.

“Still,” Lara insists. “She has a final coming up. So I want to make sure she gets plenty of time to study.”

“Go,” Rafe urges. “Eden and I will be fine. We’ll catch you guys later.”

Once we all say our goodbyes, Rafe sets his napkin on his plate and looks at me. “Do you want anything else? Food? Coffee? A quick trip to the kitchen to see if there are any fresh cookies?”

I set my own napkin aside. “I’m stuffed, honestly. Maybe we could take a walk? Check out one of the trails we haven’t explored yet?”

“Of course.” He pushes up from his chair. Then he slides mine out from the table and holds out his hand to me. “Anything you want.”

Taking his hand, I let him pull me to my feet. Could I do it myself? Sure. But it feels nice to let him do it.

We hold hands as we leave the dining room, nodding to some of the other guests we’ve met as we go.

When we get back outside, the mid-morning sun kisses my bare arms and cheeks, lifting my spirits even more.

With a brilliant blue sky overhead and lush trees reaching up to meet it, it’s a beautiful scene.

Peaceful. Comforting. Therapeutic, as I’m sure Brick hoped when he originally saw it.

The weather is perfect for a walk with the late May temperatures hovering around seventy during the day.

At night, it gets cooler, but I don’t mind it at all.

Cooler means cuddling with Rafe out on the porch of our cabin, tucked under warm blankets while we look up at the night sky filled with countless stars.

“Which trail do you want to take?” Rafe asks as he gestures to the trailhead just up ahead. “We can take the roundabout path to the barn; check on the animals again. Or we can head out to Table Rock. It’s longer, but?—”

“Table Rock. After hearing Lara talk about how much she loves it, I want to see it for myself.” I glance up at Rafe. “If that works for you?”

“Eden.” He smiles. His eyes go soft. “Don’t you know? I want to do anything that makes you happy. And if going to Table Rock makes you happy, then that’s what we’ll do.”

A surge of emotion comes up on me so quickly, I lose my breath for a second. “Rafe.”

“What?”

I loop my arm around his. “I love you. So much.”

Rafe stops. He pulls me into his arms and kisses my forehead. “I love you, Eden. I wish I were good at romantic gestures so I could show you how much. I wish I knew the words to explain it. But I do. I love you more than anyone .”

Unexpected tears burn behind my eyes. “You are good with romantic gestures. And you show me how much you love me all the time. It’s in everything you do. How you protect me. How you always make sure I’m okay. How you make my heart melt with the little things you say.”

A rare flush tinges his cheeks. “I make your heart melt?”

“You do. Like ice cream melting at the height of summer.”

“Well. I do love ice cream in the summer,” he comments with a grin. “So I’d say that’s a good thing.”

“It’s a very good thing,” I agree. Then I stretch up to press my lips to his. “Everything about you is good.”

“Eden.”

“It’s true.”

Rafe swallows hard. “I want to be that for you. But—” He pauses. “You know I’m not this perfect?—”

“Rafe. You are perfect. To me, you’re perfect in every way.”

His jaw works. “Brain. If I could only explain how much you mean to me.”

“You don’t have to.” I kiss him again. “I know. It’s just like how I feel about you. Like…” My throat goes thick. “Like I’ve been waiting my entire life for this. To be with you.”

His features go still. A depth of emotion darkens his gaze. “I feel the same way.” A moment passes, and then, “I know we didn’t really talk about this before coming here. But…”

“But what?”

“I didn’t want to bring it up. Not with everything else going on.”

“Bring what up?” A flutter of nerves erupts in my chest. It has to be something good, right? He wouldn’t just tell me how much he loves me, only to spring something bad on me immediately after.

“Well.” Rafe leads me off the path and over to a bench beside it. He sits and pulls me down on his lap. “We were talking about me staying in Portland. Looking for a job. And you’ve said you’re good with it.”

“I am.”

“But we haven’t talked about where I’ll be living,” he continues. “I would never want to push anything on you. But I have to ask. Do you want me to get an apartment nearby? Or would you be open to me living with you?”

My heart leaps. “Do you want to live with me?”

“Of course I do.” It’s immediate. Adamant. “Shit, Eden. Of course . I want to wake up next to you every morning, like I’ve gotten to do here. I want to cook for you every day, so you don’t have to eat those terrible microwave meals you fill your freezer with.”

“They’re not that bad,” I protest.

Rafe raises an eyebrow at me. “Eden. Do you know how many preservatives are in those things?”

“Maybe.”

“Anyway.” He kisses me before continuing, “I absolutely want to live with you. At your house, in an apartment, a condo, a new house you pick out, a house we pick out together… I don’t care where we are. I just want to be with you.”

Oh.

It feels like a storm lifting, revealing a golden sun with a rainbow stretching from it.

The storm was long. Tumultuous. At times, it felt too overwhelming to bear.

But I survived it.

Not just survived, I came out stronger at the other end.

Part of it was me—my stubborn determination never to give up no matter the circumstances—but another part was Rafe. And Indy. And Zada. And Tyler, Ace, and Webb.

It’s a new lesson. That no matter how strong you are on your own, you’re always stronger when you accept help from the people you care about.

“Did I make you cry?” Rafe brushes at my cheek. Remorse creases his forehead. “Shit. I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean?—”

“You didn’t.” Blinking at the moisture in my eyes, I amend, “Okay, I’m a little teary. But it’s not because of anything bad. I’m happy. Living with you… I want that, too.”

Rafe exhales. “Okay. Good.”

“And I think… maybe we should find a place together. A place to start fresh. To build new memories together.”

A slow smile lifts his lips. “That sounds perfect.”

Happiness fizzes inside me as I smile back at him. “So when we get back, we can start looking for a place to live?”

Rafe gazes at me with love in his eyes. “Absolutely, Brain. I can’t wait.”

“Rafe.” I kiss him back. “Neither can I.”