Page 46 of Amnesty

“Oh my God,” I whispered. “Where did you get that?”

He didn’t look at me when he answered, but down at the wood. “Did you think I would bring you here without a way to protect you? I didn’t think I’d need it… but in my wildest nightmare, I never thought I’d be going down into a hole where the woman I love was tortured.”

I didn’t even think about the gun or his solid intent to kill. I didn’t even notice the killer edge in his eye or the taut way in which he spoke. He was my Eddie, and my Eddie was no threat to me.

I rushed over, my feet thumping over the wood. “You can’t use that.” I laid a hand on his chest. The pounding of his heart was unmistakable. “You’re not a killer.”

“No.” He agreed, putting his free hand over mine. “I’m not. But I’m also no saint.”

“I don’t need a saint. But I need you to be here, and if word gets out you killed a man on Rumor Island, they’ll take you away.”

“No, they won’t.” He sounded so sure. “No one in town would turn me in for killing this son of a bitch.”

“We don’t even know if he’s down there.” I reasoned. “At least put it away until we find out.”

“If I put it away,thenwe find out, it will be too late.”

He had a point.

“At least take your finger off the trigger.”

His eyes met mine. “You know I would never hurt you.”

“I know.”

He nodded, took his finger off the trigger, but kept the gun in his hand.

“Let’s just see if he’s down there. Then we’ll decide what to do,” I said, trying to be sensible. It was clear Eddie might not be capable. His intense anger might prevent him from thinking clearly. Even though I desperately wanted answers and to speak to the man who stole my life, if he was down there, it might be better to let the police haul him away.

It would take longer to get my answers that way.

But it might also keep Eddie out of the jail cell beside the creep.

“Stay back.” Eddie warned. “Promise.”

“I swear.” I nodded, solemn. I pressed a hand to my stomach, trying to calm the way it rolled around.

“Step back,” he said, stuffing the gun into the waistband of his jeans.

I moved back several yards, unable to take my eyes off the latch.

Eddie moved in front of me, cupping my jaw with his steady hands. “Look at me.”

I did, his blue eyes a wonderful place to rest.

“I love you,” he vowed. “No matter what, okay?”

It was tough to swallow. Emotion clogged my throat. Instead of speaking, I gripped the front of his hoodie, filling my hand with the fabric. Standing on the tips of my toes, I leaned up and he met me halfway.

Our kiss nearly sizzled in the air. It certainly sent emotion crackling through my body. He hugged me tight, delving his tongue deep into my mouth. A small sound of comfort echoed in my throat as the kiss went on and on.

How easily he took away reality, even for just a small second. How easily he gave me back some footing, even as we stood here on uneven ground. This was one of the most precarious moments of my entire life (that I could remember), and I was scared to death, about to vomit or cry. I had no idea what would happen next.

But it didn’t matter.

He was here. He was mine.

The kiss grew softer, gentler. The warm thickness of his mouth was so desirable I drew back enough to lick across his bottom lip.

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