Page 242 of At the Edge of Surrender

Air wheezed in my constricted throat.

I gripped onto the photo as I tore out of the closet and raced through Kane’s room and into mine.

I dropped to my knees at the small walk-in closet where I’d stored my laptop case that had Emmalee’s things.

I ripped out my laptop and her tablet then tipped the bag upside down and poured the contents onto the floor. Frantic, I searched for the little velvet bag.

A gasp rasped from me when I found it, and I dumped it out into the palm of my hand. My eyes darted between it and the picture.

I didn’t know why I was searching because I already knew it was the same.

This bracelet that I’d had hidden in my room until it’d been gone. Stolen, I’d thought. Until I’d found it in Emmalee’s things.

When I realized she’d taken it from me, I’d thought—I’d thought maybe she’d done it as a reminder of the hatred, too. A reminder of the one who’d hurt us. Ruined us. The one who’d stolen Jana from us. Plus, all those other girls.

I’m not even close to being a good man. I’m not the dragon slayer you think I am. I’m the dragon.

Oh God.

Dizziness nearly knocked me back to the floor when I stood, and the frame slipped from my fingers. My hand shot to the wall to steady myself as I swayed.

Panic blistered beneath the surface of my skin.

The realization was too much to bear.

No.

No.

Bending in two, I pressed my hand to my stomach, trying to stop the bile that raced up my throat.

Quavers of horror rocked through me.

I couldn’t…I?—

Maci’s little voice filtered through the walls from where she played with her dolls.

Desperate, I shot into action.

I would protect her. The way I promised my sister I would always do.

I ran out of my room and into hers, trying to keep it together when she looked up at me with that precious, trusting face. “Hey, Auntie Em! You wanna playwifme?”

“I think…” I ran a flustered hand over my face. “I think we should go for a walk. In the woods.”

We couldn’t go down the main road.

Otto was there.

Protecting us.

Guarding us.

Sickness boiled.

Excitement blazed through Maci’s features, and she popped onto her feet.

“You know I really like walkin’ in the woods, Auntie, but I only gotta do it when I got you or my daddy.”

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