His words repeated over and over in my head.
I stared, not quite sure if I’d heard him right or if my imagination had added a few extra words. But the longer I looked at him, the more it became clear I hadn’t misheard because his bottom lip trembled and his blue eyes widened with healthy fear. Maybe a little guilt.
My sweet Eddie had killed Aaron forme.
Had anyone ever done anything so meaningful? First Mike, now Aaron. He must really care about me.
I sat on the floor in front of him, shock leaving my limbs useless. I flopped onto my ass, the reality of his words washing over me and settling in the depths of my chest.Dead. No, not just dead. Murdered.
“Do you hate me?” he whispered, voice wobbling. “Are you going to call the cops? This is two dead bodies for me.”
I snorted out a laugh that surprised me. “Why would I do that? I hated him! He was on my list, and if I turned you over to the cops, I’d end up in the prison cell next to yours. I was pretty willing to get rid of that body last night.”
He hesitated, then shook his head. “But I killed him.”
I cradled his face between my palms and laid a gentle, toe-curling kiss on his lips. He melted under me, and I pressed my forehead against his. “Thank you.”
His mouth parted. “You’re... thanking me after what I did? This is the second person. If anyone finds out?—”
“Do we need to call in Ari and Jules again?” My hold on his face tightened and I made sure he was looking me directly in the eyes. “Do you need to clean up?”
“No,” he whispered, the shock blanketing his face. “He—I—it wasn’t, I mean.” He laughed sadly. “A train took him out in his Porsche. He’s nothing but metal and body parts now.”
I tried to hold in my laughter, I really,reallydid, but couldn’t. The bark of amusement came out way louder than I’d anticipated. He blinked as I cackled like an evil cartoon villain. I gave in to the insanity of the moment and fell onto my back, kicking my feet. I couldn’t explain the happiness bubbling inside my chest.
Maybe it was because no one had stood up for me since Eddie left. He’d returned and everything felt different. He didn’t just get rid of the men who’d made my life hell, hekilledthem. I should be running away from him, but I’d never been happier.
“Uh, Tyler?” Eddie shuffled closer, head cocked. “Are you okay?”
“Never better.” I sat up again and threw myself at him, arms and legs curled around his body as I settled on his lap. I was a snake, constricting around him, searching for warmth and connection. “You did this for me.”
“Uh, well, the thing you should know is?—”
“I was so mad at you, Eddie.” I stroked my fingers down his face, and he visibly swallowed. “I thought you hurt me worse than any of the others, but I was wrong. You’re saving me.”
He made a pained sound in the back of his throat, and I kissed him again, hard enough to leave bruises. I wanted him to get what he deserved for everything he was doing for me. He needed to know what his risks meant to me.
Did Aaron deserve to die? I didn’t know.
I was falling down a slippery slope where I was a god with my hit list—or was that holiday wish list?—and Eddie was my angel of vengeance. He was taking out the horrible men who’d hurt me beyond words. Was I crazy? Possibly. Maybe I needed to check in at a mental hospital.
I shook the thoughts aside and rose, dragging Eddie to his feet. “I want to show you what I’ve been doing.”
I hauled him toward the kitchen to the wooden table and sat him down in front of the laptop he’d given me this morning to work on. “There’s a lot of jobs being advertised because they need Christmas temps. I can get a couple of jobs if I’m lucky.”
“Why?” He glanced up at me, eyebrows furrowed and confusion stamped across his handsome face. “Why do you need to work?”
I smiled and cocked my head. He was adorable, even if he had no idea. “For money.”
“I have money, if that’s what you need.” He shook his head and waved his hand toward the laptop screen. “Uncle Chad left me a nice nest egg, even after I bought my house and car. There were investments and things Dad didn’t know about. I never thought I’d be a person with dividends, at least, not yet, but I am. We’re good. This isn’t a future, Ty. Temp jobs aren’t a career. This is minimum wage. I don’t want you working at these places. You deserve better.”
I snorted and kissed his forehead. “Have you seen me? Not only did I not graduate high school, but one side of my face looks like I walked out ofA Nightmare on Elm Street. I don’t have the luxury of a career.”
“Don’t do that.” He yanked me down onto his lap, and I huffed, but he held my thigh so I couldn’t move as he spread kisses over my scarred cheek. I didn’t flinch away. I was used to being ashamed of my wounds, forced to hide my face. Eddie was the first person to be so nice.
“Don’t belittle yourself because of the crazy crap you’ve been through. Didn’t you hear me this morning? You’re strong. I won’t let you forget it. You’re perfect and I’ll remind you every day. I want to protect you and love you, if you let me.”
“I want that,” I whispered, scared at how tiny my voice sounded. “But I also don’t need to get my hopes up. We don’t live in a good world, and I’ve been screwed over too many times by people who’ve taken one look at me and judged me before they knew me. Oh, you can only see out of one eye, Mr. Morrow? Won’t that affect your depth perception? Sorry, I don’t think this job is right for you.” I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t going to pretend I hadn’t been discriminated against multiple times. “I take what I can get.”
