Page 125 of Point of No Return

“There’s nothing she can take from us that she hasn’t already tried to.”

“No. Skar, I agreed to meet her tonight-”

“Baby, look at me.” His hand finds my throat, holding me still and exposing me to him as he presses the ghost of a kiss across my lips. “Trust… Me…” His eyes are so dark, so vivid, so honest.

He fumbles with the buttons of his shirt, flipping them open. His hands find mine and place them on the tattooed planes of his chest. Our hands trail down until my fingers find the horrid notch I put there. The roped scar of a wound I can never fix. I try to pull away, but he holds me steady.

Warm, alive, safe.

“Trust me,” he says again, his eyes searching mine.

Damn me, I do.

And it’s easily one of the most reckless and incredible things I’ve ever done. He could ruin me, take my gun and end me, and I’d be glad he’s the last thing I see.

“I trust you,” I whisper, and though he releases my hand, I don’t move away. My fingers trail over his scars, his skin, his tattoos to the one that’s just for me.

I’m almost surprised to find it still etched into his skin. His chest rises and falls quickly, and I can feel his eyes wandering over me, searching for any sign of injury.

“How can you stand here and bear the sight of me?” my voice is so broken, every insecurity leaking in. I keep my eyes on his chest, on my hands smoothing over the skin. “How can you trust me after what I did to you?”

“Do you remember what you told me that day at the villa- when we fell into the water?”

I try to remember back to the day, but ultimately, I draw a blank. That day is so long ago now, but I can still remember the water. I can remember his hands holding me.

“‘There is more to life than work and duty.’ I’ve spent my entire life trying to figure out what could possibly be worth giving everything up for. I never imagined that the answer would be you.”

My hands find the collar of his shirt and tug, kissing the hell out of him despite the wetness spilling down my face. Our kiss is a battle of wills, each of us pouring everything we have- everything we can’t express in words.

I love you, I pour into him.I’m sorry. Forgive me.All confessions I’ve never allowed myself to feel.

“I’m so scared,” I whisper to him, clutching him closer. His warmth surrounds me.

“It’s just us,” he promises, and for the first time in my life, something is mine. This moment, this man. But I try not to count down the seconds until it’s gone all over again.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Charlotte

The storm has stopped for now. Water laps at the pier, stone and sea clashing in a spray of mist.

She’s late.That alone, along with the choice of location, tells me that my mother means to put me on edge. And despite knowing her all my life, I still have no idea what to expect.

She’ll show.

She’s petty enough not to be able to resist. But beyond that, it’s all a gamble. I try not to let my mind wander. My pulse is racing, and with it, my mind is lapsing through images.

Ultimately, I can only think of Skar.

He came. He came for me.

And despite whatever smidgen of doubt I feel deep down, I cast it aside in favor of that thought.

Now isn’t the time to reel, to wonder how it’s possible. The only thing that should be on my mind right now is the plan. Stick to the plan, and don’t consider the possibility that Skar might betray me the way I did him.

He won’t.

I make it a point not to look around in search of him. I don’t know where he or Crew might be hiding among the boats bobbing on the water, but it’s better that I don’t. Knowing where he is is just another liability. I still don’t know what Eva’s game is.

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