Page 188 of Into These Eyes
After he hugs Jamie goodbye, I walk him outside to wait for his Uber.
Surprising me, he places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “I’m so happy for ya, Gav. You deserve every fuckin’ thing that woman’ll give ya. You were right about her. She’s a good one … and she’s just as damn lucky to have you.”
Unable to help myself, I wrap an arm around him and pull him in for a hug. “Who’d have thought I wanted to kill you a few hours ago?”
“Fuck off,” he says affectionately as he thumps me hard on the back before releasing me. “You made the right decision … about not goin’ through with the plan. I was wrong. I got no problem admittin’ to that. You’re gonna have a good life, Gav.”
I scratch the back of my head and nod. “Yeah, as unbelievable as it is, I think I am.”
Slipping his backpack off his shoulder, Benny places it on the ground and unzips it. After he digs through the contents, he comes up with a square gift box, the type that doesn’t need wrapping, though he’s taken the time to tie a yellow ribbon into a crooked bow to keep the lid in place. Then he shoves it at me.
“Jesus, Benny. We said no presents.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t wanna give it to ya in front of Jamie. I wouldn’t know what ta get her, let alone be able to afford somethin’. This’s just for you. Cost nothin’. But it means somethin’.”
I reach for the ribbon, but he places his hand on top of mine. “Wait ‘til ya get inside. When you’re alone, right? Not in front of her.”
Just as I look up from the box with a question on my lips, his Uber pulls up to the kerb.
Clapping me on the back, he opens the car door and tosses in his backpack. “Thanks for havin’ me, Gav. Appreciate it.”
“See you in a couple of days.”
“You got it.”
And then he’s gone. I stand there and stare at the box. It’s about the size of a small, square tissue box, only it’s heavy.
Escaping the heat, I hurry inside and collapse on the couch. A moment later, Jamie joins me, handing me a glass of sparkling water. I down it in one go.
“Aww,” she says, eyeing the box beside me. “He gave you a present?”
“Yeah. I told him he wasn’t supposed to. Said it didn’t cost him anything.”
She wraps her arm around mine and grips my bicep. “Well, aren’t you going to open it?”
I hesitate, remembering his words.Not in front of her.I have no idea what he could give me that Jamie shouldn’t see. Besides, I don’t want to hide anything from her. I don’t want secrets between us. She established that early on and I agreed with her then, and I still do. I always will.
Resting the gift on my lap, I tug on the ribbon until it falls away. When I remove the lid, I’m greeted with tissue paper. Jamie leans closer as I brush it aside.
And we both freeze.
After an eternally long second, she hitches in a breath. “Why would he give you that? Why would he even bring it into our home?”
I stare at the silver snub-nosed revolver Benny showed me after his release from prison. The gun we were meant to use to take out Reid. I’d forgotten all about it.
I study the fear and confusion on her face that, just moments ago, was so damn happy. When her eyes meet mine, I’m not sure where to begin.
“Is that … a bullet?” she asks.
I follow her gaze back to the box and brush aside more tissue paper. Sure enough, a single bullet rests next to the gun. BeforeI can stop her, she reaches in and plucks it out. Holding it on her open palm, her eyes lock with mine.
“Why aren’t you saying anything? What’s going on?”
I shake my head. “It’s not what’s going on. It’s what Bennythoughtwas going on … before you came to the caravan that day.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispers, her eyes wide, her hold on my bicep loosening.
“I’ll tell you. But first, I’m just going to take it out and make sure it’s not loaded. Okay?”
