“I guess some part of me refused to admit what happened. A part of me that wouldn’t let me remember,” Eden said. “For the longest time I believed the nightmares were just nightmares. Now I know they were flashbacks.”
“I was there, you know,” Hope said. She stopped under a streetlight and turned to look at Eden. “I saw what happened. I saw what you did to Dad.”
“Whatever I did, I did for you and Devon.” Eden squared her shoulders. “And I don’t regret it.”
“You saved us,” Hope said with grim certainty. “You saw that he’d shot Mom. When you ran to her, tried to save her, he pointed the gun at you and told you to leave.”
Eden closed her eyes at the memory. Mercy had been bleeding. There was blood everywhere. Eden had tried to put pressure on the chest wound, but she could feel right away that her sister’s chest was still. There was no heartbeat.
She had turned away in despair, desperate to find Hope and Devon, not sure if they were even still alive, but Preston had blocked her path.
“Dad said he was going to kill us, too. That way we would all be together.”
Eden’s head spun at the words.
Get out of here, Eden. I’m not leaving this world without my kids, Preston had said, his eyes crazed. We’ll all be together on the other side.
“I was so scared.” Hope’s voice trembled. “But you didn’t leave. You charged at him, caught him off guard. He didn’t think you’d fight back. But you grabbed the gun and shot him. Just like that.”
Eden nodded. Her throat had closed, and for a minute she couldn’t speak. She’d made her choice that night, and it had been the right choice. She’d saved her niece and nephew. She’d taken revenge on the animal that had killed her sister. The time for denial and self-recrimination was over.
“I couldn’t let him hurt you or your brother,” Eden finally said, the words spilling. “I couldn’t let him get away with what he’d done to your mother. So, yes, I killed him.”
She looked at Hope with haunted eyes. “I took a life.”
Hope squeezed her hand. “But you saved two lives. I think that means you don’t have to feel guilty any more. You can let it go now. You can move on.”
Eden looked into the night sky, breathing in the sultry air, searching for a sign that Mercy was still out there, somewhere. She saw only pinpoints of stars. The moon must be hiding behind the clouds.
She knew she should be content. She’d been through hell but had made it through to the other side. Hope and Devon were safe. She had her memory and her sanity back. But she still felt restless.
The lovely colors she’d seen in the sky had now faded into darkness, and she shivered in the warm night air. She now knew that the world was full of monsters that walked on two legs and hunted in the night.
Although she’d been lucky enough to bring Hope safely home, there were other girls out there still in danger, other families still missing loved ones. Her work wasn’t done. It likely never would be.
“Come on,” she said, pulling Hope by the hand as Duke ran ahead. “Let’s go home.”
Acknowledgements
MY MOTHER RAISED ME IN A HOUSE FULL OF BOOKS and instilled a love of reading and storytelling in all her daughters. Upon her death I turned to books for solace and found comfort in the magic of a good story. I am so grateful to have had a mother who believed that one day I would be a writer. As always, she was right.
I wake up each morning and give thanks for the unconditional love and support of my wonderful husband and my five beautiful, brilliant children. I would never have finished this book without their constant love and encouragement.
Writing a book is often a solitary process that can be somewhat isolating. Luckily, I am blessed with two fabulous sisters, who are always close by when I need them, and the enthusiastic support of my amazing in-laws.
And finally, I have to acknowledge and thank all the writers that have offered up their hearts, souls and stories in the books they have written, and which have inspired, entertained and delighted me throughout a lifetime of reading.
About the author
Melinda Woodhall is the author of the page-turning Mercy Harbor Thriller series. After leaving a career in corporate software sales to focus on writing, Melinda now spends her time writing romantic thrillers and police procedurals. She also writes women’s contemporary fiction as M.M. Arvin.
When she’s not writing, Melinda can be found reading, gardening, chauffeuring her children around town and updating her vegetarian lifestyle website.
Melinda is a native Floridian, and the proud mother of five children. She lives with her family in Orlando.
Visit Melinda’s website at www.melindawoodhall.com.
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