Page 26 of Breathe Me: Smith & Belle

“It won’t be easy for her,” Alexander warned me. “Clara relies on her. I’ve seen what losing Edward has done to my wife. I imagine she’ll reach out to Belle more, but I’ll do what I can to ease the transition.”

“In the meantime,” Alexander said, rising from his chair, “would you like your father’s gun back?”

I knew what he was asking. It wasn’t a simple offer to return the weapon I’d left in his safekeeping. He was asking how far I was willing to go to protect her. I’d made a choice the day I’d given him that gun. I’d chosen then to believe we’d found our way out of the darkness, but the clouds had returned to block the sun one more. Our eyes locked, an unspoken understanding passing between us. The two of us might not always see eye to eye but we both agreed on one thing. When it came to our wives, we would sacrifice anything to keep them safe.

“Please.”

Alexander moved to his desk, reaching under, his hand hidden from sight. A moment later, a portrait of his father opened slowly. I watched as he opened the safe, which was locked with a biometric sensor. He reached inside and withdrew the handgun. Instead of handing it to me, he pushed open the chamber and took out the copper bullet. He held it up between his thumb and forefinger for me to see.

“A word of advice, this isn’t about him. Whatever happens now. it’s bigger than that. You can’t let the past cloud your judgement. You can’t let ghosts distract you from the real enemy.”

Like he had. He didn’t have to say it. Alexander had trusted the wrong people and nearly lost everything. It was a mistake he didn’t want to see repeated. I nodded, and Alexander slipped the bullet into his own pocket.

“You don’t need that,” he told me, passing me the gun.

It wasn’t a call to pacifism. It was a reminder to focus on the danger in front of me, and whoever was behind that had already sent me the ammunition that would end this.

“If you need more,” Alexander offered.

“I’ll be in touch.” But we both knew that wasn’t true. The next time I left London it would be for good.