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“What could you possibly need so badly that you’re willing to trade the lives of Wes or Laney or Jules or Des for?”
“None of them were ever going to get hurt.”
“Never?” She swiped at a tear that rolled down her cheek. “You could never guarantee that—what they did to Wes—to Laney.” Her look whipped to Hoppler, her finger flinging up to point at him. “Why does he even want the box? Doesn’t he know the curse of it—didn’t you tell him?”
“I know full well about the curse and that isn’t about to touch me as I’ll be passing the box along to Lord Gatlong,” Hoppler said from the not-far-enough-away spot he’d landed. “He’s got grand plans to take over the world with it. Starting with his daughter. And he’s paying me a pretty penny to get it for him.”
“Lord Gatlong?” Repulsion rolled through her body, making her stagger a step backward for balance. Her look shot to Hoppler and then back to Rune. “My brother-in-law? Jules’s father? And he’s planning on going after Jules?” She jumped forward, grabbed Rune’s arm. “Rune, no. Gatlong is nothing but evil. What happened between him and Jules—it wasn’t good. It was murderous, vicious.”
“I can’t do anything about it, Elle.”
Her head jerked back. “So you—you want to hurt them—hurt Jules?”
“No—heavens no.” His arm flew up at his side. “I never meant any of it, Elle. Des was my mate and then I met Jules when she landed on the ship—I never wanted to hurt them. Never wanted to hurt Wes. Never wanted to hurt anyone. I could never steal the box from them, never steal it from Captain Folback. Not after I knew them. Not after I swore loyalty to them, though I should have stolen it away, for all the terror it has caused.”
“Who are you? Your name isn’t even Smith, is it?” Her eyes narrowed at him, her tears drying as her look went hard, incensed. “Don’t even bother to answer—I don’t believe you. I don’t believe a word that is coming out of your mouth.”
“And you shouldn’t.” Rune’s eyes closed, his stomach churning at what he had to do next.
He’d avoided it for as long as he could. But the last sands of the hourglass had fallen upon him, collapsing from all sides to bury him.
All he could do now was guarantee Elle wasn’t hurt. That she stayed so far removed from this mess that nothing could touch her.
There was only one way to save her. And it was about to take everything in him to make it happen.
He opened his eyes to her. “I need the box, Elle.”
She stumbled backward, her hand on the lump in her left side pocket. “No—you wouldn’t.”
Sleek, smooth, before she even knew what was happening, he stalked forward, collapsing the space between them. His head bent down to her ear as his left arm slipped around her back to hold her in place against his body. Her body that fit so perfectly against his. Her heartbeat thundering so rapidly in her chest he felt it as his own.
His right hand went softly to the side of her face, touching it with such stifled regret it sent a tremble into his bones. He didn’t want to let her go. Ever.
But this was the last time he would ever be able to hold her. Touch her.
His head dropped for a moment, his nose in her hair, locking into his memory the smell of her, the feel of her body. Every curve, every muscle, the pace of her breath, how it lifted her lungs. He needed to remember. Everything.
Words choked through his throat in a brutal whisper. “I’m sorry, Elle.”
Before she could react, he slipped his right hand down and into her pocket, stealing the box out.
He’d always been a bloody good thief.
Her eyes went wide and she arched backward against his arm, trying to escape. “You cannot.”
His stare bored into her, willing her to understand the impossible. Willing her to not hate him forever, even though he knew she would.
His voice came in a cracked whisper. “If I have to choose between you and Jules, I choose you, Elle. I choose you above promises or vows or friends or loyalty. You. You’re all that matters.”
“Come, Rune, enough of that.” Hoppler’s voice cut through the delicate bubble of denial that had encased them for those few precious seconds. “You have some debts to pay and I’m getting impatient.”
Rune released her and she floundered to find her footing.
He didn’t catch her. Didn’t help. He was already turning to Hoppler. Already aimed at the stables. He needed a horse and they needed to get off this island before he did something stupid.
For stupid would mean Elle would die.
And he wouldn’t let that happen.
