Page 115 of Stolen Temptation

The worst part is that I can hear Finn thinking,a King fucking a De Luca on the side, while our two families are at war? With a mole on the loose? Bad plan.

I pour strength into my jaw. “Since when do you give out relationship advice?”

Finn glowers, clenching his fist like he’s fighting the urge to hit me. I know the feeling. “Since you’ve been distracted and losing focus on what matters. We have to figure this shit out, and you dicking around with Kiara every five minutes isn’t helping.”

Oh,fuckhim. “You’ve got no right to talk?—”

“Enough!” Finn snaps, his nostrils flared. “Getting into a pissing match won’t help anyone. Look, from what I’ve heard, Kiara didn’t exactly kick and scream at the idea of being taken to a hotel, all right?”

I still. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Finn spears me with a glare. “It means that girl you like so much didn’t seem too heartbroken about leaving you behind.”

Heat sears my diaphragm like he sucker punched me in the gut.

All I manage is a “fuck you.”

Finn exhales hard, some of the tension in his voice easing. “You want to know the real reason I don’t like the two of you together?”

“No. Thanks.” I spin on my heel. I’m out of here. Once I’m back in my office, I’ll contact Riley and find out where they’ve taken her. I’ll?—

“Because you get so shortsighted when women are involved.”

Finn’s words shoot bullets through my heart.

“What would you know about it?” I whip back to face him. “Thisisn’tabout Alayna, and you?—”

“It’s not about Kiara either.” Finn points a finger at me. “This is about you, Rory.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You. Not taking this seriously enough.”

Thatsnaps my mouth shut.

Christ, I feel shitty enough as it is. Does he really have to pile it on? Especially when all I want to do is find out for myself whether Kiara’s all right?

Finn stares me down. “When you found Kiara, she was running. Freedom is what she wants more than anything, and can you blame her?”

My insides sour.

That’s what happens whenever Finn begins sounding too logical.

As much as it kills me to hear, I know with absolute certainty that Finn’s right.

“How do you see this panning out?” Finn stabs me with his rhetorical question. “You’re just going to keep her here against her will until you get bored? And then what?”

“It’s not like that,” I insist, voice rough.

“So you’re going to marry her?”

My eyes snap to his. “You saying I can’t?” Wait, where the hell did that come from?

“Let’s forget for a moment that she’s the daughter of our sworn enemy. After everything she’s been through, do you really think she’d want to stick around with us if that was a possibility?”

“If you have a point, Finn, spit it out.” My teeth are grinding so tight, my jaw is starting to ache. “We’ve both got work to do.”

“My point is that I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” His eyes are solemn. “It’s better not to get attached. For both of your sakes.”