Page 116 of Stolen Temptation

I try not to let Finn’s words in, but they start to seep into my brain like water through soil. The painful implication behind the words settles next.

My inevitable goodbye with Kiara.

Furious as I am, I hate the thought of it. I hate the prospect of losing her for good.

So far, I’ve hated every part of this conversation.

Though it feels like defeat, I break eye contact first.

Then he says, “Kiara’s going to be okay. Trust me.”

That has me looking back up. “What does that mean?”

“The girls are going to pay for a two-week hotel stay, give Kiara fifty grand, a fake ID, the works. Whatever she wants or needs to get away clean, all right?” Finn shrugs, because Kiara leaving means nothing to him.

But he’s basically telling me not to go looking for her again.

Fuck him.

That’s what I’m still thinking, but I don’t bother vocalizing the sentiment. Right now, all of my effort funnels into not sucker-punching Finn in the face.

“Rory, this is a win-win for everyone.” Finn lists the ways on his fingers. “Kiara will be free, just like she wants.Wewon’t have to deal with the drama of harboring Leo’s sister. If he’s working with the mole like we think, then he already knows we have her. We’ll just send a message back misdirecting him. And Leo will be shit out of luck trying to track down Kiara’s ghost. All right?”

The more Finn acts like all of this is fine and dandy, the angrier I get.

My body starts vibrating with incandescent fury.

“You’rewrong.” It pains me to grit out these irate words. “There’s no win-win for anyone.Kiaradoesn’t know how to go to a fucking grocery store by herself, let alone how to survive on her own in New York City or…anywhere.And that’s on a good day. With Leo tracking her, too, she’s done for if we don’t shield her.”

For a split second, Kiara’s terrified face springs to life in my mind. She must have been scared out of her wits…

And after I promised I’d protect her.

I’m an idiot. And I need to find her.

I don’t have time to go back and forth with Finn like this. I don’t have the patience either.

But before I get the hell out of here, I need to saw off the hands of whoever tried to kidnap Kiara.

“Forget it.” I force myself to take a breath because arguing with him is pointless. “Just tell me where the fucker is who touched her.”

“The morgue.” Finn nods in the direction of the medical unit. “Go see for yourself.”

That should be good news, but I’m so livid that all I heard was,you don’t get the chance to kill him, Rory.

“Who killed him?”

“He killed himself, really.” Finn shrugs with one shoulder. “He tried to flee on foot. We found him bleeding out in the labyrinth.”

“I mean it, Finn. Who pulled the trigger?”

“Riley shot him twice. Shoulder and thigh.”

“You must be so proud.”

“There is one more thing you should know.” Finn ignores my comment, his expression darkening. “When we pulled the mask off the guy, it was Dax Moreland.”

The weight of that revelation reverberates through me like a struck gong.