Page 57

He had dark bruises on his face. One across his jawline covered almost one whole cheek.

Someone had beaten the shit out of Finn.

I had to wonder why.

He wasn’t Mr. Personality, but this was a bit much, even for him.

“Finn?” I called out softly so as not to frighten him off. He didn’t look scared, but I couldn’t read him on a good day, and I didn’t want to push my luck with him today. “What are you doing here? Perhaps you should come inside, and we can have Julian take a look at you so he can hopefully heal some of those wounds. Come on, let’s head on up to the house.”

He looked up at the house and grimaced. “I’m not going in there,” he hissed at me angrily. “Rebel’s body was buried in there. I’ll never set foot inside that house again.”

Well now, wasn’t that quite the dilemma to have? Honestly, I had completely forgotten about that weirdo Rebel who Quinton had essentially stolen my precious babies from. The guy had been drinking bags of blood that had been spelled by Finn. They’d had a weird sexual relationship that made zero sense to me, but to be fair, I hadn’t exactly put much time into attempting to figure it out.

What Finn had said was true. Rebel was dead, and he’d been buried in the basement. That dirt sure saw a lot of action, and I was sure there was plenty that I did not know nor did I want to know about. Rebel’s body had fertilized the dirt down there, and I suspected Finn was the only person saddened by the man’s death.

I rubbed at my chest and the phantom ache there. Finn wasn’t the only person who had someone in the dirt inside that house. I couldn’t exactly blame him for not wanting to step foot inside there.

But it wasn’t like he could hang out here by the woods having a little chat forever.

Ugh.

I had regrets about leaving the house and coming out here to see what the hell was up with him. I had enough of my own bullshit problems to deal with. Why was I out here again?

Quinton, that was why.

Damn that man all to hell. I looked down at the shiny, heavy ring on my finger. Okay, so maybe not damn him all the way to hell, but somewhere foul for a week or so and then he could come back.

I held up my hands placatingly as I took a step closer to him and into the woods. “Okay, Finn, you don’t have to go inside if you don’t want to.” Total lie, but he didn’t need to know that. “Let’s just go sit on the deck or even at the table by the pool if you don’t want to get that close. I just need you to sit down, calm down, and tell me what happened to you while Julian looks after you. Can you do that for me, Finn?”

If he didn’t, I might have to use my magic on him to knock him out, and then I’d have to drag his ass back to the house. And that really did not sound like a fun time to me at all.

Finn took a tentative step toward me, and I almost sighed in relief. I did not want to stand out here with him in open view of Marcus’s house. I didn’t think I even wanted Marcus Cole to look at me again. I knew the guys had assured me that he had not returned to his house since that day, but I wasn’t so sure that was something they could assure me of. He’d been acting shady for a while now, so who the hell knew what he was capable of?

“Ariel. I—”

“What the fuck are you doing out here, Ariel? Get back in the house before my uncle sees you and has a damn stroke.”

I closed my eyes in frustration. Ah, Tyson Alexander. I’d momentarily forgotten about him hovering over me like my damn shadow. Of course he’d seen me leave the house and had decided to follow me like the nosy best friend he was.

He must not have seen Finn before, because he swore harshly under his breath and called out in confusion. “Finn? What the hell are you doing out here in the woods behind our house? Why wouldn’t you just come to the front door like a normal person? And why do you look like shit? What the hell is going on out here?”

So it wasn’t just me who thought Finn looked like shit. Good to know.

“I’m not here to talk to you, asshole,” Finn snarled at Tyson like a rabid dog. I was surprised when foam didn’t start dribbling out of his mouth. “I’m here to speak with Ariel Kimber, not you. Why don’t you go back inside and wait for her to tell you when she has need of you like the good little boy that you are. And send your uncle out when you get in there.”

Tyson threw his head back and laughed like he’d just heard the funniest joke known to man.

Now they were both getting on my nerves. I did not come out here to witness a pissing contest or even to be involved in one.

Tyson stopped laughing and gave Finn a look so hostile even I had the desire to shrink back from him. I remembered that look from the beginning, and I didn’t much care seeing it out in play now.

“Oh, so you think you’re a funny little creep, do you now? That’s okay, you can be funny all you want. Me, I’d rather be smart, but it’s becoming obvious you’re definitely not, because if you had half a brain inside that head of yours, you’d get the fuck out of here on your own and never come back before I make you.”

Clearly Tyson didn’t have the same qualms about Finn as I did. Quinton would be so mad if he could hear the things his nephew was saying.

“Fuck you!” Finn spat out before turning around and running away. Though, that being said, he didn’t run very fast, and it was more like an awkward shuffle than it was an actual run.

“Damn it, Ty. Would it kill you to just not be an asshole sometimes?” I kicked him in the shin before I took off running after Finn.