Page 16 of Finn (Vampire Vows #1)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

FINN

The car jolted to a stop, and I stirred awake, blinking groggily.

“Why did we stop?” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

The dark stretch of road outside the windshield was eerily quiet, bathed only in the faint glow of the moon.

Gabriel glanced over at me, his expression tight.

“The engine died on us,” he said simply. “I’ll call for a service.”

“Great,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

I didn’t bother masking the irritation in my voice. This felt like one more thing piling on top of an already precarious situation.

I stretched and climbed out of the car, needing some air.

The chilly night breeze hit me, waking me up further. Gabriel followed a moment later, shutting the car door softly behind him.

“No reception,” he announced, his voice heavy with frustration.

I frowned, turning to him. “None at all?”

He shook his head. “Not even a single bar. But I remember passing a convenience store a few minutes ago. I’ll walk back and see if I can borrow their phone.”

“I’ll do it,” I said quickly, already stepping away from the car. “I could use the exercise anyway.”

Gabriel’s brow furrowed in doubt, and he folded his arms across his chest.

“Finn, it’s not safe for you to go alone. We don’t know who?—”

“I’ll be fine,” I interrupted, forcing a smile and brushing a hand against his arm. “You stay here and keep trying for a signal. Maybe something will pop up while I’m gone.”

Gabriel’s lips pressed into a thin line, clearly unhappy with my suggestion. “Finn…”

I leaned in and kissed him, a soft reassurance, hoping it would ease his worry.

“I’ll be fine,” I repeated, my voice firmer this time.

He let out a resigned sigh but didn’t argue further.

“Be quick,” he said, his tone tinged with reluctance. “And don’t let your guard down.”

I nodded, turning toward the road. My feet crunched on the gravel shoulder as I walked, the car’s dim headlights fading behind me.

The night was unnervingly quiet, the only sound my footsteps and the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind.

I kept to the edge of the road, glancing back every so often.

I hadn’t told Gabriel, but lately, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being followed.

At first, I thought it was Gael. He had every reason to come after us. But something didn’t add up.

If it was him, why hadn’t he made a move?

Gabriel had said Gael wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, yet here we were, still running, still alive.

Maybe I was just paranoid. The constant driving and the lack of was all catching up to me.

Even when Gabriel and I took turns behind the wheel, there was no real rest.

The fear of what might be lurking around the next corner kept me on edge.

When we’d first started this journey, I’d tried to romanticize it, imagining it as some kind of adventurous road trip.

But that illusion had crumbled quickly. This wasn’t a vacation. It was survival.

And deep down, I knew we couldn’t keep doing this forever. Something had to give.

The convenience store came into view, its flickering neon sign casting an eerie glow over the empty parking lot.

There was only one vehicle parked outside. A black truck. It looked new, but the sight of it gave me pause.

The state plates matched, but something about it felt... off.

I shook my head, dismissing the thought as paranoia. I was running on fumes, after all.

My mind was probably conjuring shadows where there were none. Pushing the door open, I stepped inside.

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, and an elderly man stood behind the counter, flipping through a magazine.

He barely glanced up as I approached.

“Excuse me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Our car broke down a little ways up the road. Can I borrow your phone?”

The man looked up, squinting at me for a moment before nodding. He slid an old landline phone across the counter.

“Thanks,” I muttered, dialing the number Gabriel had written down earlier for emergencies.

The line rang once, twice, before connecting. I relayed the details of our situation, keeping my answers short and to the point.

As I hung up, a door in the corner of the store creaked open. The one with a bathroom sign hanging crookedly above it.

I turned instinctively, and my blood ran cold.

“Asher,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He froze in the doorway but he didn’t look as shocked as I was.

For a moment, neither of us moved, the air between us heavy with unspoken tension.

My heart pounded in my chest, so loud I was sure he could hear it.

“Finn,” he said. “I finally found you.”

I didn’t know what to say. My throat felt dry, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts but unable to settle on any of them.

What was he doing here? How had he found me? And more importantly... what was he planning to do now that he had?

“Asher, I?—”

He cut me off, stepping closer. “What the hell are you doing here?” His tone wasn’t angry, but there was a dangerous undertone, a barely restrained fury simmering beneath the surface.

“I could ask you the same thing,” I managed, trying to keep my voice steady, though I knew I was failing.

“The Guild said you couldn’t get out of Craven Hill. I searched all over the city for you,” Asher said.

There was silent accusation in his voice. Asher was concerned about me? Of course he was, he was my brother.

Still, the mention of the Guild sent a cold shiver down my spine.

Dang it. I really thought it would take them longer to find me, to find us.

“So they sent you to find me?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt. “How did you even know to look for me here?”

“They did, but after I reported that I couldn’t find you in Craven Hill, they told me to return.” Asher’s tone was sharp, almost offended. “I disobeyed orders and continued searching for you.”

His gaze swept over me and I wondered what he saw.

“I know, Finn.” His voice was heavy with something between resignation and sorrow.

I stiffened. “What exactly do you know?” I asked carefully, though my mind was already racing.

This was bad. Out of all the hunters in the Guild, it had to be my brother standing here.

Facing Asher wasn’t just difficult because he was family, but because he was so good at what he did.

Unlike me, Asher wasn’t conflicted about the job. He was a natural. Asher was skilled, dedicated, and relentless.

Somehow, I had to lose him. But before I made any move, I needed to figure out just how much he’d pieced together.

“About you and Gabriel,” he said bluntly, and I felt the air rush out of my lungs. “I know he was your target, and you were sent to kill him. Somehow, you convinced the Elders that you succeeded. And now, you’re on the run with him.”

I braced myself for an explosion of anger, but Asher didn’t lash out.

He didn’t yell or accuse me like I’d expected. Instead, he just looked at me, sad and disappointed.

And somehow, that was worse. I wanted to shake him, to tell him to let it all out, but I didn’t.

Silence felt like the safest choice, so I said nothing.

I turned to the old man behind the counter, who had been watching the exchange with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

“Thank you,” I said quietly, handing back the phone before heading for the door.

Unsurprisingly, Asher followed me.

“Hey!” he called, grabbing my shoulder and forcing me to face him. His grip was firm, but not painful. “We’re not done talking.”

I pulled away, but he didn’t back off.

“Finn, screw all of this,” Asher said, his voice dropping low, almost pleading. “Let’s just go home. Forget Gabriel. Forget everything that happened. We’ll figure out a way to lie to the Elders, convince them you’ve?—”

“I’m not going back,” I cut him off, my voice hard.

Asher’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, he looked ready to argue.

But then his expression softened, just enough to show the cracks in his armor.

Beneath the frustration and anger, I saw something else. Worry.

“Finn,” he said, his voice quieter now, tinged with desperation. “Has he already brainwashed you? Is that it? Are you so far gone that you can’t even see what you’ve done? The danger you’re in?”

His words hit me like a slap, but before I could respond, he added, “The vampire I followed to track you, Gael, he’s dangerous. He’s one of Beric’s enforcers. Do you even understand what that means?”

The mention of Gael sent a chill down my spine, but I refused to let it show.

I swallowed hard, my mind catching on the bigger picture. He followed Gael.

That’s how Asher had managed to find us. Of course. My brother was an excellent tracker.

If anyone could keep up with someone like Gael, it was him.

Still, hearing the concern in his voice made my resolve waver.

After our parents had died, Asher had taken it upon himself to look after Donovan and me, even when we didn’t want it.

And now, standing outside this dingy convenience store, I could see that he wasn’t just angry. He was scared.

But he didn’t understand. He couldn’t.

“Gabriel didn’t brainwash me,” I said firmly, my voice soft but unshakable. “I know exactly what I’ve done.”

“Do you?” Asher snapped, his frustration breaking through.

“Yes,” I whispered, holding his gaze. “And I’d do it all over again if I had the chance.”

Asher’s eyes darkened, his expression unreadable.

“Gabriel,” he said bitterly. “It was always about him.”

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The silence was suffocating.

Finally, Asher let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair.

“You’re going to get yourself killed, Finn,” he said, his voice low and tired. “And for what? For a monster who?—”

“Stop,” I interrupted, my voice firm. “You don’t know him. You don’t know what he’s been through. He’s not a monster damn it.”

Asher’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue.

Instead, he took a step back, his eyes searching mine like he was trying to figure out if there was any way to change my mind.

“You’re not giving me much of a choice here,” he said finally, his voice heavy with resignation.

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Because as much as I hated it, I knew he was right. There was no easy way out of this, no clean break.