Page 86 of Intense (Beneath The Blaze #3)

FINN

I brace my hands on the porcelain sink, my chest heaving. The salt water I forced down is clawing its way back up, mixing with bile as I shove two fingers down my throat. My body convulses, retching until my ribs ache, until sweat is dripping down my back.

Poison. Fucking poison. Whoever slipped it to me knew what they were doing. I spit again, rinse my mouth, and look at the stranger staring back from the mirror. Grey skin, pupils blown, jaw tight enough to snap.

Not tonight. I’m not dying tonight.

“You good, Finn?” Reggie asks from behind me.

I spit again. Fuck. There are stars in the corners of my vision.

The door creaks open, and my hand goes straight to my gun before I see Theo step in, his expression unreadable, tailored suit pristine against the filth I’m dragging up out of myself.

“Jesus Christ, Finn?—”

“Save it.” My voice is hoarse. I slam the tap off and grab the edge of the sink again as another wave of dizziness slams through me. “Where the fuck is Arthur?”

Theo stiffens. “Enzo said he’s only just arrived. He ain’t even in the building yet. This wasn’t him.”

This doesn’t make sense. My head is pounding. I check my watch. It’s been four minutes since Stephanie left with Rowan.

“Someone else is here.” My throat feels scorched, but I force the words out. “Man with a scarred face. One working eye. I barely saw him—Stephanie did. Tell me you clocked him.”

Theo’s frown deepens, and for a second, he looks like he’s about to lie. Then his jaw works and he shakes his head.

“No one that matches that description is on my guest list.”

“Exactly.” I spit into the sink, my hands shaking, fury burning through the weakness in my veins. “Then find him. Now.”

“I’ll get my brothers on it. Arthur’s gonna be here any minute, Finn. There’s no one on our list that would try and hurt you,” Theo tells me.

This anger might keep me alive long enough. Whatever I’ve been spiked with wasn’t to kill me. It was to throw me off.

I slam my fist against the counter, the crack ricocheting off the tiles.

“I don’t give a fuck what game Arthur’s running or how clean you think your list is.

Someone just tried to put me in the ground.

I want that man with the mangled face found and in front of me before this night ends. You hear me?”

The only thing I’ve ingested was that champagne. This is no coincidence.

Theo hesitates, then nods once. “Consider it done. Our plan is still in motion; it’s going to be okay.”

He turns to leave, and I drag another mouthful of water down, forcing my body to obey me. My chest burns, my vision tunnels, but the rage steadies me.

“Finn. Arthur is parking up now at the front of the building. Two guards. Arthur is in the passenger seat,” Enzo confirms in my ear.

I tap my earpiece. We try not to talk back to Enzo often so we don’t clog the feeds. But, I can’t rely on anyone else, not when Stephanie is here.

“Theo, wait!” I call out.

Fuck, I feel awful.

He stands in the doorway as I talk back to Enzo.

“I’ve been drugged, Enzo. Help Kane and Ryder find the cunt who did this. Theo is going to bring Arthur to me now. Get Conan and Declan to me.”

“Copy that,” Enzo replies.

I look to Theo, who nods.

“I’ll bring you Arthur,” he confirms and storms out.

Where is Stephanie? Fuck. I need her by my side. Out of harm’s way.

I don’t like how Theo faltered. What if this isn’t just about Arthur? What if it’s something bigger than this?

The Preacher has tried to let me rot in jail. Blackmailed my wife. What if this is more than just the Bowen war?

What if I really did bring my wife into a fucking war?

I’m going to be sick again.