Page 95 of Intense (Beneath The Blaze #3)

STEPHANIE

Song- The Drug In Me Is Reimagined,

Falling In Reverse.

I shake in Finn's arms as he carries me over to the corner of the room.

That moment the gun went off.

I thought my life was over.

Because when his heart stops beating, so will mine.

“I love you, Stephanie. I love you with every single part of me. I’m sorry I let you down.”

I rest my forehead against his.

“I love you, Finn. Fuck, I was so scared that I’d never see you again.”

He pulls back and cups my face.

“I was always coming to get you, baby. Always.”

I smile.

And one thing rests heavy on me. Something that I know I want to remember this time.

“Finn?”

“Yes, love?”

“Will you marry me? For real this time?”

A slow smile spreads across his lips as he brings my left hand up to his mouth and kisses over my rings.

“You stole my line again, temptress. I even had a new ring ready.”

Tears stream down my cheeks.

“You did?”

He nods.

“I did. I want a wedding that we remember. Something that could never be forgotten. Our moment for everyone to see. You deserve the world, love. And I want to be the man to give you that.”

I lean in and kiss him with everything that I am.

“But I asked first. Will you marry me, Finn Quinn? Will you make me the happiest woman in the world?”

He laces a finger around my throat, staring into my eyes.

“Yes, Stephanie. I’ll marry you. We can do it every year if you want to. Whatever makes you smile like you are right now.”

James’s groan from behind us burst our little bubble.

“Do you want to end this with me? By my side as we get our revenge?” he asks quietly.

I can barely process Finn’s words. My body is still trembling in his arms, but when he pulls me closer and I follow his gaze over his shoulder, my stomach twists.

James.

Bound to the same chair that held me captive. His ruined face glistening with sweat, the ugly curve of his mouth curled into a smirk like he doesn’t give a single fuck what’s about to happen.

“You said you wanted to learn. You wanted to know every side of me. That includes this.”

The part of me that’s still the surgeon, still the girl who believed in mercy, hesitates. But the part of me that bled, that begged, that thought I’d lost the man I love forever—that part burns hotter.

“Do you want me to…?” My voice wavers.

Finn cups the side of my face again, grounding me with his pale eyes.

“Only if you want to, love. You don’t owe me this. You don’t owe him a damn thing. But I’ll give you the choice. You can walk out that door and never see what happens. Or you can stand beside me and know exactly what it means to be mine. To be one of us.”

My throat tightens. He’s not asking me to cross a line for him; he’s asking me to decide who I am.

I want to be his wife. His partner. His fucking everything.

I glance back at James. He sneers, even with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

“You think she’s got it in her? She’s weak. Pathetic. Be a man and torture me yourself!”

My hands curl into fists. Every nerve in my body screams with rage. Weak? No. He’s wrong. I survived him. I survived all of them. And I’ll never let anyone call me weak again.

I lean in closer to Finn, my lips brushing his ear.

“Show me.”

His hand slides to the small of my back.

“Good girl.”

When he pulls away, his smile is dark. The kind of smile that promises blood.

I step forward, my pulse hammering as James’s one good eye watches me. He’s still smirking. Still convinced I won’t follow through.

But this time, he’s going to learn just how wrong he is.

Finn’s voice cuts through, not leaving any room for argument.

“Out.”

I glance behind at Finn’s family as they hesitate. One word, and still, no one moves. His pale eyes sweep the room.

“I said out. This isn’t yours. This is ours. It’s for me and my wife to end. Leave us.”

Something about the way he says ours sends a shiver down my spine.

Finn’s eyes fix on Conan. “Do what you feel is right, brother,” he tells him.

Conan’s face is stern as he nods, dragging Arthur out. Declan lingers, but one look from Finn has him bowing his head and leaving. Frankie and Zara exchange a glance, and then they leave.

The door shuts. The silence swallows us.

It’s just Finn, me, and James.

My pulse hammers as I take in the sight of him tied to the chair. Finn moves behind me, his hand settling on my hip, grounding me with his touch.

“This is your moment, love. Not his. Not mine. Yours.”

“I don’t know what to do,” I whisper.

I want to make this hurt.

“You don’t need to.” He presses a kiss to my temple. “I’ll talk you through it. You just follow my voice. You trust me.”

James scoffs, spitting blood onto the floor.

“She’s not like you. She’s not a killer.”

My jaw clenches. I don’t look at him. I only look at Finn.

“Yes, she is,” Finn says softly, and his lips brush my ear. “She’s better than me. Stronger. She’s survived things I couldn’t.” His hand tightens on my hip. “Show him that, temptress. Show him who you are.”

I nod, breath shaky. “Okay.”

Finn pulls out a blade from his pocket and presses it into my palm, his hand folding around mine.

“Start small. You don’t need to rush. Just touch him. Let him feel how steady you are.”

I step forward. My knees are trembling, but my hand doesn’t shake. I trail the blade against James’s cheek, over the puckered scar tissue. His smirk falters.

“That’s it,” Finn murmurs, his chest against my back. His voice is dark, reverent. “Look how perfect you are. Even with a blade in your hand, you’re still calm. Still in control.”

James tries to laugh, but it comes out strangled. “You’re turning her into you.”

Finn’s mouth curves against my ear.

“No. I’m letting her be herself.”

The words crack something open inside me. I drag the blade down James’s neck, light enough to draw a bead of blood. His hiss makes my pulse pound harder.

I glance back at Finn. His eyes are locked on me like I’m the only thing in existence. Proud. Possessive. Mine.

“Good girl,” he breathes. “Again.”

So I do. A slice down his arm. Another over the top of his hand. Shallow, but enough to make him flinch, enough to remind him he’s the one tied down now.

I find myself breathing heavier, my body pressed against Finn’s, my hand guided by his. It’s terrifying, it’s intoxicating, and it feels like freedom.

This is where I was meant to be.

I was always bound to find the other half of my soul in Finn. Two halves that complete each other.

“Beautiful,” Finn praises. His lips find my throat, his words a brand against my skin. “Every cut you make is a promise that no one will ever touch you again. That you are untouchable.”

James spits blood again, glaring at me with his one good eye. “You’re pathetic."

Before I can think, I drive the knife into his thigh. His scream rips through the room. My whole body jerks with the sound, but Finn’s arms are around me instantly, holding me steady, whispering against my hair.

“That’s it. Look at him. He bleeds for you now. He suffers for you.”

My chest heaves. I glance down at James, sweat rolling down his face, his arrogance slipping into something uglier—fear. And I realize I like the sight of it.

I lean back against Finn, my voice low.

“What now?”

Finn’s lips brush my ear again. “Whatever you want, temptress. You can walk away. Or you can end him.”

I look into James’s eye. His smirk is gone. The monster who held a gun to my head is nothing but a broken, bloodied shell.

And when I answer, my voice is steady.

“I want to end him.”

Finn smiles against my skin. “My perfect girl.”