Page 34 of Intense

“Keep pressure on Theo King. As soon as he gives us the green light to go to London, I’ll head there with the twins. Settle that score once and for all. Then we focus on this cult.”

I pause.

“If we kill Arthur… Conan has to come with me. After what they did to him and Hallie, he deserves it,” I tell him.

He nods in agreement. We all hate the Bowens, but Conan needs this to heal. And that’s all that matters to me, that my brothers are safe.

Declan sighs. “This is gonna get messy, isn’t it?”

“When has our life not been?”

We were born into this. Raised in fire. Survived off of grief.

Declan nearly lost everything. Conan nearly died. I saw what no child should ever see—and did what no child should ever have to do.

Still, the memory haunts me. The girl, whose name I can’t even say. Her throat slit. The blood. The scream caught in my lungs as I bled for her. As I killed for her. As I became the monster that’s still hiding under my skin.

I shake my head, trying to shove it back down.

“Well, maybe we should try for a future that isn’t messy,” Declan says, his voice softer. “Wouldn’t it be nice to live in peace?”

“Peace sounds boring.”

I knock back the rest of my drink, just as the door swings open and Conan storms in looking like hell but happier than I’ve ever seen him.

“Finn!” There’s panic in his voice, under the grin.

“Worried about me?” I grin.

“Damn right. I’m usually the one getting picked up by the cops, not you.”

“Ha-ha.” I roll my eyes. “How’s Liam? And Hallie?”

“They’re both doing amazing. Just napping. So I thought I’d check on my favorite brothers.”

“Only brothers,” Declan laughs.

Conan looks between us, suspicious.

“You two better not be plotting without me.”

I arch a brow.

“Shouldn’t you be playing happy families?”

“Finn,” Declan warns.

“Easy,” Conan growls.

Hallie softened him, yeah. But under it all, he’s still fire. Still the fuse. The killing machine that we need.

“I was just filling him in. Now sit.”

He does, grabbing the whiskey.

“Well? Now it’s my turn,” Conan says.

“Declan can catch you up. I’ve got lives to save. But when we’re ready to go after Arthur, I assume you’ll be joining me?”