Page 79 of The Twins

Finn let out a roar and lunged at him, knocking him to the right with the force of a bull elephant.

“Rebecca.” To my relief, it seemed he hadn’t assaulted her sexually. Thank God we’d arrived when we had. A moment longer…it didn’t bear thinking about.

“Cillian?” she managed weakly.

I rushed to her and took her in my arms. Her limbs didn’t seem to be working properly, as though they were leaden. “I’ve got you. We’re here. It’s okay.” I paused. I had to know. “Did he? Are we too late?”

“No, no…I’m okay. He didn’t…” She sobbed and gripped my t-shirt with weak fists. “Reg…it’s Reg Jacks. He…he…took me and…”

“We know. Shh…it’s over now.”

“Get off me, you cunt.” Reg Jacks aimed a punch at Finn.

It didn’t land. Instead, Finn dragged him to standing and shoved him against the wall.

His head banged off the wooden panels, and the air was pushed from his lungs. “You’re dead meat,” Reg said, glaring at Finn and then me. “Both of you. I’ve got business with this bitch, unfinished business. You’ve interrupted me.” He was breathing hard, his cock still stuck up ridiculously from his dark pubic hair. He appeared to notice this and tucked himself away, frantically pulling up his pants.

“This bitch happens to be the woman we love, you asshole,” I said. A war was playing out inside me. I was torn between holding Rebecca, who was shaking with fear, and myneed to get up and physically tear the life from Reg Jacks. He was a dead man and taking his last few breaths.

“Looks like we interrupted just in time,” Finn said and jabbed out his fist. He broke Reg’s nose, right over the bridge, the crunch of bone unmistakable.

Reg cried out as blood exploded from his nostrils. “What have you done…I’ll fucking fuck you up…”

“That’s just for starters.” Finn turned to me. “She okay?”

“Yeah, just, and no thanks to him.”

Footsteps outside. A shout. Gunfire.

“What the fuck?” Finn turned to the stable door.

Reg made the most of his distraction and hurled himself at Finn, toppling him to the floor. Finn’s gun skittered toward an orange bucket, and a pitchfork fell over.

Rebecca gasped and curled up into a ball. I held her closer. Finn could handle himself with or without a weapon.

And he was handling himself just fine. Thumping, kicking, twisting the way he did in the cage.

Another shot rang out. I heard Jamie’s voice and then Phil’s. They were near the stable.

Reg grunted as Finn delivered a double kidney punch. But then in a move much quicker than I thought he was capable of, the asshole stretched for the pitchfork and scooped it up.

Finn jumped to his feet, lightning fast, and held himself ready to block an attack.

“Ha, thought you were so damn clever.” Reg snarled, and with blood dripping from his chin he jabbed the four prongs at Finn. “Rocking up here and thinking you can change things that have got to happen.”

“I’m gonna change every fucking thing for you, mate,” Finn said, then dodged to the right to avoid a stab to the guts.

I held Rebecca tighter, though I was a coiled spring, ready to burst into action should Finn need me. We’d done enough tagfights to be able to read each other in an instant. Right now, he was on top of the situation.

Reg jabbed at him again. Finn dodged and stepped into the shadows.

Something was going down outside. Galahad were responding to whatever threat they’d come across. We needed to get out there. We needed to get Rebecca away from this place.

* * * *

Rebecca

Cillian’s arms around me were like magic, a fantasy, and I was scared in my drugged state I’d dreamt him up. But his warmth, his breath, his voice, it all felt real enough.