Page 106 of Arranged Devotion
Finn exhales and stretches his legs. He folds his paper and adjusts his hair, running a hand along his scalp. “It’s the girl, right? She’s why you’re not telling me anything? Which means her brother is your source, which means her brother helped our friend Kieren in the basement steal that blackmail material. Am I getting it right?”
My jaw aches from clenching. I nod though, because to do otherwise would be to lie to him.
He shuts his eyes and rubs his nose. “What a shit sandwich.”
“I’m eating it, not you.”
“You love her, then?” His gaze is hard. No smile, no mask. “You’re not asking me to go along with this for anything less?”
“I love her,” I confirm, the easiest thing I’ve said all day.
“That’s good. You’ll find loving a person fucks you up in a good way. Changes things, shifts your priorities around. Makes you grow.”
“I know what you mean.”
“Good. I’ll talk to Cormac.”
“Thanks, Finn.”
“You’ve saved my ass so many times over the years, I more than owe you some leeway. But Liam?—“
“I know.”
“The brother?—“
“I know.”
“Yeah.” He lifts his coffee to his lips. “I’m sorry for her. But you know.”
I push myself to my feet with a groan. “I need a damn shower. Got to wash all this blood off.”
“Shit stains, it’s annoying.”
“You’d think we would’ve figured it out by now, but do you have any idea how many shirts I’ve ruined thanks to this stuff?”
“You got to talk to my laundry lady. She’s fucking fantastic. I’ll send you her number.”
“Speaking of laundry, I’m going to need that sack of shit in the basement alive.”
Finn makes a face. “You sure? I was going to get rid of him later today.”
“Hold off for me. I’ve got some ideas.”
“Alright, this is your show then.”
“I won’t fuck it up.”
“I know that. You think I’d go along with anyone else? Absolutely fucking not.”
Appreciation floods me. It’s oddly warm, all this talk of killing, but mostly because I know Finn has my back, despite the gap between us. He’ll always be a Whelan, always be my boss, but I feel like something is shifting between us. We’re figuring our relationship out, and we’re not exactly becoming equals, but something closer.
I leave the Whelan house. Now all I need to do is get the dossier back or destroy it, which should be easy. It’s only in one of the most heavily guarded houses in the state.
Lucky for me, I’ve got something in mind.
CHAPTER 31
REGAN
