Page 73 of Love Bound

A thought flashes across my brain like lightning. "You're not going to Boston, are you?"

Finn says nothing, and I pull away and look at him.

"Finn. What are you going to do?"

"The Savvy-T took off an hour ago. Bryce said he'll call when Miller's back. He'll trail him. I need to go down there and have a conversation." Finn reads my face. "Not now. According to the harbormasters Nic interviewed, the Savvy-T nearly always puts in at Portsmouth for a night or two before going home.”

"So, this is real," I say.

"This is real."

"What's that?" I point to the envelope.

"A temporary harassment protection order against me."

"What! Against you?"

"Steven Miller claims that he can’t work on the Savvy-T and may lose his job."

I stare at Finn. This feels surreal.

"He's claiming it's pure coincidence we're both here certain days out of the week. And he states he's in fear of his life," he says.

"But—"

"That I tried to frame him for Allison's and Kenny's murder. That I am so angry and grief-stricken, I've targeted him and will continue to do so."

"But—"

"Don't." He kisses me on the temple. "Don’t go there. It will eat you up. Believe me. The guy's a fucking sociopath and you're not. You will never understand him."

"And you do." This comes out as a statement.

"It used to be my job to understand shitholes like him," he says.

"But then—wait, you can’t go. You'll get arrested," I tell him.

"It'll never hold up. It's a temporary." He grips my face in his hands and says it again. "Temporary. That means the court has to find in his favor and that the complaint has substance. It doesn't." His hands slide from my face to my arms.

"You shouldn’t go. It's too dangerous," I insist.

Suddenly, Finn flashes a smile. "Danger used to be my middle name."

"This isn't funny," I say.

"Listen, it’s done." He cocks his arm behind his head. "Devon's coming over tomorrow morning."

"I don’t need my sister protecting me."

"Miller will be in Boston by then. He's on the boat. And even if he stayed put here, he won’t try anything with two people. He sets up each murder to look like accidents."

"What do you mean each?"

Finn looks at the ground. "Nic is convinced Miller's involved in at least six other murders. All of them are documented as 'accidental' deaths."

I shiver.

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