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“You were right about one thing.” Mal smiled at him. “Mates and kids, man. Talk about complicating things.”
Finn smiled, he had no choice.
“Guess the real question is, is all this shit worth it?” Mal paced.
“Yes.”
“Don’t think about it or anything. Just say the first thing that comes to mind.” Mal frowned at him. “I’m serious, Finn. You don’t have to be all loyal wolf-man daddy to me.”
Finn shook his head. “I don’t need to think about it. Jesus, Mal. They’re mine.”
Mal was staring at him. “And the plan? We sit here and watch Gentry shoot Thomas through the window? How the hell are you going to explain that to her brother? I’m thinking that might lead to questions we’re trying to avoid.”
“No.” He sighed. Mal was so ready for a fight he didn’t hear anything he didn’t want to. “I go in,” he repeated. “Gentry will cover me, yes, but he said it’s only Thomas inside. We have to trust his intel. Give me five minutes and follow me in.”
He nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Finn’s gaze swept the street again. No cars parked, no suspicious movements. Was Thomas going rogue? What was his plan here? “I want this done, clean and easy.” He glanced at his watch. They’d been inside a half hour, tops. He was pissed that Harry had come home without his driver—but the kid didn’t get how serious the situation was. And while he hoped Harry hadn’t been infected, he’d rather it was only Harry and not Jessa’s entire family changed. Or worse, killed for sport.
“And if you need backup?” Mal made no attempt to hide his irritation. “If Gentry can’t get a clean shot?”
“Five minutes.” Finn looked him in the eyes. “Five minutes, Mal.”
“Got it.”
Finn went back down the roof stairs of the shop catty-corner from Jessa’s home. She lived in a declining neighborhood of old homes in a forgotten part of the city, far from the growth surrounding the major highways. Far enough off the beaten path that bad things could happen without getting too much attention.
This morning Thomas had shown up on the Talbot doorstep, and Gentry had freaked. Finn knew time was of the essence. He’d like to think Thomas was scouting the place, looking for any sign of Jessa and her whereabouts. But he couldn’t leave Harry alone and unprotected. At the same time, Harry had no idea of what was happening in the world around him, and Finn would like to keep it that way.
He knocked on the wooden front door, waving at Harry through the glass oval in its center.
“Mr. Dean?” Harry’s surprise was evident. “Finn, I mean.”
“Hey, Harry.” He shook his hand. “You’re here.”
“Oh, come on in,” he said, looking embarrassed as he stepped back to let him pass. “I got a call about a possible gas leak on the block. They said it was an emergency.”
“So you left class and headed home?” The hairs on the back of his neck spiking up. Thomas was here, Finn could smell him.
“I figured ‘emergency’ meant get over here ASAP,” he said, heading down the hall.
Finn followed, trying not to act like he was ready to attack. “And is it an emergency? What’s the problem?”
“Don’t know. He’s checking.” Harry nodded at Thomas, who was decked out in what resembled a gas company uniform.
Finn stared, and Thomas stared back at him, the white-knuckled grip on his binder giving him away. Finn grinned, unable to resist the anger and challenge in Thomas’s gaze. The boy thought he could fight? Finn would be only too happy to prove him wrong—again—but away from Harry. His skin tightened, wanting to shift.
“I was stopping by to get some things for your sister. I can handle this if you can get these things together?” He handed Harry the bogus list he’d made up. He shook his head, smiling.
“Sure, I’ll be back,” Harry said, reading over the list. “Make yourself at home.”
Thomas stayed in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest, a little too confident for Finn’s liking.
“Why are you here?” Finn asked, not moving.
Thomas glanced out the window, the muscle in his jaw working. “Waiting.”
“For?” he asked, his gut tightening.
