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My hands shook from all the pent-up rage. “Like hell, I don’t!”
“I need you to hear me out, Reagan,” Finn demanded. “It was brought to my attention that I should take a different approach with you. I want to strike a deal. Seth has all the details, and he’ll be calling Braden shortly.”
“What kind of deal?” It felt like a stone had dropped through my core.
“I’m going to let Seth explain. But if you agree, it’ll give you a chance to get back at Annika for what she did to you. I’d personally like to see her pay for being so reckless.”
That was tempting, but I knew whatever deal he wanted to strike wouldn’t be in our favor.
“You’ve got to be out of your fucking mind to think I’ll ever accept a deal with you,” I spat.
Finn blew out a sigh. “Either you come back to California and we settle this, or I’ll come to you. I found you once already.” His words sent chills down my spine.
“You won’t be able to find me again.”
He chuckled, the sound evil yet seductive. “I know exactly where you are, Reagan. You’re in Hallowell, Maine.” My body froze, all words escaping me as ice pierced through my veins. Finn laughed again. “Now you know what I’m capable of. I could’ve taken Emerson out the other night, but I didn’t. I let you both go. There was a reason I didn’t stick around and wait for you to come out of the river.” Bile rose up the back of my throat and I swallowed it down, the burn making me sick. I didn’t know what to say. “As I said before,” he continued, “Seth will have all the details, and he’ll be at my house when you and Braden get here. You have until Friday to come back.”
He hung up, and I felt the world crash all around me. Finn knew where we were the entire time. Getting to my feet, I ran down the hill and through the field to the house. Cold sweat poured down my face and back, my chest tightening to the point I couldn’t breathe. Braden was still busy fixing the fence, but he hurried over when he saw me.
“Reagan, what’s wrong?”
Bending over on my knees, I sucked in a ragged breath. I looked up at him, and a surge of terror spiked through my body when his phone rang. “It’s Seth,” I said, my voice hoarse.
Braden’s gaze narrowed. “How do you …?” But then he stopped and pulled out his phone. His eyes shot over to mine. “What’s going on?”
I shook my head. “Just answer it. And put it on speaker. I have to hear this.”
There was no one in the garden so I grabbed his hand, pulling him behind a giant red oak tree. Braden accepted the call and pressed the speaker button. “Michelson.”
“I have news,” Seth replied.
My heart raced so fast that I thought I’d pass out. “So do I,” I cut in.
Braden stared curiously at me, but then his expression darkened. “Finn called you, didn’t he?”
I nodded just as Seth spoke up. “Finn said he was going to. What did he say to you, Reagan?”
Braden jerked his gaze away from me, his jaw tight. He would be even angrier once he heard what I was about to say. “He confirmed that it was Annika who tried to poison me,” I informed them. “It was payback on him for trying to have Braden killed.”
Seth blew out a sigh. “That’s true. They confessed the same to me.”
Braden’s face turned red with fury. “What the fuck?”
“But that’s not all,” I stressed, grabbing his arm. “Finn knows where we are right now. And he also knew we were in the river the other night. He intentionally left so we could get away.” The tension around Braden was so intense it suffocated me.
“It’s true,” Seth agreed. “He had a change of heart.”
“Why?” Braden growled, his hands shaking as he held the phone.
“Do you remember what I told you about Finn’s father and how he ended up with Finn’s mother?” Furrowing my brows, I looked at Braden, hoping someone would explain.
Sighing, Braden met my eyes before looking back down at the phone. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Well, that’s kind of what Finn and Annika are proposing,” Seth divulged.
“Wait, hold up,” I demanded. “What are you two talking about?”
Braden seethed. “Long story short, Finn’s mother was forced to marry Paul Sellinger. A contract was signed, and she lost.”
