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“I need you more than she does,” he snaps.
I lean forward. “Don’t make me choose.”
“Because you’ll choose her.”
No, because it’s impossible to pick between the two of them. “Bring her family here and I’ll leave with you,” I counter.
“They’ll know we exist.”
“What a predicament, huh?” I shrug. “Whatever happens next is up to you, Finnegan. Either you let people know you’re real, or I stay.”
Finn locks eyes with me, his brow furrowing with intensity, and speaks in a low rasp. “Fine, stay with her. After she’s out of surgery we’ll transport her to the safe house in Denver.”
I take a step back, trying to wrap my head around the whole thing. “It could be dangerous. She should recover here, in the hospital.”
He exhales heavily and nods. “She’ll be close to the Heartwood Lake facility. And she’ll be fine,” he assures me. “We’ve done it many times before. I’ll call the right people. You can fly with her, settle her in at the safe house, and then meet me in Seattle.”
Apprehension creeps up my spine as I shake my head. “You’re fucking insane.”
He shrugs one shoulder, his lips pressed together in a line. “Probably, but you know it’s for the best. We need to keep her in a safe place and get down to business. If we don’t take care of the trash, so many innocent people will die—including her.”
“We can’t just leave her,” I argue, but my voice comes out weak. He’s right, if we don’t stop the Zs now, we’ll lose more than a few hours of sleep and a week of work. In the long run, it’ll be more innocent lives than we’ve bargained for.
Finn fumbles with his phone, his jaw clenching in determination. His eyes look a little glassy, and every so often he absentmindedly runs his hand through his hair. I pace back and forth, feeling helpless and wishing I could reach out to Piper’s parents to assure them that she’s safe.
Finn is worried, that much is obvious. He’s usually so good at masking his emotions, but right now, I can see the apprehension in his eyes, the uneasiness in his posture, and the sadness that seems to be lurking beneath it all.
Finally, he puts away his phone. “Everything is set. I’ll see you tomorrow in Seattle.”
“We’ll discuss Seattle once I’m sure Piper is safe.”
His voice quivers and his jaw tightens. “D, I need you in Seattle,” he says. “She won’t be safe until they’re gone. If we don’t finish them, she’ll have to go into hiding for a long time. I’m asking you, please don’t leave me hanging this time. If you don’t want to do it for me, do it for her. But we need to do this together.”
His steel eyes shine with desperation and unspoken emotion as he waits for my answer.
I close my eyes as I remind myself that I’m not choosing anyone, only doing what I have to for both of them.
“Alright,” I say finally, “but do me a favor and don’t do anything stupid until I can get there. I need to know you’re safe, I can’t be worried about you too.”
He exhales with relief and smiles faintly while gazing into my eyes. “Thank you, D.”
But is he going to listen to me?
I look into his gray eyes with bated breath. I can finally see the emotions that he guards so deeply, as if the situation has allowed him to show me a glimpse of how he feels. It gives me the courage to reach out and take his face in my hands. I close my eyes and lean closer until our lips meet.
At first, our kiss is gentle and hesitant, but soon it deepens into something desperate and passionate. This kiss feels less like a goodbye and more like a beginning. His hands roam my body as we cling to each other tightly, and when we finally break apart, he utters my name with a pleading edge to his voice.
“Be careful, okay?” It’s more of an order than a request, an attempt to will him to safety.
Finn grabs his things without another word, but I know that our kiss has said more than either of us ever could. He walks away, leaving me with a lingering warmth that stays with me long after he’s gone.
ChapterFour
Derek
Three interminable hourshave crawled by since they wheeled Piper into surgery and Finn left for Seattle. I sit in the waiting room, anxiety knotting inside me. There’s nothing I could do to help.
When the surgeons finally emerge, I rush over, my heart pounding. “How is she?” I ask, my voice trembling.
