Part 10 (2/2)

I rolled over to face Finnley.

”He killed several men without even thinking twice about it,” I said.

Finnley ran his thumb down my jaw and across my lips. ”If it's between you getting hurt and someone else, Abbot will always choose you. That's what he is here for. Just think if he weren't with you. What would have happened? I can't lose you, Jennifer. I won't.”

He pulled me closer until we were chest to chest, and we lay there. ”You're in shock. You need to try to rest,” he whispered. Finnley kissed my forehead and turned off the light, though the afternoon sun scattered across the floors. He left me to deal with my demons alone.

I fell into a nightmare. Jesse chased me through the woods. The sounds of crisp leaves crunched with every step I took. I ran into blackness. I ran so hard I couldn't catch enough breath. It burned like iced air. When I turned around to see whether she was behind me, she disappeared. I stopped running and searched for her until I heard the click of a gun and felt a coldness on my temple.

”I'll always find you, Jennifer. I'll find you. I'll find your sister. I'll find Finnley. I'll find Luke. All of you will be dead,” she whispered in my ear, then licked up my neck with a tongue long and slithering like a snake's. I struggled to get away from her and screamed.

”Shhh. Shhh. It's going to be okay. Jennifer. It's going to be okay,” Luke said. He had turned on the light and was shaking me awake. I sat up, tears streaming down my face. He opened his arms, and I fell into them.

”I was helping Finnley set up the spare bedroom and heard you screaming. You're okay,” he said. Luke spoke softly, as though I were a child.

”The nightmares. Ever since-” I pulled away from him.

”I wish I could take it all away. All the memories of what happened. I wish it wasn't something that you had to live with every day, and I can't help but blame myself for it.”

”It's not your fault,” I said.

We hadn't really talked about it since the day after I was rescued.

”I wish a lot of things were different,” he said.

I swallowed and looked up into his eyes. I knew he was referring to us.

Finnley walked into the room and leaned against the doorframe. All the air seemed to escape from the room. Luke reached over and squeezed my shoulder. Finnley smiled and left the room.

”We have to talk, Jennifer. I feel like I've been avoiding you. Avoiding seeing you. Avoiding everything that has to do with you.”

I sucked in a sharp breath that cut as it went down and swallowed. ”I'm sorry.”

”I'm not. I'm not sorry for feeling the way I did for you, and I never will be. I know you've chosen my brother, and I really believe the two of you are meant for each other. That's obvious. But I like to think that in an alternate universe, Jennifer Downs fell in love with and decided to spend the rest of her life with me.”

”I don't know what to say,” I said. It all seemed like too much.

”Nothing at all.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and gently squeezed, then trailed his fingers down to my hand and squeezed again.

”You woke something in me that I hadn't felt in a long time, and though it sometimes pains me to look at you, I know that you're happy, and that my brother is happy, and that makes me happy. I don't fault you for loving him. He's a wonderful guy. He would do anything for you, and I can feel the love flowing between you when you look at each other. It's beautiful, and I hope one day I'll get to experience that too. I'm not over you yet, and there are days when I can't stop thinking about you, but I know it has to stop, and I have to let you go because you're already gone.”

I squeezed his hand back and stared into his deep blue eyes. ”You're going to make someone very happy one day, Luke.”

It all happened way too fast. Luke grabbed the bottom of my chin, leaned in, and pressed his soft lips against mine. By reaction only, my lips moved against his, and then I pulled away and stood.

”Luke. I'm sorry. I can't,” I said, pressing my hand against my mouth.

His eyes were full of hurt, and his face displayed too many emotions. ”I just had to know.”

I walked out of the room and stormed downstairs.

I couldn't. I couldn't do this. I couldn't handle this.

Finnley was downstairs laughing with Abbot about something, and as soon as he looked at me, he knew something was wrong. He rushed to me and grabbed my hand, then brought me into the living room.

”What's wrong?” His voice was a low growl.

Before I could even open my mouth, Luke was standing at the top of the stairs staring down at us.

Finnley's nostrils flared, knowing what had happened without me even uttering a word. I knew rage was circulating through him.

FINNLEY.

Twenty.

I glanced up at Luke, then back at Jennifer.

”What did you do, Luke?”

This had to stop. It couldn't go on any longer.

I shook my head, turned quickly, and climbed the stairs two at a time toward him.

”I kissed her,” he said, smugly crossing his arms. He stood strong, not backing away from my bubbling rage.

We had already discussed this previously. He had said he was over it, but clearly he wasn't.

I stood in front of him, then reared my hand back and allowed my anger to connect with his face.

In the distance, I heard Jennifer gasp as Luke stumbled backward until his back crashed against a picture on the wall. Then his face contorted, and he was wrapping his arms around my waist, pus.h.i.+ng me down on the ground. We wrestled with each other, throwing punches.

”Stop being a d.i.c.k, Luke,” I said as I straddled his chest and punched him repeatedly. ”You're an a.r.s.ehole!” I screamed. Before I could continue, I felt strong hands on my shoulders, pulling me off him.

”It's not worth it,” Abbot said low in my ear.

I breathed heavily. My knuckles burned and I smoothed back my wild hair. Luke pulled himself from the floor and ran toward me. Abbot stood in front of me and stared Luke down.

”Don't ya b.l.o.o.d.y do it,” Abbot said.

Luke stared him down but knew not to even tempt Abbot, whose fists were like steel from all the fighting he did in London.

”Not backing down? Ya know, maybe you and Finnley should fight it out. Might be good for the two of you,” Abbot said then stepped out of the way.

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