Three days later, Keira agonized over how she felt. She was falling in love with Finn and couldn’t stop her developing feelings, especially since they had been spending more time together. The biggest reason she’d tried to slow things down after they’d had sex that one time was because everything had moved too fast. The sex had been mind blowing. So much so that she’d been afraid she wouldn’t ask the hard questions about him, wouldn’t look too closely at the type of man he really was.
And slowing things down had been the right thing to do. The desire was there, churning below the surface, but they’d actually shared things about themselves. She’d thought she understood what made him tick. She’d been so sure he’d turned a corner in his life. But it seemed like for every two steps she and Finn moved forward together, they got shoved three steps back. Now she found herself changing her mind about him again. Yes, she was attracted to him and believed he could be much more than what he was if he would let himself. But now, knowing he hadn’t been bothered at all by being assigned a hit, that he seemed ready to kill in order to prove himself worthy of being part of Stefan’s insanity, she wasn’t as certain of Finn’s capability for goodness. For decency. To conduct himself with honor.
She also had serious doubts about her own judgment. How could she have been so taken by a man who could kill someone he knew as part of an assignment? Regardless that he’d killed before, this was Tobias Caine they were talking about. And from the word that had spread throughout the preternatural community over the last few days, Tobias was dead. Someone had staked him through the heart and removed his fangs. For trophies, some said.
She knew it was for proof. And she knew who’d done it.
She needed to talk to Finn about it. To get him to help her wrap her head around how he could do such a thing.
She set her cup of tea on the table in her small breakfast nook and grabbed her cell phone from where it rested on the counter. Without giving herself time to pause and reflect, she dialed him up. Finn answered on the first ring, his voice rough as if she’d woken him up. She’d been awake and showered since before dawn. The sun had risen hours ago. She hadn’t even thought he might still be sleeping. But then he did a lot of his work later at night. She didn’t want to think about what he’d been doing last night. “It’s Keira,” she said. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”
“Yeah, but it’s okay. What’s wrong?”
She heard a slight rasping sound and pictured him rubbing his hand against his whiskered jaw. She pushed back the longing that action brought forward. She had to get things straight between them before anything intimate happened again.
“Nothing’s wrong. I need to talk to you. About the group. Can you come over?” She held her breath.
“Sure.” There was a slight pause, and a rustle of sheets. She closed her eyes against the image of his long, lean body stretched out on a bed, muscles taut with sexual tension, face hard and dark with passion. Had he been alone? Her eyes flew open and she pressed her lips together. It was none of her business. They’d never claimed exclusivity. For all their flirting and petting, they’d only had sex the one time.
“I’ll be there in about forty-five minutes.”
“Okay. See you then.” Keira hung up and cupped her hands around her mug, letting the warmth of the liquid inside seep into her palms. She was still sitting there, sifting through her thoughts, through the argument she wanted to present him, when the doorbell rang. She stood and smoothed her hands down the sides of her jeans, and padded barefoot to the door.
Finn sauntered in as soon as the door opened. “I hear you were successful with your assignment the other night,” he said with a smile playing about his lips. “I guess congratulations are in order. You’re in. Part of the group. A bona fide rogue.”
She crossed her arms and stared at him. So many emotions coursed through her, she had a hard time identifying how she was feeling. Mad, certainly. Frightened. Not of Finn, but of the situation she was in. Betrayed, definitely by Finn. Ignoring his snark, she drew in