Finn who is sitting on the floor with Artemus’s head on his lap. Artemus is still with us nearly two hours after the incident, so I’m hoping that means he’s going to pull through. Charlie has him on some heavy painkillers, so I can’t tell if the medication has him acting a little better or he really is recovering that much.
“Okay. You’ll just be in the hallway, right?” Finn asks, and I can tell he doesn’t want me to leave. It’s selfish of me to still go but I have to get away just for a moment.
“Yes, I was just checking on Claude. I’ll be right back.”
He nods, so I step through the door to where Charlie is heading back toward the room to check on Artemus and Finn. “Hey, could you just sit with Finn for me… for a moment?”
She smiles and gives my shoulder a squeeze. “Of course.”
“Thank you,” I say as I walk into the hallway. Instead of going into Claude’s room, I continue down the hallway, deeper into the house and away from the chaos. When I reach the door leading into the next room, I stop and stare at the wall. I want to punch something. I want to shove my fist through the wall until it hurts. I want to destroy something.
I’ve never felt this level of uncontrol before because I am always in control. Yes, I’ve had cases that have twisted and turned and pulled me this way and that, but never in my life have I been unable to face something, unable to be positive that when I find them, I’ll stop them.
“Are you alright?”
I look over at Watson who is heading my way with Orin by his side.
“Sorry, I kind of just wandered around your house,” I say.
Watson shrugs. “Wander away.”
“I just… had to step away for a moment, but I’m fine, and I’ll go back now,” I assure them.
Orin walks up to me and crosses his arms over his chest before leaning against the wall I’d been debating punching a hole through. “It’s hard, isn’t it? Not being in control. Not positive that you can keep Finn safe.”
I nod because it’s clear he understands my pain. Hell, he’s had to deal with it for fucking years. “I’m just… I know it sounds condescending or something, but I’m fucking used to being the one in charge. I’ve never gone up against a vampire that I can’t put down, and now I’m faced with one who is threatening the person I love most? How am I even supposed to handle that? How do I deal with that? It’s driving me mad. I should always be able to protect Finn.”
Orin sets a hand on my shoulder and I find it strange that someone who isn’t Finn is trying to comfort me. Generally, people just leave me to handle everything on my own. “I’m sorry you have to deal with this. It’s not easy and I wish there was something more we could do.”
“I will find this man and I’ll make him regret the day he looked at Finn and decided that Finn would be his, because he’s not and he never will be. Finn only belongs to himself.”
Orin gives me a smile. “Thank you.”
Watson leans toward me, catching my eyes. “For tonight, I thought maybe it would be best if all of you slept here? I have a few guest bedrooms that could accommodate your family, Orin. That’ll give you time to get the doors and other things fixed around the house tomorrow.”
“Are you sure, Watson? We don’t want to put more people in danger,” Orin says.
“Seriously?” he asks. “Finn might not be part of my family, but I’ve taken care of him for many years. Of course I don’t mind. I’ll go get things arranged.”
He leaves, so I head back toward the room but before going inside, I turn to Orin. “I know that man is trying his hardest to scare us off. He’s doing this to show that he could destroy all of us, but I’m not going to be bullied into this. I will stop him.”
“And I will help you,” Finn says defiantly.
I turn to see him through the cracked door. “Finn…”
“But we have to be smart and play by his rules, at least until we have something to go on,” he says.
I nod, knowing we have no choice and I have to trust Finn.
Chapter Twenty
FINN
“You’re… here,” Karsyn says as I walk into work.
“Just to gather some things, and then