Page 131 of Manacled Hearts

“We’re not… together. I guess.”

He quirks an eyebrow, challenging my answer.

“She’s not sure if she’s staying in Queenscove, and we haven’t approached the subject about how interested we are.”

He smirks and shakes his head. “If only relationships were simple.”

“What about you?” I ask, trying to deflect.

“I’m doing well. There’s some shit stirring up in Venator, but hopefully it won’t escalate. It’s why Duncan couldn’t come, he has to hold down the fort.”

“I was asking about your love life,” I say, laughing. “But how is your son?”

“Honestly, a bit too good at this job, but he’s young and his mind is a bit distracted. Money, women, you know the drill. And my love life is just fine.”

“Just fine. Sounds promising. Duncan will be okay, he’ll have a wake-up call soon enough and step up, especially if you say he’s talented at the family business,” I assure my cousin.

“How are you doing with Bartiste’s return and all?”

Sloan was there last time. After the girls were taken, he came to our rescue. We probably would have all been dead without him and his men. He even offered some of them the option to join our Sanctum, to replenish the army we were only just building back then. I inhale deeply and start walking with him, toward the voices I hear outside on the patio.

“Fine. We all really thought he was dead. But it seems my brother and Carter never stopped looking, just in case. But yes, it was all unexpected.”

I look at Sloan and his narrowing green eyes scrutinize me. Clearly I didn’t answer the question he was truly asking, but getting in the emotional side of things about the PTSD Bartiste left me with isn’t going to happen. I haven’t gotten into it with my Sanctum brothers, so I’m not doing it with the cousin I see a few times a year.

“He’ll be dead soon.”

“That he most certainly will. Thank you for joining us in the hunt.”

“Believe me man, it’s my pleasure.” He taps my shoulder and smiles, but it doesn’t touch his eyes. They only spell malice.

“Finn,” Ronan greets me when we get outside, and Vincent, Carter and Maddox nod toward me, signaling Sloan over.

My brother and I may have started to work through our shit, and I know he really yearns to get closer to me, but I find it somehow difficult. I’m not sure what’s holding me back, but I have a feeling it’s not to do with him.

“How are you settling back in Queenscove?” I ask as we take a seat next to each other on the outdoor sofa, Sloan moving on Maddox who looks at me a bit wearily.

“It’s… odd. It feels like home, but it also doesn’t. I can’t explain it. Being on edge doesn’t help.”

“Are you worried?”

He looks me in the eye like I grew a second head. “Worried? I’m petrified, brother. Bartiste is back. The man who took so much from us.” His gaze drifts to his wife who’s currently entertaining their son, before returning to me. “I know it’s not the same as it was with you; I’m not trying to downplay it in any way. But the fear that it could happen again to Annika, to Aaro, is debilitating.”

No, Bartiste didn’t take as much from him, but Annika was pregnant when she was kidnapped along with Hanna, and my brother only found out about it over the phone, as she was being taken. There is no way to describe that feeling of helplessness. We couldn’t do a thing. It left deep, jagged scars that we share because our trauma is our failure. We failed to protect them.

How can I deserve Evelyn? What if I fail to protect her too? I know Bartiste will be dead at the end of this, I know I will not fail there, but it’s her safety I fear up until that point.

“You have a lot to lose now. I understand.” I answer finally. “Is this why you came back?”

“Partly. I have hired help at home, but here… I have you and The Sanctum. I knew Annika and Aaro would be safe now. And no matter what happened between us, how you felt about me, there was no chance I wouldn’t come for you after realizing Bartiste is back.”

It sounds like he didn’t care if I wanted him here or not, he was going to be by our—my side anyway, through the asshole’s return.

“What’s the other reason?” I ask.

“I need to see Bartiste dead. I need to make sure.”

I nod. No one from our whole group can understand that better than me. I’ll treat him like a fucking vampire if I must, and carve his heart out or cut off his head, just to make sure he’ll never come back to fucking life.

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