Page 165 of Manacled Hearts

Ronan jumps into a sprint, releasing Bartiste and rushes toward us just like the rest of The Sanctum, wide eyes laced with concern and fear fixed on us.

“Finn,” I cry out when he staggers.

But this moment is the culmination of eight grueling years stolen from him by this man, and he pushes forward, steadying the gun with the other hand.

“You’ll keep your guts in your belly, old man, but I won’t grant you a quick death.” He unloads the gun twice, in quick succession, and the bellow that follows crawls up my spine uncomfortably.

Bartiste clutches his abdomen, but his bleeding crotch is the wound making me happiest. Like his son before him, he will take a well-deserved long time to die.

But I won’t get to watch him. I rip my gaze from him when Finnigan crashes to his knees next to me, and my heart stills in my chest.

“No, no, no! Finnigan, baby!” I follow him to the floor as he falls back, feeling for his chest, but the damn useless vest is in the way.

“He took an armor-piercing one…” someone says behind me.

I fumble around desperately, ignoring my own pain, but large hands push mine away and open the vest to find his shirt soaked in blood.

“Apply pressure!” someone shouts, and those same large hands press over his chest as I move to his face.

“It’s gonna be okay, you’ll be fine.” My voice trembles as I grab him, brushing my thumbs over his eyebrows. “You stupid, stupid man! Why did you have to take the bullet for me?”

My vision clouds with tears I cannot stop from flowing.

“I’ll be fine, Evie darling.” But his voice is weak. It doesn’t match his words, and his piercing blue eyes lost some of their brightness.

“Finn!” Those large hands are replaced by slightly smaller ones, and Ronan appears on the other side of me. “I only just got you back, you’re not allowed to fucking bail on me.” The concern in his eyes makes me more uneasy.

Finn chuckles, but the noise sounds wrong, gurgled and strained and I want to throw up at how horrific it sounds.

“I’m sorry for the last…” he says to his brother, but the words are slow, forced through the shallow breaths. “Now more than ever, I understand why you left. I regret pushing you away… losing all this time.”

“Save it, Finn! Tell me when I can breathe properly, back home. Safe.”

But he shakes his head gently. “I’m sorry, Ronan. I was an asshole… you didn’t deserve it.”

“Stop it, seriously, stop it! Don’t talk like you’re fucking going anywhere! I refuse to forgive you until we’re out of this fucking place.”

But Finn just smiles and a cry spills out of me at the lack of hope in his eyes. I want to scream at Ronan to forgive him, but I don’t because I agree, Finn is not allowed to go anywhere.

“You’re… you’re hit.” He grunts as his gaze turns to me, looking at my shoulder as he tries to rise.

“I’m fine. Stay down.” I push him back.

I’m not fine. The searing pain in my shoulder is almost debilitating as the adrenaline slowly seeps out, but the man I love is dying on the floor before me and my heart hurts more than my flesh.

“I’m sorry…” Finn whispers as the others are trying to figure out how to get him to a hospital and keep his lungs from collapsing on the way.

“Stop, you didn’t—”

“I did try to manipulate you… a little bit.” He interrupts. “I hoped that… without worrying about… your father, you’ll want to stay.”

“You asshole! I knew it,” I cry, dropping low to press sloppy kisses over his lips. “I never wanted to leave. I was scared, Finn. All I know is tragedy… I thought that leaving before another beautiful thing crumbles around me would be for the best. And now you—”

“You’re wrong,” he says, coughing weakly. “You… pieced me back together. I love…” His eyes drift closed.

“Finnigan!” I bellow. “Stay with me! Please, oh God, please!” I beg, pressing my forehead to his as my tears stain his beautiful, pale face.

I tap his cheek, gently at first, then harder when his eyes still don’t open.

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