Page 166 of Manacled Hearts

“Brother, wake up!” Ronan’s breaking too.

“Do something!” I roar to no one in particular. “Keep him alive or I swear to god…”

The threat dissipates as Finnigan grunts in my hands, and when I look down his eyes try to flutter open.

“Please, baby, stay with me. I promise I won’t leave if you don’t leave me either…” I’m crying so hard, the surrounding voices are nothing but background noise.

Finnigan’s eyes drift close, but this time there’s no flutter in his lashes.

“No! Finnigan, come back to me!”

Bellows burn their way through my chest, the pain tearing something embedded so deep inside my soul, it seems to shred every fiber that binds me.

“I’m yours. Forever… Please, come back…”

But there’s only darkness, only sorrow, and too much silence.

CHAPTER 40

EVELYN

“Do we have more bubble wrap?” Maya asks as she walks around the living room, looking between the half-packed boxes.

“Yes, in the corner by that empty bookcase there’s a big roll.”

She skips with a bit too much enthusiasm in her step for someone who’s currently packing moving boxes. There’s so much more left to do. I barely packed half the living room, and I’m already bored out of my mind. The ache in my shoulder and limited mobility isn’t helping. Maya, though, she’s treating it like it’s the most fun activity ever.

I must admit it’s endearing to see how she treats all these books. Layers upon layers of bubble wrap around them to make sure they reach their destination completely intact. She seems to take greater care of Finnigan’s books, picking the older volumes out and wrapping them individually, like she’s protecting memories, not bound paper. She insisted that the books are her responsibility, and she’s actually made much more progress with them than I’ve made with the rest of this room.

“When do you think we’ll be able to go visit Aaro?” Maya asks in her little voice.

Her friend left with Ronan and Annika only two days ago, returning to their home and leaving an open invitation for us. Considering the photos I’ve seen of the idyllic island paradise they live in, I’m keen to go as soon as we’re settled in our new home and we’re free.

“Next school holiday. You’re back on a proper schedule, you know that.”

“But that’s not until Christmas!” she protests. “Ugh, fine… I miss not having to go to school.”

“I’m sure you do.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Now keep packing.”

“Can I help?”

His warm, rich voice fills my chest with comforting heat, and I whip around to find Finnigan leaning against the wall, arms crossed against his chest.

“What are you doing up?” I rise to my feet and rush to him. “You’re supposed to be in bed.”

I look down at his torso, checking to make sure he’s okay and hasn’t ripped a stitch. Three weeks have passed since his surgery, the skin sealed by now, so I’m aware I’m being a bit over the top. It would take much more than rising from bed to tear it open.

“It goes both ways, Evie darling.” He brushes his knuckles over my cheek, pulling a smile from my lips. “You know we have people coming who will pack everything.”

“I know, but we wanted to focus on the more personal things,” I explain.

“Your shoulder needs to heal.”

It won’t take as long as his lung, but he’s not wrong; the bullet that tore through him and lodged in my shoulder did some damage. Those armor-piercing rounds are absolutely ruthless. Madds and the others still feel guilty for missing the guy who shot us, and considering that one of their own almost died, it’s probably not going to go away for a while. Finnigan has his own guilt about me, and I’m hoping to squash that soon, because I truly couldn’t care less about a wound as long as he’s alive and well before me.

Also, there is something creepily romantic about sharing a scar from the same bullet with Finnigan.

After the doctor came out of his surgery and confirmed he’s alive, in critical condition but he was going to live, Sloan, Maddox and the rest of the guys apart from Ronan, left Queenscove and decimated what was left of Bartiste’s organization. They kept prisoners who gave them all the details they needed, and along with Carter and his hackers, they found what was left of Bartiste’s people. Which wasn’t much. Turns out that due to the access to the ports in Queenscove, and some of the best trade routes, the asshole was set on taking the city from The Sanctum and establishing his trafficking empire here.

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