Page 110 of Their Dark Rose

It’s him. Has to be.

“F-Falk?”

His eyes moisten for a moment, but he’s quick to blink it away, giving me his harsh gaze. The one I know.

“It’s us, baby.”

A hand caresses my thigh, and now I don’t have to look to know it’s my Finn.

“How did you find me?” I whisper while hearing the sounds of a body dragged behind me.

“Your ring. We put a tracker on it. Just in case.” Falk’s fingers stroke my tear and blood-stained cheek. His lips are downcast despite his sweet words. “And you were such a good girl for leaving it on. Love of my life. The sun rounding my dark existence. I would’ve died if we’d have lost you, princess, you know that? I wouldn’t have survived this. Would’ve killed myself just so we could be together again.”

My bottom lip trembles, and he catches it between his teeth. His fingers drag into my hair, smearing Thorn’s blood and gore all over my face.

The filth doesn’t bother me. Doesn’t register in the slightest.

My Falk came for me. All of them came for me. They’re real. They’ve found me.

I won’t die here as Mallie and Thorn’s pawn.

The relief in me doesn’t wait for Falk to break our kiss. I scream into his mouth, clutching onto his black cashmere sweater.

“Briar, what’s wrong?” Falk searches my face for injuries, zoning in on my lips. “Did I touch where he hurt you? I swear to everything that’s holy, I will…”

“Falk, no, I’m just so ha—“

He whips his head to the right, where the real Finn sits on his knees. “You’ll have to tie me up next, or I’ll rip his head off with my bare hands.”

He’s not joking, that much is obvious.

The bone-chilling threat freezes me in place. And turns me on far more than the images of him tearing Thorn’s head off his body ever should.

“Really, Falk?” Finn cocks an eyebrow.

Finn’s hand roams along my thigh, his fingers grabbing me as if I might disappear at any given moment.

As if he’s telling me he’ll never let me go again. “You want it to go down like that? To give him an easy out?”

In the background, I watch Mason dragging the bleeding Thorn across the room. He discards him on the other available chair next to Mallie’s. With my panic gone, I finally see she’s over there instead of here on the bed.

I derive a sick satisfaction from how miserable she seems. She’s tied up, her mouth gagged the same as mine was minutes ago. Her yellow-green eyes are closed, her head hanging to the side.

Serves you right, bitch.

“Stay put, you fuck.” Mason turns from Thorn’s weakened-yet-alive body, stalking toward the small wooden desk.

He picks up the rope that magically appeared on it, his lips kicking up in a smirk. Stealing one of Finn’s trademarks, Mason winks at me before returning to Thorn.

My avenging angel.

He’ll be fine.

It’s his brother who needs me now.

“Falk.” I place my hand on the fire-breathing dragon’s arm.

The instant he returns his eyes to me, I feel his flames licking my skin. Warming me. Protecting me.

---