Page 20 of Protecting Jess

Finn’s fingers flexed around her shoulder. “No. It’s just…thanks.”

Jess looked around at the now-crowded room.

Who were these men, and why was Finn so surprised they would help him? They had to be his teammates. If they were, then why was Finn so shocked that they were there?

The man who’d been talking to Finn came up to her. “Hi, I’m House. This is Whistler, Shark, and Tenor.” He pointed to the men behind him. “We’re Hive’s teammates. Are you okay?”

Her mind whirled at the weird names he’d sprouted. Did their parents really give them those names?

Wait.

Hive. We’re Hive’s teammates.

Nicknames. They were nicknames...and Finn’s was Hive?

“Good to meet you all. I’m Jess.” She looked at Finn. “Hive?”

A round of chuckles sounded an incongruous sound, considering everything that was going on, but Jess welcomed it. Needed it.

“Yeah. Hive.” A guy with black hair spoke up. “’Cause Spelling is his last name. Spelling Bee. Bees live in hives. So—Hive.”

“Right. Well, I don’t think Jess needs an explanation of how we all got our nicknames,” Finn said.

“What’s going on?” House asked again.

Beside her, Finn sighed. “Someone broke into Jess’s room and threw fish guts and heads over her bed.”

“Who the fuck would do that?” a man with dirty-blond hair asked.

Jess thought House had called him ‘Whistler’ when he’d introduced the group.

“No idea,” Finn responded, but he was looking at her.

Jess held herself still, willing herself not to squirm. She hadn’t explained anything when he’d asked her what she’d meant by again.

“The police are here. Why don’t we all move somewhere which isn’t my office?” the security officer huffed.

The air in the room bristled with annoyance.

Jess stood, keeping the blanket around her shoulders. “Sounds like a good idea. Finn?” She grabbed his hand, worried he was about to hit the security guard.

“Right. Yes. Let’s,” Finn ground out. “After you?”

They all followed the man, but she tugged on Finn’s arm, and he stopped immediately.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

She smiled at the intensity of his question. She liked this tough, take-charge side of him. “You okay?”

Finn’s brow furrowed. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Jess canted her head in the direction of the group of men as they disappeared around the corner. “You seemed, I don’t know...surprised...that your teammates turned up.”

“I was. I haven’t been on the team long, and sometimes I feel like they don’t like me. It’s always hard when someone new joins an already established team.”

She nodded. She got it, because when a new dancer came in and replaced someone who’d been with the company for a while, it was an adjustment for everyone. “If they didn’t like you, they wouldn’t be here.”

“True. We’d better get in there. I’m surprised someone hasn’t come to look for us already.”

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