Page 180 of Heartless Legacy

The guys have found a new place to ambush me. Finn flips the chair around before sitting, arms draped over the back of it. Despite the smile he’s wearing, I’m sure that whatever they’re here to say is probably gonna piss me off.

“Spit it out, Finley.” I say, as I turn the page in my textbook.

“Pax says you were with him on the team building challenge, but he’s not sure what you found.”

“He’s not? Maybe that’s because he left me to do all the work.”

Pax whines, like the big man child he is. “All you did was break in. I carried the binders and then you drove off with them.”

“It’s not my fault you rode the short bus to the cemetery.” My lips twist in a wry grin as Finn chuckles at my joke. “At any rate.” I say, getting things back on topic, “Pax has every right to ask what I found since hethinkshe helped, but why should I share my findings with the two of you?”

Holden answers, “Because we’re trying to figure out if the challenges were real or not.”

I sit back in my seat, arms folded across my chest, waiting for more than that vague ass response. They want me to talk? Well, them first.

Holden says, “Finn’s clues led his team to the theater, but they found nothing that would be of value to The League. My team thinks they found our item, but I’m not so sure.”

That still doesn’t explain what their failures have to do with me. “Maybe Finn’s team cut him out, like you’re accusing me of doing with Pax.”

Finn responds, “Oh, they were definitely trying to cut me out, but I didn’t kick up a fuss about it. I read the clue and was as helpful as I could be. There were no hidden rooms, doors, or safes in the theater.”

Hidden rooms? Now he’s got my attention. “Is that what your clue was? To find a hidden room?”

“Not exactly. The clue saidto find what is hidden for more to be revealed. Totally vague and clear at the same time.”

“Aren’t they always?” If I were on Finn’s team, I would’ve been looking for rooms, doors and safes too. Finn would know exactly where to look, so if he says nothing was there, it probably didn’t exist. “What about your clue, Holden?”

“It was just as vague as Finn’s.The source of east side money matters.”

I’m leaning forward now, arms resting on the table. I lower my voice and ask in a hushed whisper, “But you found something?”

“The group they stuck me withthinksthey found something. It was a newspaper article about an investment firm on the east coast. There were research notes in the folder and the names of the journalist’s sources.”

Based on the clue, assuming the folder was the challenge item makes sense, but it might also be a little too on the nose. “Was there anything else around that would have fit better?”

“We were in some type of file room. There could have been any number of articles that fit. Investment companies are notoriously popular for embezzlement. It’s amazing how swift an investigation begins when the SEC gets an anonymous tip.”

I quirk a brow when Finn laughs and Holden smiles. Neither attempts to let me in on their inside joke. “It’s ironic, isn’t it?”

They look puzzled by my question. “The three of you were forced to work with other teams and you can’t crack your clues.” They still seem confused about where I’m going, so I explain, “You’re all co-dependent on each other. Maybe you need to get over your distaste for Eloise and go in on the marriage plan, because I don’t have high hopes for your future success if you’re working alone.”

Finn says, “Nice try, Pet. The clues suck, so the results would be the same, no matter who we worked with. There was nothing hidden in that theater.”

“I believe you. But who said the hidden item wasinthe theater?” His mouth opens then closes, a small squeak slipping out, as he chokes back whatever he was about to say. My attention drifts to Holden as he pulls his laptop out of his backpack. “Uh, oh. Looks like I lit a spark of inspiration in you, Mr. Sullivan.”

“You did. Keep gloating, and I’ll extinguish my spark down your throat.”

Now I’m the one imitating a guppie. Eventually, I think of something non-sexual to say, but I let him work instead, as I try to refocus on my assignment. Keeping them distracted keeps me from having to share that on the surface it appears my team challenge was also a waste of time. The only difference is, I’m not willing to admit defeat. I know there’s something league centric in those binders, and it’s only a matter of time until I figure out what it is.

“The guys told me what you’re up to.” Pax says from his side of the table.

“Living my best life? They’re right.”

Finn waits until a group of students passes before saying, “We told him about your plans.”

I scowl at him, because my plans are my business, and he had no right to share. “Oh, don’t get huffy with me, Pet. We all have way too many secrets, and it’s destroying us. We need to fix this shit and we won’t be able to do that and move on until we get everything out in the open.”

“When the hell did I say I want to move on with you?”

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