Page 162 of Sinning for Santa

She tilts her head at me like she’s studying me, her gaze running down to my toes and back up again as she nods and points.

All eyes turn to Finn.

“Why do you want to kill him?”

“He lied,” she hisses through clenched teeth and a curled lip.

“The drugs?” I put everything I’ve overheard together from earlier, and her surprised glare shoots back to me.

“He said he wouldn’t.”

I nod. “I know. He didn’t want to. He was ordered to.”

“Why?” she snaps.

“Because the king of this town can be a bit of a dick.”

Devon curses behind me as his men chuckle, and her eyes find him.

“But, he has people to protect. Women and children. He saves them from bad people and brings them here. His men guard them from men like this.” I point to the arsehole that wanted me dead just to hurt Devon. “You’re new here, and please excuse me for being blunt, but you’re a little cray cray right now. It’ll take you a while to adjust to living outside of Holly River Estate, and Finn knows that, but he also has a duty to keep everyone in this town safe.”

Her eyes narrow. “I saw you.”

I nod. “Yes. I saw you too.”

“It wasn’t your first time there?” she states more than asks, but I shake my head anyway. “How long ago?”

I know what she’s asking.

“Eleven years ago. Then two years of outpatient visits.”

She nods. “I need to kill something. Someone.”

Glancing back over my shoulder, I take in Devon, and then Finn, who are all watching on quietly, allowing this conversation instead of just killing Frankie and washing their hands of her.

“You can kill him...” I point to the man that strapped a bomb to me, and when he starts to protest, Miles hits him across the back of his head, shutting him up. “If you promise not to kill anyone else here. They only want to help.”

Again her eyes narrow at me, before she glances back at Finn.

“Is maiming that one out of the question?” She points to Finn and I glance at him in time to see him baulk.

“Not totally out of the question as long as he doesn’t lose any body parts or die. Oh, and leave his pretty face alone.”

“Fuck’s sake,” Finn mutters behind me, even as Frankie nods.

“You got yourself a deal.”

“Seriously?” Finn protests, and Devon responds.

“Yes, for now.”

“You were the one that fucking ordered me to drug her.”

“And every time she hurts you, you can swing your fists at me,” Devon declares.

“I’ll be bringing more than my fucking fists,” Finn sneers, and Frankie smiles.

It’s still creepy as hell, but I can tell she’s happy with this outcome.

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