Page 105 of The Forbidden Note

Someone let a nugget slip. Sloane was seen at Redwood the night of her murder. The higher-ups were told to scratch that out of the files, but it had already made the rounds in the precinct.

Harris.

Redwood.

It’s all linked to Sloane’s demise.

However, I haven’t made any progress since then.

Feeling like my head is about to explode, I push the whiteboard back into its hiding place, throw my clothes on top of it and slip downstairs.

I’m dunking my fork into leftover cobbler when I hear heavy footsteps. I freeze, seeing a tall shadow.

It’s Finn.

He comes to an abrupt stop on the stairs. He’s entirely naked from the top up, and I’m surprised by how ripped he is. Under his neat Redwood Prep uniform and cold manners, the bassist is shredded.

Finn swings his head around as if he’ll move back up the stairs.

“You don’t have to run,” I say, pushing the plate at him. “Want some?”

He narrows his eyes at me, considers it for a moment and then patters to the kitchen, bare-foot and mysterious.

I bring a fork out of the drawer and hand it to him.

He takes it hesitantly.

I push the plate further in his direction.

Finn scoops out a bite and, the moment the cobbler gets into his mouth, his expression tightens.

“It’s good right?”

“Yeah,” he mumbles. “Yeah… wow.”

I think that’s the first thing he’s ever said to me.

Mom’s cobbler must be made of magic.

We eat in companionable silence for a while.

“I’m sorry about today,” I say quietly.

Finn glances up at me, an eyebrow arched.

“I heard you got suspended.”

“Only for a day,” he responds, his voice vibrating through me.

It always catches me by surprise how deep his voice is. Finn’s bassy timbre reminds me of the drums I learned to play tonight. Rolling and dark and powerful enough to rattle the walls. Since he rarely speaks, he must always catch people off guard.

“Zane was the one who got a week-long suspension.” Finn pushes his fork around. “Since he threw the first punch.”

My shoulders roll with tension. “It’s okay to blame me.”

“Blame you for what?” Finn balances on his elbows. “He decided to protect you, so we all protect you. That’s how it is.”

My throat tightens.

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