Page 75 of Finn
“Finn, I’m not warning you again. Step aside,” Asher said.
“I’m not going back with you,” I said firmly, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. “I told you, I made my choice.”
Asher’s jaw tightened, his hands gripping the shotgun so hard his knuckles turned white.
“Finn, you can’t be this stupid. There’s no future for you and that vampire,” Asher said.
The words were like a slap, his tone dripping with contempt as he spat the last two words.
My blood boiled, a mix of anger and frustration bubbling to the surface.
Gabriel stood tense behind me, silent but radiating restrained fury.
“I’m not leaving him,” I said.
My voice wavered, but I held my ground.
Asher’s gaze flickered between me and Gabriel, his expression a storm of emotions—confusion, hurt, anger.
“This isn’t you, Finn. You’re better than this. You’re one of us. Don’t throw everything away for… for him,” Asher said.
I wanted to yell, to scream that he didn’t understand.
Instead, I reached up and yanked down the collar of my jacket and shirt, exposing the mark Gabriel had given me.
“I already made my choice,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Asher’s eyes locked onto the mark, his entire body going still. His lips parted, but no words came out.
His grip on the shotgun wavered, the barrel dipping slightly.
“You bastard,” he finally whispered, his voice shaking with fury as his glare shifted to Gabriel. “How dare you.”
Gabriel mercifully said nothing.
“I begged him for it,” I cut in, my voice rising. “This wasn’t his decision. It was mine. I asked for it, Asher.”
“That can’t be true.” His voice cracked, and for a moment, I saw something break in his eyes.
He didn’t want to believe it, but the truth was right in front of him, undeniable.
Gabriel chose that moment to act. In a blur of motion, too fast for the human eye to follow, he closed the distance between us.
Before Asher could react, Gabriel wrenched the shotgun from his hands, emptied it of its shells, and tossed it aside with ease.
In the next instant, he was back at my side, his presence solid and comforting.
“Asher, enough,” I said, my voice trembling. “I’m not asking you to understand. I’m asking you to let me go.”
Asher’s shoulders sagged slightly, the fight draining out of him.
He stood there, staring at me as if he didn’t recognize the person in front of him.
“You’re really doing this,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question.
I nodded. A heavy silence fell between us. I wondered what thoughts crossed my brother’s mind at that moment.
Was he replaying the years we grew up together?
