Page 31 of Finn
I led Finn down a narrow alleyway and into a quieter, dingier part of town.
The kind of place where people didn’t ask questions and turned a blind eye to strangers, a place where predators could pass unnoticed.
“Where are we going?” Finn finally asked, his voice low, strained.
He sounded more vulnerable than I’d ever heard him, which only made me want to keep him close, shield him from whatever came after us.
“To a safe house,” I said, quickening my steps. “It’s… temporary. And not exactly five-star accommodations.”
Finn’s brow lifted, and I could see him eyeing the worn-out buildings we passed, some with broken windows, others with graffiti coating their crumbling facades.
He looked unconvinced, but he kept following, not voicing the question that must have been on his mind: Why here? And why should he trust me?
That fragile trust I’d fought to rebuild felt precarious, but he kept moving alongside me, his footsteps quiet and steady.
After several blocks, we reached a nondescript building, the door blending almost too well into the chipped and faded wall.
I unlocked it, glancing back, half-expecting Finn to turn and run.
But he was right there, his gaze flicking up to meet mine with a mixture of wariness and… something else.
The apartment itself was as bad as expected. Barely any furniture. A single window covered by old, frayed blinds.
A mattress on the floor, a chair in one corner, and a sink that looked like it might never have been cleaned.
Finn took it all in with a grimace.
“A safe house, huh?” he said, eyebrows raised in doubt.
“It’s safe enough,” I replied, shrugging. “Not exactly paradise, but it’ll keep you off the radar for the night. I have to head back, handle Scar’s… situation before anyone else does.”
He looked back at the door, uncertainty flashing across his face.
“And… what happens then?” Finn asked
“Then, we’ll figure it out.” I took a step back, reaching for my phone. “Here.” I held out my number. “Just… in case.”
He took the phone slowly, typing in his own number with an unreadable expression.
When he handed it back, he kept his gaze down, the usual confidence dulled.
“Don’t keep me waiting too long, okay?” he said quietly, and before I could respond, he tugged the hem of my shirt.
I turned, my chest tightening as I looked down at him. He wound his fingers tentatively through mine.
I couldn’t stop myself from pulling him into an embrace.
His arms slipped around my back, and his shoulders sagged, almost like he was melting into me, finding some kind of solace in our closeness.
He didn’t feel like an enemy right now. In his hold, I felt… human, something I hadn’t truly felt in so long.
I ran a hand through his hair, fingers brushing the back of his neck as he sighed, his breath warm against my skin.
“I need to contact the Elders,” he murmured.
“What will you tell them?” I asked.
Every muscle in my body tightened, wary of his answer.
