Page 77 of Vengeful Union

He’s been worse than normal since I came out of the hospital. His protectiveness knows no bounds. Alex has been watching me like a hawk, and when I was walking toward the kitchen one day, Psycho Boy saw me hobbling and lost his head, shouting at both Alex and I. I understand he’s worried about me, but he needs to lighten up a bit.

I’ve been in a lot of pain since I left the hospital, but I’m pushing through it. It hurts like hell when I move in certain ways, but I try not to let it show because the beast rises to the surface when he sees it.

Finn’s also worried that I’m burying pain from killing my father. I’m not. I made peace with that a long time ago. When he killed my mom, I knew I’d be the one to take him out. I never wanted anyone to take on that burden. I needed to exact justice for my mom, for me. So, I did. Just as Finn got justice for what his brothers did to me and what they had planned for Makenna.

“You’re pissing me off, so of course I’m going to test your patience.”

That stops him short. “What the hell?” he grunts as he pulls me to a stop with him.

I turn to face him. “Finn, I love you, but seriously, lighten the fuck up. I get it; I really do. What happened was awful. Traumatic. But this…” I wave a hand in his direction. “This isn’t helping. In fact, it’s making things worse. I’m trying to put what happened in the past and I can’t when you’re acting like a lunatic.”

His eyes flash with anger. “Lunatic?” he echoes, and I hide my wince at the rage in his words. “I watched as both my brother and nephew administered CP-fucking-R on you. You weren’t breathing. You were fucking dying.”

I move toward him. His lips are thin, and his chest is heaving. I place my hand on his face, and sigh when he kisses my palm.

“I know,” I whisper, my chest aching for the pain he’s relieving. “But, Finny, we have to move past this.”

“I can’t get the image of you lying on the ground, face pale, lips blue, out of my mind. You weren’t moving. You weren’t breathing. I could hear your fucking ribs cracking beneath Denis and Danny’s hands as they gave you compressions.”

I grimace at his words. I’m on so many pain meds, it’s a wonder I’m not high as a kite right now.

“I can’t live like this. I need to be able to do things for myself. I need to be able to make decisions for myself.”

He sighs and glances away. I bring my other hand up and cup his other cheek. “You’re going to have to give me some time.”

I nod instantly. “That’s something I can do. But you’ve got to lighten up a bit. It’s called compromise.”

He glares at me.

“Compromise is an agreement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions.”

He doesn’t say a word, his stare unwavering.

“Concession is a thing that is granted—” My words are cut off as he moves quickly and lifts me into the air.

“I know what the words mean,” he grunts, as his hand slams against my ass. It’s not too hard, but it’s powerful enough to smart. “I just don’t want to do them.”

He’s like a child throwing his toys out of the crib.

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine,” I say to him, my voice even.

He lets me down onto the ground so I’m standing. His lips twitch. He knows me too well now to not realize it’s a trap. “Really?” he drawls.

I nod emphatically. “Of course. You don’t compromise, then I won’t either. Simple.”

“You’re devious.”

I shrug, trying to play off that I’m not smug as hell right now. “I learned from the best.” My father was the most devious man I knew, and I learned a hell of a lot from him.

His eyes soften. “I know, baby.”

“We have to go,” I tell him, and he nods. “But please, Finn, lighten up, and I’ll give you time.”

His lips thin, but he gives me a slight nod. It’s progress, and that’s all that I can ask for.

He helps me toward the car. Both Alex and Jacob are travelling with us to New York. They’re riding up front, and Finn and I will ride in the back, giving us some semblance of privacy.

As soon as Alex starts driving, I become drowsy. I’ve been sleeping a hell of a lot more lately. I nap like I was born to do it. Yesterday, I had a nap for five hours. I hate it. The sooner I’m back to normal, the better.

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