In the sea of distrustful faces, there’s a bright spot. Zane is as gorgeous and intimidating as his twin, but at least he’s smiling.
I smile back, glad to have an ally in this den of prideful lions.
Finn gestures for me to hold my IV pole and juts his chin at the armchair. “Sit there.”
I shuffle past Dutch, who’s watching me with a scowl.
Zane swaggers up to me and takes the IV pole. “Finn told us how close you came to dying. Glad you didn’t croak, J.”
“Thanks.” I have to tilt my head back to continue staring into his ocean-blue eyes.
Zane moves at my pace. “Did your little programming thing find any more messages?”
“Not yet.”
A frown flickers over his face, but he quickly smiles again. “I’m sure they’ll reach out soon.”
“Have you guys considered putting out another song?” I ask, taking a seat in the chair. It’s big enough to fit The Kings—who are all over six feet. The chair swallows me whole, and my legs dangle off the floor.
“With the song… we were just putting out feelers. Code messages aren’t what we’re after. We want to find them and bring them home.”
“I’ll do everything I can to help.”
Dutch scoffs, and I feel his distrust from all the way across the room.
Zane scowls at his brother. “Hey, you promised. Be nice.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Dutch shoots to his feet. “Why did you call this meeting, Finn? I have things to do.”
Finn folds his arms over his chest and says calmly, “Ren and Hayato have three members of the Grave City Crew.”
“Have them where?” Dutch asks.
“They’re tied up in a warehouse down at the docks.”
My chest tightens with a gasp.
“Tied up how? Like ‘occupied’? Or you mean… with, like, ropes?” Sol asks.
Finn just stares at him steadily, almost unblinking.
Sol swallows so hard, his Adam’s apple threatens to explode from his neck.
Zane shifts in discomfort.
Dutch gives his brother a long, assessing look.
As everyone sobers up, I stare at Finn. He’s acting like this is normal when it’s beyond insane. Abducting people? Tying them up in empty warehouses? That is way out there, even for rulers as big as The Kings.
The threads that weren’t connecting before start connecting now. What if Ren and Hayato aren’t just bodyguards? What if they’re a part of a shady organization…
Kind of like the one that founded The Grateful Project?
And what if Finn is involved in that kind of life way more than I thought?
Chapter Forty-Four
FINN
