Which meant that Chief Matthews knew way more about his son than I had suspected. “Chief, it’s entirely possible. Finn has a very different demeanor than Killian. I’ve worked in close quarters with him and the changes are obvious. Not to mention hiseyes.”
Chief Matthews let out a strangled breath, dragging a hand through his salt and pepper hair. “He’s not allowed to be back. The hospital didn’t find anything wrong with him! They would have said something. There would have been something in the report. There would have been-”
This version of my chief was new and I loved it. I loved knowing that Finn’s presence could set someone off as much asit had us. This last bit of information, though, would destroy everything we had built or it would show how much this man cared about his son and his dignity. I slid the file I had picked up off my desk toward him, watching as he opened the forensic report Gideon had completed on Killian’s arm.
“Why does this say self-inflicted?” Chief Matthews asked, his voice wobbling.
“Because Killian is Finn. How could you not make that connection? I saw the fear in your eyes when I mentioned his name. You had to have had your suspicions when that happened. You berated me often enough about not protecting him but we all knew the men dragged into the jail here weren’t Finn.” I tapped the header. “He hid his personality like he always does but the two people we could ask are dead.”
This wasn’t the road I had planned on going down but finding out that Finn had dragged a woman home and into his bed was fucking with my head. Instead of doing the smart thing and figuring out what Finn had up his sleeve, I decided to ruin his life instead. The connections were forming in Chief Matthew’s mind. I didn’t need to add anything else so I excused myself and returned to my desk.
I knew I said we were supposed to work together but betraying me was on the list of things that got people killed. Finn was safe because I was still in love with the bastard but two could play at this game.
Killer, you should probably check on your father. He’s had a bit of a shock.
What happened?
Just mentioned that I’m not sure Killian ever made it home.
Why the fuck would you tell him that?
The game wouldn’t be fun if there was only one player.
A call popped up immediately after that text but I denied it, enjoying this new path a little too much. I sent the guys a text, warning them that it was game on, that Finn would come through guns a blazing. Whatever that meant, I had no idea. But for the first time, I was excited about something I couldn’t control.
SLASH
Tuesday Morning
I rolled over, groaning as my muscles stretched and popped from this morning’s rough shenanigans. After Samael left, I dragged Aeron back to bed and fucked his brains out, loving the way my fingers dug into his skin hard enough to bruise. I needed my blade but that wasn’t a line I crossed with my loveable cannibal. We all had our quirks but that wasn’t one of his.
Aeron gave back as good as he got, bruises littering my shoulders and arms from where he held me, and a bite mark at the base of my neck. I was going to show that shit off like a brand. Instead of wanting to hide our connection, I found myself wanting to taunt it to the public. We were already dangerously close tobeing found out that I almost didn’t care because why couldn’t a serial killer have cute shit like dates and movie nights too?
There would be time for that.
I’d have to settle for these late-night rendezvous or in this case, early morning ones.
My gaze traveled to Aeron, draped over the edge of the bed. He had taken Finn’s dismissal harder than Samael and I, confused between his love for Killian and his distrust of Finn. The fact that Gwen’s lungs were now neatly quartered and wrapped in the fridge told me that Aeron had made his choice.
The way he had submitted to me a few hours ago also told me what headspace he was in last night. I hadn’t witnessed that kind of submission in years. He hadn’t craved that kind of attention for a while. He also didn’t need to be sleeping while I was sitting here with all these bruises.
My leg whipped out to plant its foot in his naked behind, the guy falling over the edge with a thud and a loud groan. “Do I need to be somewhere? Because if not, I’m going to eat a bitch.”
I chuckled and rolled over to the edge, leaning over to caress his face. He blinked a few times and then glared at me through squinted eyes. “You wouldn’t eat me, babe. But I can’t be the only one hating my life right now.”
Aeron giggled before the sound caught in his throat. “Fuck you, Slash. My dream was just getting good. Why are you awake? Is it Finn?” The hope in his sea-green eyes was adorable. WhenFinn surfaced, I was sure that our connection to Killian had ended. It hadn’t though. The dynamics had just shifted.
“It’s not Finn. Samael texted and said that Chief Matthews knows who’s living in his house now, though. Which means that we’re in for a shit show, a breakdown, or more dead bodies. I couldn’t tell you at this point. Is it sick to be a little excited?” Samael had been right last night. I had enjoyed killing my foster mother and I wanted that kind of high again, a certain kind of high that could be had by joining Finn on one of his little adventures. “Although, that has to wait. Niles called me in again so I have to fucking explain what a sabbatical means.”
He twisted his head to glare at me and I felt the hatred in his eyes for the job I was supposed to have quit already. His lips pursed and I thought he was going to call me out on it before the conversation took a left turn. “Fuck me real hard so I can pass out and not think about anything before you go.”
My heart whined a little for my cannibal, my fingers running down the length of his jawline and then his chest as I stared at the new artwork on his flesh from Samael’s handling a few days ago. I thoughtIwas rough. Aeron really needed to eat something if I was being honest. Over the past week, I had seen him eat three times. He hadn’t even attempted to reopen his food truck either. Samael and I kept putting that conversation off but it was getting to the point where I was starting to get worried. “Aren’t you already worn out?”
“Which is why I’m asking.” I met his tired gaze, realizing just how much this was all fucking with his head. At times like this, Aeron usually would have run off on a bender and found someone to fuck up before eating them. Cooking was his peace, even if I didn’t understand it, and besides Gwen’s lungs, Aeron hadn’t even touched his fridge since Killian had stuffed his face full of Jenny’s lungs. I couldn’t blame him.
A deep sigh left my chest as I wrangled him back onto the bed until he was draped across me. One of my hands slipped around the back of his neck before pulling him into a kiss. “I think I can squeeze in a good fuck but I’m not going to be gentle.”
The understanding smile that spread across Aeron’s weary expression didn’t warm my evil heart the way it should have.
