“Yeah,” Fin choked. “You know why?” His face went crimson with rage.
Asher didn’t respond.
“Because I actuallyhavea soul, Asher. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
“Asher has a soul,” Hailey piped, rather nonchalantly, given the two looked as if they were engaged in mortal combat.
“What?” the men asked in unison, Fin with disgust; Asher in astonishment.
Hailey looked from one to the other.
Asher released his grip on Fin, and Fin took a swing at him. Without shifting his gaze from Hailey, Asher snagged Fin’s fist out of the air and squeezed it until it crunched. Fin doubled over, and Hailey’s hand flew to her mouth.
“Oh my God, Asher!” She rushed to Fin’s side, and Asher seethed.
Fin shook his head and held up his good hand.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Hundreds of lives?” Hailey put her hands on her hips, demanding an explanation.
“It wasonelife,” he yelled, standing hastily, and Hailey cringed.
Fin’s voice went low, hateful. “Over and over andover…”
He put his face close to hers and stared resentfully into her eyes. “And over.”
She shrank away, blinking at him, speechless. What was he saying? What life?Hislife? Had he killed himselfhundredsof times? Maybe after living in hellish torment for hundreds of years…
There were some things I had to straighten out with the Big Guy.That’s what he’d told her at the church. It all made sense. Suddenly, instead of yelling back, all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him. But Asher was watching. Glowering. And Fin was looking at her like she was a cold sore.
“So now you know,” he spat at her. He turned his back and walked off. Hailey stared after him and watched open-mouthed as he slung his arm around Adelaide. Then he kissed her so passionately, it turned into a full-body salsa dip. Hailey’s heart plummeted into her stomach.
“Hailey,” Asher beckoned, and Hailey started.
He held out his hand.
“Come. We must talk.”
She couldn’t read his expression or his tone, but it felt like she was in trouble. Tentatively, she put her hand in his, and he led her to the door.
“It’s really cold outside,” she said, unable to hide the fear in her voice and hoping he hadn’t planned on making her leave. For some reason, she felt safer in public, though she didn’t really believe a crowd would stop him from killing her.
Asher sighed heavily, whirled around, and cupped her face in his hands.
“You won’t be cold with me,” he said tenderly, and some of her anxiety abated. He didn’tsoundangry, but if he had seen her kissing Fin…
She swallowed hard. He slid his fingertips from her chin, down the sides of her neck across her shoulders and down the length of her arms. Taking her hands, he gazed into her eyes and walking backwards, led her outside.
Hailey braced for the bite of Alaska’s winter, but Asher was right. Somehow, he was shielding her from the icy wind. It was quite comfortable inside his warmth-bubble.
“Look, Asher…” She wanted to tell him that she was in love with Fin, that she wanted nothing to do with Cobon’s plan, that she was angry at him for showing up late, though that seemed petty compared to having one’s soul ripped out—but her thoughts jumbled and bounced around in her head, and after what she just saw Fin doing with Adelaide… and his hateful tone…
Breathe.
And Fin had dismissed her so coldly, she wasn’t even sure he felt the same anymore…or if he ever did feel the same. Plus, Asher might kill her, and she hesitated.
“What is it?” he said very tenderly.
