Finnic’s voice carries down the hallway. I maneuver closer to the opening in the door, this time leaning on the door’s frame to keep me balanced.
Dante exhales smoke directly towards Finnic’s face.
“Knowing how it goes down and helping me out a few times doesn’t mean you understand it fully,” he replies. “That girl in there is connected to something bad. Her father made enemies you don’t walk away from.”
“And that makes her disposable just because her father made a shitty decision?” Finnic shoots back.
I shift my weight again and this time the wooden frame creaks.
My eyes widen slightly.
I’m not ready to run. Truthfully, I hate the idea of it. I train constantly, alone and with Dante, sparring until my muscles scream, but running has always been my least favorite work-out. I’d already bolted once from them in heels, my feet raw and throbbing from the gravelly road, and the thought of doing it again makes mytemper flare.
I lean over just enough to peer down the corridor, checking for movement.
The second I do, Finnic’s head snaps toward the doorway. His gaze catches mine immediately and his eyes widen.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins at the idea of being caught.
There’s something thrilling about all of this.
I am untouchable. If Finnic crosses a line without Dante’s say-so, the situation will end before it ever becomes an issue.
I can see the alarms going off in Finnic’s head as he gradually takes another step in my direction.
I open the door the rest of the way, conceding that my desire to avoid running, is officially dead.
“Hey,” he says softly. “What are you doing?”
Dante swears under his breath and fully turns our way, flicking his cigarette down to the ground in the process, “Jesus Christ.”
His voice cuts through the hallway sharply like he’s irritated, but my attention is already locked on Finnic who is moving directly towards me now. He takes slow steps as if I am a deer in his headlights and he doesn’t want to spook me. His hands are up, palms open, posture angled just enough to block the hallway behind him without making it obvious.
“Just let me go-” I start, letting my voice shake as I put my hands in front of me protectively.
Finnic’s gaze drops instantly to my wrists and his jaw tightens.
He glances at Dante for a moment and then flings his head in my direction, “Her zip-ties are missing.”
I don’t say anything and continue to watch his movements as he inches closer.
Dante shoves Finnic to the side, strutting right past him in my direction.“Get back in that fucking room, right now.”
I flinch and dramatically recoil from Dante’s voice.
Finnic senses the shift in me, the fear I feign pressing against that part of him that always wants to save someone.
“You’re scaring her, just let me-”
Dante lets out a low chuckle. “We’re not here to play nice,kid.”
I take a step back, deliberately misjudging the distance so that the heel of my foot will catch on a crack in the concrete. My balance wobbles and I grab for anything on the way down.
Before I slam into the ground, Finnic moves in front of Dante swiftly, catching my arm just in time before I connect.
The contact sends a jolt through my body. His grip is firm but not in any way rough. His gloved hands wrap around my forearm to steady me.
That’s my opening.
