Page 56 of Redemption

“Finn. Jay protects you. Despite the fact Kim works for me, I suspect she’s loyal to Finn. Strange, really, since they hardly know each other.”

“He tends to inspire loyalty very quickly.”

“Inspire?” She raises her brows. “Or force?”

I chuckle and tuck my hands into the pockets of my jumpsuit. “Depends on the person, I suppose.”

“Do you like that?” She shakes her head. “Sorry. That’s a very personal question. I shouldn’t have asked. I’ve picked bad men my whole life.”

“Oh?” I raise my eyebrows and scan her petite figure. “How bad?” My mind strays to Eric, who might not have been as bad as Finn on paper but proved to be so much worse in reality.

“Thieves, murderers, cheaters… abusers.” Her voice grows soft. “You name him, I’ve dated him.”

I weigh my options. Should I give her something personal in return? “Finn isn’t exactly a Boy Scout.”

“So, you like dangerous, evil men too?”

I laugh. “I guess? I don’t know if I would call Finn evil, exactly.” He’s never been dangerous to me. He does terrible things. Makes decisions I don’t agree with. But I can’t think of him as evil the way Kim and other people do. He’s not that man to me, even if I can recognize his choices make him that for others.

“This is going to sound weird.” Jade fiddles with the ends of her hair. “I sort of like the fear bad men inspire. What does that say about me?”

She’s hit on my trigger. No matter how wrong it might be, Iamattracted to Finn’s darkness. “The fear they inspire inyou?” He has never dropped his dark shadow over me. Jade’s softening black eye indicates she might not be so lucky.

There’s a pause, and she seems lost in thought as we walk. “Not in me, no. Though, there is that.” Her laugh is soft. “I suppose, sometimes. Can’t help some fear when a man’s that intimidating.” She gives me a side glance, gauging my reaction. “But I mean seeingotherpeople’s fear. There’s something so powerful in knowin’ yer the cause of that.”

“Oh.” I’m at a loss for words. She gets off on people experiencing fear. The notion sends a shiver down my spine. While I’m not sure I could ever watch Finn kill a man, even if I realize he’s doing it, I’m starting to wonder if Jade would enjoy seeing the moment and revel in the pain. Would she be at Pierre-Jacques’s shoulder, encouraging him, and delighting in the violence?

She lets out a self-conscious laugh. “Sorry. That’sreallydark. I was raised in a pretty twisted family, and I think it’s warped every relationship I’ve ever had.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. We all have dark thoughts sometimes, right? Warped family relationships is a topic I can navigate. “Families are tough. I don’t have much of a relationship with my father anymore. My mother self-medicates and lives in denial. My brother died when I was younger.”

“How far are we walking?” Jay calls from up ahead.

“Turn down this path,” Jade responds. “It loops back to the house.”

We walk in silence for a few minutes, and I wonder whether Kim used her superspy capabilities to listen to my conversation with Jade. What would she make of Jade’s fear comments?

“I hope I didn’t disturb you with anything I said.” She glances at me. “I’ve enjoyed getting to know you the last few days. I’ve never had a sister or a female best friend. Surrounded myself with men, mostly.”

“I grew up in a world of men too.” Though I’ve often had women, like Kim or Lena or Sofia, who I’ve formed connections with. I meant what I said to her days ago about women sticking together.

“You seem so at ease without Finn around.”

My brow furrows at her suggestion. She thinks I’mhappierwhen Finn’s not near? Has to be projection. “Are you more at ease when Pierre-Jacques isn’t around?”

She checks over her shoulder. “He loves me, but we fight a lot. Sometimes he’s—sometimes he’s rough.”

“If you need help to get away—”

“No, no.” She shakes her head. “He loves me.”

We reach the main entrance of the house, having circled the western edge of the property. Jade’s phone pings, and she takes it from her pocket.

“He needs to see me. I should go. Tomorrow?” She gives me a hopeful look.

“Sure.” I smile.

She hurries into the house. Jay and Kim flank me on either side.

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