Page 86 of Beautiful Revenge

“If he tries that, then I understand.” And then I’ll be without Finn and for some reason that thought makes me sadder than I ever thought possible. “But let him try to make amends. You want me back in your life. I obviously want to come home. But I can’t come home right now. Not when you guys could kill each other. So please think about it. Please.”

“What you’re asking from me is impossible.”

“Funny. And here I thought you would do anything to help protect me.” I let Dante’s hand go. “Maybe I was wrong. I’m glad you’re alive. But Finn and I should go before he tries to shoot you or you try to shoot him.”

“Aria,” Dante objects.

I walk up to Matteo. “Are you going to try and stop me? I will stand between you and Finn to make sure neither of you shoot each other.”

“Aria, be smart about this,” Matteo says.

“I am. I’m trying to keep everyone in this room alive right now.”

Matteo slowly steps out of my way. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Do I? Honestly, I have no idea. I’m just following what I feel and right now, I feel like I’m not ready to lose Finn yet. If I’ll ever be ready.

I approach Finn’s side. “Let’s go.”

Finn glares at Dante and Dante glares back. “It would be so easy to take you out right now.”

“Finn,” I warn, grabbing his arm. “Don’t. Matteo will just shoot you if you do.”

“Then you’d be free of me, princess. Isn’t that what you want?”

“Not right now,” I admit. “Let’s just go. I saw Dante. And Dante, Finn didn’t kill you when he could have. Just remember that.” I tug on Finn’s arm until he finally budges from the doorframe.

We leave the doctor’s house without anyone getting hurt.

“Thank you,” I tell him on the drive back to his safehouse. “For not killing Dante. You actually restrained yourself. That meant a lot.”

“Well, fuck, princess, you’re doing something to me. Guess I’m not ready to make you hate me all over again.”

“I never said I didn’t hate you.”

He raises an eyebrow. “You still hate me?”

“No,” I tell the truth, not looking at him, even though I can feel him steal a glance in my direction. “I don’t hate you anymore. Not after you saved me from Sal.”

He places his hand on my knee and I don’t remove it. In fact, I place my hand over his, keeping his hand in place.

Things feel different between Finn and I when we return to the safehouse. Something has shifted and changed between us.

“You didn’t kill Dante,” I say, sitting on the couch. My body still feels a little sore from everything Sal put me through. I push him from my mind. He doesn’t get to occupy all my thoughts.

“I wanted to,” he admits.

“But you didn’t. You did it for me, didn’t you.”

He sits beside me and cups my face. “Fuck, princess. What are you doing to me?”

“What are you doing to me? I’m supposed to be disgusted by you. I mean, you kidnapped me.”

“And I was only supposed to use you as leverage against Dante. But now…”

“Now?”

Without another word, he kisses me. It’s surprisingly tender for Finn and I sink right into it. The kiss soon becomes rougher as he gently pushes me to my back. The weight of him on top of me feels perfect. Safe.

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