Page 121 of Finlay

“So you saw me with Matt,” I said, trying to get us back on track. “What happened then?”

Cal paused before answering, addressing Finn. “You might not like this next bit, but I promise it was done with Chester’s best interests at heart.”

There was the now familiar cracking sound, but Finn stayed in his human form. “Go on.”

Cal turned to me with a sigh. “I saw you in a restaurant. You were so unhappy, and the whole time Matt was just piling on the misery. I decided I had to help you, so I compelled you to meet me in the toilets.”

Finn drew in a sharp breath. “Yer right. I don’t like that.”

I glanced at him, puzzled. “Why not? You use compulsion nets all the time.”

“Compelling someone directly is different. And yes, I do that too, but they’re strangers.” He shook his head. “I know it’s hypocritical, but the thought of you being under someone else’s control…I don’t like it, m’eudail.”

“I wouldn’t either if I was in your position,” Cal said heavily. “But I know all too well how hard it is for people in Chester’s situation to leave their abusers. Oscar, my husband and mate, he almost lost his life when he tried.”

“It’s okay.” I put my hand on Finn’s thigh under the table as I spoke to Cal. “I don’t mind that you compelled me. What happened next though?”

“I asked you what your dreams were. Where you wanted to live. What your ideal home would be like.”Pennies were dropping all over the place. “Most importantly though, I asked you if you wanted to leave Matt. You said you would if you had a way out. So…we gave you that.”

I sucked in a breath. “You’re Uncle Cal.”

Finn frowned. “The one who died and left you everything?”

Cal bowed his head, a small smile on his lips. “In a way, yes. With Harlow’s help, we arranged for movers for you. We found Thistle Do Nicely and the house with a view of the water from your bedroom. We tried to cover everything so that you could have a fresh start, far, far away from him.”

I was stunned. “Holy shit.”

Really, I should’ve put two and two together earlier, but come on. Why on earth would I think my mysterious dead relative was actually one of the sons of Lucifer?

“I’m sorry if we overstepped,” Cal said gently. “But we wanted to help you.”

I took my hand off Finn’s thigh to twiddle with my leather bracelets. “Everything that’s happened to me since I left Matt was because of all of you?”

“No, it’s not.” My head snapped up at Harlow’s words. “We gave you the tools to start your new life, Chester, but you’re the one who did it.”

“Harlow’s right,” Cal said. “We might’ve found you the property for Thistle Do Nicely, but you’re the one who turned it into a success. We gave you the house on the loch, but you turned it into a home. We gave you a fresh start, but you’re the one who built it into the life you wanted.”

Finn had said something similar not long ago. Somehow though, hearing it from the ones who’d started me on this journey struck so much deeper. “Thank you.”

“How do you know what’s happened to Chester since?”Finn asked suspiciously. “Have ye been checking up on him?”

“Yes,” Cal said simply. “Like Danny said earlier, we consider Chester to be under our protection. One of us has looked him up whenever we’ve been in the area. It’s why I was coming here today—to ask you to stop by as it’s been a few months.”

“A busy few months,” Harlow said, waggling his fingers in Finn’s direction with a smirk. “This isn’t what I thought would happen when I chose that particular house knowing it was on your land, but I can’t lie, I’m thrilled.”

Finn blinked. “You chose McCarthy land intentionally?”

“Duh.” Harlow rolled his eyes again, and for a moment, it was almost like looking at Logan. “Chester wanted to move to Scotland, and where better to place him than on your clan’s land?”

“Danny’s told us many times about the lengths you and your circle go to to protect the humans within your boundaries,” Cal said. “It felt safer than anywhere else.”

Finn smiled wryly at me. “Guess it did work out for the best.”

I wished I could accept it as easily as Finn, but there was something nagging at me. Something I knew I shouldn’t ask, but the question was coming out anyway. “Why me? I get that seeing how Matt treated me can’t have been easy, but you gave me so much. There’s no way I’d ever be able to repay you.”

Both demons jolted, Harlow looking scandalised as he replied. “Um, if you tried to repay us we’d be mortally offended.”

“Immortally,” Cal corrected with a smile. “Given our lifespans.”

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