Page 85 of Arranged Scars
He shrugs slightly and glances at me with a frown. “Honestly, no, not really. There are murmurs, but nothing remotely concrete.”
“Then we need to make it real.” Caroline jabs a finger against the counter. “We plant guns in Dermot’s apartment. I know the exact spot too. He’s got storage he basically never uses. Mom keeps Christmas ornaments in there.”
“Your mother keeps ornaments in Dermot’s place?”
“I know, but you’d be surprised at how many she has.” Caroline starts pacing, and I know that’s a bad sign. “This could work. It’s low risk. I just have to get Dermot out of his apartment for a few hours. I know the security codes. We’ll disable his cameras, slip inside, plant the guns, sneak back out, and leak the rumors to Malachy. Hell, we’ll give him photographs.”
I know that look on her face and I can already see how this is going to play out. Liam seems thoughtful and isn’t pushing back, which means I have to be the one to break the news to her: this is an insane risk. But as I’m about to open my mouth, I stop.
Since when did I become the cautious one? I went into this relationship thinking it would be the last thing I ever did. I never really thought I’d kill all of the Flanagan brothers before they got me. Two is about the best I figured I’d do, and right now it’s good odds I’ll get at least one more. But now I don’t want this to be the end. Now I have a reason to keep on going. My past isn’t everything to me anymore. My future with Caroline is more important.
But she’s not stopping. Her free fall is only speeding up, and I can tell there’s only one way to end this.
And that’s to drown in blood.
“I’ll do it.” I look from Liam to Caroline. Neither responds at first. “I’ll plant the guns.”
“Finn…” Caroline hesitates, shaking her head. “You’re still hurt.”
“I can handle this one. It’s the least I can do after nearly getting you killed.”
I hold up a hand. “I do this. Give me one more week to heal. That’ll put me right at a month. I’m regaining mobility every day and the pain’s nearly gone. One more week of rumors and then we move.”
Caroline doesn’t like it. She wants to go-go-go, no brakes, no slowing, but I can almost see something spark in her. Like she realizes what she’s doing.
“A week might not hurt,” she says reluctantly. “And you are doing pretty good.”
I move to her and pull her against my side. She curls into me with a soft exhale. I kiss her hair and breathe her smell. “I wantto be the one who breaks them, remember? Even if it breaks me too.”
“I don’t want that.” She chews her lip uncertainly. “Do you think it’s going to end up like last time?”
“I won’t let it.” I look over to Liam. He’s finishing his coffee and getting to his feet. “Gather the materials and start coming up with a plan. We’ll move in a week.”
“Sounds good to me.” He nods and turns to leave, but stops before he can go. “By the way, your brothers have been sniffing around.”
“Really?” That gets my attention. “They say anything?”
“Nothing important. Just some questions about what you’ve been up to. How you’ve been. I told them you’re busy, that’s all.”
“Stick to that story.”
“Will do.” He slinks off and the door clicks shut behind him.
Caroline gets on her toes and kisses my neck. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
“I can carry a few boxes into an apartment.”
“I know, but if it goes wrong?—”
“It won’t.” I stroke my fingers through her hair.
She looks unsure. It’s clear she wants to keep racing forward, but maybe whatever we have between us is starting to tug her back. Maybe she’s sensing the same pressures I’ve been feeling.
And if I’m lucky, she’ll start making the same choices.
32
FINN
