Omens (The Triad 3)

SCARLET

My mood was not something to be fucked with. I was already on edge from everything that had happened in the last couple of days, and to think they were still trying to plan how they would keep me out of the decisions. It felt like it was them not trusting me all over again.

I thought we had gotten over that shit.

The fluorescent lights in the hallway bounced off the cream-painted walls and the pale green tile flooring, making the entire thing glow a nauseating color. I made my way past room after room, some with family visiting and others left by themselves. I anxiously crossed my arms and chewed on the side of my thumb.

“Can I help you find a room?” an orderly asked. I realized I probably looked like a creep, aimlessly walking through the halls and looking in one room after the other.

“No, sorry,” I told him, waving him off. “I’m just taking a walk before I visit a friend.”

A few more turns and down a level, I found Finn’s room. One of the guys, Lucas, was sitting outside of it, and he stood when I approached.

“He’s got a doctor in there…” He trailed off, his face coloring a little pink. “They’re doing something with his uh…” He cleared his throat.

I laughed and put my hand on his shoulder.

“His catheter?”

“Yeah.” He gave an awkward snort of laughter. “You here to sit with him for a while?”

“Yeah,” I told him as the nurse made her way out of the room and smiled sweetly at us both. “But go ahead and hang around?” I asked him. “Tristan and Elliot are hanging out with Seb, making sure no one sneaks up on us.”

He gave me a nod as I stepped past him and into the room. Finn looked up at me as I walked in, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, I was sure. He tried to give me a smile, but it couldn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Hey, Finn,” I said quietly, walking over to a chair in the corner and pulling it closer to the side of his bed. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’ve been better,” he joked with a weak voice.

“I think I owe you a thank-you.”

“S’alright, Miss Scarlet. You really don’t. I let her get away from me. She could’ve been shot…she could’ve been the one in this bed.”

“Finn,” I told him, grabbing his hand with my own and squeezing. “Because of you, she’s alive.”

I watched as his eyes teared up, and he took a deep breath to try and compose himself. Sometimes, after growing up in the wealthy family I did, I forgot that some of these guys didn’t. They grew up poor, or they just so happened to get in with the wrong crowd. They didn’t always see shit like that for their whole childhood.

I was desensitized to it, and a really large part of me craved it. I loved the adrenaline rush you got from running into the line of fire, fighting, and, yes, killing people that were trying to do the exact same to you.

Finn though? He blinked back tears and absently rubbed his chest where the bullet had gone straight through.

“Thank you, Finn,” I whispered, rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand as I tried to get him to look at me.

He smiled weakly again and swallowed back the tears.

“How’s Seb?”

“Horny,” I joked, winking at him when I saw a true laugh try to escape. “He’s alright. Already back to trying to control everything and everyone around him.”

“And Kenna?” he asked, his voice a little too hopeful for my liking.

“She’s safe and very tired. Finn,” I began, but he cut me off before I could get any further.

“I know, Scarlet,” he said, his voice sounding resigned. “I know she wasn’t born into this life. She knows nothing about it, and you don’t want your friend involved. Which means I can’t be involved with her. I get it.”

“Finn,” I tried to interrupt.

“No, Scarlet. I get it. I don’t want her hurt either. I don’t want her to have to live this life, never knowing if the man she loves is going to come home from whatever mess he has to insert himself in.”

Good god, the boy can talk.

“Finn!” I raised my voice as I grabbed his hand to get his attention. He looked over at me. “Shut up.” His mouth made an audible noise as his jaw snapped shut.