Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 69303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69303 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“Probably having the time of their lives,” I murmured softly. “Tavi loved the three of them. Like his own parents. He loved y’all, don’t get me wrong. But those three? It was like the world shined on them, and he only saw them when they were around.”
Audric cleared his throat. “I’m getting really fucking tired of losing people.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Sixteen
You did not wake up to be a weak ass bitch.
—Text from Finnian to Dru
DRU
We’d made it through the viewing, and now we just had to get through the service tomorrow.
Knight’s military friends had arrived, and they were all taking up the bedrooms of Finnian’s house, snug as a bug.
I was on the way out the door to head to my place when an unyielding grip caught my arm and halted my forward progress.
“Where are you going?” Finnian asked, his voice gentle.
I didn’t stop myself from leaning into him.
“I have to go home to get some clothes,” I said, explaining quickly when I saw the panic in his eyes. “I can’t go to a funeral in scrubs.”
Scrubs that I’d been wearing all day.
They were clean, at least, but they weren’t something I liked to wear when I wasn’t at work.
“I’ll go with you,” he said as he followed me down the steps of his home.
“You can’t just leave your house full of guests and come with me,” I argued.
“Watch me.” He chuckled, though it sounded weak.
Halfhearted at best.
I didn’t bother arguing.
I’d realized rather quickly that Finnian always got his way.
Not that I had a huge problem with it.
It wasn’t like he was unreasonable about having his way. Usually, he was right.
Like this time.
I knew why he wanted to go with me.
He’d seen my place and knew damn well getting there after dark would be shady at best—something he’d shared with me multiple times when I’d said that I needed to go home. I’d thought he’d finally given in to my need to leave, but apparently, he hadn’t given in as much as he’d allowed me to go. With a supervisor.
“My car or yours?” I asked.
“Mine.” He bleeped the locks. “Yours has about eight other vehicles behind it.”
I glanced out into the driveway and sure enough, he was right.
There were several vehicles parked behind mine.
I wouldn’t have been able to leave even if I wanted to.
The only reason Finnian was able to leave was that he had two cars. One of those cars being parked in a side garage to the left of the driveway.
“This is my old car,” he said. “Might do better in your neighborhood after dark anyway.”
The man had a sense of humor, that was for sure.
Honestly, the one he led me to and opened the door of for me was more likely to turn heads than his sparkly truck.
I watched him unlock the car with the key and shook my head. “This is a nineties model Camaro that looks pristine. I wouldn’t call this old.”
I also wouldn’t call it inconspicuous.
“Ninety-one.” He held open my door for me and gestured for me to get in. “It was the first car I bought for myself. I had all the girls drooling over this car when I was in high school.”
I shook my head, but I couldn’t contain the smile from breaking out over my face. “I’ll bet you had all the girls in this car, too.”
“There might’ve been one or two,” he admitted as he waited for me to drop into the seat before closing the door. He rounded the hood and opened his own door before dropping down inside. “It has a lot of sentimental value. My grandfather and I fixed it up before he got a little too squirrelly in the head and started refusing to leave his house.”
“You’re lucky to have that,” I said softly. “My parents were great, but let’s just say they’re not mechanically inclined.” I paused. “My brother was, though.”
He looked over at me. “You don’t talk about him much.”
That’s because it hurt so fucking bad.
The idea of him being in prison, with me unable to see the bright, blue-eyed boy that was my protector when I needed one, really fucking hurt.
“My brother is the icing to my cake. The cheese to my macaroni.” I smiled. “Other than my best friend that passed away, he was it. We were two peas in a pod because it was us against the world. My parents were always dealing with Daniella. They tried not to focus solely on her, but shit, she needed it. And Romeo and I just bonded over our lack of parental concern.”
“He sounds like a great brother to have,” he said.
Speaking of…
“I have to go see him tomorrow.” I looked over at Finnian. “Visiting day is once a month, and my parents can’t go.”
He tilted his head but didn’t take his eyes off the road. “Why?”