If I were him, I wouldn’t poke the bear. Colt might look like he should be on the cover of Vogue or something, but so did Ted Bundy at one time or another.
“Finn, take your girl home. We’ve got to talk,” he announces hauntingly, and if we weren’t indoors, I would have sworn a dark-gray cloud loomed above us just from the chill of his voice alone.
“Stone is staying,” Lincoln deadpans, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
“Then I’m leaving,” his cousin retorts, grabbing his car keys off the island countertop as he walks toward the door, throwing a distasteful glare my way.
Easton was right. Colt is a major dick.
“No, you’re not, Colt. You’re staying,” Lincoln orders, sidestepping in front of him and putting himself in the line of fire.
“Linc, step aside.” Colt seethes through gritted teeth.
“I can’t do that, brother,” his cousin replies, his expression just as serious.
Colt sneers but stops when Lincoln takes something from his back pocket, tossing it to the middle of the marble countertop. All eyes fall onto a black envelope, and before anyone can tell me what it is, I ask, “Is that one of The Society’s letter?”
“The fuck?!” Colt snaps his head accusingly over to Finn. “How the fuck does she know about The Society?”
“I told her,” Finn explains point-blank, not one bit intimidated by his dark, brooding friend.
If I wasn’t completely sated from our venture into the woods, I’d climb him like a tree trunk just with the confidence he’s displaying now. Colt is the very definition of an elitist bastard that thinks he can order people around. I’m glad Finn is immune to his temper.
“You dumb motherfu—”
“Enough!” Lincoln belts out, gaining the attention of all of us. “She’s here to stay, Colt. Stone is Finn’s, and therefore family. Deal with it.”
I watch the two cousins, stare each other down, and I know who I’d give my allegiance to. Lincoln has all the traits of a fallen angel, while Colt’s are of the rising devil. One is beaming light, even if tormented, while the other is pure vengeance, ready to bring destruction to the world. If their features weren’t so identical, I would have never thought them to be related.
Finn’s hold on me tightens, and I wonder who he’s more fearful of—the devil with the handsome face or the angel that, somehow, has his hooks set in every person in this room.
“Fuck this,” Easton states, sounding aloof to the confrontation between the cousins.
With his cigarette dangling at the corner of his mouth, he reaches for the envelope and opens it with a kitchen knife, before spreading the black stationery wide on the smooth countertop.
With the real threat staring us all in the face, all five of us sit around the kitchen island to read The Society’s latest correspondence. As my eyes read each sentence, a shiver runs down my back that not even Finn’s warmth can subdue.
I clasp my hands over my mouth, the gravity of this fucked-up situation hitting me like a ton of bricks.
“Shit,” Colt exclaims bitterly, no longer looking so threatening compared to the real villains at hand. “These fuckers will only be done once they’ve ruined all of us.”
“Take it easy, Colt,” Lincoln tries to console him, squeezing his cousin’s shoulder, when not two minutes ago they looked like they were going to tear each other limb from limb.
“How can you be so calm, Linc? They just told us that they aren’t done with us?!”
“And did you really expect they would stop with Finn?” He raises his brows, patting his cousin on the back.
“Fuck, you’re right. We’re all going to play their twisted game, aren’t we?” Colt looks for confirmation in Lincoln’s blue eyes and bows his head when he gets it.
“Not if we can find them first,” Lincoln says reassuringly, but I don’t hear the same conviction he had a few minutes ago.
“Do you have anything on them yet? Anything concrete that can help us out of this?” I ask, looking at each of the four men in the eye, getting a response from Easton, who seems to be the only one keeping his cool together.
“We got nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. For the past two months, we have come up with squat. These fuckers leave nothing to chance. Not one measly clue for us to follow on,” Easton admits in frustration.
I slap my forehead, astounded by the fact that these fools have lasted so long.
“No wonder you guys are in this mess. Hello?! I’m your clue!” I exclaim like they should know better.
“What do you mean, Stone?” Lincoln asks curiously, his full focus on me.
“Isn’t it obvious? I mean, have any of you guys followed up on why The Society went after me of all people?” All I get are blank stares, infuriating me further. “Oh my God! Are you serious right now? Guys, I’m no one of importance. That’s your first clue. Why would such an elitist, secret society waste their time on me, when I’m no threat to them. It doesn’t make sense.”
I throw my arms up, amazed that they didn’t follow up on such a flagrant clue. All three men look at Lincoln, his placating smile not offering me the same solace as it seems to offer the rest of them.
“There’s your answer right there, Stone. They are the elite. Maybe someone up in the ranks didn’t like seeing a girl from the other side of the tracks being successful, making something out of herself,” Lincoln concludes assuredly. “I’d say it’s enough for them to have you on their radar.”
“That’s just one possibility, but what if you’re wrong?”
Lincoln’s eyes soften, and I hate that he’s not giving my insight a second thought.
“Thank you for not turning your back on Finn after he told you the truth. Not every woman would stand by her man’s side when faced with such adversity. But leave The Society to us, Stone. Don’t get involved more than you already are. For Finn’s sake.”
At the mention of his name, Finn holds onto my waist even tighter, afraid The Society will waltz into Lincoln’s kitchen and take me away from him.
“I’ll protect her.”
“Oh, yeah? And who protects you? That’s my job, Finn. So excuse me if I want to make sure you guys are doing everything in your power to eradicate these fuckers,” I holler adamantly, unimpressed anyone in this room could ever deem me to be a helpless damsel in distress in need of sheltering.
“Now I see why you two get along. She’s got some mouth on her,” Colt taunts, leaning against the counter.
I point my finger at him, ready to rip him a new one, but Finn just pushes me away before I have a chance to have my say.
“I think this is enough for one night. I’m going to take my girl out for some real food and come back later.”
I’m about to protest, but I then remember why I came over in the first place, so I turn around in Finn’s embrace to get him on board.
“Wait. Your mom wants you to move back home.”