Finn POV

"Recognize me?" I asked the man, his steps faltering as he tried to flee toward his car.

The street was eerily quiet, the clock inching toward two in the morning. I was fortunate the man had snuck out to see his mistress, just as my men had said.

It made things easier. Eureka Springs was crawling with surveillance, practically impenetrable, but that didn't stop him from slipping out to his death. Men like him, well, pedophiles, they couldn't resist their vices. Their old horny asses always fell into my bait because they just couldn't help but want to sleep with young girls out of their guarded towns. And now, I'd tracked the infamous Van Jeffery all the way to Missouri.

"Don't waste my time, man. I've got places to be," I muttered, irritated.

"Stay away from me! I'll call the cops!" the man threatened, his voice shaking with fear.

"And tell them what? That a twenty-year-old's about to take you out? Come on, defend yourself. What are you, one hundred years old?" I snorted, noticing he'd managed to get his phone out.

That was all it took to set him off. He lunged, but he wasn't fast enough. I dodged his flying limps easily, and he stumbled on his heels. That's when I drove my knee into his chin.

His phone clattered to the ground, and he forgot the world around him as blood poured from his nose and mouth. He lay there, barely conscious, struggling to breathe.

I squatted down, bringing out the knife. "I'm Finn Hayes, son of Eric Hayes," I said with a smirk, letting the blade glint in the dim light.

"This... this can't be happening," he stammered, his eyes glued to the silver edge of the knife.

"Now you know. I'm FH. And your time is up."

Rage surged through me as I slashed the blade across Van's throat. At the same moment, his phone lit up with a picture of a woman and child, smiling at the camera. The caller ID read 'Home.'

My eyes flickered between the phone and the man, whose bloodshot eyes stared blankly, his mouth spilling blood as he surrendered to death.

For a second, I couldn't breathe. My chest tightened, and I choked on the air.

I made a kid fatherless. I left a family broken.

~

Cheryl POV

It's been two days since I've seen Finn. Though I knew he was in the same building, he hadn't come around. I was relieved, but a part of me knew we had unfinished business.

If your kidnapper happens to fall in love with you, it doesn't mean freedom. It means you're probably saying goodbye to your real life. And that terrified me.

Honestly, it's absurd that Finn felt that way. He must know I could never fall for him. No matter how differently he acted toward me, he's still the person who took me. That doesn't change.

But looking him in the eyes and telling him that? I didn't have the courage. I've never been the type to stand up for myself. My parents always did that for me.

For the past two days, I've been pretending everything was normal with Finn's two best friends. I'd even gotten to know Liam better. Steph had been spending nights with me, she cooked for us and hadn't left since she came back.

"I won't be staying the night tonight. My mom needs me," Steph said, hoisting her backpack over her shoulder. "But I'll make sure Finn stays away from you."

"You've been doing that all along. Your friend just doesn't take orders from anyone." I sighed.

"Oh, he definitely doesn't," she laughed.

We both chuckled and then settled into silence. "The first time I met him, I warned him to let me go," Steph smiled, "but he didn't."

"Wait, he kidnapped you too?" I asked, my mouth dropping open in surprise.

She shook her head, chuckling. "No, nothing like that."

I expected her to say more, but she didn't. Instead, she blew me a playful kiss and walked out, leaving me with more questions than answers.

~

Finn POV

"I've got homework to submit and other stuff to do," I told Liam as we ate outside the cafeteria.

"I heard a publisher from Arkansas died in Missouri the other day," Liam whispered.

"Okay," I muttered, focusing on my burger, trying to forget.

I'd taken all kinds of stuff this morning just to numb the memory of the kid's face on Van's phone.

Liam let out an exasperated laugh. "Okay? That's all you have to say?"

"Yeah, okay. What, are you going to report me to the cops?" I snapped. "Here we go. Hello?" I raised my hand mockingly, waving at the security guard by the door. "My friend wants to report a crime."

The guard glanced our way, and I slumped back in my chair, waiting for Liam to turn me in.

Does he think I kill for fun? He has no idea what's going on inside me.

I tried to forget Cheryl's frozen expression when I told her how I felt. And I tried to move on with my 'work,' only to leave some poor kid fatherless.

Liam was pale, his mouth hanging open as two security guards approached our table. The whole cafeteria was staring.

I had to do it. I was furious at everything.

"What's the issue?" one of the guards asked, eyeing Liam.

"I... uh... It's nothing," he stammered while I crossed my arms, waiting.

"It's okay, you can tell us," the guard urged him.

He fumbled. "There's someone vandalizing cars in the parking lot. Cracked my Lamborghini. You guys don't watch that area enough," Liam finally managed to say, improvising.

I smirked at Liam's quick thinking, but I was still annoyed.

The guard apologized, explaining it was a park-at-your-own-risk zone, but she'd file a report.

"Yup, absolutely, for I had to paint my car twice in two months. I have college and other things to use my money for." Soon, other students chimed in with complaints about the parking lot, and the guards were busy apologizing.

"Lying now, huh? You're not such a good boy after all," I taunted, watching him fume across from me.

"Why would you do that?" he whispered angrily.

"Why do you care?" I shot back, leaning forward.

"Because I've always cared, man," he said softly, reminding me of the truth.

I swallowed the frustration and leaned back, letting out a heavy breath. We sat in silence, his intense stare burning into me.

"What's wrong?" Liam asked quietly.

"Nothing," I muttered stubbornly, refusing to admit how broken I felt.

Just then, Steph joined us, her bag slung over her shoulder. "I came to grab my book from the library. I'm heading out," she said cheerfully, patting us both on the shoulder.

But she noticed our mood and pulled out a chair. "What happened? Who hit who?" she joked.

"He tried to get me to turn him in. He called the security to this table," Liam grumbled.

Steph's eyes widened, and she nudged me. "Are you crazy?"

I didn't answer. I didn't have the words, or maybe I didn't want to.

"He's not talking now. He's acting strange," Liam muttered sarcastically.

"Is this about telling Cheryl you love her?" Steph asked gently.

My blood ran cold. Of course, Cheryl had told her.

"What?" Liam's eyes widened in shock.

I sighed, deflecting. "Look, your girl's behind you."

"Right now, I don't care about my girl or whatever," Liam shot back, frustrated.

I snorted.

"Did you just call her your girl?" Steph teased, laughing.

"No, I didn't!" he argued, embarrassed.

"Well, she's sitting right there," I pointed out, and Liam quickly stood and stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving Steph and me to gather his stuff while I forced a laugh. Mine, however, was far from real.

I really needed to see Cheryl.

~

Cheryl POV

By then, I had grown accustomed to my routine. I decided to take a warm bath, carefully avoiding wetting my hair since the wound there was still a mystery to me. How bad it was, I couldn't say, but I know it hurts from time to time.

I spent almost an hour soaking in the warmth of the water, humming a tune from my Spanish class as I slowly scrubbed my skin. There wasn't any rush, nothing to do once I stepped out of the tub.
I was a bored hostage. My days were a repetitive cycle of eating, showering, and sleeping.

When I finally gave up on the nice bath, I wrapped myself in a small white towel. It barely covered me, only clinging from my chest to my upper thighs.

As I left the bathroom and entered the bedroom, I was met with the sight of Finn, casually sitting in an armchair, swirling what I assumed was wine in a glass.

His eyes found mine immediately, and then they lowered, darkening as they scanned my body, lingering in a way that made my skin crawl. I instinctively retreated, retreating into the bathroom.

I felt exposed. My heart raced as a thousand horrible possibilities flashed through my mind.

God knew how terrified I was of Finn. I had spent most of my teenage years dreading what FH could do, and now I was his plaything.

Finding him there, waiting in my space, ignited a surge of anxiety that coursed through every nerve in my body. I was dismayed by what he was capable of, and I was utterly defenseless.

Leaning against the wall, I let my head fall back, resting it on the cool tiles as I closed my eyes and focused on calming my frantic heartbeat and uneven breathing.

"I like your voice. You should sing more often."

The deep timbre of his voice startled me so badly that I jumped. There wasn't enough space to retreat further, the cabinet and walls hemming me in while Finn stood opposite me.

"Ever heard of privacy?" I threw at him, my voice sharp as I intended.

He smirked, letting his eyes roam over me again, the same way they had just moments ago. "In case you're wondering, I've seen everything. Not you, specifically, but I've seen girls naked." He bit his bottom lip slowly as I shot him a disgusted glare. "And about you, we've kissed. We've had a moment. What privacy do you think you need?"
His words were dripping with arrogance. He shook his head as if the concept of my boundaries was laughable.

A sharp stab of sadness mixed with rage hit me, and before I could stop myself, I blurted, "We didn't have a moment. It was a forced kiss." I swallowed the bile rising in my throat, reminding him of the monster he truly was.

That night was a nightmare, the worst of my life. I doubted I'd ever forget how close he came to forcing me.

For a long, silent moment, Finn simply stared at me. The air between us grew thick with tension, our breathing the only sound as we held each other's gaze. His lips parted and closed as if he was struggling to find words.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke. "It doesn't matter. We're dating now. Let's put it all behind us and start over."

His words, spoken with such certainty, left me in disbelief. They were heavy with command. He had already decided my future for me.

I narrowed my eyes at him, my brows furrowing as I shook my head involuntarily. "What's wrong with you? Do you think you can just take whatever you want? Force everyone?" My voice wavered with confusion.

"In case you haven't noticed, Cheryl, I do take things by force," he replied, exasperated, flinging his hand in a dramatic gesture. I was left speechless as he stepped closer, so close that his face was mere inches from mine, his hands bracing the wall on either side of my head.

My world shrunk down to just him. My legs went numb, I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. His scent was overwhelming, invading every part of me. I hated that he smelled good. It took everything in me to hold back my whimpers. "That means I have you. You're mine, and I'm keeping you." His voice was a low growl, his breath fanning my face.

I exhaled a shaky, painful breath, forcing my mouth to speak the words my heart screamed. "I'm not yours, and I never will be." I took a deep breath, swallowing twice before continuing. "You can't make me feel something I don't. I don't love you. In fact, I've never hated anyone as much as I hate you." My voice was barely above a whisper, but he was close enough to hear every word.

For a brief moment, I saw something flash in his eyes, it could be disappointment, maybe even hurt. But he quickly masked it with a fiendish smirk, making me instinctively tighten my hold on the towel.

"You'll fall in love with me, or—"

I cut him off, my voice louder this time but still unsteady. "Or what? You'll kill me?" I let out a bitter laugh just as tears welled in my eyes and fell.

His gaze followed the tears down my cheeks before settling on my lips. He reached out, playing with the ends of my damp hair. He leaned in closer, his breath warm, and sniffed my skin, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck. My breathing hitched as the proximity became unbearable, and the lump in my throat grew impossible to swallow.

"I told you, I'm a man of my word. I haven't forgotten our conversation." His voice was thick and husky.

"Then remember this, I would rather die than love you."

He pulled back to meet my eyes, a smug smile curling his lips.

"You know why?" I continued, my voice slightly trembling with hatred. "Because you're going to be alone for the rest of your life. No one wants you. No one wants a ruthless monster with a heart as black and rotten as yours. You'll die alone, Finn. Oh no, I'll be there to watch you die the most painful of deaths, and I'll make sure you remember all the pain you've caused. And when you're gone, no one will mourn you or remember you. If they do, it'll be to spit on your grave, if you even get one, because the earth doesn't welcome sinners like you." By the time I finished, I was out of breath, the words tumbling out in a cascade of rage.

For the first time, Finn seemed at a loss for words. He stared at me, his expression blank. I knew my words had finally reached him the way I wanted them to. It wasn't like him to be speechless, but there he stood, defeated. He let out a small sigh and took a step back.

"Cheryl Mason," he said softly before turning and walking out of the bathroom. I listened as his footsteps ended after the door clicked shut.

Only then did I release the breath I had been holding and turn to face the mirror.

What had I done to deserve this? What could I have done to be punished like this?

I didn't even recognize the girl staring back at me. I looked exhausted and broken. Dark circles hung beneath my eyes, and gauze wrapped around my head.

The girl who left for Declan Carter's spring party that night, was free, oblivious to the monster that haunted her.

But the girl in the mirror now... I didn't know her at all.