Chapter THIRTY
FINN STOOD staring at the closed door. He had no idea how to read the expression he’d seen on Mitch’s face—resignation, sadness? But fuck, he’d so readily agreed to go along with Rocky, to take part in this power play. Finn found it hard to believe the idea of killing a man would sit easily with Mitch. The Mitch he knew wasn’t a violent person. Sure, he wanted to be part of the Soldiers, but Finn still didn’t understand that properly. Why did someone like Mitch need the likes of an outlaw motorcycle club? If he wanted to be part of a brotherhood, why not find some other club? If Finn had had a choice, being here was the last place he’d ever be.
It had probably only been seconds since the door closed with a resounding thud, but Rocky wasted no time. While Finn was a swirling mess of thoughts about the whole situation, Rocky turned his focus on Finn. His eyes were hard, the blue cold and his gaze unblinking.
“Rocky?” Much to his disgust, his voice shook, but Rocky didn’t seem to notice or just didn’t pay attention.
“Do you think I’m stupid?”
“W—what?”
“Stupid.” Rocky’s lip curled as he drew out the word. “You really think I believe that shit about you being forced into anything?”
“But you said—”
“I don’t like being played for a fool, Finn. Don’t like it one bit. You make me sick to the stomach, dragging the Soldiers’ name through the mud. Imagine if it got out that a Soldier, my brother, my blood, was a fag?”
“I’m sorry.” Finn held his hands up, warding Rocky off as he stepped closer. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
Rocky shot his hand out and wrapped it around Finn’s arm, grinding into the bones of his wrist. “The way Carl babied you, he should have toughened you up, not sent you off to university to sit around reading books all day.”
Finn’s anger rose as Rocky criticized their brother, giving him the courage to speak up despite the increasing pain. “Carl has nothing to do with me, with how I am. I’ve always been gay, and I always will be, no matter where I am or what I do for a living. Getting a uni degree doesn’t make me gay, just like roughing someone up doesn’t make you any more of a man.” Finn spat the last word.
Rocky leaned in close, his voice low as he hissed, “I should have left you in Melbourne. But I stupidly thought you belonged here, belonged by my side. Instead you’ve done nothing but embarrass me. But enough! I won’t have you bring shame on the brothers or on me.”
“You can’t change me, Rocky.”
The pressure on his wrist increased to the point Finn’s knees started to buckle. “No, but I can make your life a living hell. Just like I plan to do with your boyfriend.”
The mention of Mitch sent a frisson of fear down Finn’s spine. He tried to stand up tall but had no leverage as Rocky leaned over him. “Mitch won’t do it. He won’t kill for you.”
“You wanna bet? He’ll do anything I want,” Rocky said.
Finn prayed Rocky was wrong. “And if he doesn’t?”
“If he doesn’t, he’ll regret it until the day he dies.”
Nausea welled at Rocky’s words. Knowing Rocky, that means Mitch won’t have long to regret it. Finn swayed on his feet. “Jesus,” Finn murmured.
“What are you so worried about him for?” Rocky’s eyes widened. “Holy shit! This wasn’t a one-off, was it? The two of you have been… what, shacking up all this time? Getting it on right under my nose. Fuck, you must think I’m a bloody idiot.”
“I don’t—”
“Does anyone else know? All this time playing your homo games behind my back, making a laughingstock of me. Well, no fucking more!”
Rocky’s fist slammed into Finn’s belly, forcing all the air from his lungs. He would have landed on the floor but for the viselike grip Rocky had on his wrist.
“I’ll… d—o… what… w—whatever you… want.” Finn gasped the words as he tried to catch his breath.
“It’s too late for that.”
The sudden pain in his jaw was excruciating as knuckles met bone. His mouth filled with the taste of iron. Rocky finally released his grip, allowing Finn to thud to the floor. A boot met his ribs, and he curled in on himself in an attempt to protect his body from the battering. A boot slammed into his forearm, the pain shooting immediately from wrist to elbow. Finn automatically grabbed the arm and held it close to his body, only realizing his mistake when another forceful kick hit his midsection. He heaved as pain and nausea combined.
The beating mercifully ended as suddenly as it began. Rocky stomped to the door, turning back briefly to sneer at Finn where he lay on the floor. “I’ll be back for you later.”
The door slammed, and Finn closed his eyes. His body screamed at him to lie there for a while longer, to catch his breath and deal with the pain, but the only thing on his mind was getting up and getting to Mitch. He dragged himself to his knees, crawling to the desk and using the edge to pull himself up with his right hand. His left hung uselessly at his side. He swallowed back another wave of nausea and picked up the phone.
It seemed to take forever, but eventually after telling his story, begging and pleading, and being transferred a couple of times, Finn reached the task force he’d been in contact with over the past couple of months.