Chapter 22: Finn - Pisces

Despite the fact that he’d gone with Lou, who showed up just after midnight, the two had more problems than he cared to relive.

Lou had backed the car into the garage, and while Finn hadn’t wanted to move the body, the older man insisted. They waited for what seemed like forever for Bay to tell them the location he wanted her dumped and that they were supposed to weigh the body down.

The bag of concrete Bay told them to use wasn’t in the garage, and because of the hour, they couldn’t just go out and buy some.

“What are we supposed to do?” Finn asked.

“Fuck it, it doesn’t matter,” Lou said. “You know as well as I do, ain’t no one going to find this body if we tie her up with bricks.”

Finn had felt like the bricks would never stay, and sure enough, when they’d gone down to the pier where Bay had said to dump her, there were too many people around. They left and drove around for what seemed like an hour, until even Lou started getting paranoid.

Lou had taken the first chance and stopped next to the pier, where he jumped out and yelled at Finn to help. “You’re going to make a lousy hit man,” he said with his phlegmy voice.

Finn ignored the comment and helped him toss Hannah in the river. Before anyone could see, they jumped in the car and sped away, Finn barely closing his door before the car jerked him back in his seat and the motion swung it toward him.

Lou had dropped him off a block away from the penthouse. “This is as close as I get,” he said. Then he drove away as Finn got out and headed upstairs.

Bay was gone, most likely at home, snuggled into his bed with his wife and her sister.

Finn had laid down and closed his eyes, and that was the last thing he remembered.

He lay in Bay’s bed, the sun shining in the window casting beams across his chest, and he lifted his hand in the ray to see if he was still real. He didn’t feel real; he didn’t feel like anything or feel anything. There was an overwhelming numbness, one that had crept in somewhere in the middle of the night when he realized he had to touch Hannah’s dead body.

He’d done that to her, made her limp and lifeless, at least until it was time to pull her out of the trunk. By then, she’d gone rigid, her body stiff with rigor mortis, and it almost made him lose whatever was left in his stomach. He had managed to keep it down, which was good since Lou seemed to hate him. No need to give the man another reason.

He got out of bed and wondered if the world outside had already learned of what he’d done. If those men, the ones he hadn’t seen until they were speeding away, had found what they had left behind.

He could still hear the body hitting the water and figured if he couldn’t get it out of his head, those men were liable to have heard it, too. He looked out the window, noticing that the day seemed normal, busy traffic, lots of people. Just your average Wednesday. Except today, he woke up a killer.

The phone rang in the room, and it nearly made him jump out of his skin. He wasn’t sure if he should pick it up, so he let it ring. He looked at his phone and found it lying on the floor. He picked it up. Dead as Hannah.

He looked for a charger, trying to push the thoughts from his mind. The overwhelming guilt and the misery were not going to escape him anytime soon. He didn’t know if he could bear it. He needed Bay. He needed the other man to tell him that things were going to be okay.

He remembered being younger, being shipped off to camp by two parents who couldn’t wait to get rid of him. The long hours they worked weren’t enough, and they needed several hundred miles more between them. He remembered that loneliness, the feeling of being alone in a crowd, and how writing and reading had taken him away from it all.

He didn’t need an escape other than books, but his father thought he’d be better off on a real-life adventure, and boy, had he gotten one.

Those first days at camp were brutal, but once he’d met Bay, it all changed. He actually forgave his parents, who he’d realized weren’t much different than other parents trying to make it in the world.

He wondered what they’d think of him now. They hadn’t been in touch for a long time, but neither had he. He’d taken up filmmaking, and they’d begrudgingly let him have his college money, even though they’d wanted him to be a doctor or a lawyer, something “realistic,” as his father would say.

He hadn’t earned their respect until he started making his own way and sold scripts, but he knew if they could see him now, they’d disown him and call him a disgrace.

He went to the shower, and after turning it on, he stepped inside, not caring what temperature the water was. He didn’t deserve comfort, but he was so numb, not even cold water could bring him around.

Sitting on the floor, he curled himself into a fetal position, his knees to his chin, and closed his eyes, but every time he did, the image of Hannah’s lifeless body was all he could see.

He thought of how much Tad would hate him and how much Logan would want to kill him. But he’d done it for all of them, for their secret, to keep them from a shameful legacy that would never let Logan see freedom again. Logan had trusted her, and just as Bay had said, she’d used him, lured him into telling their secrets, knowing how weak and vulnerable he’d been.

But no matter how much Finn tried to convince himself, he couldn’t believe he’d done the world a favor.

He finally picked himself up and lathered his body, letting Bay’s scent, his delicious, fresh-scented soap cleanse him. His tears flowed, and he knew that once he stepped out of that shower, he wouldn’t cry again. At least, not in front of Bay. He couldn’t appear weak to him anymore.

When he turned off the water, he heard footsteps in the next room, and as he stepped out of the shower, Bay walked into the bathroom.

“There you are. How are you holding up? I’ve been trying to call you all goddamned morning.”

“My phone is dead.” Finn turned to the sink and found his toothbrush, which thankfully, along with all of his other belongings, had been left in the room.

“That’s why I called the landline. If you had bothered to check the caller ID, I wouldn’t have had to come down here and make sure you’re okay.”

“Scared I hung myself with one of your neckties?” He couldn’t say the thought hadn’t crossed his mind in the past twelve hours.

“If you want to hang yourself, use something that’s a bit longer and do it from the balcony. I don’t want any stains on my rugs.” He gave Finn his devilish grin and then walked out, leaving him to brush his teeth.

When Finn finished his morning rituals and found something comfortable to put on, he joined Bay in the front room. He stood near the bar, looking at his phone.

“Lou called and said your first body dump should be your last.”

“I wasn’t aware I was in training, Bay.” His tone was sharp, but he didn’t care. He didn’t have the strength needed to kiss the man’s ass.

“Careful with the tone, Finn. I’ll think you don’t like me.”

“Maybe I don’t right now. No one has to like you all the time, Bay. You can be a real asshole.”

“And yet, you have a major crush on me. What does that say about you?” He stared dead into his eyes and Finn cringed.

“I can’t believe I did it. I let you talk me into it.”

“You did it because you wanted to get what you want from me, my admiration. That’s not my problem, friend. It’s yours.”

“Well, what happens now? I’ve proven myself to you. I’ve done what you asked.”

“And I appreciate it. You proved your love and fealty. Good job.”

“Is that all you have to say to me? Good fucking job? We had a deal.” Finn felt the cold sting of betrayal, knowing Bay was doing the same thing he always did, making promises he had never intended to keep. “This is just like before. Just like when you had us hurt Emily Johnson for your stupid ritual. All because some fucking nanny of yours told you it would give us strength and make us powerful.”

“Watch what you say about her.” Bay’s eyes lit with fiery hatred. He had always been so protective of his nanny, even when the boys were younger and Finn wondered what kind of connection the two actually had.

Bay had told them that she’d done spells and taught him everything he knew about the zodiac and how the signs influenced everything. Bay had always spoken with such a passion for those things that it was easy to be convinced that he was right. He had certainly charmed the others as much as Finn and used whatever he could to get them all together to do the ritual. Finn was ashamed for trusting him now that the reality of what he’d done sank in.

“You used that bullshit on me when we were kids, and I listened, just like last night. Even though it’s haunted me since. Everything Hannah said was true. You were just trying to get your way without getting your hands dirty.” He felt his heart breaking as the adrenaline pumped so hard through his veins, his hands turned cold.

“If you don’t settle yourself down, you’ll see just how much I like to get my hands dirty. Do you think the word of some meddling bitch is better than mine? Then I suggest you go fish her stiff ass out of the fucking river and see what she can do for you. Or you can show me some fucking respect, and maybe I’ll allow you to stay with me as promised.”

He had never seen Bay so livid. He was shaking, and from what he knew about the man, not much had ever rattled him in that manner. It chilled Finn to the bone.

“Tell me you’re going to hold up your end of the bargain.” Finn knew he was only going to piss Bay off more, but he needed to hear him say it.

“Yes. It is my intention, but you tell me, Finn, do you still trust me? Do you still want to do anything and everything for me?”

He considered those words carefully. He had a life back home, and he knew he needed to get to it, but knowing that he and Bay had a bond, something special between them, was so appealing that he would consider a move once things settled down.

Finn looked at his only crush, whose attractiveness made him ache. As much as he wanted to deny him, he had already done the terrible deed and sealed the deal. He may as well reap the rewards. “Of course, I do, Bay.”

Bay walked over to the closest chair and lowered himself to sit. He palmed his drink and took a sip. Then, he patted his knee. “Come to me. Show me how serious you are.”

This was the moment Finn had been waiting ages for. He’d lusted after the man for so long, holding out hope that one day he’d get to this point. He took a few steps forward, then dropped to his knees and crawled across the room until he rested his head on Bay’s knee.

“I’d do anything for you,” Finn said.

Bay patted his head. “Don’t worry. That’s what I’m counting on.”