Blood

Twenty Six

I shook my head. "No. No. I've told you-"

"And we're telling you no," Veronica said sharply.

"I am not a child. You do not get to order me around-"

"I am your boss," Veronica said cooly. "You'll do as I say."

"This is not a work matter."

"You'll go to my quarters now, Faye"

I stood up. Finley was on his feet immediately, watching me cautiously. "I will do no such thing, Veronica. I am an adult. I make my own decisions."

"Don't be reckless, Faye," Veronica said with a shake of her head.

I ignored her and turned to Finley, holding my arms out. "Take them off, Fin."

"Come with me," he urged gently.

"Take them off."

"If I take them off you're going to walk out of that door."

"Do you want me to hate you?" I asked curiously. "Because I know you're trying to protect me, sweet, I really do, but this isn't the right way to go about this. If you trap me here and lock me up it will backfire. I so desperately want to be so angry at you, Fin, but I'm not. I know you only want to protect me. However, the longer you drag this out the more likely I am going to resent you. Don't make me resent you. Please."

"Finley, as your mother and your boss I am ordering you to take Faye to my quarters and make sure she does not leave," Veronica called.

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Really, Veronica?"

"I don't care if you resent me," she shrugged.

I couldn't stop the scowl that formed on my face and I turned back to Finley, my eyes darting over his body as I tried to figure out where he would be keeping the key to the handcuffs.

"Faye." Finley reached for my arm back I jumped back. "Faye, come on."

I was still trying to figure out where on his body he would have the key. I would only have one shot at retrieving it so I had to make sure-

"It's not on me, Faye," Finley said. "You don't think I'd know that you'd try to swipe the key?"

He reached for me again and managed to grab hold of my bicep, pulling me into his side. "Finley, get off of me-"

"We're going now."

"Stop this," I said calmly. "Stop this now."

"You stop being stubborn."

"Wanting to have freedom isn't being stubborn."

"It's one night, Faye! To calm down and think things through clearly."

"I don't need to do that!" I snapped and Finley gave me a look, knowing that my temper was close to snapping. I rarely raised my voice. "I don't need to think about how I'm feeling, I know myself well enough. I need to not be locked up and trapped in a place where I thought I was safe and surrounded by people who wouldn't control my life!"

"You know neither of us are going to give in," he said lowly. "Faye, you're outnumbered here. Accept it."

"What if I slapped some handcuffs on you and started bossing you around like you were some insolent child?" I asked. I gently pulled against his grip on my arm, testing the strength, but he held me tightly. I sighed softly in frustration. "Please don't do this, Finley."

"Come on," he grunted and gently tugged me towards the door.

"Fin-"

"Faye, do as he says," Veronica called.