Free Switched by Amanda Hocking Page B

hand.
    “Stop!” he commanded. I tried to pull my hands free, but he just squeezed tighter and my bones felt like they were about to snap. “Just stop! We’re going to take you no matter what!”
    “Like hell you are!” Finn barked, his voice coming from out of nowhere.
    I swiveled my head, trying to see around the guy that had me pinned to the ground. The girl stood just to the side of us, but between the two of them, I could see Finn, and I had never been so happy to see anyone.
    “Oh, dammit,” the girl sighed. “If you hadn’t spent so much time fighting with her, we’d be out of here by now.”
    “She was the one fighting with me!” the guy insisted.
    “Now I’m the one fighting with you!” Finn growled, glaring at him. “Get off her! Now! ”
    “Finn, can’t we just talk about this?” She tried to sound sultry and flirty when she took a step closer to Finn, but he didn’t even look at her. “I know how you feel about duty, but there’s got to be some kind of arrangement we can come to.”
    She took another step closer to him, and he pushed her back, so hard she stumbled and fell backwards.
    “I hate fighting with you, Finn.” The guy let go of my hands and took his knee off my stomach. I took the opportunity to try to kick him in the nuts, and reflexively, he whirled on me and smacked me hard again.
    Before I could even curse him for hitting me again, Finn was on him. I had rolled onto my side, cradling my injured face, so I could only see part of what was going on.
    My attacker had managed to get to his feet, but I could hear the sounds of Finn punching him. The girl leapt on his back to stop him, but Finn elbowed her in the face, so she collapsed to the ground, holding her bleeding nose.
    “Enough!” The guy had cowered down, putting his arms over his face to protect himself form anymore blows. “We’re done! We’ll get out of here!”
    “You better fucking get out of here!” Finn shouted. “If I see you anywhere near her again, I will kill you!”
    The guy walked over to the girl and helped her to her feet, and then they both turned and headed down the street to a black Porsche parked nearby. Finn stood on the sidewalk in front of me, watching them until they got in the car and sped off down the road. When he was certain they were gone, he smoothed out his hair and turned to me.
    I was still lying on the ground, and he knelt down next to me. Gently, he placed his hand on my cheek where I had been slapped, and the skin was tender, so it stung a little, but I refused to show it. His hand felt too good to push away.
     His dark eyes were pained when he looked me over, and as terrible as everything had been up until this moment, I wouldn’t have traded it for anything because it led to this, to him touching me and looking at me like that.
    “I’m sorry it took me so long.” He pursed his lips tightly, blaming himself for not getting here sooner. “I was sleeping, and I didn’t wake up until you were completely panicked.”
    “You sleep in your clothes?” I asked, looking at his usual dark jeans and button-up shirt combo.
    “Sometimes.” Finn pulled his hand from my face. “I knew something was up today. I could feel it, but I couldn’t pinpoint it because I couldn’t stay as close to you as I would’ve liked. I never should’ve slept at all.”
    “No, you can’t blame yourself. It was my fault for coming out of my room.”
    “What were you doing out here?” Finn looked at me curiously, and I looked away, feeling embarrassed.
    “I thought I saw you,” I admitted quietly, and his face went dark.
    “I should’ve been here,” he said, almost under his breath, and then he got to his feet. He held out his hand to me and pulled me to my feet. I grimaced a little but tried not to show it. “Are you alright?”
    “Yeah, I’m fine.” I forced a smile. “A little sore, but fine.”
    He touched my cheek again, just with his fingertips, sending flutters through me. He