Ruinous Love Trilogy, #3
Scythe & Sparrow
by Brynne Weaver
Contents
Dark Corners
Overview
Fionn and Rose finally consummate their relationship, but the aftermath of Cranwell’s murder forces a split. Fionn summons Leander Mayes, who cleans the scene and blackmails Fionn into a seven-month covert medical contract abroad, beginning in Croatia. Bound to secrecy from Rose and his brothers, Fionn realizes Leander now controls his life.
Summary
In the haunted house aftermath, Fionn and Rose surrender to pent-up desire, sharing an urgent, affirming sexual encounter that cements their bond amid the bloodstained room and Cranwell’s hanging body.
Reality intrudes. Fionn, determined to protect Rose from legal fallout, insists she leave. After she goes, Fionn calls Leander Mayes for cleanup. Leander arrives, amused and unafraid, pockets a photo of the stabbing, and clinically admires the kill while his crew begins erasing evidence with luminol revealing Rose’s footprints.
Leander leverages secrets—Fionn’s role in severing Callum Kane’s spine the night their father died—and offers “help” in exchange for Fionn’s skills. He demands Fionn serve as a clandestine surgeon for an upcoming seven-month contract, acknowledging casualties and identity scrub needs.
Fionn negotiates terms but is boxed in. Leander declares they leave for Croatia tomorrow, promises doubled pay, and will handle Fionn’s clinic, hospital, and house. He forbids informing Rowan, Lachlan, or Rose, citing safety and his control over their narratives.
Leander theatrically asserts dominance—ordering a search dog for Cranwell’s missing prosthetic eye and forcing a late-night hot dog. He then sends Fionn by private car toward Rose’s apartment. Fionn, hollowed by secrecy and coercion, recognizes his life is in Leander’s hands even as his heart remains with Rose.
Who Appears
- Fionn KaneNarrator; consummates love with Rose, then calls Leander, is coerced into a secret seven-month medical contract abroad.
- Rose EvansShares an intense, affirming sexual moment with Fionn; leaves at his insistence to avoid the cleanup fallout.
- Leander MayesArrives to clean Cranwell’s murder, reveals Fionn’s past secret, and blackmails him into an overseas covert contract.
- Matthew CranwellAntagonist’s corpse displayed on the wall; evidence scene Leander’s team cleans, including search for his prosthetic eye.
- Leander’s cleanup crewSilent technicians who erase blood evidence, confirming Rose’s footprints with luminol.