Finn Read online

Liam nodded in agreement. “Besides,” he said. “I’m only here temporarily.”

  Finn walked over and clapped Conor on the back. “You’ll do fine,” he said. “ Everyone knows how hard you work to take care of Teagan.”

  Conor gave a sad smile. “I’m not so sure she’s not taking care of me.”

  Finn smiled back. “She certainly is the mothering type,” he said. “How is she?”

  “Stir crazy,” Conor said. “I’m glad she shad the internet, but it seems like it’s her only connection to the outside world.”

  Liam turned to look at him. “Isn’t that about right? How often does she get out?”

  Conor sat hard in the chair next to Liam, and Finn noticed how drawn out Conor seemed to be.

  “Not often. We see her immunologist about once a month, and there’s the occasional trip for white blood cell transfusion.” Conor leaned forward and groaned. “She’s stuck, and there’s nothing I can really do. I know she’s lonely too, and that doesn’t help.” He gave a bitter laugh. “Not exactly like she’s going to talk to her younger brother about her lack of a love life.”

  Finn nodded. Teagan had it hard compared to most. When she was younger, it didn’t seemed so bad. It was just the occasional illness that would lead to a hospital stay or colds that lingered. Then, it got worse.

  The winter after their father was killed by a stray bullet, their mother went back to Ireland. Teagan spent a lot of time trying to manage on her own. It wasn’t until a trip to the store that led to pneumonia and a two-month hospital stay that they truly knew the extent of her health problems.

  “I’m sure she’s glad to have you looking out for her,” Finn said. He sat heavily on his desk.

  “Maybe not, if we don’t get this Russian business sorted,” Conor said.

  Finn nodded. First things first, and the Russians were going to be more than a little problem.

  “Why target Alyssa?” Conor asked.

  Finn shrugged. It bothered him as well. “Maybe to send a message that they will stop at nothing.”

  “Maybe,” Liam said and looked at him directly. “Or maybe they think she’s someone important to you.”

  Finn sighed. He had been thinking that as well. The problem was that she might just be someone important to him. Important people were easy targets, and that was the last thing he wanted Alyssa to be. Not that it mattered. Finn spent all that time pushing her away, and it hadn’t accomplished anything for either of them. She had still ended up a target, and he had been forced to keep his distance.

  Seeing her lost and broken like that had nearly ripped his heart out.

  Finn gripped the desk tightly. What he wouldn’t give to get his hands on Boris.

  “I’m just going to have to keep her near us,” he said. “I can’t trust any of the others with this.”

  “Yeah, things aren’t looking so good on that front,” Liam said.

  Finn gave a curt nod. “We keep dealing. It’s going to come to a head here soon. Just be ready for anything.” He turned to Conor. “No one gets put on any detail that might fuck the whole operation. Unless it’s one of us or Noel, I don’t want anyone getting access to something that could be used against us later. Ennis is crafty. I put nothing past him.”

  The two men nodded, and Finn stood. He glanced to Liam. “We could put you on night detail if that would work best for you.”

  Liam nodded. “It would.”

  Finn walked them to the door and paused. “Check in. It’s the only way we’re going to survive this.” He shook his head. “This shit with Ennis is at the worst fucking time.”

  “Will do,” Liam said and walked out to his Jeep.

  “See you in the morning,” Conor said and climbed into his black BMW.

  Finn closed the door and wondered how they could be so different and yet similar at the same time. His men worked hard, and he just wanted to make sure that their hard work would pay off in the future. If he wasn’t pulling in good money, he wouldn’t be able to pay them what they deserved and what they expected.

  Some might not understand it at that moment, but in the long run, maybe they would. He wasn’t making any guarantees, but at the rate they had been going, money was going to get tight, and the chances to recover would become very slim.

  He groaned and made his way to the kitchen to pick up something to eat. Things happened at such a rapid pace he hadn’t even had the chance to offer something to Alyssa. It’d help if his house staff were around, but he’d kept their presence at his home minimal in recent weeks, despite still paying them their full wages. Sure, he needed them to keep up his home and they came to occasionally handle some basic tasks, but he didn’t want some innocent housekeeper or gardener getting shot by a Russian.

  Finn piled his plate with a couple of large sandwiches and thought about the day. He really couldn’t figure out what Boris was trying to get at by going after Alyssa. He’d hadn’t really given anyone any indication they were together.

  He cursed. The other night. He’d stayed at her place. They must have been watching.

  Finn grabbed a couple sodas, a bag of chips and the plate of sandwiches then made his way into the living room.

  Alyssa was on the couch sleeping when he walked in. Finn sank into the leather chair across from her and picked up one of the sandwiches. It didn’t take long for him to quickly devour it.

  The TV buzzed quietly in the background, but he chose to stare at her. He couldn’t really explain what it was about this woman. Maybe it was that every time he looked at her, he expected her to sprout wings and buzz around him.

  Finn nearly choked on the last bites of his sandwich with that thought. If she knew he was comparing her to a certain popular fairy, she’d likely rip his dick off and feed it to him for breakfast.

  She sighed softly in her sleep, and he smiled. She looked good sleeping so peacefully. He had checked on her before the left in the morning, and she looked just as serene. Everything in him wished he could sleep like that. Much like Alyssa, his nightmares never seemed to end.

  The only time his sleeping mind was at peace was when he slept in her room at the hospital. It had taken nearly a week for her to even let him in the room. Once in, he wasn’t about to leave so she could ban him again. So, he stayed there with her, guarded her at night and made sure that no one else came to harm her.

  His efforts might have seemed extreme to some, but her injury was his fault. It was all his fault. Maybe if he hadn’t been so busy accusing her, he might have had half a mind to keep an eye on Dale.

  Finn sighed and gathered up the rest of the food. He wasn’t about to wake her after the day she had. If she was hungry, he had no doubt that she’d find something in the kitchen.

  He carried the plate, chips and soda to the kitchen. He wrapped the sandwich and placed a note on top with her name before placing the soda next to the plate.

  When he shut the door, Finn shook his head. It wasn’t really in his nature to be this domestic, but she really couldn’t afford to miss many meals.

  He made his way to the closet off of the living room and pulled out a blanket. He covered her and smiled when she snuggled into the warmth. The steady buzz of the TV went quiet when he hit the button. He flicked off the light.

  The light from the moon filtered in as he made his way back to the chair. It would be better if he just slept there for a bit.

  Chapter Seven

  Alyssa woke to throbbing pain in her arm. The pain killers must had worn off some time prior, and now she was left with the ache. She moaned softly as she struggled to sit up on the couch. The warm blanket was a new addition, and she smiled at it.

  He really had his moments sometimes.

  She froze when steady breathing reached her ears. The moon filtered in on Finn’s sleeping face, his forehead crimped in worry. Everything in her said to go and soothe his brow. Whatever tormented him in his sleep, she wanted to take away.

  Alyssa stood with the blanket in hand and made her way over to h
im. She gently placed the cover on him and touched her hand to his brow.

  His hand shot out to her arm, and she yelped in surprise.

  “Shit,” Finn said and struggled to get out from under the blanket.

  “I didn’t mean…” she said quietly.

  “I’m on high alert,” Finn said and stood in front of her. “I jumped the gun.”

  “I’m glad not literally,” Alyssa said and gave a small smile.

  Finn continued to look at her with such serious eyes she wondered if her touching him had made him feel uncomfortable.

  “Did I hurt you?” he asked and looked at her arm.

  She shook her head. “It just made me jump,” she said. “But I could use some more ibuprofen. I have a feeling I’ve retorn some of the muscle.”

  Finn nodded and led her into the kitchen. She marveled at how well he was able to maneuver in the dark like that and wondered if he had spent time doing that as a child.

  He flicked on the light to the kitchen, and she was blinded for a moment by the sudden light.

  “Have a seat,” he said gruffly and pulled out a stool for her.

  She watched as he went to the fridge and pulled out a plate with a sandwich, chips and a soda for her. Her stomach rumbled at the sight of food. It hadn’t even occurred to her that she should eat.

  Not even caring how it looked, she scarfed the first half in a matter of minutes. The second half she took more time with. Finn sat quietly next to her, checking his phone for missed messages and email. His hair hung forward almost into his eyes, and when he looked over at her, she smiled at how cute his bed hair was.

  “What?” He got up and grabbed a couple pill bottles on top of the fridge.

  “Just…” It likely wasn’t such a great idea to compliment her boss. “Why were you sleeping in the living room?”

  His cheeks turned pink, and he shoved a few pills in front of her. “Take those.”

  Alyssa frowned at the pills. “Are those the same as before? I really shouldn’t be taking someone else’s pills.”

  “They’re your pills,” he said quietly. “Take the pills.”

  She grabbed the bottle out of his hand and looked at the label. Right there, plain as day was her name on the bottle.

  “These are my pills,” she said in disbelief and looked up to him. “How do you have my pills?”

  “Because you were being stubborn,” he said. He took the bottles out of her hand and placed them back on the fridge. “Everything was just put on pause while you were in the hospital. I knew this, so I took precautions.”

  Alyssa stared into his face. “What sort of precautions?”

  Finn slammed his fist onto the counter, making her jump. “God damn it, what do you want me to say? That the idea of you in that shitty apartment made my stomach turn, so I made sure it was safe? That I have men follow you where you go?” His voice was hoarse with emotion. “That I sleep outside your apartment every night because when I’m next to you, that’s the only time I sleep well?”

  She swallowed a few times and tried to make her heart stop slamming into her chest.

  Keeping her eyes on him, she reached forward and took the pills on the table. He seemed to relax when they had all been taken.

  “Knowing you are near makes me feel safe,” she said quietly.

  His eyes blazed for a moment, and she couldn’t tell if her admission made him angry or happy.

  “Are you finished?” he asked.

  She nodded and watched him clear away the plate. He loudly rinsed off the plate and walked to the door.

  “I’ll take you to a bed,” he said, and she nearly choked.

  “A spare room,” he said quickly to clarify. “I’ll take you to bed in a spare bed.”

  He groaned, and she giggled behind him.

  The house was dark, but he knew his way around. He and his brother had grown up here. Running around, hiding from one another and then later, hiding from their father. They were some of the best and worst memories of his life. It didn’t look quite the same as it had then though. After his father passed, he left it to Finn, who immediately set to making the house something he could stand to live in. Now it was changed so completely, it really couldn’t even be called the same at all.

  Maybe that had been another burn to Ennis. Not only had his father chosen him to carry on the family business, but he had also chosen him as the one to inherit the house. Not that he ever really wanted it. In fact, when they first read the will, he tried to have his brother’s name placed on the deed.

  Ennis refused, and Finn swore that it would always be their home.

  His face contorted in anger. That was all before he had a hit put out on him.

  Alyssa tripped and crashed into him from behind, pulling him from his thoughts. She grunted in pain.

  “Here,” he said and pulled her by the hand up close behind him. “Stay close and follow me.”

  He pulled out his phone, and they followed their way through the hall and up the stairs. He stopped outside the room next to his.

  “You can stay in this room,” he said.

  Finn came to a halt when she gripped his hand tighter.

  “I don’t want to be alone,” she said quietly. “I can’t sleep well at night. He comes to me there. Rips down all my defenses, and I can’t run.”

  She shook as she held his hand.

  “I just want to sleep for a change,” she continued.

  His lungs burned, and he let out the breath he had been holding. Her, next to him all night. There was no way this was a good idea, but there was also no way he would ever say no.

  He tugged her arm gently, and she followed him into his room.

  Alyssa blinked as the light overhead beamed across the room. Much like Finn, the room screamed of masculinity. The bed was in the middle of the room, just as large and imposing as the man himself. Her mouth went dry, and she tried to not think about what they could be doing in that bed instead.

  She looked around at the other objects in the room and found it to be fairly stark. Aside from the massive furniture, there was very little color in the room at all. The bed sported a deep blue down comforter and blue satin sheet at least.

  Despite herself, she wondered how he would normally sleep in that bed. Visions of him nude, tangled in the sheets made her heart race. Maybe he would even be stroking himself, moaning as his hand slipped up and down.

  “Do you want to sleep in that?” Finn asked.

  “Nothing,” she nearly shouted. Her face flushed as if he had just caught her in the act. “Sorry,” she said and avoided his eyes. “T-shirt like the one you have on would be great.”

  Finn grabbed one out of the dresser and laid it on the bed. She picked it up from the bed and nearly ran to the bathroom when he began taking off his shirt. She was already wound up enough. Last thing she needed was to see the goods up close.

  Alyssa shut the door and leaned against it.

  “What am I doing?” she whispered.

  Sleep threatened to take over when she let out a big yawn. She knew what she was doing. Tonight she was going to get a good night’s sleep. If that meant they both benefited from her sleeping in the same bed, so be it.

  She pulled the sling off and sighed at the relief. It was best if she wore it as much as possible, but after the day’s events, the fewer constraints the better.

  Her pretty dress came off easily. In the end, she decided that she did like it after all. It might have showcased her scars, but really, that wasn’t everything.

  She debated the bra but decided to take it off as well. It wouldn’t really matter at this point. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen the outline of her breasts last night. Besides, the lights were going to be off.

  With far more difficulty, she put on his sleeveless tank. She cursed a little as it didn’t quite cover as much as she hoped. The front covered just past her panties, but being a thong, the bottom of her butt was just barely exposed. She was just going to have to make sure the light
s went off as quickly as possible.

  She found a drawer with spare tooth brushes and wondered if Claire was the last to come up there. The woman certainly had the looks for the girlfriend of a mob boss.

  Alyssa shook her head and pushed the thoughts out of her head. His dating life wasn’t her business.

  Mouth clean and ready for bed, Alyssa opened the door and was met by total darkness in the room. The only light came from the bathroom behind her. She checked to make sure the path was clear to the bed and turned off the light.

  Heart pounding, she made her way across the room. Little light filtered in from outside, and she wondered how he saw anything in there. She stopped when her leg hit the bed and turned to sit. It was always slightly difficult finding the right way to lay down with her arm like it was.

  “Do you need help?” Finn shifted, so his body was near her back. She could feel the warmth of his chest.

  “I’m fine,” she said and tried to shuffle back a little on the bed.

  She jumped when his hands clamped on her hips and pulled her back with ease.

  “No really,” she struggled to get away from him.

  “Just let me help,” he said and sighed in annoyance.

  Alyssa put her hands on his to move them from her hips. She struggled a little to wiggle out of his reach.

  “Really,” she said in irritation. “I do this all the time.”

  “Well maybe you shouldn’t have to,” he snapped back.

  They stopped at his words, his hot breath stirred the hair on the back of her neck.

  “I mean,” he said softly. “Just let me help. Please.”

  Alyssa took her hands off of his and waited as he slid her across the bed. He let go when she was positioned with her back lined up with a pillow.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled.

  His hands slid of her hips, and when a finger grazed the sensitive skin on her thigh, she shivered. The hand faltered for a moment, and she knew he felt her shiver. She worked her way under the covers and lay in silence for a moment.

  She opened her mouth to say something but closed it. In the end, she was just a small fry.