Finn (6 page)

His attention lingered on several men who stared at him with open contempt. “Make a deal with the devil, and there’s nothing, and no one, to stop him from dragging you to hell.”

The largest of those glaring glanced away at his statement. He wanted it clear. If they were going to sell him out, let it be to Ennis. Boris was not the man he wanted knowing details of his life.

“I’ll be leaving the details of your orders with Conor,” he said. “You are to defer to him if I’m not around.”

He turned to Conor, who looked surprised. It was his first real appointment in a more official capacity. Finn hated that it came in this way, but he could trust Conor and knew him to be someone that would follow his word.

Several men talked quietly about the news. It was unusual to pick a second in command that wasn’t blood related.

“For now go home and be ready.”

He walked out the door to his office, Conor not far behind. Inside, Liam sat at his desk, waiting for him.

“You skipping the meeting?” Finn said and leaned against his desk.

“Figure I heard all I needed to.” He nodded to Conor.

“Seriously,” Conor said, moving to stand before Finn. His face was red. “What the fuck?”

Finn frowned. “I thought you made the best sense. I don’t understand the problem here.”

Conor paced the room and glanced over at him.

“This isn’t the position I expected to be in,” Conor said and wiped a hand over his face.

“Well maybe not, but you are the most qualified,” Finn said.

“What about Liam?” Conor swung a hand in Liam’s direction. “Isn’t this something you’d normally go to blood for?”

Finn narrowed his eyes. “I pick who I want to, and blood hasn’t been the best indicator of reliability.”

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 him. 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.