Finn's Shot (Eden's Odyssey Book 1) (14 page)

Hearing Finn tell my girl how
awesome she is did two things. One, it made me happy that he would see the good
in my best friend and encourage her to move on and quit waiting. I know Charles
is interested. I can tell by the way he hawk-eyes her when she’s in the room,
but for whatever reason he won’t go there. Two, I was a little bit jealous. I
won’t tell either of them that but the green eyed monster reared her ugly head
when Finn said Charles was blind and stupid for not noticing her. I get that he
was trying to make her feel better and it’s true she’s a knock out. I didn’t
want to know he’s been checking her out.  

I lace my fingers through his
and pull him to my office saying goodbye to Tanisha as we go. I drag him in the
door and lead him to the couch.  

“Sit,’” I say as I push his
chest indicating that I mean business.

His eyes grow wide with shock
at first and then curiosity as he sits. I straddle his hips facing him as I grasp
his suit coat in my hands pulling him forward to meet my mouth. Then I smash my
lips to his in a kiss hungry to claim and to pull his mind off of any other
woman. I’ve never felt this burning jealousy in the pit of my stomach, not
about anyone. Sadness, betrayal and a little jealously are emotions I’ve
experienced, but never like this. I know I’m being stupid. She’s my best friend,
but I can’t help the reaction.

His arms wrap around me and
squeeze. He never takes his lips from mine but he asks, “What’s got you all
wound up?”

I try to pull back, too
embarrassed to tell him. I don’t want to admit it. I shake my head.

“Tell me. Something set you
off and I want to know what it is.”

I turn my head still trying
to break the hold. With his lips to my cheek he asks, “What is it? If we’re
going to make this work you have to talk to me.”

I close my eyes and exhale
because I know he’s right, but I still don’t want to say it out loud.

He loosens his hold enough to
lean back and catch my eye. “What is it?”

“A little jealous.” I
whisper, unable to lift my gaze to his.  

“Really? Over what?”

“It’s stupid. Can we not talk
about it?”

“No. We have to talk about
it.”

I close my eyes and take a
deep breath. “Tanisha. I got jealous when I realized you’d noticed her.”

His head jerks back and his
eyebrows pull together. “Not in the way you were thinking. She’s a beautiful
woman, but she’s not the woman I want. She doesn’t set my blood on fire and
make me crazy with wanting her. That’s you. Did I do something wrong? I was
trying to help your best friend. I know you want her happy.”

“No, you didn’t do anything
wrong. I don’t know where that came from. It sort of welled up in me and
spilled over. I want her happy and you were right about everything you said. I never
thought about you noticing other women. It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid. It’s human,
but so is noticing beautiful people. I’m sure you walk around this club every
night and notice all the beautiful people in here. I’m sure that’s all you do
though is notice. Am I right?”

“Yeah. I get it. I wish I
could erase it. I’ve never felt like this and I hate it. It’s making me crazy
right now.”

In a swift, sweet kiss he
settles my jealous thoughts. Nothing sweet lasts long with us. It all seems to
turn heated and this is no exception. Within five minutes I’m grinding on his
lap while he’s whipping off my top and releasing my bra. Kissing his way down
my neck to my needy nipples I whimper when his warm lips cover the first one.
My head is thrown back in ecstasy and while my fingers are laced in his thick chocolate
locks holding him to me when the door to my office opens and James enters. He
doesn’t see us at first because he’s looking at paperwork in his hands.   

“Um… James. Probably not a
good time.” I squeak.

His eyes narrow on us and he
tips his chin and walks out the door without a word. Awkward.

“What the fuck! Doesn’t he
knock?”

“Never been a reason too.”

“Well there is now.”

Finn’s pissed and practically
breathing fire.

“Calm down. I’ll talk to him
later. It was an honest mistake.”

“No, I’ll talk to him later.
I know he’s seen all of this before, but it’s not his anymore.”

Wow. So I’m not the only one
with jealous tendencies. Before he can rant more I scoot to the back of his
legs and undo his pants and belt. Then I take him out of his clothes and stifle
his rant with a squeeze to his shaft. His breath catches and I know I
distracted him. I pump his hot flesh several times before I snag the condom on
the table next to the couch and roll it on him. I readjust and sink down on
him. His head falls back and he grips my thighs.

“Ahhh,” I cry out at the
depth he’s reached as he stretches me.         

I lean in and kiss my way up
his exposed neck, stopping to nibble on his earlobe. His hips buck in response
and I whisper, “You are so fucking hot right now.” Then I raise and drop down
harder this time moving at a medium pace. He gets impatient and flips me to my
back on the couch and drills me hard and fast. My screams echo around the room
as my orgasm burns through me. I’m certain I left nail marks in his back even
with his shirt still on but I don’t care. That was phenomenal, so hot. So
amazing. When he’s spent he collapses against me.

“Did I hurt you?”

“No, just the opposite.”

Almost purring with
contentment I tell him, “Don’t worry about James, honey. I’ll talk to him
tomorrow. It won’t be an issue.”

“I’m know it won’t be an
issue because I’m going to handle it. I know you guys had something at one
time, but that’s over and he needs to get that.”

“That was eight years ago,
Finn”

“Yeah, but everyday for eight
years he’s been sorry. I can see it in his eyes when you’re around and he needs
to know I’m not putting up with that bullshit.”

“I think you’re wrong about
it, but if you aren’t I’m want to talk to him first. I’m not a fan of the big
macho pissing on territory crap when things can be handled more civilized. If
that doesn’t work than you can do your thing. Please, let me try to handle this?”

“Fine. But I’m not screwing
around, Darcy. He needs to know you’re taken and I won’t put up with any
bullshit.”

“Okay. I get it.”

His kiss is tender before he
releases me to get dressed.

As the weeks pass all is well
with us. We’re getting to know each other and spending all of our free moments
together. The only exception being when she received a call in the middle of
the night that her sister was having major issues and she jumped in the car to
get there. I had to leave the next day to get to Winnipeg so I couldn’t go with
her. Other than that life has been fabulous, but this time was more difficult
saying goodbye knowing I’ll be gone for ten days.

She was planning to come to
see me on the road but is now afraid that something will happen with Georgia
and she’ll be too far away to deal with it. I understood so I didn’t make a big
deal about it. I’m just going a little stir crazy sitting in my hotel room for
the fifth night in a row with nothing to do. I called her but it went to
voicemail so I left a message. Then I pulled on my boots and coat and headed
out to get a meal and maybe a movie.  

As I was headed down the
elevator I ran into Jacque, one of my teammates, who was headed to a local bar
and grill to check out one of our rivals on the sports network, so I joined him.
Things were good and my mood was improving until we were spotted by a group of
local hockey fans. They came over and spent the next thirty minutes chatting us
up.

Then the females in the bar
took notice and started to circle the table like vultures. Once upon a time I
wouldn’t have minded but now that I have Darcy I am not interested. We signed
autographs and I was pleasant until the girls got too grabby. Jacque didn’t
mind at all but I was uncomfortable. There were a lot of tits and ass on
display and shoved in my face. I put up with it until I was mid-laugh and one
of the girls dropped into my lap and placed a kiss on my cheek. Before I could
respond she had her tongue in my ear and there were flashes going off all over
the place.

Great. This won’t look good
at all. I managed to avoid social media and paparazzi issues since I started
seeing Darcy but I knew it wouldn’t last forever. The part I’m regretting right
now is that I didn’t get the chance to warn her yet. I guess when I get back to
the hotel I’ll be calling her to explain. This is something I’m not looking
forward to.

Ready to make my escape
before this spirals downhill further I pay my portion of the bill and leave
Jacque to hang with everyone we’ve accumulated. As soon as I step out the door
the woman who dropped into my lap grabs my hand and tugs me back. I’m a big guy
and don’t get jerked around easily, but I was mid step so to keep my balance I
spun around and planted my foot forward landing right in her space.

Glancing down at her I pulled
my hand free and snapped, “I’ve got to go.” As I turned to leave she shouted,
“I’m great company if you don’t want to be alone.”

“Got a woman, but thanks.” Is
all I said back as I returned to my hotel.

I dialed Darcy’s number along
the way but it went to voicemail again so I left a message asking her to call
me when she got the message.

****

By the next afternoon I haven’t
heard from her and I start to worry. It’s not like her not to call me back. I
don’t know if something happened or if she got a whiff of those pictures on
social media but I know something is wrong. I decide to call Tanisha’s number
and get no answer so I leave her a message then I head to the arena for
tonight’s game with a sour feeling in my stomach.

Another day passes and I can’t
reach her on her cell so I try calling the club. Of course that bastard James
answers the phone and to make things worse decides to give me lip.

“Hi, James, it’s Finn. Can I
talk to Darcy”?

“If it were up to me the
answer to that question would be no from here until eternity, but I don’t get a
say. I think it’s pretty fucked up you would even bother to call after your
little girlfriend ended up all over social media attached to you. Darcy has been
through enough in this life. She doesn’t need someone who’s going to treat her
like shit.”

“Fuck off, man. You don’t
know shit, but I’m not going to explain anything to anyone but Darcy. Now put
her on the phone.”

“Can’t do that. She’s busy in
one of the scene rooms with a couple right now.”

“What the fuck?!”

“Did you really think she’d
sit here and wait on you while you were out screwing the entire female
population of Ottawa?”

“You have no idea what you’re
talking about. I didn’t cheat on Darcy. I’d never hurt her like that. If I
remember correctly that’s your department. I need to talk to her.” 

“Should have thought of that
before you were caught leaving the bar with another woman.”

“Fuck you. If you care about
her you’d tell her to call me so we could talk about this. But I’m guessing
you’ll be a dick and keep this conversation to yourself hoping you’ll get a
second chance.”

“You have no idea and you’re
right I’m not going to tell her you called so she can get crushed again. It was
bad enough when she showed up in tears looking for me after she saw the
pictures.”

“I’m done with this. I’ll
find her myself.” I hang up because the conversation is going nowhere and it’s
only making me crazier than I already was. Of course I have three more days on
this road trip before I’ll be there to track her down, but damn if it doesn’t
sting that the first sign of trouble she went into a scene room without me
before we even got a chance to talk about things. Depending on what she
actually did in there I’m not sure if
I
can forgive
her
,
especially since I did nothing wrong. The pictures looked bad but the truth of
the matter is I didn’t kiss anyone and I stayed alone. I find it sad she could
believe otherwise without giving me a chance to explain.  

Right as I arrive at the
arena I make a last ditch effort to contact her. I leave another message on her
phone and one on Tanisha’s phone. I can’t do anymore than that from here. I have
to hope she believes in me enough to call me.  

Three days later it’s way
after dark when we descend the stairs of the plane on to the tarmac. The wind
is brisk and icy as it cuts through my suit coat. I should have brought my
dress coat to go over this but I wasn’t thinking when I was packing so now I’m
left to shiver my way to my truck and hope the heat kicks in soon. My mood has
been shitty since my conversation with James. She hasn’t called me back and
knowing she was in a scene room without me after we agreed she wouldn’t do that
makes me think we’re already over. I’m pissed she wouldn’t give me a chance to
explain.  

I should go by the club to
see her but I’m afraid my surly mood and lack of sleep over the last few days
will turn a bad situation to worse so I go home and crash face first into my
bed. Within minutes I pass out. I barely slept the last several days worrying
about things with her and the game yesterday afternoon was brutal. I wake up
ten hours later refreshed and ready to handle business.

I drive to her apartment and
pound on the door for fifteen minutes telling her I’m not going anywhere. When
she doesn’t answer I search the parking lot for her car. It’s not there so I
sit in my truck awaiting her return. Five hours later, I’m pissed and bored having
too much time to think. The club opens in an hour so I go grab something to eat
and head toward Eden. I’m still a member. Paid the ridiculous dues they require
so they have to let me in. I stalk the whole place and don’t find her. What I
do find is James behind her desk on the computer.

“Where’s Darcy?” I skip the pleasantries.
He lost the right to those with our last conversation.  

“She’s out. Other
engagement.” He’s being slightly cryptic and I can feel my blood pressure
rising as I glare back at him with his smug-ass expression.

“Where can I find her?” I
grit out.

“I have no intention of
sharing that information.”

“You’re a dick. If you truly love
her you’d want her happy and she is with me.”

“Then why did she cry all
week after seeing the pictures of you with some fucking bimbo? I’m thinking that
doesn’t sound too happy.”

“Again, you don’t know shit
about me. Nothing happened.”

“Do I need to have Charles
remove you from the premises?”

“I don’t see how you can. I
paid my membership dues and I’m not doing anything but calling you a dick.” 

I finally shake my head and
leave the building because the truth of the matter is I don’t want to be here
without her anyway. I almost reach my truck when I hear Tanisha call my name.
She doesn’t have a coat on and she’s out of breath as reaches me.

“You have to leave her alone,
Finn.”

“I didn’t do anything. It wasn’t
what it looked like I swear. You can talk to Jacque; the guy I was with. He’ll
tell you. Besides, from what I understand she was right back in there,” I
motion to the building, “doing her thing with a couple and we agreed not to do
that without each other. I didn’t do anything, but it sure sounds like she
did.”

Tanisha looks confused. “Why
do you think she did that?”

“I got the pleasure of
hearing about it from James when I called the club looking for her when you two
wouldn’t answer.”

She lifts a brow. “James?”

“Yes. He was pretty clear
that she wasn’t waiting for me.”

“You believed James?”

“Since no one else would talk
to me, yes.”

She crosses her arms tighter
over her chest and sighs.  

“She hasn’t been with anyone
else. Her sister took a turn for the worse. She’s been at her bedside for four
days. I’m here to help look after things while she was away.”

“Georgia’s not doing well?”

“No and Darcy’s heartbroken.
Doc doesn’t think she’ll last the week.”

“Fuck!” I run my fingers
through my hair and pace in front of her. “Where is this place? I know it’s not
close, but I’m going. I’m not leaving her to sit there alone. She can be pissed
at me all she wants but she needs someone right now.”

“Good answer. I’ll text you
the name and address. It’s about two hours north of here.”

“Thanks for telling me.”   

“You’re welcome. Just don’t
make me sorry I did. She’s fragile Finn. More so now than ever before.”

I race toward the Happy Faces
facility that Tanisha says Darcy hasn’t left in days. She may not even want to see
me when I get there, but the thought of leaving her to deal with this alone
makes me feel a little sick to my stomach. It’s 9 p.m. now and I’m sure the
staff won’t be thrilled I’m here, but I’m not leaving until I see her.

The doors are locked but
there’s a doorbell for after hours so I press it. An annoying buzzer sounds and
a woman’s voice comes over the intercom, “Can I help you?”

“Yes, I’m here to see Darcy
Baxter. She’s with her sister Georgia.”

“Just a moment, sir.” 

I bounce on my toes. My body is
full of nervous energy as I rub my hands together trying to warm them up.

A short stout African
American man answers the door. His eyes widen when they catch site of me. I
think it’s because I’m so much taller than he’s used to visitors being. He
clears his throat and throws his shoulders back.

“Need to see your drivers license,”
he tells me in a heavily accented Jamaican voice.

I pull my wallet out and pass
him the necessary card. He reviews it all of about thirty second before he
asks, “You that hockey player?”  

“Yes, sir.” I give my most
charming smile and pray he’s a fan.

“That explains why you look
like a giant standing there. Come on. The nurse said you want to go to Georgia
Baxter’s room?”

“Yes, sir. That’s correct.”

He takes me down a long
corridor that reminds me of a hospital with its fluorescent lighting and rooms
hidden behind brown wooden doors. The only difference is art covering the
walls. By the looks of it, everything was done by the residents here. The color
it adds to the place makes me think of Darcy and I wonder if she helped with
any of this. We make a left turn, walk more, then a right turn and finally arrive
at a closed door. He stops and gestures to it.

I take a deep breath and pray
she doesn’t make the tiny security guard try to throw me out. I don’t plan on
going anywhere until we talk, although talking about us is not first on my
agenda while her sister is dying in the bed next to us.

I’m as quiet as a mouse as I
push the door open. A hospital bed sits in the far corner of the room with
enough space between the wall and the bed to fit a chair. Georgia’s on her
right side curled up facing the wall while Darcy sleeps covered up in a small
recliner next to the bed.

Her hair is a ratty mess and
by the looks of her she hasn’t left to change or shower in days. Tanisha was
right. Instead of waking her up and with no where left to sit I plant my ass on
the floor with my back against the wall so I can face the bed and Darcy. I bend
my knees up and prop my arms up on them. When my eyes grow heavy I lay my head
against the wall and drift off, never really going to sleep, but also not
staying awake. It’s a strange purgatory to be in. I’m not sure how much time
passes but I hear a strange noise and my eyes flip open to assess the
situation. Darcy is awake and has lowered the feet on the chair, her wide eyes
trained on me.