“Hey, you okay?” Oz put the laptop on the table and squatted in front of her, holding her hands.
Finn shrugged slightly and squeezed Oz’s hand. “Honestly? I really don’t know. I can’t process everything yet.”
“Maybe we should wait to do this.”
“No. Like you said, I need to give that to Charlie when he gets here, and I need to see this. I need to know what happened to her. I want to know where she is, what she went through. I’m angry with her for leaving me. And I need to get past that. The only way I can think of is to find out why she made the decision she did. Why she left me with him.”
“Finn, she didn’t have a choice.”
“How do you know that?”
“Your father told us.”
Finn looked at her, confused.
“He was threatening you. To do to you what he did to them. That was how he kept them away from you. They only stayed away to protect you.”
Finn felt a wave of nausea and dizziness hit her. Her vision swam until she closed her eyes. She felt Oz’s arms wrap around her shoulders, and the sobs started to come, wrenched from the depths of her soul. Her pain was so complete that she didn’t think she would ever be able to escape it.
The knock at the door pulled them apart, but Oz quickly pulled her back into her arms when Charlie, Billy, and a third man entered the room.
“Oz, Finn, you remember Agent Pritchard?”
“Yes.” Oz shook his hand.
“Oz, a pleasure. Finn?”
Pritchard held his hand out to shake hers, and she hated having to move from Oz’s embrace, but manners were manners, and she quickly moved back to the warmth and safety of Oz’s arms.
“We need to get a statement from each of you about the events.”
Oz’s grip tightened around her. “When?”
“As soon as possible,” Pritchard said.
“I brought recording equipment with me, Oz. We can do it all here.” Billy waved a small recording device in front of him.
“Is there somewhere a bit more private?” Pritchard looked around.
Oz shrugged as she looked about the small room. “Not really. The only other rooms are a bedroom and a bathroom. Which would you like to use?”
Billy nodded toward the door. “Oz, why don’t we step outside while Agent Pritchard and Charlie talk to Finn?”
Finn was reluctant to let go of Oz, clinging to her hand. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“I’m not leaving, baby. I’ll be right outside the door. If you need me, you just shout and I’ll be back. I promise.” She tried to pull away from Finn, but Finn’s arms were still locked about her waist. “Finn, the quicker we do this, the quicker we’ll be back together and we can figure out what we’re doing next, okay?” Oz slowly stood as Finn released her, and she stepped out of the room with her dad.
Charlie set the tape recorder on the small coffee table, turned it on, and smiled at her. “Finn, I need you to take it from the beginning and tell me everything you remember.”
Finn took a deep breath and sighed, knowing that her words would never fully convey everything she had gone though. There simply weren’t any strong enough to convey the fear, panic, and horror she had felt, but the moment-by-moment account? That, she could tell. Those were the moments she knew she would never forget, no matter how much she wanted to, and in that instant she realized she had her answer. While she knew logically that killing Jack was the only thing she could do, she knew it was one action she would regret for the rest of her life. She looked down at her hands as she began speaking, shocked that they weren’t stained red.
*
Two hours later, Finn sat on the steps outside the house waiting for Oz. Billy handed her a beer and leaned against the rail beside her, seemingly content to keep her company in silence. The door opened, and when Charlie, Pritchard, and Oz exited, Finn pulled herself to her feet and stood beside Oz. She waved at the men as they climbed in a car and drove away before she closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel the cooling night breeze against her skin.
“How did it go?”
Oz kissed her head gently. “It was fine, baby. What about you? Are you okay?”
“No.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“No.”
Oz chuckled. “It will probably help.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Whatever you feel. There is no right and wrong. Just talk.”
“So you wouldn’t be disappointed if I told you that I regret killing Jack?”
“Why on earth would I be disappointed?”
“Because he was going to kill us both.”
“Yes, he was. And I am very, very glad that you did what had to be done and saved us both. I will always be grateful for that, but I’m not disappointed in you. What you feel about what you had to do is understandable. I regret the death of every person I had to kill. I regret having to be the one who pulled the trigger. I close my eyes and I can see every face. I wish it did, but that doesn’t go away. But I know that in the same situations, I would make the same choices I did then, every time. That’s how I know I didn’t have a choice. That my actions were simply reactions. My regret is that my actions, my decisions, got an innocent man killed. That I would change if I could. Now tell me this, if you were in the same situation again, would you make the same choice?”
“I don’t know…”
“Don’t you?”
Finn closed her eyes and saw Jack stepping toward her. She could hear Oz grunting and straining, trying to get away from her father. She could feel her panic rising again as she saw the look of contempt and loathing in Jack’s eyes. The clarity with which she knew Jack would kill her was startling, but she knew that the knowledge alone couldn’t make her pull the trigger again. It was her certainty that her death would be followed quickly by Oz’s that made her heart ache. This was the choice she would make again and again. To save the woman she loved, she knew she would pull the trigger every time.
“I’d do it to save you.”
“And I would do it to save you. I left the navy because I didn’t want to be a killer. I didn’t want to end up in a situation ever again where I might have to take any more lives. This morning, I shot two men and I would have happily blown away the rest to keep you safe.”
Finn tucked her head under Oz’s chin and hugged her tighter. Her brain ached from all the thoughts, and her heart ached from too many emotions. Her body ached from the attack. She wanted to forget for a while. She needed to feel the comfort and safety she could only find in Oz’s arms. She needed to feel all of her. She needed to tear down any remaining barriers between them and hold on to the trust and love they had.
She smiled before she reached up and kissed Oz. “I think I’ve done enough thinking for tonight.” Her lips pressed against Oz’s neck. “I just want to feel.” She licked at the throbbing pulse at Oz’s throat. “Make me feel, Oz.”
Oz searched her eyes for a long moment, and Finn’s breath caught when she saw how clearly desire was painted across Oz’s face.
“Finn, I don’t think this is the right time.”
“I love you, Oz. I want you. I need to feel you.”
“I love you too, but I want you to be sure.”
“I am.” She kissed Oz with every ounce of passion she felt. “Make love to me, Oz.”
Oz swallowed audibly and licked her lips before she spoke. “Come with me.” Her voice was rough with need as she took Finn’s hand and pulled her back into the house. She closed the door behind them and led Finn straight to the bedroom and wrapped her in her arms. Her kiss was tender and sweet with a fire beneath it that caused Finn’s knees to weaken.
“Oz.” Her breathless voice reached Oz’s ears and she helped Finn lie down. When she stood up again, she quickly removed her shirt and shorts before lying down beside Finn.
“We stop any time you want to, okay?”
Stopping was the furthest thing from Finn’s mind as she
looked at Oz’s sleek torso, the bruising across her shoulder and the scar on her stomach reminders of her battles, but more importantly of her will to survive. And she loved them just as much as she loved everything else about Oz. She buried her fingers in Oz’s hair and pulled her in for a kiss. “I told you.” Another fiery kiss. “I trust you.” Finn kissed her again and reached between them, unbuttoning her jeans and pushing them down her hips before Oz helped her kick them off her feet and tossed them to the floor. She sat up and pulled her tank top over her head and quickly removed her bra. Only her panties remained.
“Make love to me, Olivia.”
Oz took her in her arms and pulled her body against her own as she pushed Finn onto her back. Finn’s legs automatically curled around her hips as her tongue filled Oz’s mouth. Oz’s fingers trailed down Finn’s side, along the length of her thigh, and then gripped her butt, and her lips and tongue trailed the length of her neck and shoulder before reaching her breasts. Oz teased the outer skin, slowly working her way toward the puckering flesh at the tip but avoiding the actual nipple, over and over again. Finn was burning, her breasts aching for more.
“Oz, you’re driving me crazy.”
Salvation followed as Oz’s mouth covered her nipple and sucked hard, pulling as much of the soft breast into her mouth as she could, flicking her tongue across the tip of Finn’s nipple maddeningly before she moved to the other breast.
Finn threaded her fingers into Oz’s hair desperate to anchor herself as waves of sensation filled her body. Her heart raced and her skin burned under Oz’s touch, even as goose bumps erupted in the wake of her fingers as they stroked her thighs, her sides, the soft skin of her belly, and the tender underside of her breasts. The fire built inside her, and she knew without doubt that this was everything she had ever wanted. That Oz was the woman she would spend her life loving.
She felt Oz’s hand slide between their bodies and inside her panties. Her finger traced the outer lips of her center, and Finn knew that they were now drenched with her desire.
Oz groaned and pulled her mouth away from Finn’s nipple. “Oh God. I need to taste you. Can I?”
“Yes.”
Oz kissed her again as her fingers continued to explore between her legs. Finn moaned as Oz pulled away and kissed her way down her neck, across her chest, and down her abdomen, pulling her underwear away as she went. Finn didn’t have time to feel self-conscious as she bared herself for the first time. Instead, she gripped the sheet with one hand, the other resting on Oz’s head as she lowered herself between Finn’s legs.
They both moaned as Oz’s lips closed over her in that first intimate kiss, and Finn felt the first whispers of orgasm low in her belly. Oz’s tongue swept over her in one long, delicious lick before swirling around her clit and dipping in and out of every fold of her sex. Oz let go of her hand, but she didn’t have time to mourn the loss of the contact before those fingers were spreading her open and Oz’s tongue played at her entrance. Her eyes opened and she looked down at Oz, the sight of her between her legs, and the sensations of her mouth feasting upon
her were almost overwhelming. She could feel the fire spreading
down her legs and into her chest.
“Oz, I’m so close.”
Oz looked up without moving her mouth. Their eyes locked, and slowly, she slid a finger inside her. Finn couldn’t have stopped the moan that escaped her lips even if she had wanted to. Oz watched her, working her finger in and out, slowly stretching the supple flesh before adding another. Finn couldn’t hold her head up anymore as she clutched at Oz’s shoulders and let the waves of her orgasm crash over her.
Oz slowly crawled up her body, planting soft kisses on her skin as she went until she was straddling Finn’s hips and looking down at her. Finn’s chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. They kissed, soft and gentle, and Finn let her hands drift along Oz’s back. Caressing the muscles on either side of her spine and running her hands into the sweat-dampened hair at the back of her neck.
“I want to touch you. Is that okay?”
Oz smiled down at her, desire shimmering in her blue eyes. “You can do anything you want, baby.” She started to roll off Finn, but she held her firm.
“I like you here.” She reached up and kissed her again as her hands began to explore. “Does this hurt your shoulder?”
“I’m fine.” Oz’s voice was rough, husky with need.
Finn couldn’t help but smile, loving that she could affect Oz so much. She kissed her neck and shoulders with tiny little butterfly kisses as she removed her bra, before licking at the slightly salty skin. She smiled as Oz groaned and twitched above her. Her hands were never still, running the length of Oz’s back, over her butt and down the back of her thighs before she started trailing them up the front of her legs, across her belly, and caressing her breasts. She flicked her thumbs over Oz’s nipples before gently pinching them between her fingers. She had to have her mouth on them. She wanted to feel them between her lips. She started to push herself forward. Oz sat up, giving Finn all the access she needed. Finn was amazed as the flesh pebbled and tightened beneath her tongue. Each suck drew a moan from Oz, and every lick was received with a gasp. Finn reveled in each noise she drew from Oz’s lips, and her confidence grew with each thrust of her hips as she searched for some contact.
She palmed her ass, gripping and squeezing as she switched to the other breast. It wasn’t enough. She needed more. She needed everything. Finn trailed her hand up the inside of Oz’s thigh, her arousal clearly evident well before she reached her damp underwear. She looked up at Oz’s face as she touched her for the first time. Oz’s eyes were closed, the look of rapture on her face made Finn want to weep at the beauty of it. She pushed the thin cotton aside and pressed her fingers on either side of Oz’s clit, squeezing gently as she slid deeper into her folds, making long, slow strokes as she explored this new territory.
“Oh, baby, that’s so good.”
Finn’s confidence grew even more, and so did her need. The scent of Oz was making her mouth water, and she wanted to know Oz as intimately as she could. She wanted to taste her. To feel the very essence of her coat her tongue and fill her very senses.
“Lie down for me.”
Oz was quick to comply and Finn was fascinated by the new topography. She couldn’t wait to lean over Oz’s body and let her mouth cover every inch. She kissed all the way down from Oz’s throat to her navel where she dipped her tongue inside before continuing down. She hooked her fingers beneath the waistband of Oz’s panties and pulled them away from her skin as Oz lifted her hips. Finn bit her lip and pressed her fingers against the newly exposed flesh. Oz’s golden curls were darkened by her desire, and Finn couldn’t wait any more. She pressed her lips between Oz’s legs and sighed as she took her first taste. Heaven. She wasn’t nervous. She could feel Oz enjoying every touch, every kiss. She knew this was right. She knew that this was where she was meant to be.
She sucked and licked every inch of the fragrant flesh beneath her mouth. She explored and experimented as Oz bucked against her face, groaning with pleasure until her body jackknifed off the bed and she clutched at Finn’s head. Her cry of release was the sweetest sound Finn had ever heard.
Finn waited until Oz’s breathing had calmed, her head resting on Oz’s belly, her arms hooked around her hips.
“Come up here.”
Finn was only too happy to fulfill the request and crawled up Oz’s body, kissing her lightly along the way.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, baby.”
Oz wrapped her arms around Finn and sighed contentedly as they settled against each other.
“You know that you’re my one, don’t you, Oz?”
Oz remembered the conversation. “One face next to yours on the pillow. One name on your lips.” She nodded and kissed Finn gently, the tender passion entwining their souls. “For the rest of my life, baby.”
Epilogue
Five weeks lat
er
The house buzzed with activity. Loud complaints and groans came from the den as Oz and her cousins watched football. The smell coming from the kitchen where Ellie, Mrs. Richmond, and Oz’s Aunt Alex were cooking made Finn’s mouth water as she headed down the hall. The ringing bell stopped her and she opened the door to a well-dressed man.
“Ms. Finsbury-Sterling?”
“And you are?”
He held out his hand. “I’m Andrew Whittaker. I work for Interpol. I need your help.”
Finn stared at his hand before looking him in the eye. “And what do you need my help with?”
He dropped his hand, shrugging slightly as he did so. “I’m in charge of a task force trying to apprehend Masood Mehalik.” He waited, an expectant look on his face.
“Am I supposed to know who that is?”
“He’s the man your father was selling biological weapons to.”
Finn started to turn away. “I’m not inter—”
He caught her arm to stop her from walking away and closing the door. “I really need your help. Two scientists in the last three months have been murdered. Scientists who specialize in genetic engineering, and I have reason to believe it’s because Mehalik is trying to re-create Balor.”
“I’m even less interested.”
“I have reason to believe that it’s only a matter of time before he tries to convince you to help him.”
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