Game

by London Casey

  Shayna put a hand to my cheek. I then caught myself as I turned my head and kissed her hand. It was far too real now.

  This wasn’t the life I had planned… but it was the life I now had, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

  32.

  (Shayna)

  Call me anything in the book, but I liked the way my voice sounded against the shower wall. I had my hands to the wall, bent over, the water hitting my back. Finn had a death grip on my hips, pulling me back each time he fucked forward, filling me to the point where I had to get up on my toes for some kind of relief.

  We couldn’t stop going at it…

  There was nothing else really to do though. We were basically stuck in the cabin. Fiore brought Finn a new truck. He had the wreckage cleaned up and assured both of us that we were safe and that he had a crew fighting back at Zander.

  He also told us he made sure Zander knew of me and Finn. That we were fucking like rabbits and that I was already pregnant. That alone made me want to kill Fiore. I didn’t trust the man, but I couldn’t do a thing about it. Somehow in the process of trying to find and save my sister I had pissed off two very powerful men from two different organizations.

  Go me.

  “Oh, Shayna,” Finn growled from behind me. His hands grabbed my ass, pushing and pulling at me. “Fuck, sweetie. Fuck…”

  The hot water pounded against my back. It cascaded down to my ass, making loud splashing noises as Finn kept going.

  I never felt a man like Finn before. Size, strength, pain.

  He had asked me if I had ever been in love before.

  The truth?

  I had thought I was in love a few times. What woman didn’t?

  But from the moment Finn touched my body, tasted my skin, devoured my wildest desires, I knew what real love was.

  Love.

  I felt all of Finn’s love inside me. Pulling, pushing, a feeling that went beyond fucking. When he came, I shut my eyes and lost myself in that world of throbbing pleasure. I felt him pulsing inside me for what felt like hours. Keeping me on the edge of orgasm. His hands slid up my body, spreading wide across my stomach and chest, pulling me up, devouring me with his strength. Strength that was deserved and earned through working out and fighting for survival.

  I stood and felt him slowly ease out of my body. His right hand cupped my right breast. His left hand rested on my belly. The water hit our bodies and I put my head to his shoulder. It was so calming, relaxing, a moment that I’d never forget. I looked at him and he looked at me.

  “What about the Cormac thing?” I asked.

  “What?”

  “You and Cormac. Fighting. Have you thought about going back to that?”

  “We’re standing naked in a shower together and you’re asking me about my future?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” I said. “Is that a problem?”

  “No. Not at all.” Finn kissed me. The water could never match the heat between us. “I don’t know. That’s the answer. I make a lot of money with Fiore. He’s a good man to me. Always straight with me. I have my own celebrity status doing what I do. I have protection. I mean, I rolled a truck and made a phone call… and it was all taken care of.”

  “But it’s all illegal,” I whispered. “That’s the life you want? For yourself? Your… family…?”

  “I don’t have any family.”

  I reached up and touched his cheek. “You have me.”

  And maybe there’s life inside me already.

  If there was, did it matter? The thought of carrying a baby and then giving it away to Fiore… just, no.

  “I have you,” Finn said. “And right now, we have to get through all this shit. We have to stick together and do whatever it takes. Zander is going to keep pushing and Fiore will keep fighting. For us, we just have to keep fucking.”

  I slipped my hand back and grabbed at Finn. “I think we can arrange that.”

  Finn smiled big. “We’re going to run out of hot water soon. Let’s take this to the bed.”

  I nodded.

  I wanted to tell him how much it meant to me that he opened himself and the cabin for me. I knew how hard it was for him to talk about Carrie. I knew how hard it was for him to take me inside the cabin. Not just using his hands or his mouth, but he offered his entire body to me. Again and again.

  I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body. I looked down and touched my stomach. As I swallowed hard, trying to gather up all my emotions, I thought about it. I really thought about it. Being pregnant. By Finn. Carrying his child.

  It was insane to think.

  It was even more insane to want it… and to not want to give the baby to Fiore.

  I looked back at the shower and saw Finn’s figure through the curtain.

  I bit my lip and didn’t know how to handle it all.

  I convinced myself I was better off waiting in bed, naked, and letting Finn fuck all the worry out of me.

  That at least made me smile.

  I opened the door and screamed.

  Fiore stood there, something in his hand.

  ~

  I stumbled back and almost lost my towel.

  Finn dove out of the shower, completely naked, fists curled tight, up, ready to attack.

  “Well then,” Fiore said as though this was a normal thing for him. “Did I just catch you two after a few rounds in the shower?”

  “What the hell?” Finn yelled.

  I leaned against the bathroom sink. I looked at Finn, standing there, dripping wet, naked, and my eyes couldn’t help but scan his body from the side. There were muscles everywhere. Aside from his bulky arms, the way his abs curled around to his ribs, showing off ridges that could make any woman melt. He had his legs staggered in a stance, all of it coming to him naturally. He was born to fight. To defend. To protect.

  “Cover your dick up,” Fiore said.

  Finn grabbed a towel. “What are you doing here?”

  “Checking up on things.”

  “We’re fine,” I said.

  “I can see that,” Fiore said. “How do you feel, Shayna? Full?”

  His eyes were big and glossy. It was really weird.

  “What’s happening with Zander?” Finn asked.

  “Don’t worry about that,” Fiore said. “I brought a gift.”

  He held up a bag and shook it.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  Fiore threw the bag at me.

  I thought it was a severed body part. That’s where my mind went. That’s the life I had lived for years now.

  It wasn’t a severed body part in the bag.

  I took out the small package and felt my heart almost stop.

  It was a set of pregnancy tests.

  “Christ,” Finn said.

  “It’s time to see,” Fiore said. “We can’t wait any longer for this. The moment you’re pregnant and start showing is when I take down Zander for good.”

  “You already told him about me,” I said.

  “But I need the proof. I want the piss stick with the plus sign to send to him. Then I’m going to send an ultrasound picture. Oh… it’s going to break him…”

  I looked at Finn. All he could do was nod at me.

  I had to do this. I had to take a freaking pregnancy test.

  It should have been an intense moment for me… well, it was, but not like it was supposed to be. It should have been exciting and scary, wanting to see a positive result and celebrate.

  But I didn’t know what to think or feel.

  “Do it,” Fiore said.

  Finn stepped toward the door. “Just yell when you’re…”

  “No,” Fiore said. “I’m watching.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Finn growled.

  Fiore took out a gun and pointed it at me. “Does it look like I’m fucking kidding?”

  “Holy shit,” I whispered.

  I hurried and fumbled with the box, my hands shaking as I tore it open. I took out one of the te
sts and was just going by what I saw on TV on what to do. It wasn’t that hard, right? Just… pee on it.

  “Get it good,” Fiore said. “Then you wait a few minutes and check.”

  “I can’t do this in front of people,” I said.

  “Turn around,” Fiore said. “Face the wall. Squat over the toilet that way.”

  I did as I was told. I was freaking terrified. I stared at the wall, my legs spread as far as I could over the toilet. I bent my knees and put a pregnancy test between my legs. It was uncomfortable and straight up embarrassing.

  Of course, my body froze up.

  Stage fright.

  “Come on!” Fiore rumbled.

  “I can’t!” I yelled to him. “Don’t point a gun at me.”

  I looked back and Fiore lowered the weapon. Finn then crept toward me. He reached for the sink and turned on the water. He then put a hand to my shoulder and kissed my cheek.

  “I’m so sorry, sweetie,” he whispered. “I promise, no matter what, it’ll be okay.”

  I felt the urge to pee growing. I looked at Finn. “Don’t touch me when I’m trying to pee. It’s weird.”

  Finn smiled and backed away.

  I had to do it. I had to pee in front of Finn and Fiore.

  I shut my eyes and readied myself. The rushing water from the sink was helping. I tried to picture a waterfall and all that did was make me imagine Finn standing in water, naked, slowly rising up from the water to show me the lower half of his beautiful body.

  I shook my head.

  And then I started to pee.

  All over the test. I kept going and going and I brought out my shaking hand and put the cap on the end of it. I placed it on the sink, flushed the toilet, and side stepped to the sink to wash my hands. My cheeks were apple red and when I looked in the mirror, I saw the reflection of Finn and Fiore staring at me.

  “Leave me alone for a second,” I said.

  They both left the bathroom.

  I then stood there, really taking in the magnitude of what I had gotten into. I had learned to control my emotions being near Zander. He wasn’t against hitting a woman. Or killing a woman. So no matter what happened with him or near him, I had to stay cold. Even when he gave me the engagement ring. He wanted me to be near him, only his, wanting to marry me, fuck me, and then leave me for someone else.

  But staring down at the pregnancy test messed with my head. This wasn’t about me finding my sister. This wasn’t about some kind of hopeful dream that I didn’t know actually existed. It was beyond how I felt for Finn and if what we had was truly real.

  This was about a baby. About my body. The fact that I had been… forced… not by Finn. No. He was caring, gentle, rough in a romantic way. My body craved him like I never experienced with another. I wanted him inside me. Maybe I even actually wanted the test to be positive and be with Finn for the rest of my life.

  I looked at the bathroom door.

  It wasn’t possible.

  Not with Fiore. Not with what he wanted. There was no escaping it. He wanted to replace a grandchild he lost.

  I looked back down to the test.

  The result was there.

  I was…

  33.

  (Finn)

  I looked at Fiore and thought about killing him. It was the first time that really went through my mind. The man had really done a lot for me, but at the same time, I was just a toy to him. He’d throw me into a circle, hope I’d win a fight, and then I’d get money.

  Now, what he was doing to Shayna, that was just wrong. And it was something that burned deep inside me because I was the one not only fucking her, but offering myself to her. Meaning I could be a goddamn father in…

  A few seconds?

  “This better work,” Fiore remarked. “I can’t wait any longer.”

  “Why not just take him out?” I asked. “Jesus Christ, Fiore, just take Zander out. Find Mara another man. Show her the right way to grieve.”

  Fiore looked me dead in the eyes. “You’re nothing but Irish filth, Finn. Like an abandoned puppy in a sewer, that’s how I found you. I picked you up, cleaned you off, and made you into something. Don’t fucking turn on me.”

  “I’m not,” I said. “But Shayna didn’t…”

  Fiore grinned. “You like her, huh? You like that body. You like those tits. Of course you do. But you’re really falling for her. So you know what else I’ll do for you? The moment she heals from this pregnancy, it’s all yours, Finn. Have ten fucking kids.”

  “Fiore… why?”

  “Because Mara wanted you,” he admitted.

  Then there was silence. Dead silence.

  His eyes burned at me. The man was angry at me.

  He slowly lifted his gun and jabbed it against my stomach.

  ~

  “She wanted you,” Fiore said. “Completely unacceptable and disgusting. My girl? My baby girl? Fucking some dirty Irish fighter?”

  “I never touched your daughter,” I said. “I never would have, Fiore. You know that.”

  “That’s why I needed Antonio. I brought him to cure the problem. But he fucked me too.”

  “How so?”

  Fiore shook his head. “I want Mara to have your child, Finn. My gift to her. Something she’s always wanted. That’s why I need this to happen now. I get to Zander. I kill him. I give Mara the baby she wants. I get my grandchild back.”

  “Think about what you’re saying. It’s crazy talk, Fiore. You’re…”

  The bathroom door slowly opened. I took a risk and smacked Fiore’s hand away. The man looked ready to breakdown and cry. Something was not right inside his head.

  “Sweetie,” I said to Shayna. “Tell me.”

  She swallowed hard. “Not pregnant.”

  I wasn’t sure how to feel. Relieved? Disappointed? My stomach was in a knot. I hurried to Shayna and grabbed her, hugging her tight. I felt her start to sob as she tried to hide it. Was she upset? Was she relieved?

  “This is not good,” Fiore said. “Not good at all.”

  I let Shayna go and turned around. Fiore was right there, the gun still in his hand. I wanted to hit Fiore. I wanted to fucking kill him.

  “You have to try harder,” Fiore said. “Fuck her twice as many times as you did already.”

  His eyes were wide.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked, putting myself way too close to Fiore.

  He swung at me, cracking the gun off my jaw. It hurt a lot and I moved left, trying to catch my balance. I stood and was ready to throw a left that would send Fiore back in time.

  Shayna jumped between us. “Wait!”

  “What?” Fiore asked.

  “It’s not time yet,” she said. “Wait… from my last cycle… it’s not enough time. I mean, it’s there, okay? I feel it. I feel it, Fiore. Like these feelings inside.”

  “What are you saying?” he asked.

  “If you look at the box. It says weeks, Fiore. I need to be further along.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Shayna nodded. “I don’t know how to explain it. I feel it though.”

  “You feel it,” Fiore said. He reached for Shayna’s stomach and smiled. “You feel it.”

  “Just give it time,” Shayna whispered. “Not to be gross but I felt sick this morning.”

  “Morning sickness?” Fiore asked, eyes wide. “I’ll have Marie make you her famous soup. Best Italian soup you’ll ever have. Eases your stomach and it’ll keep the baby happy.”

  Holy. Shit.

  I stood there in shock, watching as Shayna worked Fiore over. A minute ago we were going to go at it. Now we were as happy as a family again.

  “Okay,” Fiore said. “You have two tests, Shayna. Give it a few days and try again, right?”

  “Of course,” Shayna said. “Yes. I just… I don’t like using the bathroom in front of other people.”

  Fiore burst into laughter. He grabbed Shayna’s cheeks and pinched them. “You are something.”

 
; “Fiore, can you leave now?” I asked.

  “No,” Fiore said. His eyes were back on me. “You, Finn, have something to do for me.”

  “What?”

  “That nice truck out there. You think that was free?”

  I hung my head.

  Nothing was free. Ever.

  “It’s a tough one,” Fiore said. “Two on one.”

  “What?” Shayna yelled. “No.”

  “Yes,” Fiore said. “You could take them, Finn. It’s drawing tons of interest. It’s your… it’s your last fight for a while, Finn.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?” I asked.

  “I’m putting you into semi-retirement.”

  “I’m a fighter. I fight.”

  “You win tonight and it cements you forever, Finn. Simple as that. Then you take care of this situation. Together. Celebrate back in the cabin and don’t come out until there’s a baby.”

  Fiore’s phone started to beep. He backed up and pointed at me. He made a gun with his fingers and shot.

  “Details?” I asked.

  “You’ll get them. Don’t worry, Finn. Don’t worry at all.”

  I watched Fiore rush out of the cabin. I still stood there, my hand cupping a towel over my dick. Shayna was still in a damn towel.

  I turned and looked at her. “What did you do?”

  “I bought us time,” she said.

  “Sweetie, let me…”

  “No, Finn. Someone is going to get hurt.”

  Shayna stormed away, through the bathroom toward the bedroom. She stopped to look at the pregnancy test again.

  Not pregnant.

  I shook my head, still unsure what to feel. We were beyond walking on thin ice. Nothing had worked out. I had no real plan. All I knew was to fight. To fight my way in and out of situations in life.

  What I wanted was to tell Shayna I loved her. That she had gotten inside me… just like I’d gotten inside her. That I’d do anything to protect her, help her, and find a way through all of this.

  Before that, I needed to square up with Fiore. He was grieving and he needed to realize what he was doing.

  I turned, wanting to wrap the towel around me and then chase after Fiore.

  When I turned, there was a man standing there in a black suit. He wore black gloves. Before I could make a sound, something smashed against the side of my head.