by Lindsey Gray
“Finn?” He felt a tug on the hem of his shirt and looked down to find Chloe.
Finn grabbed onto Chloe’s little fingers. He looked to see that bright smile shining up at him. Chloe held her arms up to Finn, and he picked her up.
“Where’s Lane? I thought he was watching you?”
“He’s got Olivia. That nurse brought me to you.” She pointed to the door where the nurse that administered Finn’s EKG was standing.
“Thank you.”
She smiled. “You’re welcome.” She ducked out and pulled the curtain behind her.
Lucy went over and turned on the TV on the wall.
“What are you doing?” Finn asked.
“Sam is holding a press conference to announce that we’ve been found.”
Finn sat down with Chloe on his lap while Lucy found the right channel.
They watched the screen and saw Sam approach the microphone with the hospital’s logo on it.
“At eleven thirty last night, Finn O’Malley and Lucy Butler were located outside of Park City, Montana. They are both in stable condition. They have no comment at this time. The families will release a statement after they have been reunited with their loved ones.”
“Do you have the abductors in custody?” a female reporter shouted from the audience.
“Yes. We currently have two suspects in custody. They are undergoing questioning. This is an ongoing investigation, and the FBI and local authorities ask for your cooperation and patience.”
“Have the families been reunited?” A male reporter pushed up to the front and hollered his question at Sam.
“Lane Butler has been reunited with his daughter, and the O’Malley family is en route. Like I said, a statement will be made available as soon as possible.”
Finn turned to Lucy. “They’re on their way?”
“Yep, I guess your dad hired a helicopter or something. They should be here any minute.”
They left the room to go find Olivia and Lane. Sam came back and took them into a conference room. It was almost seven o’clock in the morning, and they were all exhausted. None of that mattered when that door finally opened.
“Finn!” Claire ran to her son and took him in her arms, holding him for an eternity. It felt heavenly as her fingers brushed his hair and she kissed his cheeks. She pulled back to look at him, her eyes set on his.
“I’m okay. I think I’m okay, now.”
Her eyes widened, and there was the look of horror. He expected this. “What did they do to your hair?”
“They dyed it. At least they didn’t cut it. It’ll be fine. It can be fix it.”
“Damn right!”
Rylan left Lucy’s arms for Finn’s.
“I missed you so much. I’m so sorry.” Finn’s chest ached from the guilt of what his family went through.
“Finn.” She put her tiny hands on both sides of his face. “You have nothing to be sorry about. None of this was your fault. I can’t believe you’re coming home.”
“I hear you’ve been keeping my chair warm for me.”
“I don’t know why, but whenever I left your room, I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. Staying in there was the only way to breathe.”
“Except when she was with me.” Jack released Lucy from his embrace as he came over to Finn.
Finn let go of Rylan to give Jack a hug. “I hear we have you to thank for finding the cameras.”
Jack pulled back from Finn as he eyed Rylan. “Both of us, actually. It’s a long story. We’ll tell you later.”
As Chloe came and jumped into Jack’s arms, Finn felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned as Aiden pulled him into a fierce hug.
“I love you. You know that, right?” His voice was barely above a whisper, pinched with emotion.
Finn pulled back and cleared his throat. “I know. I love you, too.”
“I’ve been trying so hard, doing everything I can to make sure…”
“I know. I know.” He squeezed both of Aiden’s shoulders.
“I’ve been working so hard on this website, making sure everyone was looking for you.”
“Thank you, for everything.”
“Thanks for keeping yourself alive. I don’t know what we would have done…” Aiden let a tear slip down his cheek.
“I know.”
Lucy took Finn’s hand. He brought it to his lips.
Finn looked over Lucy’s shoulder and saw him waiting there patiently for his turn. He swallowed hard.
Dad! He practically stumbled in his haste to get to him as everyone moved out of the way. Finn wrapped his arms around his father and started to sob on his shoulder.
“I love you, son. So much.”
“I love you, Dad.” He hugged him tighter and relished the safety only the arms of his father could provide.
Finn felt two little arms wrap around his calf. He looked down to see Olivia holding his leg and swaying with her eyes closed. Finn bent down and picked her up. She laid her head against his chest as he kissed the top of her head.
Lucy wrapped her arm around Finn’s waist, and he slipped his free arm around her shoulder.
She looked up at him with those amazing blue eyes he could never resist.
“Let’s go home.”
Finn sighed and smiled. He closed his eyes as he kissed Lucy’s forehead. “Home.”
As soon as Lucy and Finn arrived at the Billings Police Station, the agents separated them for questioning.
Lucy fidgeted with the tab on the can of soda they gave her as she recalled the day Viktor almost raped her in the kitchen. She remembered how he stunk of his usual musky cologne and sweat, how he ripped down her underwear, the feel of his hands on her skin. She had to recount every disgusting detail, relive each second.
Down the hall, Finn was undergoing his own interrogation.
“Lucy said you were separated from her for three days after you attempted to remove the ankle monitors. Where were you for those three days?”
Finn knew it was part of the investigation, but those were the worst three days of his life. Three days he never wanted to talk about—actually put into words—not even for Lucy.
Finn squirmed uncomfortably in his chair before he began.
“I woke up after being shocked, naked on a mattress in a room with concrete block walls. I assumed it was somewhere in the basement of the house. Viktor was prepared for everything, especially punishment. It was like a prison cell, except for the metal table.” Finn shuddered remembering the table he’d been strapped to for hours on end.
“Viktor punished you in that room?”
“The first few hours are the clearest. The rest kind of blurs together. I remember the pain from the prod, being strapped down to the table, and being raped too many times to count.” Finn felt a few tears slip down his face. He brought his hand to his cheek to wipe them away. “I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. There was nothing I could do. I was completely under his control, and he made sure to remind me of that fact as often as possible.” Finn dropped his head in his hands as his elbows rested on the table in front of him.
“You can’t recall how many times Viktor forced himself on you?”
Finn lifted his head, his hands still covering his mouth. He honestly couldn’t remember. One incident just ran into another. “I can’t. It seemed endless. Until the last time, I remember him talking about Lucy, how I would have to be a substitute for what he almost had. I couldn’t stand the thought of him forcing himself on Lucy.”
“Lucy said he tried, but he never succeeded.”
Finn sighed in relief. “I’ll have to go through all of this again if it goes to trial, right?”
“We do have a ton of evidence, but I’m afraid a trial is still a possibility unless they plead out.”
“All I want right now is to go home.” Finn started to tear up again. He wanted to get on a plane and get back home as soon as humanly possible.
“We’ll have more time to interview you befor
e the hearing. I’m sorry you’ve had endure going over all this, but we’ve covered all the major events. The list of charges is long enough already to put them both away for the rest of their natural lives.”
Finn smirked through his tears as he looked into the agent’s eyes. “Good.”
Lucy was actually looking forward to the flight home. Chloe and Olivia were exhausted, so she was sure they would sleep. The girls were coming home with them just as they’d hoped. The Karpovs had named Murphy and Claire as the girls’ guardians should anything happen to them, so it wasn’t hard to work out.
There was one last thing she needed to do before she could get on that flight back to New York. She knew what she had to do. She knew how she needed to do it, but knowing and doing were two very different things.
Jack poked his head in the room. “You ready?”
Every fiber of her being screamed no, but she knew if she didn’t go through with it now, she might not ever do it.
“Yes.” She took Jack’s outstretched hand and let him lead her down a hallway to the backstage of a large meeting room. Sam was speaking to all the reporters gathered there, answering what questions he could. Sam turned to see Lucy was ready.
“The families have decided to make a statement. There will be no questions, only the statement. Please respect their privacy at this time.”
Sam looked back to Lucy, and she nodded that she was ready.
“I’d like to introduce Lucy Butler.”
Lucy walked out onto the stage with Jack at her side. There was a collective gasp followed by a low murmur that swept through the crowd. There must have been over a hundred people in the room. Camera flashes came from every direction. Thankfully, the audience lights were dim, so she could barely see them all as she made it to the microphone. She adjusted it in front of her mouth as she took a deep breath then began to speak.
“I’m Lucy Butler, b-but I guess you all know that.” The room became thick with the tension of the moment. “I wanted to speak to you on behalf of the O’Malley and Butler families, especially for Finn and myself. Mainly, we want to say thank you. Thanks to everyone who spent countless hours searching for us. Please know that all your efforts are greatly appreciated. You will never know the depths of our gratitude.” Lucy swallowed hard before she went into what little she could about how their life had been. “The last few months we’ve had no contact with the outside world, not knowing what all of you were doing or if anyone was looking for us” As she started to tear up, she felt Jack’s fingers lace through her own. She looked over to him.
“I knew this guy would never give up on us. I hear you’ve all had your hands full with him.” She looked back to the audience as another round of camera flashes caught Jack’s grin. “I’m glad he didn’t give up. I’m glad none of you did. As for what happens next, I’m not really sure. We want to get home for one and get some real sleep. I know you all must have a million questions. When Finn and I have a chance to process everything and the authorities decide it’s alright, I hope we will be able to answer some of your questions.” Jack squeezed her hand.
“Until that time, I believe that is all I have to say. Further statements will be released through the website that has been established. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.”
Loud camera flashes bounced off the walls as Jack pulled Lucy off the stage and Sam resumed his place at the podium. Lucy broke down sobbing with relief as they rushed down the hallway, several agents filed in behind them. The agents took the opportunity to get Jack and Lucy into an awaiting van and off to the airport.
Lucy couldn’t sleep on the plane. She was too excited about going home. She stayed cuddled up in Finn’s arms as the miles flew by.
“We’ve got a lot to do. You know, a lot to figure out.” Finn kissed Lucy’s hair as she lay back onto his chest.
“I know. There’s the girls, school, all the legal stuff. They’re going to make us go into some sort of counseling, I’m sure. Then there’s figuring out where we’re going to live and the wedding. It’s enough to make my head spin.”
“The wedding?”
Lucy turned to face him. “Did you forget asking me?”
“No, I just thought after everything you might want to wait.” He knew it was what they both wanted, but they had lost so much time, and he wasn’t sure if they would be ready in time.
“You are not getting out of it that easy, Mr. O’Malley. August fourth is only a few weeks away.”
“You want to go through with it then?”
Lucy looked deep into his eyes. She couldn’t tell if he was wavering on his decision or if he actually thought she would.
“At this moment, I want nothing more in this world to be Mrs. Finn O’Malley. Lucy O’Malley.” She placed a soft kiss on his lips. “Sounds nice, doesn’t it?” She was worried he might call the whole thing off when his response didn’t come immediately. Then his lips curved upward in the grin that always melted her heart.
“Very…but, I haven’t even bought you a ring yet.”
“I don’t need a ring. I don’t need a fancy dress or a cake or a horse drawn carriage. All I need is you, me, and a justice of the peace. I know that now more than ever. I love you, Finn, and I don’t want to be Lucy Butler any longer than I absolutely have to.”
“But it’s Lucy Butler that I fell in love with. Lucy Butler has been my best girl friend since kindergarten. It was Lucy Butler that gave me my first kiss.” He brought his lips to caress hers. He leaned his forehead against hers. “It’s Lucy Butler who I asked to be my wife.”
“You two are still going through with it?” Claire interrupted Finn’s declaration and unwittingly exposed her own eavesdropping. Lucy grinned and nodded. “I’m so happy for the two of you. So, have you set a date yet? We can have the ceremony in the garden. It would be absolutely lovely.”
Lucy took a hold of Claire’s hands. “We don’t need anything extravagant. I don’t think we have much time for all of it.”
“How much time?”
Lucy glanced at Finn before she said, “Weeks?”
Claire eyes simply smiled. “Okay, we can do this. Plenty of time. We need to fix your hair. I think my stylist can do it, no problem.”
Lucy turned back to Finn and ran her fingers through his messy onyx locks. “I’ve kind of gotten used to it, but I do miss those little blonde flecks. The way the light hit it just right; it looked like you had a halo right here.” Her fingers tangled on top of his head.
“We’ll fix it in time. Everything will be perfect. That’s the least I can do after everything I’ve put you through.”
Lucy rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head. “You have not put me through anything. We are alive and strong and all on our way home because of you. It was your brilliant plan, was it not?”
“Well…”
“Finn? You were the mastermind?” Claire looked extremely proud.
“Actually, it was Olivia who gave me the idea. Watching her try to dump powdered fiber in her diaper was priceless.”
The overhead speakers crackled as the pilot announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, if you will please take your seats and make sure your seat belts securely fastened, we are about to make our descent. Flight attendants, please prepare the cabin for landing.”
Claire gave them both a kiss on the cheek before taking her seat beside Murphy as Lucy buckled her seat belt. She laced her fingers through Finn’s as they felt the plane dip, sliding through the clouds.
Walking back into the O’Malley’s house felt like Lucy and Finn’s wildest dream coming true. Everything looked exactly the same, like they’d never left. However, when they got to Finn’s room, it was a different story.
The bed was a mess, sheets and blankets strewn all over. Finn’s t-shirts covered the floor.
“Looks like I forgot to do laundry. This is pretty embarrassing.” Finn laughed at the sight of his usually immaculate room.
Rylan peeked in behind them. “This is my fault. I kind
of lived in here. I’ll clean it up, I swear.”
“It’s fine, Ry.” Finn kissed her on the forehead. “Can you go help Mom get the girls settled? Lucy and I need to do some things; then we’ll be down.”
“Alright. I’ll make sure to lock the door behind me.”
“What first?” Lucy asked.
“We need to get you out of these clothes.” Lucy looked him up and down, a little shocked. “I just mean we need to take a shower and change our clothes. I’ve kind of gotten used to you being in there with me. I’m not sure I can remember how to wash my hair by myself.”
She smacked him playfully on the chest before pecking his lips. “Fine, I’ll do it, but just to make sure that you get clean.”
Finn turned the shower on as Lucy slipped out of her shoes. She slid her jeans and underwear down before taking off her t-shirt and bra. She stepped in the shower with Finn right behind her. It wasn’t difficult to get back into the routine. Lucy’s fingers floated effortlessly down his torso, making sure her soapy hands got every inch clean. She could see the bruises and feel the scars, but it was as if they were just another part of him. The love and attention she gave him replaced the violent acts that had injured him.
Lucy turned as Finn began to massage the shampoo into her scalp. It was one of the few pleasures they had enjoyed over the past few months. She moaned as he hit a particularly sweet spot.
“It’s nice to know I can still do that.”
“Every time you touch me it feels miraculous. The water and soap is just a bonus.”
He laughed as she turned to rinse her hair out. She took in a full view of him as he had taken in the full view of her. They were used to seeing each other naked. Lucy had become accustomed to the ache between her legs that only he caused. She felt selfish though for wanting more, knowing he wasn’t ready to give it.
Once all the shampoo was rinsed from her hair, she started to get out when Finn grabbed her wrist.
“Another minute, please.”
She stepped closer to him, not really sure what to expect. He was standing beneath the shower head, water streaming down his back. He brought his hand up to cup at her left breast, his thumb sliding across it. She closed her eyes and bit down on her lip, trying to stifle a moan. He knew the effect he had on her, pleasure plain and simple. He wanted more. He wanted to know that touching the woman he loved was nothing to be ashamed of.
