by Lyra Parish
I closed my eyes to try and take control of the rollercoaster of emotions. Jesse was telling people she was related to me to learn more about me. She had stooped to a level so low, so despicable, and I had to tell Finnley and Abbot as soon as possible. What if she was at the house, staying in one of the rooms at this very minute? My paranoia kicked into overdrive.
“She seemed really nice and genuine,” Abbie said.
“Most psychos do, Abbie. She is a dangerous woman. She will not stop until I’m dead. I’m not kidding when I say this. I am in danger, and I’m scared for myself, and for anyone who knows me. So you have to be careful. I’m not fucking kidding. She could have killed you.”
Abbie looked at me, completely confused. “This woman didn’t look like she would hurt a fly.”
“What exactly did she look like?”
“Brown hair, skinny. She kind of had the same frame and look as you. You know, like you could be sisters or something.”
My heart pounded. It was true that Jesse and I were around the same height and weight, and I supposed we sort of looked alike and had similar bone structure. If she had dyed her hair from blonde to brown, then I could almost see the resemblance.
“Come with me to Vegas. You can move into my old townhouse and I can provide protection. I have to make sure you’re safe. I need to know that she won’t hurt you. You’re the closest thing to family that I have left.”
Abbie tilted her head at me, and shot me a smile, shaking her head.
“I can’t, Jenn. I’ve got too much going on. Plus, Mom hasn’t been doing too well. I need to stay here in case she needs me. Don’t worry about me. But Jenn, please forgive me for what I did. I know it’s not the same as it used to be between us. I’m sorry for everything I said and for everything I did,” she said.
“I should have told you about how I felt about Finnley. I shouldn’t have lied, but you shouldn’t have believed me either. We will make it through this. I’m just worried about you. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you. Please come to Vegas,” I said, pleading. I knew she saw the fear and worry in my eyes.
“You acted like you were happy being single. You dodged my questions about him. You were convincing in your demonization of him. But it was still my mistake, one that I’ll have to live with. I should have never pursued him, and if I could go back in time and do it all differently, I would. I love you like a sister. We’ve been through everything together, and I can’t stand the thought of losing you over my ridiculous lapse in judgment. I’m sorry. I want your friendship back. I miss you,” she said.
I realized I should have told her the truth about my feelings instead of hiding them. She was my best friend, the closest person to me, the one who had been through hell and back with me.
“I forgive you,” I whispered.
She squeezed my fingers, and I noticed tears streaming down her face.
“It’s okay,” I said trying to calm her.
“I can’t help the tears. I regret what I did so much. I’m so sorry.” She placed her hands over her face and quietly cried it out.
“I know, Abbie. We’re friends for life regardless. Nothing happened. We have to move forward with our relationship. But while you are here, I have to know you’re safe. If you feel like you’re in danger, please call me. Seriously.”
Abbie wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly opened her coat jacket. Inside, I saw the handle of a gun. My mouth fell open for the second time that day, and my eyes widened. “You’re packing?”
“Got my concealed carry license. Can never be too prepared. So please, don’t worry about me. I’m going to be fine. You will too,” Abbie said in a soft voice.
Abbie checked her watch then looked at me. “I don’t want to leave, but I have to bring Mom dinner by eight. If you want, you can come with me. It will be fun. I promise.”
“I shouldn’t. Tell Mom I said hi and that I miss her. I promise once life settles down, I’m coming home and staying for a month. When I lived here, I hated it. I just wanted to get away. Now that I’m away, I just want to come home. They say home is where the heart is, but that’s shit. Home will always be here in this crappy little town with nothing to do. Home will always be here, but my heart is in Vegas and with Finnley. I can’t live without him.”
“You have to live, Jenn. Home will always be here when you want to visit. You’re finally living and you’re in love. It’s one of the most beautiful things to witness. Enjoy it.”
She stood and so did I. She gave me a hug, then walked out the door. I hadn’t even taken a sip of my coffee. I grabbed it and brought it with me. Then I noticed Abbie had stopped at the Range Rover, so I picked up my pace. She glanced over at me and smiled before she walked to her car. Abbot sat there in the seat with a devilish grin slapped across his face.
“What the fuck was that?” I asked.
“Your friend’s hot. I was just complimenting her,” Abbot said.
“No. That’s off-limits.”
“Nothing is off-limits for me.” He chuckled, and I rolled my eyes as he rolled up the window.
I slipped inside the BMW before I could slap that smile from Abbot’s face.
Finnley started the car and shook his head at me while laughing. “You let him get to you too much. He knows that, so he makes sure to keep doing it.”
“Sometimes he’s so aggravating.”
“That’s Abbot. You’ll learn to love him though. When he’s not killing people, he’s actually a pretty nice guy.”
“Oh God. You say it so simply, like being a monster is normal.”
He lifted his eyebrow at me and slammed on the gas. “Baggage comes with being the leader of the gang of London. If it’s between us and someone else, he will always choose our safety. Have you ever heard the saying ‘there is no free lunch’? It’s the basic principle of economics, and well, it’s true in all aspects. Nothing is free. Ever. Someone is paying for it somewhere. Abbot pays with his freedom.”
JENNIFER
Fourteen
The sun had fallen behind the trees and its orange glow filled the sky. When it looked like this, it reminded me of early morning. We rode in silence, so the sounds of the road and revs of the engine filled the car. I looked in the side mirror and saw Abbot following our every lane change until we were exiting toward the house. An emotion bubbled inside me, one that meant change was coming, and soon it would completely boil over. When I caught sight of the Christmas lights, a smile touched my lips. From the end of the driveway, one could see the twinkling ten-foot Christmas tree through the open bay windows. I loved the way the house looked.
Finnley came around and opened my door. I grabbed my coffee and walked over to Abbot. When I knocked on the window, he narrowed his eyes at me. We had somehow acquired some weird brother and sister relationship. I rolled my eyes at him.
“Abbie said Jesse was going around asking questions about me. That she dyed her hair brown. I warned her to be careful, but …” I really didn’t want to ask the next part, but I knew I had to. I turned and faced Finnley, then Abbot. “Can you make sure she’s okay and that nothing horrible happens to her? I just … I would blame myself.”
If anyone could protect Abbie, it was Abbot. The man was a warrior.
Finnley gave Abbot a nod, and Abbot gave me a small smile.
“Consider it taken care of,” Abbot said, then turned the running lights off on the Rover.
“Thank you,” I whispered to Finnley. I glanced at him, then turned and looked out from the porch. Home. Randomly, I thought about the sounds of summer and how I missed them. I’d sat on that porch countless times growing up. I’d cried, laughed, and mourned on those steps. The chill of the night air spread across my arms. Finnley opened the front door and waited for me with a sexy smirk on his face.
When I stepped inside, he grabbed my arm and pulled me close. Our lips gently brushed up against each other’s.
“I love watching you get lost in your thoughts. Sometimes I wish
I knew what you were thinking,” he whispered, and the softness of his voice carried me away to another place. Soft, sensitive Finnley still caught me off guard, and at times, it was hard for me to comprehend. I expected him to be an ass every hour of the day, exchanging pointless banter with me, but that wasn’t him. What we had now was miles away from senseless fucking. It was different. It was love.
“And I’m sorry for this weekend,” he said.
I pushed away from him, then looked into his glimmering green eyes and knew he’d meant it.
“Whoa. No. Don’t you dare be sorry. As long as I’m with you, nothing else matters. Nothing. Do you understand?”
“I’ll make this up to you, even if it’s the last thing I do.”
The low-lights spread across the room, and all was quiet. I leaned against the front door and crossed my arms. Finnley moved toward me, erasing the space between us. He laced his fingers with mine and brought my hand above my head. The warmth of our breaths swirled between us, then our mouths went into attack mode. I closed my eyes and fully took in the softness of his lips on mine. Each movement was slow, precise, and full of so much love. His tongue traced my mouth as if he were trying to memorize it. I almost lost it when Finnley sucked and nibbled on my bottom lip, then swept his hand down the side of my face and lifted my chin upward. He forced me to stare into his eyes. When I did, nothing mattered because I fell and got lost with him. Could I be stuck in a dream? Was this really my life? What had I done to deserve this?
Lightly, he brushed his lips across mine like the soft tips of butterfly wings and ended the kiss with a smile on my mouth. My heart fluttered, and a knot of want tied in the pit of my stomach. Forcefully, I slipped my fingers in the loops of his pants and pulled him as close as he could get. The smell of his body, his soap, and the faint hint of cologne whisked me away. Finnley was all man and all mine.
He bent down and bit my neck, causing bursts of fireworks and pain to shoot through me. I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled his face to mine. “You keep on with that and you might regret it.”
“No, Ms. Downs. I’ll never regret anything with you, ever,” he said.
“Call me Ms. Downs while you can, Mr. Felton.” I smirked and he tried to kiss it away. Finnley grabbed my hand and led me up the stairs that no longer squeaked. I smiled thinking about how the house had changed but the memories of the little things were still there.
We walked into the bedroom, and I heard the click of the door locking.
“One day you’ll be Mrs. Felton. When that happens, I’ll be the happiest man alive,” Finnley said. His voice was husky, low, and full of sex appeal, want, and need. He unbuttoned his shirt, and I stared at his sculpted abs and the pink wound from where the gunshot had grazed his side. I moved to him and gently brushed my hand against his side.
“Does it hurt?”
“Yes. But losing you would have hurt more.”
I exhaled a deep breath through my mouth, then wrapped my arms around him and hugged his waist.
Finnley removed his shoes and socks, and lay on the bed. I undressed down to my underwear and bra, and he grabbed my hand and pulled me close to him. I laid my head on his bare shoulder and rested my arm over his stomach. With light fingers, he traced circles on the outside of my arm. Being with him like this made me feel alive, like a bird with its wings spread, soaring through summer clouds, free from the shackles that had once held me down. Everything I had ever wanted was mine. Just the thought of him, even though he was right beside me, stole extra beats of my heart.
Finnley propped himself up on one arm, brushed his fingers across my stomach, and trailed them up between my breasts. His touch was as sweet as his words.
“What are you doing to me?” I whispered.
“Loving you with everything I am.”
He leaned over and kissed my shoulder. His long eyelashes brushed the tops of his cheeks.
“I love you, Finn.”
“I love you more, Jenn.”
The next morning, we woke with a start. No nightmares had ruined my sleep. I hadn’t had one in days. I packed my things and set my suitcase by the door. We were due back at the airport in the afternoon, but before we left, I had one thing I had to do.
“Can we go to my parents’ graves, please?”
“Of course,” Finnley said as he zipped up the suitcase. We gathered everything and walked downstairs, where Mr. and Mrs. Hanley were serving a full breakfast to their guests. She lifted her head and smiled, trying to wave us over. She walked into the hallway, wiping her hands on her apron, and insisted that we eat.
“Thank you so much, but we really have to get going,” I said.
She handed Finnley and me a muffin each, gave us hugs, wished us safe travels, and demanded we come back soon.
“Thank you, Mrs.,” Finnley said. British charm.
The temperature had dropped even more, and I shivered as soon as I walked outside. Finnley had started the car from inside with the key, so it was warm. I looked down the driveway and saw the Rover in the distance. Abbot must have slept there all night.
Though the cemetery was just a mile down the road, it felt as though it were cities away. The clouds were death, doom, and destruction, and I knew that we would be having one of those signature Texan thunderstorms, where the sky wept and filled the streets with rain all within a few minutes.
Finnley pulled in the driveway, and I pointed to where he should park. Abbot pulled in behind us and got out of the Rover, but Finnley shooed him away. This was a private matter, and he knew that. Abbot stayed leaning against the dark blue Range Rover.
My parents were buried under an oak tree that stayed green throughout the year. I always thought it was so morbid that they knew where they would be buried, but now I understood. It was almost comforting to know. My heart raced when we made our way down the pathway.
When we made it to the tree, I gasped. Heaviness so smothering weighed down on me when I saw my parents’ headstones turned over and cracked. Tears of anger, question, and disgust streamed down my face. Who would do such a thing? Finnley wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“Who … who would do such a terrible thing?” My voice was small as I pushed with everything I could to talk. I couldn’t handle what I was seeing. I dropped to my knees and covered my face with my hands.
“Mom and Dad. I’m so sorry. This is my fault.” I felt like I had lost them all over again.
Finnley balled his hands into fists, and when I looked at him through tear-filled eyes, I could see the anger streaming through him. His nostrils flared, and he was grinding his teeth.
“Fucking Jesse,” he said more to himself than to me. “I’m going to fix this.”
I felt like the sky. I felt like letting it all pour out, flooding the streets to the point of not being able to see. Finnley held me close as we walked back to the car. Abbot shook his head and gave me sad eyes. Finnley and I got inside the car, and he slammed the door behind him.
In July, I had ran away from Texas. I could admit that now.
Seeing their headstones in pieces awoke an anger inside me that I had never experienced before. Ripples of rage shot through me, and I wanted revenge. No longer would I run from my problems; instead, I would go after them head on.
FINNLEY
Fifteen
We made it to Houston in record time, despite the traffic that filled I-10 at all times of the day. My anger fueled how fast I drove, and I was surprised Abbot was able to keep up with all the lane changes and accelerations. But then again, he was an expert when it came to car chases. The rental company allowed us to drop off our cars and gave us a shuttle to the private hangar that I had rented for the weekend.
Jennifer hadn’t said a word since we had left Port Arthur. She had sealed herself completely shut, and I refused to push her to talk about it. The look on her face killed me, and I felt myself being destroyed from the inside out. The urge to protect her, and to somehow take her pain away, gnawed at me. I never w
anted to see her look so broken again, and I would make sure I stayed true to that. My heart couldn’t handle it. I couldn’t handle it. Someone had destroyed her parents’ place of rest out of pure disrespect, and I had no doubt in my mind that it was Jesse. She was an evil, vindictive bitch like that.
I opened the door to the plane and held my hand out for Jennifer. I gave her a smile, and she gave me a sad one in return. Abbot climbed in the back, and soon we were making our way down the runway. It hadn’t started raining yet, but I knew it would at any moment, which always made flying more interesting.
Once we were in the air, I grabbed Jennifer’s hand and squeezed it. She had to know that she wasn’t alone in this, and that I was there for her. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the seat. We continued forward through the rain and turbulence, but I had learned to fly through this shit and enjoyed the challenge. Though challenges usually got me in trouble.
Abbot spoke, almost in a whisper, and pulled me from my thoughts. “They’ve tracked her down, ya know.”
Jennifer’s eyes shot open, and she turned to look at Abbot.
“Her phone has been traced and was last seen in Arizona. It’s believed that she went to Port Arthur, stopped in Houston, spotted you all, tried to do everything in her power to fuck you up, and is now driving back to Vegas. She’s also in a rental car. And I’ve gotten word from Baxtor that she’s recruiting men, paying them large amounts of money. Finnley, when we get back, I need you to check everything you can at the office to make sure she isn’t funneling money. There is no way she can pay for all of this, and it sickens me to think that you’re paying for your own demise.”
I closed my eyes and massaged my eyelids. “Thank you, Abbot. I’m planning to go back to work tomorrow. There are several things at the office that can’t wait.”
Jennifer looked at me. I hated telling her this way, but she had to know that I couldn’t stay home.
“Abbot will be with you at all times,” I said.
