by Lyra Parish
“Now she will die for you. Do you have anything to say?” she asked.
He sucked in a deep breath and exhaled. Finnley didn’t say a word. He was too strong to give her the satisfaction, to provoke her.
“Is it worth it? Is she worth it? Is she worth dying for?” Jesse’s voice was low and menacing as if the devil himself was forcing her to speak.
I had to do something. I had to stop this. She released my hair, and I inched forward as she focused on Finnley, then Jesse pointed the gun in the air and shot a silenced round straight up.
“Fucking stop. Don’t you fucking move, or I’ll kill you both right here where we stand. I’ll do it. I’ll fucking do it,” she screamed at the top of her range and her hand shook with anger.
She took another step toward me and placed the metal under my chin.
“I want to do it so badly. I want to watch you bleed out. I want to watch you take your last breath,” Jesse said and pulled the trigger of the gun.
Click.
No bullet.
She laughed. “Oh, you’re so lucky you didn’t get one of my three rounds.”
A tremor of fear rushed through me. She pulled another gun from the back of her pants and pointed it at Finnley.
The thought of Caitlyn and Luke sitting inside the car watching this killed me. I didn’t want to die today. I didn’t want to die until I was supposed to, and it wasn’t my time, not like this.
I opened my mouth to speak, then shut it when I saw something move in my peripheral. I focused on her dark eyes and the hatred that swirled within them. Her hot breath brushed against my face, and I swallowed while tears streamed down my cheeks. I hoped she wouldn’t play bullet roulette with us again, but I knew we wouldn’t be so lucky. After a few more seconds, she placed one gun to my head and one to Finnley’s.
“On the count of three, we are going to see who drops dead first. One of you, maybe both at the same time. This is going to be fun,” Jesse snarled.
Finnley squeezed my hand.
“Three. You should have chosen me, Finnley. Two. This is the biggest mistake you’ve ever made. One.”
That’s when I saw Luke run in a quiet sprint toward Jesse. A glint of something reflected from his hand as he stayed light on his feet. I couldn’t quite see what he had. I swallowed and watched as he jerked Jesse by the hair, took her into a chokehold, and whispered something in her ear. Fear covered Jesse’s face, and she had enough time to look at me then Finnley before Luke sliced through her carotid artery. Blood sprayed across Finnley and me, and Jesse dropped one of the guns and grabbed her neck to stop the bleeding. With her last ounce of her strength, she pulled the trigger of the other gun before she dropped to her knees. Click. No bullet.
When Jesse’s face hit the pavement, darkness poured from within her.
Luke dropped the knife and looked at me. I had no words as tears streamed down my face. Everything that I had been holding back released itself forcefully. My emotions were consuming me like a black hole consumed matter. I was stuck in a singularity where nothing made sense. Finnley pulled me close. Caitlyn rushed out of the limo and slammed herself into Luke’s blood covered body. Tears ran down her face. She was a sobbing mess.
“I can’t lose you,” she whispered.
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “We are safe now.”
I sucked in air trying to comprehend everything that had happened but I couldn’t. Thick and heavy shock moved through me. I was trembling, and Finnley held on to me tightly. Adrenaline and shock had that effect on people. He whispered in my ear as I let every built up emotion pour out of me. “Babe, it’s okay. We are okay. You’re okay. We are safe. No more worries. It’s over. I love you.”
Luke walked over to us and we exchanged hugs and tears.
“Sometimes love is worth killing for. She made me do terrible things that are still hard for me to live with. No one messes with my family,” Luke said. He opened both arms, and we stood there, all three of us hugging each other. Cait squeezed in and my family was complete. We were together. We were safe.
Charlie stepped out of the limo and pulled us all away from the bloody scene.
“We need to call the police,” Charlie said.
“Yes, of course,” Finnley said, calm, cool, and collected.
Caitlyn and Luke kissed each other between tears. Finnley wrapped his arms around me and ran his fingers through my hair. Blood coated our clothes, and I couldn’t stop replaying what had happened.
Finn looked down at me, then grabbed my face and forced me to stare into his eyes. I felt myself falling into a solid state of shock. Finnley repeated himself, and the chains broke inside me, releasing me from fear.
“It is over. She’s gone,” I said in a whisper, allowing it to fully sink in.
“I’ll never let anything happen to you. I promised you that. I love you so fucking much.” He pulled me into his chest and the warmth of his breath lingered on the nape of my neck.
Charlie called the police and explained that we had been held at gunpoint and one person was dead. Self-defense.
Finnley grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the house. Before we stepped in, a black limo sped down the driveway and slammed on its brakes. We all stopped. Finnley pulled out his gun, ready to shoot, but when he saw Abbot, he placed it back in the holster.
“What the holy fuck happened?”
He glanced at us, at Luke and Caitlyn, and then at Charlie, before he saw Jesse’s body on the ground with the knife and guns beside her. He bent down, grabbed Jesse by her hair, inspected the wound, then dropped her face on the pavement. None of it fazed him, but I hadn’t expected it to.
I couldn’t watch. It was too much. Bile rose in my stomach, and I dry heaved.
“Nice fucking work. Clean cut. I wish I had been here to kill the bitch myself though. Who’s responsible?”
“I am,” Luke said.
Abbot gave him a nod and a smile. “I’m here to talk about this if you need it.”
A silent conversation passed between them and I knew it was over.
It was all really over.
FINNLEY
Thirty-three
Weeks had passed since the incident, and our lives were beginning to settle down, to become some sort of normal, which I enjoyed. Abbot and his men had traveled back to London. The mobsters, gangsters, and bikers had been paid to keep quiet, and we had made a pact. It was over, and now we could all move on as if it hadn’t happened.
I hadn’t felt this happy in years. Finally, I was myself again. Jennifer’s love was like the white sand in Hawaii. Somehow it had pushed itself into the smallest of crevices of my heart, filling all of my voids, and I could never get her out of there. I didn’t want to. For once, I had a reason to live, and I was no longer married to my job. It was time to start living again, and I couldn’t wait. Truth be known, I had been living since the day since I kissed her. A smile met my lips when I thought back to that moment and how feisty and beautiful she was. Jennifer was different, eccentric, and beautiful in her own way. She was mine.
I still couldn’t believe we were married. It seemed like a dream, and every morning when I woke up and realized this was my reality, I made sure to kiss her. Being thankful for having her in my life didn’t quite describe how I felt. It was almost too much to comprehend. Love tended to do that to people. Love. She was the definition of it. She was the reason my heart continued to beat, and why I woke up every morning. Jennifer Felton, my wife, lover, best friend, and confidant was my reason to live. Now that I had her, I would never be the same. My life now revolved around her and her happiness.
The sun hadn’t risen yet, but I was wide-awake, staring at the ceiling. Small breaths escaped from Jennifer, and I knew she was sound asleep. I rolled over and kissed her on the neck, then slipped out of bed.
The cold floor caused a chill to run through me. I put on some slippers and walked down stairs. The clock on the coffee pot blinked five a.m. Too early, but som
ething was lingering on my mind, something that I had to do and that couldn’t wait any longer. I poured coffee beans into the grinder and turned it on. The fragrance of freshly ground beans made my mouth water. Caffeine, I needed it desperately.
Not that it made the coffee brew faster, but I watched the dark liquid drip until it was finished, then pulled a cup from the cabinet and poured a fresh cup. Black. Hot. Steaming. Delicious. I sat at the table and sipped my coffee, thinking about what I would do.
I wished things would have turned out differently for Jesse, but I refused to blame myself for her death. Not often did people fool me so easily, but this wasn’t my fault.
I took another sip of coffee and continued to stare into the blank space of the living room. Then, without hesitation, I picked up the phone. After I finished my conversation, I walked upstairs and climbed into bed. Jennifer rolled over and looked at me with hooded eyes.
“Where’d you go?” She pulled the blanket up to her neck and slowly closed her eyes.
“I had some business to take care of.” I climbed under the covers and wrapped my arms around her. We fit together like perfect pieces of a puzzle, and I loved it.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” I whispered.
“Hmm,” she said, slowly drifting in and out of sleep. “I’ve got a surprise for you,” she whispered.
I narrowed my eyes at her as curiosity swept through me.
“You go first,” she said.
“You.”
“Nope,” she said.
I shook her arm and waited.
She opened her eyes and stared at me. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“I purchased your parents’ house.”
After she shot up in bed, she turned her body to me and just stared with her mouth open. I reached over and turned on the lamp beside the bed. The warm glow filled the room. I could see Jennifer’s hair was a mess, and a huge smile filled her face. Then, after another moment, she placed her hands over her face and quietly sobbed. I sat up and pulled her to my chest.
“What’s wrong? I thought this would please you.”
She didn’t say a word, and I didn’t force her to, not until she was finished. Minutes passed, and she pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. “It makes me so happy. I never … never thought it would be mine again.” More tears streamed down her face and I wiped them away with a smile.
“So these are happy tears,” I said.
“What about Mr. and Mrs. Hanley?” she asked between sniffles.
“Oh, they were overly pleased with my offer, and can’t wait to hand the keys over to us.”
She reached over and hugged my neck, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. Next thing I knew, she was straddling me, leaning down and kissing me, and pouring herself into me.
I placed both hands behind my head and gave her my signature look. “It’s your turn,” I said.
She placed a finger over my mouth, and I sucked on her finger.
“Your turn, Mrs. Felton.”
She shook her head, and that’s when the tickle war started. She laughed so hard and tried to wriggle free to the point that I started laughing.
“You’re going to make me pee myself, stop!” She tried to sound demanding, so I temporarily stopped and threatened her with my fingers.
“You’ve got until the count of ten until you get more tickles.”
“No! Please. Not tickles.”
“Dun dun. Dun dun. Dun dun,” I said, moving closer to her.
She rolled on top of me and pinned my arms above my head.
“I kind of like you dominating me, Mrs. Felton. It’s fucking hot.”
Her face turned serious for a moment before she leaned down and kissed me. I gave her everything I had, all of me, every single piece.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered into my mouth, and then kissed me, and that’s when the tears began streaming down my face. She pulled away and stared at me with a huge smile on her face, then leaned down and began kissing away my salty tears. I rubbed my hands over my face.
” You’re …?” I had to ask again. I had to know that I had heard her correctly.
“Pregnant,” she whispered.
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me, as close as she could be.
“Since when? How do you know? Do you feel okay? Can I do anything for you?”
She chuckled and propped herself up on one arm. “Only a few weeks. I took a pregnancy test when I missed my period and saw a faint line. I feel fine. Love me.”
” I’m … I’m going to be a father,” I whispered.
She nodded her head.
“I will love you forever, Mrs. Felton. Forever. With everything I am. I’ll love you and our baby. I can’t wait to be the perfect daddy to our little one. Right now I’m the happiest man in the world. When I’m holding our precious baby, I’ll be a million times happier than I am right now, which doesn’t even seem possible. I love you so much. So so so much.” I leaned over and kissed her, then ran my fingers under her shirt and over her stomach, feeling her smooth skin. I never wanted to forget this moment, and I never would. It was the morning that my heart melted and my world completely changed forever.
I would be a father.
Jennifer would be a mother.
Together, we would be a happy little family.
JENNIFER
Epilogue
The moment I looked into the face of our little boy, my only reason to live was for Finnley Felton, Jr. He had the sweetest smell, like cinnamon and baby powder, and his scent filled the room. We agreed to call him Little Finnley, or even Junior, but I knew he had to be named after his handsome father.
When Finnley first laid eyes on little Finn, tears streamed down his face. He whispered to his son and held him so close to his heart that I didn’t even notice I was crying.
“I’m your daddy, Little Finnley. You’re going to have the best life ever, little dude. You have the most beautiful mother in the world, and the best dad. I’ll always be here for you, and I’ll never let anyone hurt you. I love you so much, son.”
My heart swelled when I heard little sounds coming from Finnley.
Finn looked at me with the biggest grin on his face. Love and happiness had overcome him. I had never seen him so happy.
“He knows!” he said.
“He does.”
I was so tired. I just wanted to sleep, but I couldn’t stop staring at my husband and son, and at how beautiful the moment was. It was a moment that I never wanted to forget for the rest of my life.
When the nurse entered, she stood at the door and just smiled at us.
“He seems to be doing just fine,” she said.
“Thank you,” I said, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene. Finnley kissed Junior on his head so many times, and told him how handsome he was and how much he loved him. To think we could have so much love for a human that was so small. As soon as little Finnley had taken his first breath, it was like he had breathed a tunnel straight to our hearts. After a few more kisses, he placed Junior in his bassinet. He walked over to me and fell to his knees. As his green eyes looked over me, a smile spread across his lips and took over his body.
“He is so beautiful. You are so beautiful,” he said, then leaned over and gently kissed my lips.
I had never felt so alive, or the amount of love that flooded through my veins. My emotions were almost too much to comprehend. Finnley and I had created the most perfect baby in the entire world.
A few knocks pounded against the door, pulling us from our moment that I wanted to last forever. Luke and Caitlyn walked in, hand in hand, with huge smiles on their faces.
“There’s Uncle Luke and Aunt Cait,” I said, returning a huge smile. Luke came over to the bed, leaned down, and gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek.
Cait leaned down and kissed me on the cheek too. “I love you, sis. Looking as beautiful as ever.”
“Pssh. You don’t have to lie.”
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They walked over to baby Finnley and leaned over his bed.
“Holy shit,” Luke said.
“Shhhh,” Finnley said. “Don’t teach my kid to curse this early. Language!”
Luke tucked his lips into his mouth to hold back laughter, but after he realized Finnley was only half joking, he whispered he was sorry. “He looks just like you when you were a baby, Finn. I mean, identical.”
Cait had so much adoration in her eyes as she looked down at baby Finnley. Even if I had wanted to, I couldn’t have stopped smiling. True happiness tended to do that to people.
“He’s so beautiful, Jenn. The most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen,” she said. Luke wrapped his arm around Cait, and they just looked at their nephew with so much love and happiness.
“Can’t wait to teach you how to spit and curse, little buddy,” Luke said, taunting Finnley.
“I’ll kick your arse, Luke,” Finnley said. He stood, carefully lifted Little Finnley from his bed, and placed him into Luke’s arms.
Luke immediately placed his hand on Little Finnley’s head and just held him. I almost thought I saw a tear run down his face, but when I looked over at him, it was gone. I just wanted to tell him it was okay to love his nephew that much, but I didn’t want to tease him while he took his moment. Caitlyn took baby Finnley from Luke’s arms, and the two of them couldn’t take their eyes off each other. Caitlyn and Luke were really in love. I could see it from a million miles away. Something passed between them at that moment, and it wasn’t just a beautiful baby boy. It was a silent communication. I could recognize love from anywhere. Finnley turned and looked at me with an arched eyebrow. He had noticed it too.
After an hour, Luke and Cait gave me goodbye kisses and hugs. I could barely hold my eyes open.
Finnley sat on the edge of the bed and moved the loose hairs from my face.
“I love you so much, Jennifer. I can’t imagine my life without you or baby Finn.”
“I love you too, Finnley. You’re going to be the best daddy.”
“I can’t wait to watch him grow into a man. I can’t wait to raise him with you. Also, I have something to tell you,” he said.
