Revenge (Broken Hounds MC Book 2)

by Brook Wilder

  Her mind turned over his answer. Finn kept saying war, as if he truly believed they were in one. So, Jackrabbit had been right. He was soldier, through and through. Hannah’s brows furrowed as she thought. There had to be some way to use that information, some way to help her escape. Because the farther they got from her home, the less likely that outcome seemed.

  They continued walking as she tried to riddle it out, the hot Texas sun beating down on them and Hannah was grateful when Finn suddenly stopped ahead of her.

  “What…what is it? Why did we stop?” She started to ask but Finn’s strong hand over her mouth cut off her questions.

  “Be quiet.” His voice was hot and hard against her ear and only then did she see why they had stopped. Just over the hill they were walking across sat a tiny, whitewashed farmhouse but there were no signs of the people who lived there. No lights on. No trucks in the dirt and gravel drive. No dogs barking in the yard.

  “I think it’s empty. For the moment at least,” Finn said, coming to the same conclusion she just had. He dropped his hand from her mouth and wrapped his long fingers instead around her arm. “Let’s go.”

  “Go…where?”

  He cast her a sideways look that told her in no uncertain terms she’d just said something idiotic.

  “The house, princess.” Finn snorted, “Unless you want to walk the rest of the way without food or water. Now, let’s go.”

  He didn’t wait to hear her response, instead pulling her along with him up the rest of the small, grassy hill. His eyes never stopped moving, constantly scanning around them in a way that made Hannah feel downright jumpy.

  Finn gestured for her to stop again, his touch still tingling against the skin of her upper arm. They stood there, completely silent, for a long moment until he was sure the place was empty and only then did he start walking once more. Hannah had no choice but to follow. It was either that, or be dragged behind him and she didn’t fancy that image in the slightest.

  The quaint farmhouse looked so sweet and familiar that it nearly felt like she was home as they walked up onto the covered porch, it’s rocking chairs in place on either side of the door.

  “What are you doing? Just going to knock and hope someone friendly opens the door and lets us in?” Hannah said, her voice edged with sarcasm that Finn either missed, or decided to ignore. He pulled something out of the small rucksack he carried with him and knelt in front of the locked door. A moment later it swung open and he shot her a grin that did something funny to her heartbeat.

  “Lucky for you, I know how to pick locks.”

  “Uh huh. Lucky. That’s exactly how I feel being made a part of your…your criminal endeavors.”

  “Criminal endeavors?” Finn said on snort, shaking his head as he pulled her inside, quickly shutting the door behind them. “It’s just survival, Princess. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “But these people. You’re stealing from them!” Hannah tried to argue but he was already pulling her towards the small but well stocked kitchen. He dragged out a kitchen chair, plopping her in it like a rag doll.

  “You. Sit there. Don’t move. Let’s make this quick and painless before farmer Joe comes back.” Finn didn’t waste any time, following his own words as he hurriedly searched through cupboards and the old, outdated refrigerator. Hannah didn’t waste the time either, scanning the kitchen and what she could see of the living room in search of a phone. But it was useless. The days of landlines were long gone.

  Finn was suddenly in front of her, holding out a glass of water she hadn’t notice him pour. Gratefully, she took the glass. As soon as the cool liquid hit her parched throat she gulped the rest down, not caring about the excess that trickled down her chin. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was. Or hungry.

  Her stomach grumbled, surly at the reminder of how little food she’d eaten in the last day and a half. Just a few small bites of jerky and some small sour apples Finn had picked up during their hike of what felt like the entire state of Texas.

  Hannah held out the now empty glass, hoping for a refill. “Thank you–.” She cut off abruptly as Finn spun, the gun out of his holster and in his hand quicker than she could see. Her eyes widened as she finally noticed what Finn had. A middle aged woman in a worn flower print dress and behind her, a little girl no more than eight or nine watched Finn with blue eyes as wide as saucers.

  Without thought, Hannah moved. She didn’t even realize what she was doing until she was out of the chair and on her feet but a moment later she was standing in front of the woman and her daughter, putting herself in the way of Finn’s aim. The dark barrel of his pistol was pointed straight at her chest.

  ***

  Finn glared at Hannah in shock and frustration. Damn you, princess, get out of the fucking way. But he could tell by the way her shoulders were thrown back and that damned chin was stuck up in the air that she had no intention of moving out of the way. And her eyes, gleaming at him like emerald gemstones, full of a green fire that flashed and flickered with a fierceness that made him want to yell at her and kiss her all at the same time.

  “Move, princess. You don’t know what you’re doing.” His words were hard and mean as he spoke, the gun still pointed straight ahead, straight at Hannah’s heart. If anything, her chin tilted up a little higher as impossible as it seemed.

  “I know exactly what I’m doing,” Hannah said as she stared him down. Her gaze never left his as they clashed together. Hell, he was surprised there weren’t sparks shooting between them. “You are not going to hurt these people. I won’t let you.”

  Finn stared at her, just stared, at this little sprite of a woman with her long dark hair falling around her in waves, her jeans and t-shirt dirty and rumpled from the rough days of travel. She had a smudge of dirt on her forehead, and another on the tip of her nose nearly disguising the freckles that he knew were there. He’d never seen anything fiercer, or more beautiful. But god damn it, was she messing up his plans.

  In fact, from the first moment he’d mistaken Hannah for her sister, nothing had gone the way he’d wanted it to. This whole situation was proof enough of that.

  He stared at her, unable to look away from her fiery gaze, paralyzed by the look she was shooting at him. Part horror and part guilt and all overlaid with something Finn was beginning to realize was all her. A calm, logical way of looking at the world as if everything was a puzzle piece and she just had to find the right way to make them all fit neatly together.

  Well, she was going to learn that that wasn’t the way the real world worked. There was nothing neat or tidy about life, nothing that made sense. Nothing that was fair. It was just a matter of time before she figured that out.

  “Get out of the way, princess,” Finn ground out the words through a jaw so tight he was surprised his teeth didn’t crack under the pressure. But she didn’t budge. Not that he expected her to.

  “Not gonna happen.” She said just as firmly, crossing her arms in front of her chest as if she’d be able to stop him. Finn nearly snorted. Yeah, all five foot nothing of her. The top of her head barely reached the middle of his chest, but still she stood there. Unmoving. Unflinching. Not at all like the fearful, cowed and cooperative hostage he’d hoped she’d be.

  The air between them crackled with a tension that made it hard for him to draw breath, made it hard for him to do anything at ll. With a groan, Finn knew he was defeated. For the first time in a long time, he’d been out strategized.

  “Damn it!” Finn lunged, grabbing Hannah and turning her around so fast her back collided with his front and he pressed the muzzle of the handgun against her ribs just hard enough for her to know it was there, “We’re leaving. Now.”

  “Don’t worry, ma’am. You and your daughter will be just fine,” Hannah said, trying to reassure the terrified looking people. Finn nearly rolled his eyes, “We borrowed some food, and some water. Thanks for that. We’ll just be going now– Oof!”

  Hannah’s gratitude was cut off as Finn forc
ed her outside at gunpoint. He’d had just about enough of his plans going awry and he knew exactly where the blame belonged. Right at the feet of one infuriating miss Hannah Donohue.

  Finn was barely keeping his frustration in check as he pulled her along with him, not stopping until they were out of sight of the farmhouse and the two witnesses they had just left behind. He’d give it five minutes before there was fifty police cruisers rushing onto the scene. They needed to be long gone before that happened.

  With an irritated glance at Hannah had pulled her up close and her eyes were wide on his.

  “Please, don’t shoot me.” Hannah whispered and the words, said just as calmly as ever, tore through him. It was only then that he realized he still had the pistol pressed hard against her side.

  With a disgusted sigh, he holstered the gun.

  “I’m not going to shoot you. You’re my hostage remember?” Finn shook his head. At himself or at her he wasn’t sure, “A dead hostage is not a useful hostage.”

  “Oh, well, that’s just great. Yeah, super reassuring.” Hannah turned to him then, her green eyes wide and wet with some turbulent emotion, “Just let me go. I can walk back to the farmhouse. You can disappear. I won’t tell the police anything, I promise. Let me go.”

  Finn froze for a moment, whatever shred of a conscious he still had raising its head but a lifetime of being alone and betrayed beat it back down again. He forced his voice to harden.

  “We need to keep moving. Not a fucking sound.” Finn turned her around, pushing her forward and a few moments later they were lost once more in the thick forest. The silence was heavy between them and after they were far enough away that he was sure it was safe, Finn spoke.

  “I wouldn’t have shot them, you know.” Finn said, not even sure why he was trying to defend himself, but that didn’t stop him from opening his mouth again, “I wouldn’t have hurt them.”

  Hannah glanced over at him, her eyes big and mysterious before turning back to the path in front of her without saying another word. He wasn’t sure if he was grateful for that or not.

  Chapter 4

  The silence seemed to stretch for miles between them. Just as it had since they’d left the farmhouse hours before. Hannah glanced sideways, taking in Finn’s shadowed jaw, the darkness that dimmed his gray eyed gaze, in fact, everything about him seemed dark. Shrouded somehow in a way that she didn’t think she could ever break through.

  Why would you want to? He’s ruthless criminal. A killer. Not to mention the tiny little fact that he kidnapped you thinking you were your sister and now has god knows what sort of nefarious plans in store for you.

  Hannah nodded her head, acknowledging the truth of her thoughts. But that didn’t change the fact that Finn Walker was a puzzle, and figuring out puzzles was more than a hobby for her. It was an obsession.

  Ever since her mother had given her that very first book of riddles, the one that she’d read until the binding had started to crumble, Hannah had been in love with them. Answers to problems that others couldn’t solve had always come easy to her. Except for now. Except for him.

  She could still see that little girls terrified expression when Finn had pulled his gun and aimed it at them. She could the see the cold ruthlessness glittering in his gray eyes. Hannah glanced down, catching sight of the sandals that he’d found for her. She remembered the almost gentle way he’d bandaged her wrists after rubbing them raw on the rope that had held her bound.

  His actions and words were such a juxtaposition, one minute hard and mean and ruthless and then next…Hannah blushed as she remembered the kiss. That was a memory that would be seared into her brain forever.

  Sure, she’d had a boyfriend throughout high school but the few awkward fumbling’s in the back of Tyler’s truck had certainly not prepared her for the intense reaction to Finn. Logically, Hannah reasoned that her heightened sense of awareness had probably been due to the adrenaline pumping through her system but that didn’t make the affect any less potent.

  She shivered as she remembered the way his lips felt, the pressure of his body, so much bigger and harder than her own, pressed against her in the dark. The sweet smell of the forest surrounding her. Hannah inhaled and immediately wrinkled her nose.

  After nearly two full days of hiking across the Texas countryside her own smell was more on the pungent side. Hannah glanced over at Finn again, wondering if she should ask him when they would stop. Maybe they could find some sort of pond or stream that she could wash off in.

  The thought of stripping anywhere in Finn’s vicinity had her cheeks blushing bright red and she was glad his own gaze was locked on the path ahead of them. As they continued to walk, the hot sun baking her with every step, Hannah’s thoughts began to waver.

  She imagined her sister, and her baby daughter. What they were doing. Whether or not they knew Hannah was missing yet. She hated knowing that it would cause Rachael worry when all she should be focused on was her sweet newborn.

  Hannah imagined her mother. She was just a vague memory now, with the same dark hair and laughing eyes. Hannah wondered what her life would have been like if she’d stuck around. How different would she be? Would she be more trusting? Would she still put the world in tiny, logical boxes that she could dissect? Would she be able to feel?

  Hannah shook her head at the thought, swiping at the sweat beading on her forehead. She could feel. She did feel. Deeply. Sure, perhaps she preferred that things made sense, but didn’t everyone?

  As her mind churned, her feet grew heavier and heavier with every step. The stress and wear of the last two days were finally starting to catch up to her and Hannah could feel it in every screaming, aching muscle.

  As morning wore on into afternoon, the pain faded to numbness. Distantly, Hannah wondered why she wasn’t more afraid. She knew any rational person would be terrified, but she wasn’t.

  Maybe I’m too exhausted to be frightened, Hannah thought to herself, lord knows I’m plenty tired. And hot. God, why is it so damned hot?

  Hannah stumbled on a dip in the path, tried to regain her balance but the world seemed to suddenly shift around her. Almost like everything had turned to liquid and was ripping out in dizzying waves.

  “Finn…” Hannah opened her mouth, barely able to get out the word but somehow, he heard. She tripped again, falling into him as she reached out a steadying hand just in time to see Finn’s eyes narrow in concern on her face.

  “Hey, princess,” Finn said, turning towards her now, “You alright?”

  She tried to tell him she was fine. She tried to tell him anything but she couldn’t make a sound. It was like her mouth had forgotten how to work. Hannah had just grabbed weakly onto the fabric of his shirt when her legs went out from under her. A second later, everything went black.

  ***

  Finn swore he heard Hannah whisper his name and then he felt the contact ricochet through his own body as she stumbled against him. He turned to her in surprise.

  “Hey, princess, you alright?” He asked, but he could already see the answer written all over her face. She was pale as a ghost and he was just in time to see her eyes roll back in her head a moment before he reached for her.

  Finn caught her before she could hit the ground and quickly checked her pulse. It was beating fast but not fast enough to cause him to panic. He’d seen that familiar look of fatigue before that he’d just seen in her face.

  For a long moment, he knelt there with her surprisingly slight weight supported in his arms as he looked down at her. Finn wiped some of the damp sweat from her pale forehead and for the first time, he let himself truly think about what he was doing.

  He’d kidnapped her believing she was Rachael, believe she was Jackrabbit’s woman and that he’d be able to use her as part of his plan to get his revenge. But even after discovering that he’d made a major fuck up and kidnapped the wrong sister, he’d still refused to let her go. He’d continued to tell himself that he could use her to his own ends.

&n
bsp; For the first time in as long as he could remember, Finn was conflicted. Part of him, a small part of him but there nonetheless, was telling him that Hannah was an innocent in all of this.

  But another part, the louder part, the part that had helped him survive all these years with no one to rely on but himself, knew that he could still use her to get to Jackrabbit. Could use her to make him pay. To make them all pay for what they did. It was the least that they deserved. It wasn’t as if they’d never hurt an innocent.

  Finn gently swept stray tendrils of dark auburn hair away from her face as he looked down at her but the tender gesture was at odds with the violent images that filled his mind. Memories of what had happened between them, memories of how Jackrabbit and Hatchet had betrayed him.

  Mad Dog had been the old leader of the Roadburners and Finn had never met a meaner bastard in his life. After he returned from his second tour of duty, his life had been in shambles. He’d had no home. No family. No job. And a hell of a problem with authority.