Finn

by Ahren Sanders

  Ember and I have talked about ten times. Each time one of us gets a text or a measly two-minute phone call, we update each other. So far, there is nothing to be alarmed about. Finn sounds tired, but assures me he’s fine. The same with Robbie. Even Max has joined our daily calls. He had to go back to Virginia the day the guys left for Louisiana, and he doesn’t hide that he feels out of the loop.

  The tune to “Outta the Woods” rings out, and I fumble to get to my phone. In my dash, I drop the bottle of water I’m holding, and it pours down my shirt before landing on the floor.

  “Dammit! Shit! Hello!” I say, out of breath and jumping around.

  “Presley? You okay?” Finn’s voice is full of concern.

  “I’m fine. I was in such a rush to get to the phone I spilled water everywhere. Sorry.”

  His light laugh is soothing. “Glad to know I can get you wet without being in the same state.”

  “Finn! You’re incorrigible.”

  “Oh yeah, baby. Keep going. I love it when you throw out the big words.”

  I drop to the sofa and fling my head back, giggling at the ceiling. “How about you come home, and I’ll promise to recite the entire SAT prep exam to you in bed, naked.”

  “Get ready and clear your schedule.”

  “Really?” Hope blooms in my chest.

  “Yeah, babe, we got ‘em.”

  “You did?!?” I screech, jumping back to my feet and dancing in a circle. “That’s outstanding!”

  “We’re moving out in a few minutes. Everything’s in place. Hell’s about to reign down on these bastards. Our undercover nanny found a way to communicate, and she also got a firearm. Kids are safe, and the wife needs medical attention, but her gunshot wound was more of a graze.”

  “Finn!” My voice cracks, and I don’t stop the tears that fall. They are a mixture of pride and pure relief.

  “Hey, why are you crying?”

  “Because I love you and I’ve been on pins and needles. No matter how many times you’ve assured me you’re safe, I’ve still been doubtful.”

  “When I get home, after I’ve shown you exactly how much I’ve missed you, we’re going to discuss your lack of confidence.” There’s a trace of hurt in his statement.

  “I’m sorry. Next clandestine assignment, I’ll be more prepared.”

  “Clandestine… there’s my scholar. I’d hardly call this a stealth mission since I’ve told you almost everything.”

  A door closes on his end of the connection, and mumbled voices filter through.

  “We’re headed out. Call you later. Love you.” He disconnects before I can respond.

  I shoot off a text, hoping he hasn’t turned off his phone.

  Love you too, more than you’ll ever know.

  My phone rings, and I smile as I answer. “Hey, Ember, did you hear?”

  “Yes, do you want to come over here and hang out while we wait for the good news? Raven, Declan, and the kids are coming. Jenna is bringing take-out, which is good, because out of all the men, James always calls Jenna first. So we’ll be in the know as soon as it’s all over.”

  “Absolutely. I need to run by my dad’s for about an hour, but then I’ll be there.”

  “Sounds good. See you in a bit.”

  I change out of my wet shirt and throw a towel down to soak up the water on the floor. Then I grab a few things and head out to my dad’s with a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Reese calls me for an update, and Tripp gets on the phone, sounding pleased with the news I relay. He promises to call Max and says he’ll be stopping over at Robbie’s. The last call I make is to Evelyn. She’s already heard a small update from Jenna, but asks me to keep in touch as I hear from Finn.

  Winnie and Johnny are in the driveway when I drive up, her on her bike as he shoots hoops.

  “Hey!”

  “You look chipper.” Johnny gives me a one-arm hug.

  “I have great news. Where’s Dad?”

  “Inside finishing a call.”

  “Come on.” I link my elbow through his and gesture for Winnie to follow us inside.

  Dad gives me a welcoming smile and kiss on the cheek when we meet him in the kitchen. Due to the sensitive nature of Finn’s work, we’ve purposely avoided talking about it in front of Winnie, so I get her set up in the other room with a movie. Once she’s settled and out of earshot, I tell my dad and brother the newest developments.

  “Isn’t this terrific?”

  “Sure is, do we have any idea of the timeline?” Dad grabs three beers and hands one to Johnny and me.

  “No, but we can turn on the news in here. I’m sure there will be some sort of announcement once the family is released.”

  Johnny flips it on and turns it down as we all sit around the island talking about nothing specific. It hits me that I’ve been so wrapped up in my life with Finn, it’s been forever since I’ve spent solid family time with my own family.

  “Dad, you have any food here?”

  “Went to the grocery store yesterday. What do you have in mind?”

  “How about I make us dinner. It’s been too long since the four of us had a nice meal together.”

  “Hell yeah, I vote for anything homemade. Your love life put a huge dent in my homestyle cooking.”

  I swat his shoulder and go to the fridge to inspect the contents. “Tell you what, when we get into the new house, I’ll plan a dinner or brunch at least twice a month with home cooked meals.”

  “Deal!” both men say in unison.

  I take out the ingredients for Johnny’s favorite meal and send a quick text to Ember that I’ll be a few hours, explaining dinner with my family.

  They offer to help, but otherwise, sit and talk, keeping me company. Johnny rambles on about a new girl he’s seeing, but swears it’s too soon to talk about emotional commitment. He actually stutters, and his neck starts to splotch when I mention meeting her. Dad’s laughter bounces through the room, causing Johnny to become flustered.

  The memory of Finn meeting us at Chick-fil-A floods my mind, and how he pretty much invaded my life from that first night. If he had any issues with emotional commitment, he hid it well.

  I take my time cooking, enjoying the time with these guys. The last time we did a dinner together at Dad’s with me cooking was before Simon died.

  Winnie’s movie ends right as I finish dinner. We sit down and listen intently as she tells us everything happening in her life. No one gets to say more than five words as she dominates the conversation, jumping from subject to subject.

  I sit back in my chair, stuffed full, as Johnny and Dad clear the dishes. Winnie climbs in my lap and starts to ask about Finn, when there’s a crash from the kitchen, startling us both. My phone rings from my purse at the same time Dad comes back, his face ashen.

  My heart slams against my chest, my gut turning. Something’s gone wrong. Terribly, terribly, wrong.

  Ember’s house is solemn when Johnny and I walk in. She’s sitting on the arm of the sofa with Jenna holding her hand. They both give us a weak nod then go back to watching the television.

  Reese leaves Tripp’s side and comes to me, wrapping an arm around my waist and laying her head on my shoulder.

  “They’re all going to be okay.”

  “I hope so,” I manage to say over the lump in my throat.

  An hour ago, the news broke that there was a shoot-out in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in an apparent rescue of the Governor’s missing family. The gang had been identified and several deaths confirmed, including one of the rescuers. There are also reports of injuries on both sides. So far, we know the DeSantis family is alive and were not among those injured.

  The reporters on all channels keep repeating the same thing they were saying when I was at Dad’s. Apparently, the authorities tried to negotiate the release of the family and the nanny, but the kidnappers wouldn’t budge. We don’t know much more.

  My mind spins with possibilities,
but last I knew, Finn was still in the surveillance group. I try to think he’d be far away from the action. But what about Robbie, or James, or any of the Hayes Security team? The thought of them being hurt, or worse, sends a chill down my spine. Ember, Raven, and Jenna’s faces show me they are thinking the same thing.

  I don’t sit; it seems too invading. Instead, I lean into Reese and hold on to Johnny’s elbow. No one speaks as all our eyes are glued to the television.

  The shrill ring of a cell phone breaks the silence, and Jenna jumps up, yanking her phone from the coffee table.

  “James.” Her voice is low and full of fear. She grips the phone, then looks at Raven and Ember with a small cry of relief. “They’re okay.”

  Ember drops her head to her chest, cradles her stomach, and starts to tremble. I go to her, hunching down, and hug her. She cries softly in my arms, and I soothe her gently, feeling the fear radiate from her body. We rock back and forth until she starts to hiccup and whispers words of thanks in my ear.

  There’s a hand on my shoulder, and I look up to see my brother’s face, pale and shadowed in worry. Every eye in the room is on us, and I sense a familiar fear start to strangle me. I curl away from Johnny and Ember and crawl backwards until my back hits the fireplace.

  “No,” I croak, my throat suddenly bone dry.

  “Presley, honey—” Jenna starts to talk, but I shake my head violently, drowning out her voice.

  “No! He’s in surveillance. He wasn’t in the line of fire. He promised me he’d be safe. There’s a mistake! It has to be a mistake!” My voice starts to crack, and the rest of the words get lost.

  It can’t be…

  He promised me…

  “Presley, look at me.” Johnny gets on his knees and leans into my line of sight. “He’s alive.”

  Alive! Alive! Alive!

  The words bounce around my head, and I breathe deeply, launching myself into my brother’s arms.

  “Sweetie, he’s been shot and is in surgery.”

  “H-h-how?”

  “We don’t know any details. James will call back soon.” Jenna’s voice is controlled, too controlled.

  “Evelyn? Tim?”

  “I’m going over there now. James has already talked to them.”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “Of course.”

  “Johnny, can you call Dad? Ask him to meet us?”

  “Sure.”

  “Tell him to bring Whitney here. She can stay with me,” Ember offers, and I shoot her an appreciative glance.

  Johnny helps me to my feet, and I lean into him for support as he takes me to the sofa and goes to the kitchen to make the call. Raven cries quietly on Declan’s shoulder, and I place a hand on her knee. She covers it with her hand and squeezes tight.

  “He’s going to be fine, Presley.” She leans in to comfort me.

  I don’t answer but nod dully, falling into her body for support.

  A few minutes later, Johnny comes in and we pile out of the house, following Jenna. Tripp and Reese climb in the car with us, while the others stay behind waiting for more information.

  The whole ride is a blur. Tripp makes the necessary calls to the guys and watches out the window, not focusing on anything.

  Evelyn is waiting in the doorway, with Tim holding on to her shoulders when we drive up. Jenna gives them a brief hug and moves into the house as I stand to the side, allowing Tripp to do the same.

  When it comes time for me to walk in, my feet won’t budge. Evelyn looks at me with understanding and comes to me, embracing me gently.

  “One foot in front of the other, honey. I’ll help you.”

  It’s then I know she really gets it. Her son was in a deadly accident in Iraq. She got the call that he was alive.

  My brother was in a deadly accident. I got the call saying he wasn’t alive.

  Now, we both fear the unknown of Finn, and she’s comforting me. I shudder slightly and reach around her waist, raising my face to hers.

  “I love him, Evelyn.”

  “I know, and he loves you, too. For that reason alone, he’ll be all right.”

  I nod, and we walk into the house together, waiting for news.

  Chapter 29

  Presley

  The whole flight I cling to my dad’s arm. He tries to get me to take a nap, but every time I close my eyes, I see Finn’s handsome and flawless face, his blue eyes piercing into mine. Then the image turns to him writhing in pain, lying in a pool of blood. I’m haunted by the image and refuse to give in to sleep until I know for myself he’s going to be okay.

  James arranged to have a private plane bring us to Baton Rouge. Tim, Evelyn, Jenna, Dad, Johnny, Tripp, and I boarded within four hours after hearing Finn was listed as critical. Reese offered to stay behind with Winnie, and we graciously allowed her to. I knew she was torn on her obligation to Tripp and me, but Winnie needed normalcy, and she was our only hope.

  There’s a group of cars waiting for us when we deplane, and I purposely choose the last car. My nerves are on edge, and I’m grateful for a few extra minutes to gather my composure. Seeing Finn is on the forefront of my mind, but I’m terrified.

  When we get to the hospital, news vans are parked near the entrance, with reporters staking out the doors. I get out of the car and don’t wait for my family. Instead, I go straight to Tripp and link his hand in mine, squeezing it in support. We walk in together, hand in hand, both of us needing the comfort.

  James meets us in the lobby and leads us to the elevator, explaining we have a private waiting room on Finn’s floor. Once the doors open, the hospital smell hits me, and my knees go weak. Tripp urges me forward, and we enter the private room where Evelyn and Tim are talking to a doctor. Robbie’s hugging his mom and notices us immediately. He comes to us, giving Tripp a one-armed hug, and pulls me into a full embrace.

  “He’s through surgery. The shithead scared the hell out of us, but he’s expected to make a full recovery.”

  My breath hitches, and I let out an injured cry, sinking into Robbie. “Thank God.”

  “He’s going to get a fucking earful from me, babe. Fucker always has to be a hero.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I move away as the doctor leaves, and James motions for us to sit.

  “You all have questions, and I think we’ve pieced it together now. Finn was in the surveillance van with Robbie and a few of the FBI agents. The agents thought the raid was successful, so they left to help round up the members of the gang that were running from the back. By this point, we believed everyone was safe. Our team had infiltrated the hideout and had most of the perps on the ground. The shootout had already ensued, and our operator on the inside had three of the kidnappers down. It was completely by the book.”

  “What the hell happened then?” Tim sounds as confused as I feel.

  Robbie tenses beside me. “Finn and I saw a man coming out a side door. He was struggling with one of the children, who was resisting. I started out to lock him down, but Finn shoved me back and ran out, gun drawn. He was swift, moving through cars to stay hidden until the last minute. The guy saw him and started shooting. With the attention on Finn, the kid got loose and ran. It happened quickly, but I saw the kidnapper shoot off a few rounds before Finn got the kill shot. By the time I got there, Finn was down. Took a shot to the stomach and the arm.”

  My heart stammers against my ribcage, ringing in my ears. “He saved the child?”

  “Yes, he most likely saved the life of that little girl.”

  On this note, I crumble, my hands flying to my face. My wails fill the room, and arms, hands, and voices try to calm me.

  I cry hard, not caring that I’m making a scene. Knowing that this man, this selfless, beautiful man, saved a young life rocks me to my core.

  Finally, I start to calm, the overwhelming need to see him taking over. Someone shoves a tissue in my line of vision; I wipe my face until I get my br
eathing under control.

  “When can we see him?”

  “The doctor said we could go in a few at a time. Would you like to go in with Tim and me?” Evelyn gives me a watery smile that seems forced.

  “No, I’ll wait.”

  Dad sits in the seat vacated by Evelyn and hesitates before speaking. “You going to be okay?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “He’s a strong, healthy young man. They expect a full recovery. He’s seen a lot in his young life. He’ll bounce back. My concern is you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Finn made a snap decision that is ingrained in his blood. He’s always going to be a protector, knowing the risks. But you, you’re not a risk taker. I’ve spent the last few hours with you, terrified out of your mind. Even now, we know he’s okay, but there’s fear searing off your body. I’ve witnessed this fear before. Don’t let it consume you, Presley. Talk to me before you let any apprehension decide your fate.”

  “Dad, I’m not following. It’s been an exhausting and petrifying few hours. Can we save the life lessons until my mind can comprehend your abyss of wisdom?”

  His lips twitch, and he leans in to kiss my forehead. “You got it. I’m going to look into some hotel rooms.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  The clock on the wall ticks by at a snail’s pace as I watch each excruciating second pass. Finally, Evelyn and Tim walk back in. Her cheeks have regained some color, and her swollen eyes have a light shine.

  “He woke up for a few minutes, remembers everything. Asked about the little girl and the rest of the team. Then he asked about you, Presley.” She points over her shoulder. “He’s eager to see you.”

  I jump up and rush out, squeezing her hand as I pass. When I get to his room, I peek through the window and almost break down again at the sight. He’s watching for me, and our eyes lock instantly, his piercing into mine. My hand trembles as I open the door.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” he tells me when I stop a few feet from him.