by Amy Reece
“Okay, sweetheart. It’s okay.” Finn held back her hair with one hand and rubbed her back with the other.
“Where are your crutches?” She managed to fit the words in between heaves.
“Let’s worry about you right now. A short walk down the hall won’t kill me.” He continued to rub her back. “Get it all out. That’s it.”
“Oh, God. Why did I eat so much bacon?” Another toe-clenching heave. She finally finished and collapsed against the side of the bathtub.
Finn handed her a wet washcloth. “I’m sorry, hon.”
She wiped her face and neck with the cool cloth. “It’s not your fault, Finn. Not at all.” She accepted his hand and let him pull her up. As she rinsed her mouth at the sink, her thoughts raced in a new direction. It wasn’t his fault. No part of this was his fault, yet he was caught in the middle, possibly in harm’s way because someone wanted her dead. He could have died trying to rescue her from the fire. Who was to say he wouldn’t be hurt if there was another attempt on her life? “I have to leave,” she whispered as she pushed her way past him.
“What?” He clumped behind her to his bedroom.
She turned to look at him and frowned; he was going to injure his ankle if he wasn’t careful. She slipped past him again—he threw his hands up in frustration—and grabbed his crutches from the kitchen before returning to the bedroom. “I have to leave, of course. Someone is trying to kill me, Finn, and I can’t risk something happening to you because I love you.” She explained her reasoning while she dressed. Then she went to the closet for her suitcase and finally realized she didn’t have a suitcase or even more than a few articles of clothing at Finn’s house. Her own things were still unavailable to her because of the arson investigation. She might be able to access them later in the week, but everything would undoubtedly reek of smoke. No problem. She would simply pack up everything into her aunt’s car and—she crumpled to the floor as she realized the extent of her problem. “I don’t even have a car.”
“Mel, sweetheart, it’s—”
“I don’t even have a fucking car because someone fucking set my house on fire!” She was sobbing again, edging toward a hysteria she wasn’t sure she could control. “I have to leave! I can’t stay! You’re not safe! And what if little Janey got hurt?”
“What’s going on, Finn?” Chris appeared at the bedroom door.
“Give us a minute, please, Chris. She’s freaking out.”
“I’m freaking out because someone is trying to fucking ruin my life!” she screamed.
Finn lifted her gently by the arm and pulled her against his chest. “Shh. I’m not going to let anything happen to you and I don’t want you to leave. I need you here.”
Mel heard the door click as Chris left them alone. “Finn, I can’t. I have to go.”
“You can’t run from this, Mel. If someone is trying to hurt you, it doesn’t matter where you go.” He led her to the bed and scooped her into his lap, cuddling her like a small child, his t-shirt absorbing her tears.
“But I can’t keep you safe. I can’t stand the thought of you—” She couldn’t get the words out and clutched his shirt as she sobbed.
“All right. Shh. I’m here.” He crooned platitudes as he rocked her. She finally quieted and allowed him to tuck her back into bed—clothes and all—for a nap.
Exhaustion from the emotions of the morning and the bout in the bathroom swamped her as her head hit the pillow; thoughts and worries swirled away as she fell asleep, still shuddering occasionally with a hiccup.
When she awoke, the light creeping through the window shades told her it was late afternoon. Good grief! She’d slept most of the day. Her mouth tasted the like the hind end of a week-old roadkill, so she brushed her teeth and splashed her face with cold water. Her rumbling stomach urged her to the kitchen.
“Hey there, sleepyhead.” Cara turned the television off and followed in her wake. “You feeling better?”
“I guess. I’m starving.” She foraged in the fridge for sandwich fixings. “You want one?” She waved the packet of lunchmeat in Cara’s direction.
“No thanks. I’ve got a dinner date in a couple hours.”
“Really? Who’s the lucky guy?” She set her plate at the table and poured herself a glass of juice to go with it.
“He’s a guy I met last week at the gym.” She shrugged. “Wouldn’t milk be better with that?”
“I don’t drink milk. It’s gross.” She paused to take a bite of her sandwich. “Did you know all this stuff about the investigation? About the words in my yard?”
“Not until Finn called me a few hours ago. Seamus found out right before the barbecue yesterday and told Finn and the rest of the boys while we were inside doing the dishes. Finn waited to tell you until this morning. Try not to be mad at him.”
“Hmm, maybe. Where is he?” She stood to root in the pantry for some chips. To hell with healthy food right now.
“He went into the precinct with Chris to get started on the investigation.”
“And you got stuck babysitting, huh?”
Cara snagged a few chips from Mel’s plate. “I don’t mind. You’re my friend. Finn said you freaked out a little bit and he didn’t want to leave you by yourself.”
Mel laughed wryly around a bite of sandwich. “It was more than a little bit.”
Cara grinned. “Yeah, Finn said you have quite a mouth on you. He also said you think you should leave. I’m really hoping a little sleep got that idea out of your head.”
“I don’t want to leave, Cara. I’m in love with Finn, but I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“Mel, sweetie, you’ve only known him for a few weeks, and he’s been in a wheelchair and on crutches the entire time. That’s not the real Finn. He’s a cop, Mel, and a damn good one. He’s more than capable of looking out for himself and taking care of you. He and Chris will get to the bottom of this, but he won’t be able to focus on his job if he’s trying to follow you wherever you think you need to run.”
“I’m scared.” She pushed the remnants of her sandwich away, her appetite gone again.
“I know. We’re all here for you, Mel.”
***
Finn
“I don’t suppose I could get you to sit down and stop pacing?” Chris continued flipping through files, not even looking up as she spoke. “It’s pretty distracting with all that clumping.”
“Sorry.” He leaned his crutches against the table and lowered himself into a chair. “Your sympathy for my disability warms my heart.”
“Whatever. Are you gonna help or just sit there and mope?” She shoved a stack of files in front of him. “These are all the recent arson cases in the metro area.”
Although he knew searching through the files was almost certainly a waste of time, he nevertheless dug in. It hadn’t taken long to look at Mel’s social media accounts, where nothing even vaguely threatening appeared. He would ask her print to out all her emails the next day and he and Chris would begin the arduous process of sorting through them, looking for any red flags. He stared blankly at the pages in the file he’d opened, the words nothing more than a blur. He hadn’t wanted to leave her, but once she’d fallen asleep he’d fretted and worried until Chris snapped at him to call one of his sisters to come stay with Mel so he could go to the precinct with her and do something useful. He’d been itching to get back to work, but now all wanted was to be home. The precinct, where he’d spent so much of his time over the past six years, was no longer the focus of his life. That place was now occupied by Melanie.
“She’s fine, Finn. She had a shock and freaked out, but Cara’s with her. She’ll wake up and feel like her old self, don’t worry. She’s a strong person, you know.”
“I know, I just…shit.” He shoved the file away and ran his hands through his hair.
Chris stood and left the table. A moment later she returned and placed a mug of coffee in front of him.
“Thanks.” He took a sip and grimaced. “Ugh.
The coffee didn’t improve in my absence.”
Chris smiled and resumed her seat. “Nope. It’s good to have you back, Finn. I hate that it’s under these circumstances, but I’ve missed you.”
All right. It was time to get his head out of his ass and get to work. “Yeah, yeah. Enough of this sappy crap.” He took another sip of coffee, grimaced again, and pulled the file back toward him. “Let’s figure out who the little shithead is who’s terrorizing my girlfriend.”
By the time they finished for the day, they’d identified two persons of interest based on the information found in the files. Chris would spend time tracking them down over the next few days and pull them in for questioning while Finn pulled desk duty, most likely weeding through all of Mel’s emails. The thought of invading her privacy in that manner didn’t sit well with him, but he would do it to protect her.
***
It was nearly seven o’clock when he let himself into the house later that evening. He entered quietly in case Mel was still resting. Instead, the enticing aroma of roast beef met him, as well as the lilting sound of her laughter in response to something his sister said.
“Mel?” He shut and locked the door carefully before making his way to the kitchen.
“Hi!” She set down the knife she was using to chop a tomato, wiped her hands, and met him halfway. She reached up on tiptoe and pulled his head down for a lingering kiss.
He enjoyed the kiss for a moment, but then pulled back to look into her eyes. “You look better. Are you feeling better?”
She ducked her head, embarrassed. “Yeah. I’m so sorry about this morning. I guess I royally freaked out.”
“Nah.”
She raised her eyebrows, disbelieving.
“Well, maybe a little bit.” He held up his thumb and forefinger, a small space between them. “Teensy.”
She chuckled and kissed him again. This time he sank into it, pulling her tightly against him, needing her closer, needing to know she was here, safe in his arms.
“Don’t mind me,” Cara said as she slipped past them to put the salad in the refrigerator.
“I never do.” But he reluctantly raised his head. “Thanks for coming over. You staying for dinner?”
“Sadly, no. I have a date. You’ll have to do without me. I’m sure you can find something to talk about.” She hugged Mel and Finn. “Toodles.”
“Wait! Who’s the guy?”
“He’s new. His name is Jake and we met at the gym. That’s all the info I have, so back off, big brother.” She winked at him and then shut the door behind her.
“You’re cute when you get all protective.” Mel smirked at him sassily as she set the table.
“I don’t think my sisters would agree with you. Hey, come back to the bedroom with me.”
“Super tempting, but I don’t want my roast to burn. Raincheck?”
He laughed and rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant, although I wouldn’t be opposed. I need to put my gun away and I want to show you how to get in the safe.”
“Oh, Finn, that’s totally unnecessary. I don’t like guns.”
“You don’t have to like them, but you do need to know where it is and how to get to it in case I’m not here when you need it. Come on.” His tone brooked no refusal.
“Ugh!” She visibly dragged her feet as she followed. “If you’re not here, then won’t your gun most likely be with you?”
“I have more than one, Mel. I only carry my service weapon with me. My personal handgun is also in the safe.” He showed her the safe in the back of his closet and made her memorize the code and practice opening it several times. “Do you know how to shoot a gun?”
“Not really. My stepdad tried to teach me, but he gave up pretty quick. Apparently I was a terrible student.”
He leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. “Well, we’ll just give it another try this weekend, okay? I’m a patient teacher.” When she tried to object, he silenced her with a kiss. “Saturday.”
“Fine. Can we go eat dinner now?”
“Yes. It smells amazing and I’m starving. Thanks for cooking for me, Mel.”
“Of course. How about we don’t talk about all this stalker stuff for the rest of the evening? Please? I need to be normal for one night. After dinner we can relax on the couch and watch something innocuous. Maybe puppy videos.”
She did make him watch a few puppy videos and they spent a fun half-hour showing each other their favorite YouTube dog videos. Then they shared a bottle of crisp, cool Sauvignon Blanc—she was off red wine for the foreseeable future—while he introduced her to the Jason Bourne movies, which she had somehow inexplicably missed. His stomach was pleasantly full from the delicious pot roast she’d prepared. He’d skipped lunch, so he was an appreciative diner and she was a wonderful cook. Oh, man. If I hadn’t been totally in love with her before this, that pot roast would have sealed the deal. I’m gonna dream about that gravy. He reached for her hand and raised it to his lips.
“What?” She smiled at him from her side of the couch.
“Nothing, except you’re too far away. Come here.” He tugged her next to him.
She snuggled into his side and pulled the afghan over her bare feet. “You’re working tomorrow?”
“Only if you’re okay staying here by yourself. I can see if Cara can come over again.”
“No. I’m perfectly fine staying here alone. I have tons of work to do, so please don’t worry about me.”
He turned toward her, cupping her face in his hands. “That’s my job now. Mel, I know you’re used to being independent, and I swear I’m not trying to smother you. This is different, hon, and I need to make sure you’re safe. I’ve arranged to have a unit drive by every half-hour for at least the next few days. I don’t want you to be scared.”
Her smile was a bit wobbly. “I’m really trying not to be. It’s not terribly productive, is it?”
“We’re gonna get through this, Mel. I swear we are. I will keep you safe.” He kissed her and tucked her back against his side. “Please tell me you’ve given up the idea of leaving. You had me worried earlier. I need to know you’re not going to pack up and leave while I’m at work tomorrow.”
“I promise. I know I can’t stick my tail between my legs and run from this. Besides,” she said as she turned back to him, climbing on his lap. “I like it here.” She leaned in to kiss him, spearing her hands through his short locks. “I love you, Finn DeLuca.” She whispered the words in his ear, then darted her tongue out to trace the sworls.
“Urgh.” He had lost the power of speech as her tongue ignited his blood. His hands came up to clasp her hips, anchoring her firmly against him as he let her explore.
She nibbled and licked her way down his neck to the vee at the top of his shirt. She calmly began unbuttoning, kissing as she exposed his chest. She reached the last button and spread it wide, splaying her hands across his muscled torso. Then she took away his ability to breathe as she sat back and pulled her own t-shirt over her head and reached back to unhook her bra. “Now would be a really bad time for one of your relatives to walk in.”
He couldn’t begin to answer. He simply grinned and reached for her.
Chapter Seventeen
Mel
It took two weeks, but Mel was finally cleared to retrieve her personal items from her house. The arson investigation team had ruled the fire was intentionally set using gasoline as an accelerant and had cleared out, taking their crime scene tape with them. They had let her know she couldn’t occupy the house yet, however, so she was still staying with Finn. He had let her know he wanted her to stay exactly where she was—in his house, in his bed—and she wanted that too, but she wanted it to be their choice, not something forced upon them by circumstances. She loved him and knew he loved her, but they were in a holding pattern of sorts because of the ongoing police investigation. Finn wasn’t allowed to be officially assigned to the case, but unofficially he was working on the mundane aspects like searching thr
ough Mel’s email and comments left on her website, while Chris handled the more active parts of the investigation. She had tracked down and questioned several suspects in other similar arson cases, but all their alibis had checked out. Finn was frustrated and worried, but tried hard to keep his bad mood from her. She was worried, of course, but refused to let it ruin her time with him. She still had to pinch herself to believe he loved her and she wasn’t going to waste time worrying about someone trying to kill her. At least that’s what she managed in her stronger moments; the fear would catch her by surprise when she wasn’t paying attention and she would have a mini panic attack. She tried to keep these from Finn, but he seemed to be able to read her mind sometimes. When she woke before dawn, heart pounding out of her chest, chills shaking her body, he pulled her against his warmth and whispered soothing nonsense in her ear until she fell back asleep.
She grabbed the stack of boxes she’d found in Finn’s garage and her house keys. It was time to pack up what personal belongings she wanted, including her clothes, and move them to Finn’s house. He had cleared half his closet for her and all but one bathroom drawer. It was exciting to be formally moving in with him, but she wished it were more of a conscious choice by both of them. Oh, well. It wasn’t like she could do anything about it right at the present. At least there had been no further episodes from her stalker or whatever the police were calling it. She’d offered to move out now that the danger seemed to be past, but Finn hadn’t taken the suggestion well.
“Mel, we don’t know the danger is gone. If you don’t want to live here, I’ll find you somewhere safe, but you can’t go off on your own.” He’d been pacing, as well as he could with crutches, while he ranted.
“Finn, I don’t want to leave, but I don’t want either of us to be forced into this situation. We’ll end up resenting each other.”