“Spill it, Way.”
I had two options; continue to live in my denial era or face my fears. Both scared the hell out of me; however, my best friend scared me more.
“I’m in deep,” I admitted reluctantly.
“No shit,” she deadpanned. “What are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t have the first damn clue, but I’ll have to figure it out quickly. He’s packing up his entire life, including his business, to move here, Shayne. Who does that?”
“Someone who has brains to go with their pretty face.”
“I’m being serious here.”
“So am I.” She stopped abruptly, whirling around to face me. “He’d be a fool to let you slip through his fingers.Obviously Finn realized that and took the necessary steps to ensure it didn’t happen.”
“It’s too fast, too soon.”
“Says who?” Shayne tilted her head. “You, of all people, know tomorrow isn’t a guarantee, especially in our line of work. I say ride the bus and if the wheels fall off, it wasn’t meant to be. But…what if it is?”
Finn seemed to think so. He said as much at dinner last night. The problem was me. I’d shut myself off from love. Every single intimate relationship I’ve had since Aunt Carolyn had been doomed from the start. In my mind, if my heart didn't get involved, there wouldn’t be any pain when I ultimately lost them. Logically, I knew it was bullshit, I just didn’t know how to turn it off.
“I told Finn I’d try.”
“Good.” She relooped her arm in mine, then steered us back toward the vehicles. “I’ll need regular updates, Way.”
She was still rambling on about needing the “juicy details” when my gaze found Finn’s. He’d walked away from Duncan and was talking to someone on the phone. From the way his eyebrows were pinched together, the conversation was intense. I veered off, moving to his side.
“Please tell her to stop worrying. I’m fine, Joel. Not even a scratch” He reached out, tagging my hand while listening closely to whatever else his head of security had to say. “Good. I’m going back to the house next. Have him meet me there. I’ll call you later.”
Finn pulled the phone away from his ear, touched the red circle with his thumb, then shoved it in his back pocket.
“Who’s going to your house?”
“Wes.” At my confused look, he explained, “Joel has a few loose ends to tie up in New York before he can comehere. Until then, he wanted one of his men with me at all times.”
“Do you trust this guy?”
“I’ve known Wes for about five years.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I trust Joel.”
He was saved from further interrogation when Shayne called out, “If you two are done being cute, I’ve got to head back to work.”
I had no idea what she was talking about until I realized both she and Duncan were staring at us. Somehow during our chat, Finn’s hands had found their way to my hips, mine were on his biceps. It was an intimate position, one I wasn’t ready for the rest of the world to see, nor was I prepared to dissect why it felt so damn right.
Ignoring the sudden ache in my chest, I stepped out of his hold and cleared my throat. “We need to get back as well.”
Despite what I said, I stood on the side of that back road watching until Finn’s SUV disappeared from sight. Then once the doors closed on my government-issued vehicle, Duncan went full-on investigator mode, and he didn’t mince words.
“Working under the assumption this is related to the shit happening in New York, we’ve got bigger issues than we originally thought. Pictures and vandalism are one thing. Trying to run him off the road is a major fucking escalation. It screams personal to me.”
“Same.”
“We need to shift our focus. Disgruntled employees, exes who didn’t want to be exes; anyone who might have it out for Finn enough to want him injured.”
I swallowed roughly. “Or dead.”
