“Fuck, you’re stubborn. I prefer you tied up. Now, a gag would work better.”
Finley swallowed hard.Did I offend him?
But then Kage smiled softly as he stood up. He tucked the blanket around Finley and sighed, his expression falling. His feet were silent on the thick carpet as he paced the room.
“It was a car accident. I survived with a broken hip, several breaks throughout my leg, and muscle damage. They told me I’d never walk again. But after dozens of surgeries and years of rehab, here I am.” He opened his arms in a ta-dah gesture right as a knock sounded.
“Thank you,” Kage said to whoever was at the door he’d opened, then wheeled in a tray with bottles of juice, a jug of water, an array of fruits and sweets.
“Now you know my story. What’s yours?” Kage nudged a bowl of cashews at him and added a few pieces of dark chocolate.
“What do you mean?”
“What did you escape? A man in his late thirties doesn’t uproot his life and start in a new place not connected with his profession for no reason.”
Finley huffed. “Just because you tied me up doesn’t mean you know me.” Finley’s anger simmered to the surface despite his best intentions. It was not a subject he talked about casually and mockery made his blood boil. He wasn’t trying to forget his life, rather the opposite. But his memories were personal.
I should leave.
A warm hand on his ankle grounded him like a weight on a helium balloon.
“I don’t. That’s why I’m asking.” Kage’s tone remained calm, collected. The fucker was hard to read. “Your submission was beautiful. Nearly flawless for a first time, but you didn’t let go fully. Do you plan to book another session with me?”
“Yes.” Finley hadn’t thought of it yet, but the answer flew out of him so fast it was clear he’d already made up his mind.
“Then I want to get to know you, Finley. It would help me understand what you need.”
After that confession, Finley didn’t feel like leaving anymore. Kage’s fingers, like ribbons of warm comfort, rested on the side of Finley’s foot in a gentle touch, his thumb tracing lazy circles over his ankle.
His story wasn’t a secret, but it was difficult to share with someone who wouldn’t understand. He’d spoken to Jagoda during and after the interview, because she was grieving too. She understood.
Keeping his old life closed off from his present had led him here, and as much as it hurt to talk about it, staying quiet was painful as well.
With a grunt, he stuffed a piece of dark chocolate and a handful of cashews into his mouth and chewed, giving himself time to collect.
“She didn’t want to get married at first,” he said, looking into the bowl of snacks.
“You have my interest.” Kage peeled a banana and split the inside into two, handing one half to Finley.
“Good. Because now you’ll have to listen.” Finley put Kage’s hand back on his ankle and poured fresh water into a glass on the tray. “We were kids, both only eighteen. It was a fling. A whirlwind of passion until she told me she was pregnant. Something shifted in me then. I was at a place in my life when itall made sense. I was training to do sports massage and physio for local teams and applied for a job at a clinic. I told Maggie we could get married, be a family. She refused. But when she was showing, her mom convinced her to accept my proposal. It was a small ceremony, but I was so happy.” Remembering the moment filled him with that same sliver of light he’d felt back then. “I had been bouncing from one foster home to another since I was born, and now I was about to have a family. I couldn’t believe life was finally turning for the better.”
“You’re a foster kid?” The soft look on Kage’s face suggested it meant something to him.
“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?” Finley was used to judgement from people but he reined in his defensive reaction.
“Nothing. It must have been hard. I was lucky in that regard. I was found as an infant on the steps of some church, and my parents adopted me right away.” A fond smile played on his lips. “They gave me a comfortable life.”
Finley had so many questions, but he was on a roll and had to continue. He’d much rather Kage offer his story than try to pry it out of him.
“That’s amazing. I wanted a family of my own, so my dreams came true then. When Alice was born, I landed the job at the clinic, but it was only a few hours a week, and the sports gig didn’t pay much. I’d go for walks with baby Ali and apply for jobs, but I couldn’t get anything that paid better.” The happy memories mixed with the pain of the constant struggle. “Maggie was not doing well. Her hormones made it hard to take care of the newborn and we couldn’t afford everything she needed to be comfortable. Then Ali got sick and—” Finley sighed, took a sip of water and looked into the glass. Kage sat patiently, his soothing touch willing Finley to continue. The ache in his chest equalled the amount of relief he felt in telling someone the story.“I borrowed some money for Ali’s treatment, but then I couldn’t repay it. So when I got a job offer I couldn’t refuse, I took it.”
“Sounds like you had a close encounter with Ronan Murphy’s guys.” Kage handed Finley bits of dark chocolate to eat as if he needed sustenance to continue. Maybe he did. “And the Liverpool Mafia can be a blessing and a curse at once.”
“How did you know?” Finley shoved the chocolate into his mouth.
“An educated guess based on facts about the area and your story. It’s not a secret that Handcuffs is a mafia family-owned business. Szef Kwiatkowski doesn’t come here a lot, but his wife runs the place. Besides, I’ve been working here for years and I went to school with the owner’s nephew. So I heard things here and there.”
“So that’s how you know Mat. I mean, Mateusz.” Facts clicked into place. Lucy was right, people working at the club were connected in one way or another.
