Guess I didn’t move fast enough.
Charlie raised her head, and the relief on her father’s face was apparent for all to see. He strode forward, ignoring the standoff around them. “Charlie.”
She managed a smile, which made Aiden want to hug her tighter. “Dad.”
He’d never met John Finch in person, but the man looked older than in his pictures. Or maybe it was seeing his daughter in danger that had aged him in such a short time. His eyes were Charlie’s eyes—though more gray than blue—seeing far too much. His gaze flicked between them, and Aiden didn’t try to hide how he felt about the woman in his arms. He and Charlie had some shit to work out, but he fully intended on making this thing between them permanent.
Both he and John Finch had a lot to come to terms with as a result.
“Dad, Mae Eldridge is in the warehouse—alive.” Charlie’s voice was strong despite the circumstances. “She kidnapped and tortured me. I’ll testify.”
“We’ll talk about that later.” He looked at Aiden again and hesitated, seeming torn. Finally, he cursed. “You and I will have words later, as well, O’Malley.”
Since it suited his purposes perfectly, Aiden didn’t comment on the fact that Finch was more concerned with arresting Mae Eldridge than seeing his daughter to the nearest hospital. He didn’t ask about her injuries, didn’t show more than the barest hint of emotion, aside from walking directly to her despite the hostile men at Aiden’s back.
From the way Charlie wilted, just a little, as he carried her away from the warehouse, it was clear she hadn’t missed it, either. “I knew you’d come.” She spoke so softly, he had to strain to hear her.
He kissed the top of her head and made his way to the waiting car. They’d stop over at Romanov’s “residence” long enough to get her cleaned up, and then they’d go back to Boston. Any talk of the future could wait until them. “I’ll always come for you, bright eyes. Always.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Dmitri left the helicopter on the roof of the building he’d purchased a little over a year ago and made it to the car waiting for him at the curb in record time. He checked his watch as the driver muscled his way through the early morning traffic. Aiden would see to his woman’s health before he tried to travel back to Boston, and by that point he’d be hitting peak rush-hour traffic.
All going according to plan.
He hadn’t known Mae was going to be so foolish for the second time in less than a week, but he wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of the situation. In the last few days, he’d discovered that Aiden O’Malley had attempted to pit the FBI against him. He could admire the man’s genius, but he had no intention of spending the rest of his life in a prison cell—or rotting away in an unmarked grave somewhere. Once he’d realized Charlie Moreaux was none other than Charlotte Finch, it all became clear.
She would want revenge for that unfortunate business with the NYPD. It would never occur to her that he’d had nothing directly to do with it. He hadn’t even known the cops on his payroll were going to strike one of their own until after the fact—though he hadn’t stood in their way as they’d put together a case against her.
Dirty cops really were loathsome creatures.
It would be best for everyone if she put that all behind her and settled into a life with Aiden—and if Aiden himself did the same. Let sleeping monsters lie and all that nonsense.
But Dmitri knew people, and he knew that was a lost hope. Even if Aiden called off his vendetta, he wouldn’t willingly follow through with their deal regarding Keira—a deal that had clearly been made to distract Dmitri while O’Malley got his players into place. AndthatDmitri couldn’t allow.
“We’re here, boss.”
“Keep the car running.” He slipped out into the brisk morning air and looked up to find the first rays of sunrise lightening the sky. If Aiden had alerted the family to the emergency, it would make Dmitri’s job significantly more complicated. He took his phone out as he strode down the block toward the O’Malley town house.
The phone rang several times before a sleepy voice answered. “Do you even know what time it is?”
Dmitri slowed to a stop, able to imagine Keira perfectly. Though it wasn’t her bed he pictured her in—it was his.Unforgivable.He ignored the voice in his head, relishing the sight of her tangled with his sheets, her hair spilled out over his pillows, her eyes barely open as she murmured her question.
Sentimental.Not something he was used to being accused of, even ifhewas the one doing the accusing. “Are you still wearing my ring?”
The sounds of rustling echoed across the line. When she answered, the sleep was gone from her voice. “Yes.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to offer her everything she could ever want and more, but for the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure how a person would react in a given situation.
Keira might come with him, no questions asked, because she wanted him.
She mightchoosehim.
He couldn’t guarantee that she would.
So he went with the safer bet. “Your brother intends to break his word to me and cancel our engagement.”
“What?”
