“Get me out of here,” he mutters into my neck.
“I will,” I promise. “We’re going home.”
* * *
It’sa full twelve hours later before Finch comes to, and as soon as he does, he’s complaining about his bladder. But I know he’s really feeling better when he makes a suggestion about watersports while I’m helping him pee.
I’ve been concentrating on whether or not there’s blood in his urine, but his hopeful tone makes me laugh in surprise. “Just keep your libido on lockdown for now, okay?” I tell him, and tuck him away in his pants.
“You’re no fun.”
I take him back to the bed, where he lies down again with minimalouches, but then grabs my hand, his eyes wide.
“Celia?”
“She’s fine,” I say soothingly, and run my other hand through his hair. “They didn’t hurt her, just tied her up. I left Marco with her and Frank and I came for you.”
“But where is she—”
“She and Frank are right here, in the townhouse with us. And I have Marco watching the door. Everything’s fine, angel.”
He goes quiet, thinking. “Thanks for not killing Maggie, I guess.”
I say nothing. What is there to say? Ishouldhave killed her. It would have been the smart thing to do. I still don’t really understand why he wanted me to let her go.
“Why didn’t you?” Finch asks.
“Why didn’t I kill her?”
He nods. It’s not a question with any blame attached, only curiosity.
“Because you asked me not to,” I tell him. “And because I love you.”
Finch goes very quiet at that, even his breath stilling. I reach over and take his hand, his left hand with the wedding ring. His fingers wind through mine, and he smiles.“Sorry,” he says lightly. “I didn’t quite catch that. Say again?”
“I love you, angel. I love you with everything in me. And for the rest of our lives together, I will never deny that again.”
His eyes are bright, but he’s still smiling. “I love you, too, baby. Forever.”
He can’t hold back the one tear that slips out of the corner of his eye, but I don’t mind. For once in my life, I’ve made someone cry withhappiness.
We spend a pleasant interlude making promises in between gentle kisses until he pauses, pushes me back, and narrows his eyes at me at me. “How did you know where they’d taken me?”
Ah. I thought we might come to that eventually. I’m not sure how Finch is going to take this news, but I don’t want to hide anything from him anymore. I take out my phone, smashed screen and all, and bring up the tracking app.
He frowns at it. “That’s me? That glowing circle?”
“Yes.”
“Did you put a fucking implant in myneckor something? Where’s the—oh.” He gets it. He looks up at me, face darkening. “Oh, you son of a bitch.”
“Look, theimportantthing is, you’re safe, and it’s thanks to—”
“You put a tracker in my fucking wedding ring, didn’t you?” he asks, his voice low and dangerous.
I’ve never heard my husband sound dangerous before. It’s cute. But I try not to smile.
“That isnot okay, Luca,” he says. “That’s so far from okay I can’t even begin totellyou—”
