The man grunts in response. “He was pushy as hell. But given the circumstances, I’m glad we came looking for you when you didn’t arrive at the time you said you would.”
“You have impeccable timing.” We’re hauled in by the men from the Coast Guard. They help Winnie out first, at my insistence, and start performing medical checks and tests on her. I stand nearby, watching, ready to take them out if she so much as flinches away from them.
“Looks like you got your woman back,” the man says to me, observing, and I nod.
“Yeah. I did.” And now I have to find a way to keep her.
Chapter 33
Winnie
Voices pull me out of a deep sleep. My eyes flutter open slowly, taking in the dark room, with shades drawn, allowing only a small filter of light through. I don’t recognize it, though. My hands clutch at the bedspread, and a low moan catches my attention. Finn is sleeping half in a chair and half on top of the bed. His hand is gripping mine. My other arm stings, and I look down to see an IV drip in it.
“Finn,” I call him and shake his arm. He shoots up in the chair, eyes darting around for danger. “I’m fine. It's fine.”
“Win? Do you need something? Are you in pain?” he asks, his hands running all over me.
A smile curls my lips, and I look him over. “No. I’m fine. I was just confused about where we were. I remember the black yacht, then everything goes dark.”
He blows out his breath and moves to sit on the bed next to me. “It's my fault they found us. The motel owner snitched after I snapped at him. From there, one of Marco’s guys found the security footage of us getting on the truck. They traced us to where we docked. Karma took care of the motel owner already.”
“Don’t do that, Finn. That motel owner looked like his favorite pastime was peeling skin off his victims. I’m not surprised he ratted us out. We knew there was a chance Marco would still follow,” I tell him, my fingers gently touching his jaw that's now black and blue with bruises. “Tell me about the yacht that found us.”
“Ziekiel Arroz was the man with the yacht. His family is allied with the club. The medics checked you out, but you had a concussion. We’re at Ziekiel’s house. He brought his family doctor in, and that’s who hooked you up with pain meds and made sure you got fluids. You’ve been out for about twelve hours.”
My brow lifts. “Twelve hours?!”
Finn chuckles and takes my hand in his. “You needed to rest and recover, Daisy. You’ve been through hell. You almost drowned.” His eyes darken and rest on my neck. I lift my free hand and gently touch my neck. Pain instantly makes me wince.
“Bruised?”
He nods, his jaw clenching tight. “There was another explosion that knocked me over before I could get to you. If I had been faster?—”
“Hey, you got to me, Finn. You saved me. I don’t blame you for this. If anything, I’m grateful. He’s gone,” I whisper, my voice sounding more like a question than a statement.
Finn’s gaze holds mine. “He’s never going to hurt you again.”
My eyes close, and tears slip out. A laugh escapes my lips. “Thank you. Oh my god, I’m so glad it’s over.”
Finn goes rigid next to me. His hand reaches out to gently wipe away my tears before cradling my face. “It’s over, Daisy. You’re free to go.”
My heart stutters in my chest so fast it's almost painful. Confusion swirls inside me. My hand comes up to grab his wrist, and the other reaches for the front of his shirt. “Go where?”
“Home,” he says, the word like he’s testing it out. “You're free. You can return to your old life if that's what you want.”
“Is that what you want?” I fire back. Anger rises in my chest.
“I don’t have a home unless you’re at the door waiting for me, Win.” He shakes his head. “I also promised you that this, between us, could be for now or forever.”
His fingers run over the rings on my finger. The engagement diamond that he saved and tucked away five years ago while he waited for me, and the accompanying plain band that he slid on my finger in front of our family and friends under the fairy lights outside his clubhouse.
“You said you had something you wanted to tell me when we got to land,” he reminds me. “Does this have anything to do with it?”
Frustration builds, and I let out a huff. This stupid man. I love him even when he pisses me off. I slide my hand out of his and reach over to grab the IV, ripping the needle out. My whole body hurts, but I refuse to be lying in a sick bed while I tell him everything in my heart. Finn moves to stop me, but I push him away and swing my legs out of bed.
“You’re an asshole,” I tell him, limping across the room.
“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath. “Win, you need to rest. Please just lie back down.”
