Instantly he crumpled upon her, and she did it again with even more force. He nearly unbalanced her off the sill and out the window as he dropped to his knees, groaning in pain. At the same time, the door splintered open, and Finn hurled into the room, nearly falling over from the force of his entry.
His face, as he took in the scene, was one of confusion at seeing Liam already taken down.
Rose battled with the still existing urge to run screaming from the room or to lash out physically at whatever was in her path. Instead, she took a deep, calming breath and tried to clear the spots from her vision. Then she stepped over Liam where he lay sprawled and still groaning, and went directly into Finn’s arms.
He hugged her tightly, and she reveled in the moments of relief, which were almost as exhilarating as the moments of terror. Then Rose pulled away.
No need to fall to pieces now. She was fine and, after all, she had dispensed with this threat quite capably by herself.
“Are you unharmed?” Finn asked.
“Quite. I believe this man is nearly a lunatic,” she said calmly, as Finn looked from her to Liam. “He is clearly a danger to himself as well as to others.”
Looking down, she straightened her jacket and adjusted her hat. “I’ll ask the concierge to call the police while you guard him.” She started for the door.
“Rose,” Finn said, halting her steps.
Turning, she locked her gaze upon his. Everything around them forgotten, as the moment seemed suspended in the what-if and if-only notions that had made up their entire relationship. Then one of them yielded — she thought it was Finn — for he nodded as if in understanding.
With that, Rose walked out of the room, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. After speaking with a flummoxed concierge, she decided not to wait for the police. Instead, she left the hotel and the last vestiges of the dangerous mess behind her. Thinking it too late to catch Reed at his desk, Rose took herself home.
***
As usual, Reed had seen to the loose ends. She’d called him minutes after stepping in her own front door, and her brother told her he would not let her spend another evening answering questions at Boston District 3 headquarters. He would go in her place and help Finn if he needed it.
When her brother stopped by after breakfast the next day to escort Rose to give a deposition, he looked hesitant.
“What aren’t you telling me?” she asked him on the way to the station in his carriage.
“I’m not sure how you’ll take this, given all you’ve been through.”
It was not like Reed to hedge rather than speak his mind.
“Please tell me,” Rose asked.
“Bennet was waiting outside my office when I got there this morning. He signed the divorce papers.”
Her brother’s soft-spoken tone belied the life-changing event.
Rose stared straight ahead — too many thoughts and emotions whirling inside of her to give voice to any one of them.
All that remained was a judge’s decree. It came swiftly a week later, thanks to Reed’s urging. At last, she was entirely free.
