He punches in the code fast, and the safe unlocks with a sharp click.
"Why?" I ask, my voice laced with panic and confusion.
Finn meets my eyes. He remains like that for a second. His chest rises and falls, and I can see the tightness in his jaw and the look in his eyes. He looks like he's contemplating whether to tell me or not. He breaks eye contact with me.
"I can't tell you now." He opens the safe and grabs six stacks of $100 bills, tossing them onto the desk before reaching for a file and a couple of other things.
"Finn!" I grab his shirt, yanking him towards me. "You need to tell me what's going on."
He stops and sighs, looking down at me. There's conflict in his eyes, fear and determination battling behind them. "I need you to trust me. I'll tell you everything later."
Trust him? I blink and run my hand through my hair, trying to focus despite the chaos buzzing in my head. "Okay. Where are we going?"
He glances at his watch, frustration twitching in his movement. "We don't have much time. Go to your room and take only the important things." Finn turns, going to the desk and stuffing his documents and some other things before grabbing a bag to shove them in.
My heart hammers in my chest. I've never been so confused in my life. Why don't we have much time? Did someone find out about me? Has Declan changed his mind? Is this about the Italians? My head races with questions, but by Finn's countenance, I know I have to hurry. Whatever the situation might be.
"How much time do we have?" I ask.
He glances at his watch again. "About thirty minutes. The guards will be back at their stations, and we need to leave before then."
I nod and do as he says. I head to my room and pick up all my things. I didn't bring so much here anyway. As I pack, my thoughts drift to Vito. Do I update him about what's happening? I decide not to. I decide to handle it myself.
Just as Finn said, security is down to a minimum as we take the elevator to the garage. I follow Finn as he steps out of the elevator. Even though I'm clueless, I know Finn won't hurt me. He grabs our bags and throws them in the back seat before opening the passenger door for me.
"Get in," he says, and I comply. I slide in and buckle my seat belt. He closes my door, walks around to the driver's side, and gets in. He starts the engine of the BMW 3-Series, and in a few seconds, we're out of the estate and on the driveway. I keep glancing towards Finn. His jaw is clenched, eyes focused on the road, and knuckles tight on the steering wheel.
Did something happen with Declan? Why did we suddenly leave the estate in secret? He sounded fine over text the last time. What changed within those hours?
The ride is long, and stopping at a convenience store to get groceries makes it even longer. Maybe about an hour, but we finally arrive somewhere. Finn steps out of the car, and I follow him, doing the same. Even though it's dark, I can make out the structure of the building before us.
It's a simple bungalow house. The kind you'd find on simple suburban streets, except we're in the middle of nowhere. I watch as Finn picks up our bags and heads to the entrance. He places the key card on the door, and it opens.
The inside is dark, but Finn turns on his flashlight and finds a switch. As he pulls it down, the whole place is bathed in light. Finn closes the door and double-checks to make sure it's locked before walking down the hallway with our things.
I look around the house. The interior reflects the simplicity of the exterior. The living room is modest, with cream-colored walls. Most of the furniture is covered with white cloth. A rug covers most of the tiled floor. I glance around as I slowly walk deeper inside. There's a tiny kitchen to the left, open to the living space.
The hallway is short, and I find the bedroom at the end. The door is half open, and I push it wider. I see our bags slouched in one corner of the room. The bed is slightly made, a navy-blue sheet sitting unevenly. A plain, worn dresser sits across from it, a small mirror hanging above.
Then I hear it, the sound of running water. Finn is in the bathroom. I walk over to the bed, pulling the sides to neatly arrange them. I think this is where we'll be passing the night. Afterward, I sit carefully at the edge of the bed, brushing my fingers across the soft sheet.
I cross one leg over the other and stare at the closed bathroom door, questions heavy on my tongue. I have so much to ask him. So, I wait, listening to the water, letting the room settle around us.
After a few minutes, Finn steps out of the bathroom, wearing only shorts. The kiss from earlier plays in my mind, and I shake my head, focusing on the moment. He dries his hair with a towel before his eyes land on me. I fold my hands and raise a brow, waiting for him to start talking.
He drops the towel around his neck and strolls towards me. "You need to rest," he says, and I look at him like he's crazy. Okay, maybe he's a bit crazy.
"Where are we?" I ask, and he sits beside me, throwing the towel on an armrest.
"We're at a safe house. It belongs to my family," he says, tucking a few strands of my hair behind my ear. His hand brushes against my skin, and it sends shivers down my spine.
What's wrong with you, Gianna?
"Why are we at a safe house?" I say, wondering why he's being so vague.
Finn raises his brows. "Vacation."
My brows knot. "This isn't a vacation, Finn. What's going on?" I say, my heart racing. I can't seem to understand all of this.
