I pointed at Fiore and shook my head.
Mara then appeared, standing next to her father.
That was the cue.
Now I just had to wait for the bomb to go off.
44.
(Shayna)
It sounded like a bomb had gone off.
The building shook.
There was smoke.
There was confusion.
I jumped back and got a small distance from Fiore, but I had no idea what was happening.
My back hit the wall behind me.
Dust filled the air all around me and I stood there, waiting.
A second later I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.
Something had gotten me. Hit me. Maybe I was shot.
I couldn’t see a thing though.
I dropped to my knees and let out a cry.
The pain was intense. I grabbed my belly, fearing the worst. Fearing I was going to feel blood. Find a wound. Then I’d just sit there and die alone. I’d die without Finn. I’d die without telling him how much I loved him.
The pain ripped through my stomach again. And then there was a new pain. A pain in my heart. I was going to feel the loss Finn had felt…
~
Hands touched me, grabbed me. I kicked and swung. I yelled and fought back.
You’re not taking me again! You’re not going to hurt me. I don’t give a fuck what happens now. I’d rather…
“It’s me, sweetie.”
The voice was rough yet soothing.
Through the smoke and dust I saw Finn crouched down before me.
“We have about ten seconds to do this,” he said.
I threw my arms around him and he lifted me up.
We made it three steps and two figures appeared before us.
Fiore and Zander.
And they both had guns.
~
“I thought he was dead,” Zander said.
“So did I,” Fiore said. “How did you do it?”
“You killed the wrong guy,” Finn said. “You’re going to pay for it, Fiore. You’re going to fucking pay for it.”
Finn kept me at his side. I held my stomach, still unsure what was happening to me. There was no wound, no blood. Just pain.
“Fucking kill him,” Zander said. “Kill her too. This has gone too far. We’re under attack.”
The two leaders of a dangerous underground world stood in the way of our escape.
Finn let me go and leapt forward. He punched Zander right in the jaw. I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d ever see that. He hit Zander three more times and had him almost knocked over. I heard the sounds of guns going off, people yelling and screaming. I wasn’t sure if the building was damaged or what was actually happening.
Fiore took out a gun.
“Finn! Gun!” I yelled.
Finn turned and I saw Fiore gritting his teeth.
I swore I could see him pulling the trigger.
I couldn’t watch it happen.
I turned my head and shut my eyes, not wanting to see Finn get killed.
The gun went off with an echoing blast. I winced and opened my eyes. Fiore stood there, his face turning to shock. I looked and saw Finn down… crouched down. He popped back up. Right behind him was Zander, taking his final step backwards before falling. There was a bullet hole through his head.
Fiore had accidentally shot Zander.
There was a few seconds of some kind of calm. That was Finn’s only chance to do something. He rushed forward and grabbed Fiore. He put Fiore against the railing and then over. The last I ever saw of Fiore was his feet going up and over the railing, wearing the most expensive pair of leather shoes, probably worth more than anything I had ever owned in my life.
“Finn!” someone shouted. A woman’s voice. “Finn! Now!”
Finn put a hand out and looked at me. His face was swollen, a little bloody. But he was still sexy. Still beautiful. Still the man who had taken me, changed me, saved me, and loved me.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Trust me.”
“With my life,” I said and took his hand.
We ran through the smoke, dust, and the darkness… together.
45.
(Finn)
The man was as tall as me and twice as thick. A hearty mix of fat and muscle, but it was his face that was terrifying. His jet black hair had a perfect hairline and it met with a face that seemed as though he had never smiled in his life. Features so well defined that I couldn’t imagine this guy ever being younger. It was like he was created to be this guy, right here, right now.
“Finn,” he said with a deep voice.
I felt Shayna squeeze my hand. We were in a house. A really big house. A really nice house. I told her to trust me and trust whatever happened, but I hadn’t seen Mara since she helped us get into a black SUV from the fight. So I didn’t know what to think.
The large man shut the office door.
It was just the three of us.
He stood with his hands at his sides. “You understand my position, I hope.”
“I’m not even sure who you are,” I said.
“You can call me Pete.”
“Is that your real name?” Shayna asked.
“Does it matter?” Pete replied.
“I guess not,” Shayna whispered.
“Come. Sit.”