Finley wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand. “How can she be fine? We were kidnapped, Grey. By some psychopath from a job I should have never even ...”
“Hey.” I put my hand on her shoulder. “You were doing what you had to do to make ends meet.”
“That’s it. That’s all you’re going to say? No, I told you so?” There was so much pain in her eyes. It sliced straight through me and made my heart stutter.
I shook my head. That would be an asshole of a thing to say at a time like this. Now, if she tried to continue working there, then all bets were off.
“How did you know something was wrong? How did you know to come find me?” she asked.
“I just knew.” Because you’re mine to protect now.
Her eyes grew wider and I thought maybe, just maybe, she was starting to understand that.
When our food arrived, we ate in front of the TV, watching some kid’s show that kept Maple occupied. Afterwards, we just kept moving as if on auto-pilot, putting on our shoes and piling into the car. I wanted nothing more than to pull Finley into the bed with me, wrap my arms around them and just hold her. Let her calm down like I knew she needed to. But we had responsibilities first. We had a baby with a very soggy diaper, and in a couple hours, it would be bedtime. I wanted to make sure her routine stayed as normal as possible. So we headed into town to a super-store and pushed a shopping cart through the aisles, tossing essentials in as we went. Lavender baby shampoo, diapers, snacks, and a pair of yoga pants for Finley. She grumbled something about that fuckstick only packing her lingerie and dresses. I clenched my jaw and kept my mouth shut.
A little while later, back at the hotel, Finley gave Maple a bath and then I diapered and dressed her in her new fuzzy pajamas while Finley showered herself. It was the first time I’d ever changed a diaper, but rather than it being gross, I felt proud taking care of her.
Finley took her time in the shower, and that was fine with me. I figured she had some things to work through. By the time I heard the shower turn off, Maple was sound asleep in her temporary crib.
The bathroom door opened with a rush of warm steam. Finley was dressed in her new yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, and her damp hair hung in loose, golden waves around her shoulders. With her skin scrubbed clean of makeup and her pink cheeks glowing from the warm shower, she looked years younger. Softer, somehow. But those brilliant green eyes still sliced right through me.
The desire to touch her and kiss her rose inside me. But my feelings went beyond the physical—further than I'd ever thought possible. Her matter-of-fact strength left me awestruck. She had endured so much for so long. I'd seen more blood and death and pain than any man should, and it had gouged dark trenches into my soul. But all of life's ugliness had barely scratched hers. And what few imperfections she had only made her more beautiful. Her scars spoke quietly, yet undeniably: I survived. I outlasted the enemy. And then I moved on to the next day's battle. How many soldiers could go on fighting with no end in sight, no glory or backup or even the promise of victory?
Suddenly it hit me. Something that had been staring me in the face for a long time. Standing there in that crappy hotel room, gaping at Finley like an idiot, both of us still trembling with leftover adrenaline...I realized just how deeply I'd fallen in love with her.
Fuck, I was in so much trouble. And I didn't even care.
“Wow. She’s out?” Finley asked, crossing the room over to the empty bed across from the one I was sitting on.
I nodded. “She went down without a peep.”
“She’s one resilient kid.”
“A lot like her mom in that regard.”
She made a noise of disagreement.
“I've got some more good news. Barton called and confirmed that Brant is in custody. He was arrested and charged with aggravated kidnapping, assault, endangering a child, carrying a weapon without a permit, and a whole bunch of other things. He’ll be facing serious time.”
“Thank you.” Her hands trembled in her lap.
I nodded. “You’ll have to make a statement to the police when we get back into town.”
“That’s no problem.”
After what Brant had done, she’d have no problem making sure that he got the maximum punishment coming to him. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. There was so much more I wanted to ask her, things we needed to talk about, but I wouldn’t push her tonight. She was obviously tired and exhausted. Her eyes looked heavy and her breathing was shallow. She was laying on her side on the bed, watching me, and I mirrored her pose, laying across from her. The desire to touch her creamy skin, to kiss her mouth, to make sure every last inch of her was okay would have to wait.
“I need to know ... did he touch you?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. Thank God. He didn’t try anything like that. But if you hadn’t gotten there ...”