In Finn's Heart

By Roxie Rivera

Table of Contents

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
Author's Note
About the Author
Roxie's Backlist
Copyright

Chapter One

Feet cold and feeling nervous, I shifted uncomfortably on the exam table and frowned as the thin

paper shield under me crinkled loudly. I gathered the too big gown a bit closer to my naked chest and
wondered why they hadn't offered me a heated blanket or even a sheet. I shivered uncontrollably, my
skin prickling with goosebumps caused by anxiety and the chill.

At the pediatric cardiology practice I had been with since birth, the staff always had lots of

warm blankets and sheets on hand. Here, in this adult practice, they had shoved me into an exam room
and ordered me to strip. The office was freezing cold, the air conditioner on high because of the triple
digit temperatures searing Houston.

I swung my legs quickly back and forth and tried to slow my racing, nervous heartbeat. Licking

my lips, I glanced at the posters and art. Unlike the cheerful heart posters at the old practice, this one
had some really depressing public service ads on the walls. There were no happy little heart cartoons
to make me smile. No, I was forced to read about the signs of a heart attack and clogged arteries.

I shook my head and reached for my phone. Swiping the screen, I tapped in my passcode and

checked my text messages to find one from my best friend and roommate Coby. Only she knew I was
visiting my new heart doctor today. I hadn't wanted to worry anyone else, not until I knew for sure.

Well?
Still waiting.
What?!
Yeah. But I have some creepy heart attack posters keeping me company.
Awesome. Hey! Want to grab an early dinner tonight before I head to Faze?
Coby's alter ego, DJ Cobalt, was one of the most popular DJs and electronic musicians in the

world. Russian tycoon Yuri Novakovsky had recognized her talent early on and had signed her as the
house DJ for his string of unbelievably successful and highly exclusive night clubs. She now hopped
from one international hotspot to the next, spinning some of the sickest tracks ever for wild crowds
who lined up hours before the doors opened just to hear her.

Sorry. I've got plans.
Oooohh. That sounds interesting. His name is…?
It's a double date.
A knock on the door interrupted our chat.
Gotta run. Doc's here.
K. Lemme know how it goes!
Will do.
Setting aside my phone, I watched Dr. Rae stroll into the room in her bright blue scrubs and

shockingly orange clogs. She smiled at me and extended her hand. "Hello, Hadley. It's good to see
you again. What's it been? Six years?"

"Eight," I corrected gently, my fingers tightening their grasp on the scratchy gown fabric. I had

been fifteen when she had assisted in my last open heart surgery. She had left the pediatric practice I
had been seeing since birth to move to this newer adult-oriented practice right after that. Since it was
finally time for me to make the transition to a "grown-up" team, I had chosen Dr. Rae because she was
familiar and nice.

"Gosh," she said with a shake of her head, her dark hair swishing side to side in her ponytail,

and sat down on her rolling stool. "Time has really gotten away from me! Are you still writing and

drawing those graphic novels?"

I nodded. "I'm wrapping up one series this year and planning a spinoff."
"That's fantastic! I read the feature on your arts center in the paper earlier this year. I think it's

really wonderful that you've opened up a new avenue for special needs kids and adults. It looks like a
really great place. You're keeping busy?"

"We've got a full schedule and a waitlist. I'm probably going to add some new instructors for

the fall so we can get more classes open."

She smiled at me. "I can see how much you love your work there by the look in your eyes.

Looks like you've found your passion." Leaning back, Dr. Rae clasped her hands together. "So, kiddo,
what's the problem?"

Not minding the way she called me kiddo at all, I pinched the thick blue trim of the gown

between my fingers and fiddled with it. "I spent most of April, May and June traveling abroad."

"Backpacking?"
"Yeah," I said with a smile. "It was really fun, but I noticed that I was having a harder and

harder time catching my breath when I was on long walks or trying to climb. Like, for reals, I thought
I was going to pass out cold when I hiked Tiger Hill."

"Oh, Darjeeling! Such a beautiful place," she remarked wistfully. Then, more seriously, she

asked, "The shortness of breath is painless?"

"Yes."
"And it only happens after physical exertion?"
"So far," I confirmed. "It reminds me of the way I was as a kid, before Doctor P put me on the

digoxin and before we did the valve replacement. I feel like I'm getting tired more easily. You know,
twenty minutes of Zumba and I'm looking for a chair and a water bottle."

"Hmm," she said, tapping her fingers on her thighs. "Any other symptoms I need to know

about?"

"I sometimes feel like my heart is skipping a beat or two."
Her brows knitted together with concern. "This is new?"
"Very," I said and absentmindedly rubbed my chest. "I've never had any issues with

arrhythmias, but I think I'm having one now."

"And it happens when? While you're exercising or while you're sitting still?"
"Mostly while I'm exercising, but the other night I had this weird episode in bed," I explained,

my palms sweating as I remembered the frantic pounding in my chest and the throbbing in my head. "I
rolled onto my back and coughed. It stopped."

"I see." She unlooped the stethoscope hanging around her neck and stood. "Let's take a listen,

okay?"

I swallowed nervously and sat up straighter. This was as familiar to me as breathing. Since

birth, I had been poked, prodded, studied, sliced open, rearranged and sewn back together. The
prospect of going under the knife again bothered me more this time than it had at five days old, six
months old, nine years old or fifteen years old. That last surgery was supposed to be the final surgery
—ever.

This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to be free. I was supposed to go out and live

my life. I had gotten a taste of that freedom while traveling alone across India and Asia. It was the
first time in my life my mother hadn't been on my case about my heart or my father hadn't been

hovering in the background, ready to swoop in when I got breathless. Now, I sat here, taking deep
breaths and trying to hold as still as possible while Dr. Rae moved the cold metal disc around my
chest, and fought the urge to punch the wall in frustration.

Dr. Rae took a step back and draped her stethoscope along the back of her neck again. She held

my gaze for a moment. "I'm going to be straight with you, Hadley. I don't like what I'm hearing. I'm
going to have one of the techs come in to do an echo and a strip."

I sighed heavily. "Great."
"Hey," she said gently and grasped my hand. "This isn't a rush to the operating room sort of

thing, okay? If there's something wrong with that valve we replaced when you were in high school,
we have a couple of options that we can pursue before another big surgery."

"Okay."
She squeezed my hand in an encouraging way. "We'll fix you up, kiddo. Everything will be all

right."

God, I hoped she was right. I watched her leave and waited for the tech to return. He came in a

few minutes later towing a portable ultrasound machine. A nurse hot on his heels pushed an EKG
machine. I slid onto my back on the flat exam table and welcomed the sheet the nurse placed on top of
me. The male tech stepped outside long enough for the nurse to apply the sticky leads all over my
torso and chest.

When he returned, the nurse was already running a twenty second strip off the machine,

capturing every beat of my heart on the graph paper. I had seen enough EKGs of my heart to know that
wonky little blip wasn't normal for me. Fuck. Fuck. Fuckity Fuck Cakes!

Staring at the ceiling, I let my eyes adjust to the dimmed lighting as the nurse flicked switches to

make it easier for the tech to see his screen. He shifted aside the open flaps of my gown just enough to
bare my sternum. I hated the feeling of the warm gel plopping onto my skin. The pressure of the
ultrasound wand gliding over my sternum and along the top of my breast made my teeth grind together.

Hiding my fear and anxiety, I made pleasant conversation with the nurse and tech in between

screen captures of my heart. Every now and then I glanced at the grainy screen to watch the rhythmic
pulsing of my heart. The chambers squeezed and pushed blood through the valves and arteries. I had
seen this view so many times, sometimes five or six times in a year, that it was like seeing an old
friend.

As a baby, my parents had brought me in for echocardiograms every four weeks. I still had the

heart sketches my Dad had drawn to help explain to toddler me what was wrong with my ticker. I had
been born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a complex set of defects that had required two huge surgeries
before I was even a year old to repair holes between the walls of my heart. The thick, ultra-muscular
right ventricle had needed to be carved and shaved.

There had been some complicating factors along the way. The artery feeding my lungs wasn't

big enough so I had undergone a number of catheterization and stent procedures in elementary school.
My pulmonary valve had always been a gnarly little thing that refused to work properly, but my rock
star surgeon had left it in place until I was nine. Medications had eased some of the symptoms I had
experienced because of my craptastic valve, but at nine, the decision was made to go in and replace it
with a new conduit. But by high school I was struggling again. It wasn't unusual. Growing kids have
different needs so a change to a "big girl" valve had been expected. That was supposed to be the last
one for a good, long while.

I watched the valve flapping open and closed on the screen. It didn't settle into place the way it

was intended. I could see the swoosh of blood regurgitating from the valve. I clenched my teeth
together and shuttered my eyelids. God, not again. Please, not again.

The last open heart surgery hadn't been as easy as the others. I had caught a nasty case of the flu

from some jerk who had visited his son in the CVICU despite his hacking cough. I had nearly died
from the complications, including a collapsed lung and a fever so high I had had seizures. The thought
of going through that again made me want to run away and hide forever.

But I couldn't do that. I wanted to live. I wanted to survive.
So I had to face the cold, hard reality staring me right in the face. My poor broken heart needed

some help.

By the time I had cleaned off the sticky gel on my chest and slipped back into my clothes, Dr.

Rae still hadn't returned. I walked around the exam room, studying the lame-o posters. My fingers
itched to make them better. Once that mischievous streak struck me there was no denying it.

I pulled the package of markers I carried everywhere out of my purse and approached the only

poster that wasn't in a frame. The boring, text-heavy poster featuring heart attacks signs begged for
something funny to make it interesting. I sketched a happy, bright red heart dancing at the top of the
poster. Next to each bulleted sign of an impending heart attack, I drew the sweet little heart
experiencing those symptoms, clutching his chest, sweating bullets and even struggling under the
weight of a tutu-wearing elephant dancing on his chest.

The door swung open behind me as I was doodling the last details of the heart on a stretcher. I

steeled myself for chastisement but Dr. Rae actually laughed.

"Oh, I've always loathed that poster!" She came to stand next to me. "I like this version much

better." She gestured to the corner. "You have to sign it for us."

Happy to oblige, I scrawled my signature along the bottom. "If it's a problem, just have them

bill me for replacement posters. I shouldn't have doodled on this one without asking."

Dr. Rae shrugged. "You're nervous. You needed an outlet."
I slipped the markers back into my purse and leaned back against the exam table. She leaned

against the counter and crossed her arms. Finally finding my courage, I asked, "Well?"

She exhaled slowly. "The valve isn't closing completely. You've got some right side dilation

that I don't like. There's evidence of an arrhythmia."

I gulped hard and tried not to burst into tears as my stomach wobbled. "So what do we do

next?"

"I want you to come in for some testing on Tuesday, if that works for your schedule."
"It does." Working from home gave me a lot of flexibility, and I didn't teach any art classes on

Tuesday either. "And after that?"

"Best case scenario? One of our cath specialists will be able to go in and fix the valve in a

minimally invasive way. The arrhythmia is a bit more complicated. With your heart history,
medications aren't a starting point. The testing will give us more information, and I'll make
recommendations from there. Worst case scenario? You're back in the operating room before
Christmas to replace that valve and have a pacemaker installed."

My sternum actually ached at the mere mention of another surgery. Rubbing the scars hidden by

shirt and feeling the knotty hardness of the metal wire holding my breastbone together, I shook my
head. "I won't do another surgery in the winter. Never again," I swore. "I’m not risking another flu

infection while recovering."

Dr. Rae nodded in understanding. "Let's see how the testing goes first."
"All right."
"Listen," she said with a careful tone, "I know this is something you probably discuss with your

primary care physician or your OB/GYN, but are you sexually active?"

"Not at the moment," I answered honestly. Not ever, I silently amended.
"But you had the progesterone implant inserted last fall, right?" She must have seen that in my

chart because she touched her upper arm.

"Yes, Dr. Vargas recommended it because she said the progesterone was safest for my medical

situation and least likely to cause blood clots. I didn't trust myself to remember to take the pill every
day."

"Understandable," she said. "Well, if your romantic situation changes, be careful. Condoms and

the implant, okay?"

"Yes." At twenty-three, protecting myself so that I didn't get pregnant seemed like the most

normal thing in the world, but with every passing year, I started to wonder about my future and the
things I might want someday. "Dr. Rae?"

"Yes?"
"Do you think…? I mean…?"
Her expression softened. Somehow she knew what I wanted to ask. "I honestly don't know,

Hadley. Let's cross this bridge first, all right?"

I understood that was her gentle way of telling me to start coming to terms with the hand life

had dealt me. Not that I had much to complain about, really, I thought as I scheduled my testing
appointment and rode the elevator to the lobby of the building. Life could have been a hell of a lot
worse.

Sure, I had this broken heart that was causing me some grief, but I had a big, crazy family that

adored me and friends who loved me. I had been born into a wealthy, privileged family which meant I
had always had access to the best medical care and schools. My career as a graphic novelist had
kicked off before I had even been out of high school, and now I had an arts center that gave me a
purpose and a source of constant happiness.

Sliding behind the wheel of the obscenely expensive luxury convertible my father had given me

as a college graduation gift, I closed the door, revved up the engine and the air conditioner and shut
my eyes for a long moment. I ignored the panicking voice in my head that urged me to call my father. I
longed to hear his voice telling me everything was going to be okay. "Mi'ja," he would say, and the
whole world would be right again.

But I didn't want to worry him, not with all the work stress he was under at the moment. My

mother had her hands full with my niece's upcoming quinceañera. I didn't want to spoil Ally's special
day with worries about my heart. She was such a sweet kid, and she was so excited about her
birthday and the wild bash my brother Carlos and his wife Vonny had planned for her. If even a
whisper of a problem with my heart met the family's ears, everyone would go into full-on coddle
mode. I refused to take any attention away from Ally.

Planning to make Coby swear silence about my doctor's visit today, I dropped my cell phone

into the cup holder and tossed my purse onto the passenger seat. I shuffled through the playlists on the
touchscreen mounted flush with the dashboard and found something upbeat and fun. I was just starting

to back out of my space when the tones of a ringing phone interrupted my music.

Glancing at the number displayed on the screen, I didn't recognize it. The Houston area code

piqued my interest. I tapped the green button. "Hello?"

"Hi, Hadley."
A thrill of excitement shot right through me at the sound of that deep, slightly raspy voice. I had

only heard him speak a few times, but that voice—Oh, God, that voice—it was one I would never
forget.

"Uh, I'm not sure if you remember me or not, but it's Finn Connolly." He sounded almost

nervous. Considering how capable and brave he had proven himself, I was surprised by that.

"Oh, I remember you all right. There aren't many girls who would forget a man who saved them

from a sniper by diving through a window."

The memory of that terrible night Mattie, one of my students, and Abby, his older sister, had

been targeted by some crazy cartel sniper was still fresh in mind. Five weeks had passed, but I still
woke up in a cold sweat when the nightmares came. Even now, I could feel Finn's brawny arms
wrapped around me as he swept me up and barreled through the shot-out window. He had curled his
body around mind, cradling me and protecting me from the glass shards as we slid across the shiny
floor.

Before I could even make sense of what was happening, Finn had sat up, turning his back so that

he was between me and the open window, and had gathered me close to his chest. He had dragged me
into the corner, kicking over a sofa with the boot encasing his prosthetic foot, and huddled over me
until the police came.

I had been shaking so badly. He had gently clasped my face and tugged the ear buds of my iPod

out of my ears. I hadn't wanted to cry or show weakness, but I hadn't been able to stop the tears. Finn
had tucked me against his chest and rubbed my back in slow circles, all the while murmuring gently to
me, "You're all right, girl. No one will hurt you, not while I'm breathing."

Other than my father, no man had ever sworn to protect me. Finn had kept his promise. We had

both been taken to the closest emergency room. Somehow I had managed to escape without a single
scrape. Finn, on the other hand, had deep gouges in his forearms and back from all that glass. He
hadn't seemed to mind. The whole time they had been patching him together he had kept a protective
watch over me.

Until Daddy had shown up and all hell had broken loose, that is. I grimaced at the memory of

the way my father had thrown his name around and threatened to have Finn arrested. For what, I hadn't
the slightest idea. Honestly, I don't think Daddy knew either at the time. I think he had been scared and
had lashed out at the only target he could find.

"I meant to come by the arts center that next morning," Finn said, "to check on you and see how

you were doing, but your Dad—"

"I am so sorry about that, Finn," I interjected quickly. "He can be crazy over-protective

sometimes."

"He's your father. That's his job." He sounded as if he respected my father for his overblown

reaction. It made me think about Finn's family. My other best friend, Bee, dated Kelly, Finn's younger
brother. I had heard all about their alcoholic, gambling addict father. Something told me Finn's father
had never shown even a tenth of the concern mine had.

"Regardless, he shouldn't have yelled at you like that or threatened you."

"It's all right," he assured me. "It's in the past. Listen, uh, about that double date you're going on

tonight with Mattie and Ellie?"

"What about it?" I had agreed to chaperone a date between Mattie and Ellie, two of the special

needs students in one of my evening art courses. Over the course of a few weeks, I had watched the
pair exchange smiles and glances. Their mutual interest hadn't escaped me. Mattie had finally worked
up the courage to ask Ellie out for dinner, and she had accepted, with her mother's only condition that
it be a double date. Ellie had asked me to come with her, and I had happily agreed to go. Mattie had
asked Detective Eric Santos, a longtime friend of his, to drive.

"So, I know the original plan was that Eric Santos was going to come with Mattie, but he's got a

case that's keeping him late. Mattie asked if I'd come, but I wanted to make sure it was all right with
you."

"Of course it's okay with me." My heart fluttered in my chest, but it wasn't a bad valve and an

arrhythmia making it go crazy this time. No, it was the prospect of sitting next to dangerously
handsome Finn Connolly at some cozy little restaurant table.

"Great." The hint of a smile filled his voice. "Am I picking you ladies up at Ellie's place?"
"Yes." I gave him the address. "We'll see you there around seven?"
"Yes."
"Um. Okay. Well. I guess I'll see you later."
He laughed softly. "Yes, later. Bye, Hadley."
"Bye, Finn."
The call ended, and my music started playing right where it had been muted. After the

depressing and unnerving visit with Dr. Rae, the unexpected phone call from Finn had lifted my
spirits. Before he had saved me that crazy evening in front of the arts center, Finn and I had shared
only one short but promising conversation. There had been an undeniable spark between us. I wanted
to explore where that might lead.

As I backed out of the parking spot and reconsidered the outfit I had chosen for the night, I

ignored the irritating voice in the back of my head that warned me against getting entangled in
anything romantic. My broken heart wasn't going to stop me from having a good time tonight.

*

Leaning against the counter of the gym's laundry room, Finn held his phone to his ear a moment

longer than necessary. The sweet sound of Hadley Rivera's voice played on a loop in his head. He
lowered his phone and placed it on the stack of towels he had been folding. His gaze dropped to the
pink origami frog she had given him that day he had met her at the arts center while escorting Abby
and Mattie.

In a moment of weakness, he ran his fingertip along the silver scrawl of her name and number.

The frog had been crushed during the fall they had both taken when he had saved her life, but he had
carefully managed to get it back into the right shape. With a tiny bit of pressure, he flicked the funny
little paper contraption and made it hop.

"You get tonight sorted out?" Jack, his older brother, peered at him through the open doorway

of the laundry room. Wiping sweat from his forehead and the back of his neck, he leaned against the
door frame and waited for his answer.

"Yeah."
Jack motioned to his own buzzed hair. "You might think about a visit to the barbershop. Shave

that scruff on your face and trim up that hair. You're starting to look like a hippie."

Finn snorted. His hair barely curled around his ears and dusted his shoulders, but coming from

a long line of Marines who favored the traditional high-and-tight haircut, he looked like a shaggy dog.
"I'll think about it."

"Think hard." Jack swung the towel in a slow circle. "Is your friend still planning to drop by

tomorrow?"

"Conn called me at lunch to let me know his flight times. Pop said he'd finish up Kelly's room

today. Conn says he'll only be staying a week."

"He can stay as long as he likes. Conn saved your life, man. The least we can do is let him

sleep in a bedroom that isn't be used by anyone." He paused and seemed to be considering his words
carefully. "Look, speaking of house guests, we've got to do something about Pop."

Finn had been expecting this discussion for a while now. "He's getting back on his feet, Jack.

We can't put him out on the streets when he's finally getting sober and staying away from the gambling
dens and bookies."

"He's a grown man. Let him find his own way." The harsh edge to Jack's voice warned Finn not

to push too hard on the matter. The house belonged to Jack, and truthfully, his older brother had been
more than gracious when it came to housing and supporting their abusive, alcoholic father after he had
been shot trying to protect their youngest brother's girlfriend from a crazed stalker.

"Give me two weeks," Finn negotiated. "I'll get him out of the house and into a safe place."
"You don't have to babysit him. He's sixty-two years old."
"He's a recovering alcoholic and a gambling addict who is hanging on by a thread." Finn glared

at his brother. "He's making progress. He needs support."

"We needed support when we were kids, Finn. Our mother needed support when she was

dying. That old bastard gave us nothing but pain and grief. We've done more than enough to help him."
Shaking his head, Jack pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and seemed to be fighting for
control. "Two weeks, Finn, and then I throw his shit out of the den and onto the front yard myself."

"All right." It wasn't much, but he would take it.
Changing the subject, Jack asked after their brother who was gallivanting around the world with

his wunderkind tech goddess girlfriend. "Did you talk to Kelly today?"

"Yeah, I caught him on Skype early this morning. He and Bee are headed for Hong Kong. He

said he'll touch base tomorrow." Not sure how Jack would react to the news, he carefully added,
"Kelly told me he spoke to Dimitri last night and let him know that he's not coming back to Lone Star.
He's hanging up the bodyguard uniform."

"Like hell," Jack said with a knowing chuckle. "He's just traded one boss for another."
"Bee's prettier. Pays better, I'm sure."
"Oh, I bet it's the benefits package that interests him most."
Chuckling, Finn went back to folding the freshly laundered towels. "We need to get more

detergent."

"All ready?" Jack came into the laundry room and dropped his dirty towel in the first open

washer. He picked up one of the hampers Finn had dragged in from the locker room and dumped it in
the machine. "We may need to look into signing up with a vendor for deliveries instead of relying on
monthly trips to a warehouse store."

"If you're about to start bitching about pennies, you're not going to like what I'm about to tell

you."

Jack finished loading the machine and closed the lid. "Just lay it on me, Finn."
"I heard Gabe growling about these classes you've got him teaching the Lone Star guys. He's

grumbling about his pay rate. Seems he found out what Dimitri Stepanov is paying the gym on that
contract we secured to train his bodyguards and bouncers. He seems to think you're pocketing a tidy
profit. Of course, he has no idea about silly little things like overhead, health insurance, equipment…"

His older brother's growling sound didn't bode well for anyone. He snarled a few choice

words. "I'll deal with it."

Finn's mouth slanted with a knowing smile. "I'm sure you will."
Taking an armful of towels out of the dryer, Jack remarked, "Looks like Mattie might need a

helper to keep up with his duties now that he's going to class three mornings a week."

"It's this rush of sign-ups we've had since the latest wave of college kids returned to the city,"

Finn said. "Half of them will probably drop their memberships once we hit October. They'll have to
choose between beer money, rent and the gym. We're going to lose that battle every time. Maybe we
should hold off until then to decide whether we want to look for more help."

Jack sorted the towels for the locker room from the smaller towels meant for the gym. "I can

live with that. If we do add some more part-timers to the roster, we've got to do it the right way. I
won't have Mattie's feelings getting hurt. We'll let him help us go through the applications and sit in on
the interviews."

Finn smiled at Jack's protectiveness of his girlfriend's brother. "I like that plan. We have to

make sure that any employees we hire understand that we have a zero tolerance policy for bullshit
when it comes to bullying or harassment."

"Agreed," Jack said with a nod. He folded three towels before speaking again. "So, about your

date tonight—"

"It's not my date," Finn cut in quickly. "It's Mattie and Ellie's date. Hadley and I are going as a

buffer, just in case."

"All I'm saying is that the universe did you a huge favor by giving Eric that big case that's

keeping him from going tonight. Don't waste it." Before he could protest, Jack held up one a hand to
silence him. "I don't want to hear a list of reasons why it won't work."

He ignored his older brother's order. "She isn't interested in a torn up old vet like me."
"You're thirty-one years old and compared to some of the men who came back you've got

nothing to complain about, Finn."

His brother's retort hit home. He thought of Conn and the horror that IED had made of his face.

He remembered the dozens of other men, most of them boys fresh out of high school, he had met in the
hospital and rehab who had lost so much more than a leg.

Jack reached for something behind the stack of towels he had been folding. It was the pink

origami frog he placed on the stack of white cotton towels closest to Finn. "She didn't just write her
name on a slip of scrap paper, bro. She made you a freaking frog. She wanted you to call her and to
remember her."

Finn gingerly picked up the frog and held it on his palm. He swallowed hard as the truth hit him.

Not meeting Jack's curious gaze, he said, "I haven't been interested in a woman since losing my leg
and the drinking. Not…not like this," he added. "There were women." He shut his eyes as shame
engulfed. "Too many women and too many empty, angry one-night-stands, but Hadley? She's different.

One look, and God, Jack. I couldn't breathe."

Jack squeezed his shoulder. "I know how that goes. It was the same way for me the first time I

walked into the pawn shop and spotted Abby."

"You had something to offer Abby. All I've got to offer a woman is a shit fucking ton of

baggage," Finn growled with frustration.

"That's not true, and you know it." Jack's hand tightened on his shoulder. "You own this

business with me. You volunteer with other addicts. You coach special needs kids and adults. You
make a difference to people who know you." He gestured to the blade-like prosthesis Finn wore
around the gym. "You're a war hero, Finn. You lost your leg fighting for your country. Sure, you were
a mean, pathetic drunk, but you whipped that addiction's ass. Thirty-one months and one week, Finn.
That's a hell of a thing to accomplish."

He wasn't surprised Jack remembered the exact day of his last drink. If it hadn't been for Jack,

he would have been dead by now. A wreck, a bar fight or choking on his own vomit while passed out
drunk in some fleabag motel—he would have gone out with a nasty, ugly death.

"Just go out tonight with an open mind," Jack urged. "You like this girl. Brother, you ran across

a parking lot to save her from a sniper."

A vision of Hadley's striking gray eyes and warm, honey brown skin flashed before him. He

would never forget the panicked glint to her strangely hued irises as the bullets snapped and clanged
all around them. She had clung to him, her small hands gripping at his shoulders and arms. The scent
of her, something floral and sweet, had made an impression on him even in that adrenaline-fueled
moment.

Stroking her back and hair, he had tried to calm her with gentle words. He had sworn to protect

her. That vow hadn't been an empty one. Later that night, he had killed the man who had tried to take
out Hadley, Mattie and Abby with one clean, perfectly placed shot. Not that Hadley would ever know
that. It was a secret he would take to his grave.

"Give it a chance," Jack suggested. "She might surprise you."
Glancing at the paper frog on his palm, Finn smiled. "She already has."
Double dates had never been his idea of fun, but he had a sneaking suspicion tonight was going

to be a night he would never forget.

Chapter Two

With a smile I didn't even try to conceal, I watched Mattie and Ellie chatting excitedly in front

of me as we slowly made our way down the busy sidewalk. The couple exchanged eager glances
while discussing the musical we had watched. I had to hand it to Mattie. He had made Ellie's first
date a beautiful thing.

Not wanting to collide with a passionately kissing couple obliviously veering toward me, I

stepped to the left and bumped into Finn. His arm shot out to steady me, curving just above my waist
and tugging me in closer to his side as another larger, more raucous group squeezed by us on the
sidewalk. His fingers spanned my hip, the grip easy but firm. It was the first time he had touched me
all night, and my body thrummed with an illicit buzz as the heat of his big hand seeped through the
fabric of my dress.

I cast a shy look his way and caught him staring at me. The tawny flecks in his green eyes

seemed to glow in an almost supernatural way. It was the castoff light from the theaters and
restaurants surrounding us lending him that otherworldly quality. He had cut his hair since the last
time I had seen him and shaved too.

His handsome face made my breath catch in my throat. The hard angles of his jaw were marked

by faint scars. He had more rippled, ridged lines on his neck, forearms and hands. I assumed he had
sustained those injuries during his tours of duty, most of them probably at the same time he had lost
his leg. It occurred to me that I might have finally met a man who had more scars than me, physically
and emotionally.

The pressure of his grip along my hip increased, and he gently slowed my pace. When my

expression turned questioning, he gestured toward Mattie and Ellie with a lift of his chin. Lowering
his face until his mouth nearly touched the shell of my ear, he murmured, "Let's give them a little
space."

A wicked shiver coursed through me as his breath tickled my skin. Unable to help myself, I

moved fractionally closer. Finn's cologne enticed me. He smelled of the outdoors, like pine and fresh,
crisp mountain air with a hint of cedar. Ever so slowly, he lowered his arm and let it drop away from
my waist. I mourned the loss of his touch and heat immediately but found some small comfort in the
way our hands bumped together as we walked.

"I think this was a good date for them," Finn remarked, his keen eyes roving the area. It had

taken me the first few minutes of dinner to realize that he wasn't being deliberately aloof or ignoring
the conversation at the table when he glanced around like that. He was scanning for threats.
Considering his time in the Marines as a sniper and the battles he had probably seen, I assumed it was
a hard habit to break. I had wanted to tease him about it, but then I'd remembered what the hell had
happened that night outside the arts center. He had every reason to be so uptight.

"Did Eric choose the restaurant?" It had been quiet and cozy with just the right amount of fancy

to make the night special.

"He did, but the musical was all Mattie. Apparently, Mattie saw Ellie looking at the flyer in the

lobby of the arts center. He said it made her smile, and he wanted to make her smile."

"Aw! What a sweetheart he is! God, what I'd do meet a guy who actually paid attention to the

things that make me smile."

Finn cast a sidelong glance my way. "You're meeting guys in the wrong places."
"Probably," I agreed with a short laugh.

We walked in silence for a few paces before Finn piped up again. "Raspberries made you

smile. I caught you swiping the ones Ellie had pushed off her dessert."

My ears felt hot. "I didn't think anyone noticed that."
"I did."
I swallowed hard. Feeling a bit brave, I asked, "What else did you notice?"
"You like your food super spicy, but it gives you heartburn because you've been touching your

chest all night. You rub your thumb against your palm when you're bored. You've got sensitive ears
because you winced during the loud dancing numbers during the show." His attention dropped to my
foot for a second. "You've been favoring your right foot all night. You probably stubbed it while
getting dressed."

Taken aback by the info he rattled off so easily, I gawked at him. "You noticed all that, huh?"
"I was a sniper, Hadley. Noticing the little things was the difference between evading detection,

making a clean shot and guaranteeing a successful extraction or being killed, captured or failing a
mission and getting lots of good men killed." He said it all so matter-of-factly, as if it were the most
obvious thing in the world.

"You were right about the toe but wrong about the heartburn." I hadn't been rubbing my chest out

of pain. Until Finn had mentioned it, I hadn't even realized I had been doing it. It must have been a
nervous tic sort of thing, no doubt brought on the black cloud of possibility hanging over my head. I
made a mental note to keep an eye on my hands because it would make my parents super paranoid
during Mass and Sunday lunch if they saw me touching my chest.

He frowned. "I know what I saw after dinner."
"And I'm telling you I don't have heartburn."
"Did you pull a muscle?"
I snorted indelicately. "Doing what? Drawing some lines on paper and shading in some angel

wings?"

My retort earned a grin from him. "I finished the latest installment in your series a few days

ago."

"Oh?" I didn't fish for a compliment. I had spent enough time on the conference and book

signing circuits to know that I probably wouldn't like any compliments I had to seek out. The ones
freely given were the ones I cherished most.

"I got to the end and shot out of bed. I yelled loud enough that Jack smacked on the wall

between our rooms and told me to keep it down," he admitted with a sheepish look. "I hate
cliffhangers—but I secretly sort of love them. Especially when they're that well written," he added.

"I struggled hard with ending that installment of the series that way," I confessed. "I actually

sketched out sixteen more thumbnails, just in case I changed my mind before I did the final coloring
pass. I could…I could show them to you if you would like."

"Are you kidding? I would love to see them." His enthusiasm made my heart race in a good

way.

"You know, the last time we discussed my books, you promised to help me as an expert on

insurgent warfare."

"Did I?" His mouth quirked with the tiniest slant of amusement, and I knew he remembered that

he actually hadn't promised any such thing. "Well, I'm not busy tonight."

My belly trembled with anticipation. "Would you like to come over after you drop off Ellie and

Mattie?"

Finn captured my gaze. "Yes. Very much."
"Great." I nervously brushed some loose curls behind my ears. We would go back my place,

cozy up on the couch and…well. I wasn't sure what would happen once we were alone, but even if it
was just an evening of talking over sketches and a bottle of wine, it would be very nice. Finn wasn't
the kind of guy who would spend the entire night trying to impress me. We could have a real
conversation, not the stilted, one-sided tortures I usually sat through on a date.

We finally made it to the parking garage tucked away on a corner behind the restaurant and not

far from the theater. We had managed to find a spot on the first level in one of the oversized vehicle
slots. Finn unlocked the doors from afar, and I watched Mattie open Ellie's door and gently guide her
into the rear passenger seat of the crew cab monstrosity. The model for Mattie's gentlemanly
behavior, Finn opened the front passenger door for me and put a warm hand on the small of my back
as I used the running board to hoist myself into my seat.

The conversation on the ride back to Ellie's house was easy and friendly. Finn and I remained

in the truck while Mattie walked his crush to her door and saw her safely inside. We both averted our
eyes when the two exchanged pecks on the cheek. Mattie was still blushing when he slipped into the
backseat. I glanced at Finn, silently praying he wouldn't tease Mattie, but Finn seemed to sense this
wasn't the time for brotherly teasing.

Instead he turned the conversation to Mattie's college classes, and I listened quietly as the pair

bantered back and forth. Abby had gotten her brother into a pilot program one of the local colleges
was offering that catered to special needs students. By the sounds of it, Mattie enjoyed what he was
learning and planned to stay in for the full two years.

When we reached the house Mattie shared with Abby, I wasn't surprised to spot Jack's truck

parked in the driveway. He sometimes brought Mattie to art class so I had become familiar with his
vehicle. From what Abby had told me, things were very serious between them. I expected an
engagement announcement by Christmas.

The porch light was on, and I thought I noticed a bit of movement behind the wooden blinds

guarding the picture window. No doubt it was Abby anxiously awaiting Mattie's return.

"Thank you for the ride, Finn." Mattie unbuckled his belt.
"No problem, man." He twisted in his seat. "You coming to work tomorrow?"
"I'm going in early with Jack. Are you coming in tomorrow?"
I could feel Finn's heated gaze skip to my face but didn't dare meet his eyes. "Maybe," he said

eventually.

"Okay." Mattie leaned forward and gently clasped my shoulder. "I'm glad you came with us,

Hadley. Good night."

I patted his hand and smiled. "Night, Mattie."
Jack waved from the front porch when Mattie was safely inside. Finn checked the mirrors

before sliding back out onto the street. "Do you mind if I turn on the radio?"

"Not at all," I said, glad for the background noise. He chose a country channel and that didn’t

surprise me at all. Of all the Connolly brothers, Finn fit that image of a Texas good old boy best. He
was rougher and louder—and more dangerous.

Looking for something to talk about, I decided complimenting his truck was a good bet. We

were in Texas, after all. "This is a really nice truck."

He shot an amused smile my way. "You know a lot about trucks?"
"My dad has this exact model but two years older. He drives it to work every day."
"Your dad drives himself to work?"
"Well, yeah," I said with a frown. "What else is he going to do? Ride a bike?"
"He doesn't have a driver?"
"Mom has a driver. Dad prefers to drive himself."
"But he has bodyguards," Finn remarked. "I saw them at the emergency room that night we

nearly got dinged like a couple of Coke cans by that sniper."

The rather crude way he described our nearly being shot surprised me. I reminded myself that

Finn was a battle-hardened man who had seen things I would never be able to imagine and let it slide.
"He had just come in from a trip to Central America. He always travels with bodyguards when he's
out of Houston."

"You should have guards around the clock."
I wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or touched by that one. "I had guards until I was in college.

I got rid of them a few years ago and haven't looked back."

"It's not safe."
"I'm perfectly fine. Other than that bizarre shooting at the arts center, I've never had trouble of

any kind. I backpacked around India and Asia for weeks without a problem." Not the kind he was
thinking, at least. My hand lifted toward my chest, but I remembered what he had said and dropped it
quickly.

The thought of my scars made me think of his. I sneaked a glance at his legs as we drove toward

my penthouse. Though I wouldn't call it lucky, I gathered that losing the left leg in that awful IED
explosion in Afghanistan had been slightly better than losing the right. At least he could still drive
with the same natural rhythm.

"You can ask any questions you'd like." His gruff voice startled me.
"Sorry," I hastily apologized. "I didn't mean to stare."
"It doesn't bother me." He met my gaze long enough to convince me that it didn't. "If there's

something you want to know, ask."

"Were you the only one injured in the blast?" I had only the vaguest idea of the details

surrounding his career-ending injury. I couldn't exactly ask Bee a lot of questions without rousing her
suspicions about my interest in her boyfriend's brother.

"No." He let that single word hang in the air for a long time. "I was hitching a ride back from a

mission with a supply convoy. The lead truck—two trucks in front of mine—rolled right over the first
damned IED. The explosion almost tossed me out of the vehicle I was in and killed everyone in the
first truck. A remotely detonated device was set off once we all started piling out to take cover and
secure the wounded. A goddamned door blasted off the hinges of the vehicle took me out at the knee."

My stomach lurched at the imagery his words evoked. I could imagine the heavy slab of

superheated metal flying at him and slamming into his leg. I swallowed hard but didn't speak. I sensed
he wasn't done with his brutal tale.

"The two men next to me were both killed instantly, but one behind me was gurgling and

choking." His voice had deepened and grown raspier. "I crawled toward him and found a shank of
metal sticking out of the poor bastard's throat." He made a gesture toward his neck. "Doc made it to
him fast, but that wasn't a wound even he could fix. The kid was young." He glanced at me. "Younger

than you are now. I saw the panic in his eyes. It wasn't…it wasn't the first time I had watched a man
die. It sure as hell was the first time I thought I might be going with him."

Finn let his tale fade as he merged onto 59 but picked it back up once we were cruising along

the freeway. "We started taking heavy fire after that. I managed to snap out of it long enough to tie off
my belt above the wound and then it was kill or be killed. Talk about asses and elbows," he growled
low. "But's that war for you."

I didn't know what the hell asses and elbows meant but figured it was his way of describing a

hot mess of a fight. "You were able to shoot while you were bleeding like that?"

"You'd be amazed what you can accomplish when you've got that much adrenaline pouring into

your bloodstream," he said matter-of-factly. "You forget about the pain because you want to live.
Survival is a hell of a motivator."

"I know," I murmured quietly.
He laughed at that, the sound unnecessarily harsh. "Do you?"
Annoyed by his arrogant question, I grasped his hand and tugged it toward my chest. He tried to

yank his hand back when his fingers grazed the front of my dress. "What are you—?"

"Stop." I spoke firmly and held tight. Pulling down the high neck of my dress with my free hand,

I pushed his fingers against the scarred skin on my chest. I felt him flinch.

Realization dawned, and his head quickly turned toward me. Curious now, his fingers moved

gently over my marked skin, following the long, thick line formed by so many incisions there. He
pressed down to feel the wire securing my breastbone. His hand moved from my chest to the back of
my neck. He cupped my nape so gently and ran his thumb in slow, warm circles on my skin. "Oh,
sugar, what the hell did they do to you?"

The sympathy and understanding of what I had been through sparked off an intense need within

me. Had any other man ever really understood what I had survived in the last twenty-three years? No.
That answer came swiftly. But Finn? Oh, Finn knew all about pain.

"I was born with a really bad set of heart defects. I had surgery four times by the time I was in

high school plus a whole bunch of smaller procedures."

His thumb continued to massage my neck so tenderly. "Are you okay now?"
"I…" How did I answer that? If I said no, would this be it? One tease of a date and then nothing

more? It wouldn't be the first time a guy had bailed after seeing my scars or hearing about my medical
history. Deciding it was best to find out exactly what sort of man he was, I confessed, "I had a not so
great visit at the cardiology clinic this morning."

The hand resting against the back of my neck gently swept along my shoulders in the most

soothing way. "How bad is it?"

"Not, like, dying bad, but bad enough that I'll probably end up right back in an operating room

in a few months."

His thumb brushed my jaw. "I'm so sorry, Hadley. That's rough."
The sweet way he caressed my neck and jaw left me trembling inside. I inhaled a shuddery

breath and prayed my heart wouldn't start sprinting wildly. Finn glanced at me as we barreled down
the highway. Our gazes locked, and a look stretched between us. It was a moment unlike any other I
had ever shared with a man. He didn't have to say a single word. He looked at me like that and it was
easy enough to read his handsome face. He wasn't going to fill the space with empty words and
platitudes. No, he did something even better.

His hand drifted down my neck, along my shoulder and followed the line of my arm until it

settled on my own. He interlaced our fingers and gave my hand an encouraging squeeze. His rough,
strong fingers shared their warmth with mine and something else too. This battle-tested warrior gave
me some of the strength that had seen him through skirmishes and firefights I couldn't even imagine.

When he slowly dragged his thumb up and down the back of my hand, I smiled. Maybe I had

something new to fight for now.

Chapter Three

Finn stood silently next to Hadley as the elevator swiftly climbed to the top floor of the

downtown high-rise. He fought the urge to take her small hand in his again. In the truck, when she had
revealed her heart problem and all she had survived, he had been gripped by the sensation of
knowing her.

There had been the barest hint of fear in her voice as she had talked about another surgery.

After the pain she had already known, he could only imagine how daunting it was to wait for another
brutal surgery that would require separating her sternum and wiring it back together. The need to
comfort her had been so strong, but he couldn't think of the right thing to say. Thankfully, he knew
words weren't the only way to show concern.

Standing next to her now, he quietly breathed in her perfume and admired her profile. Long, thin

earrings dangled from her ear. The diamonds glittered against her honey-colored skin and tempted
him to stroke her skin. He wanted to tangle his fingers in her black hair and pluck free the knots of
fabric holding together the open back of her dress. Maybe bend down and nibble on that spot where
her neck curved into her shoulder. Would she shudder? Would she sigh? If he was lucky, she would
do both and maybe invite him to keep going.

Control, he silently reminded himself.
The elevator bounced just a bit as it slowed to a stop. The doors opened into a foyer and a

single door. He liked that the elevator didn't simply open right into her living room like they did at
some penthouses. At least this gave her an additional level of security.

He hadn't been the least bit surprised to find out she lived in the most exclusive building in the

city or that she owned the penthouse or a private elevator access. She might seem laid-back and down
to earth, but Hadley came from extreme wealth. A one-bedroom walkup would never suffice.

But this? Finn experienced a moment of shock when he followed her into the penthouse. It was

like walking into one of those shiny covers of the decorating magazines he saw while waiting in line
at the grocery store. Everything was modern and sleek, from the gleaming wood floors to the smoky
gray color on the walls. White drapes with a faint silvery pattern on them guarded the floor-to-ceiling
windows that gave her a beautiful view of the city. The furniture in the living area was mostly white
except for one bright purple chair and a handful of yellow patterned throw pillows.

There were two balconies that he could see from the living area, one just in front of him and

another right off the dining are to his left. Sizing up the portion of the penthouse he could see and
guessing at what he couldn't, he estimated the place at three thousand square feet—minimum. The
house he shared with Jack and their father and sometimes Kelly was about half that.

"It's a bit of a mess," Hadley said anxiously and swept up an armful of soda cans and a bag of

chips. "Coby had some of her musician friends from Sweden staying in Bee's old room for the last
couple of days. They cleared out this morning to head off to a music festival in Austin, but we're
running a bit behind on housekeeping."

"I live in a houseful of men. This," he gestured to the crumbs on the coffee table, "is nothing."
She smiled gratefully for his understanding and carted her armful to the kitchen. After sorting

out the recycling and washing the sticky residue from the soda cans off her hands, she kicked off her
high heels and pushed them against the wall and out of the way. "Would you like something to drink?
I'm pretty sure those Swedes cleaned us out of beer and vodka, but I've got a few bottles of nice wine
that I hid away in the locked cabinet of the bar."

Realizing the moment he dreaded most was upon them, he joined her in the kitchen but kept the

granite island between them. His finger idly traced a black vein in the stone. "Look, there's something
you need to know about me."

"Okay."
Meeting her inquisitive gaze, he said, "I'm an alcoholic. I'm in recovery, but I am and always

will be an alcoholic."

"I see," she murmured gently. "How long have you been sober?"
She was taking it better than anyone else ever had. "Thirty-one months."
"That's really fantastic, Finn." She leaned across the counter to rub his hand and squeeze his

fingers. "It's quite an accomplishment. I can't imagine it's been easy."

"It's not supposed to be," he replied, suddenly missing the warmth of her fingers atop his when

she leaned back. "If it was, everyone who struggled with addiction would get clean and stay clean."

She nodded and then turned to face the refrigerator. "So sweet tea, water or a soda? I can make

some lemonade if you would prefer that."

If the size of her upscale penthouse had surprised him, her reaction to finding out he was a

recovering alcoholic damn near knocked him off his feet. Was she really that okay with it? He
narrowed his eyes at her back and wondered what she wasn't saying. "You don't mind?"

"It's just some lemons, sugar and water."
A snort of laughter escaped his throat. "No, Hadley, I meant the alcoholic thing."
She glanced back at him. "Finn, we've all got problems."
He didn't know why he couldn’t let it go at that. "This is a big problem."
Pivoting slowly, she leaned back against the refrigerator. "It is a big problem. It's huge, really,

but you told me the truth about your alcoholism up front. That means a lot to me. I trust that you've got
it under control. Sobriety is a journey, right?"

The words were so familiar to him. "You know someone that goes to Alcoholics Anonymous

meetings."

"Yes."
Not wanting to push for more information, he decided to let it go. "I'll have that iced tea, if you

don't mind."

Her sweet pink lips curved upward. "Not at all." She tugged open the refrigerator door and

rummaged inside. "Make yourself at home, Finn. My draft board and studio are down the hall to your
left. The door is probably open. You're welcome to go inside."

"Thanks." Wanting to see where she worked, he followed her directions to a spacious studio

with the same floor-to-ceiling windows as the living area. One wall was covered with magnetic
strips placed two feet or so apart. Drawings hung from the strips, tiny magnets holding them in place.
He investigated them and realized it was her next book, laid out page by page from left to right, top to
bottom. She had drawn and colored about one hundred pages of the graphic novel so she was halfway
done.

Unable to help himself, he started reading from the first page, hungry to find out if the half-

demon Ellaria survived the fall from the cliffhanger ending. She had sacrificed herself to save her
true love Raphael, the warrior angel who had fathered the child she lost in a prior book when his
archangel brethren attacked her. In the final panel of the last book, she had jumped off the tallest
building in the city, sacrificing and condemning herself to an eternal life in hell to free Raphael from

God's wrath and Lucifer's curse.

Finn ate up the words and the images, his heart actually racing a bit as he moved from page to

page. Hadley had a real talent for storytelling and her gift for drawing was just as good. The vivid
images on the page drew him into the world she had created.

Even so entranced by her work, he didn't miss the telltale pitter patter of her bare feet coming

down the hall. He greeted her with a grin. "This is fucking fantastic, Hadley. The wait was worth it."

She laughed and handed him a glass of sweet tea. The ice cubes tinkled against each other as

they knocked around in the dark liquid. "The next two pages are on my draft table."

Curious to see how she actually put together her books, he wandered over while sipping his tea.

It was sweet and cold and so much better than the watered down tea from the restaurant. He stood
close to the elevated and angled desk where she created her masterpieces and stared at the images she
had been coloring.

It was a powerful scene in front of him. Raphael was choosing to return to his place among the

archangels even though Ellaria had been freed from Hell as a mortal human. The grief on Ellaria's
face punched Finn in the gut. He felt her betrayal and heartache at the way the man she had trusted and
loved and given her maidenhead—and a source of power—turned his back on her now.

He rubbed his chest. "That's just—ouch."
"I know." She sounded sad as she stared at the page. "This one hit me right in the feels when I

was writing it. I sobbed for, like, five hours after I finished the first sketch."

"They get back together, right?" He couldn't believe how badly he needed to know that Ellaria

got her happily ever after in the end. After everything the poor woman had gone through, she deserved
a bit of fictional happiness.

Hadley's mouth quirked in a teasing way. "You'll have to read the book and find out."
"Tease!"
She pinched his arm. "You know you love it."
I'm starting to, he thought wickedly. Turning his attention to her work, he said, "So we talked

about me trying to do my own comics that day we met at the arts center."

"I remember."
Did she remember the encounter the same way he did? "Tell me how you do it."
She placed her glass on a stack of magazines on a bookshelf and joined him at her workspace.

"I write the story first." She reached across him to grab a stack of printed pages bound together with a
big clip, and when she did, her arm brushed against his chest. The slight touch set him on fire. "Here."

He took the manuscript from her and saw that she had plotted out the story like a screenplay. He

put his glass of tea in a safe spot and thumbed through the pages. "This is where I screw up, I guess.
The comics I've attempted always stall halfway through and then I give up because it's too frustrating
to keep fighting with it."

"I used to do that when I was drawing in junior high. Dom took me to a comic convention that

summer, and I got to sit in on a panel of my favorite writers and artists. They shared their tips and
tricks, and I bought a whole bunch of how-to books and started studying how my favorite comics and
graphic novels were structured and drawn."

"I should try that," he said, feeling a bit dumb for not taking that approach. Trying to ignore the

flare of jealousy licking at his chest, he asked, "Who is Dom?"

"One of my older brothers." She reached for another bound stack of sheets, these thicker and

covered in black and white sketches. "These are the basic thumbnails I do to design the book page-
by-page before I do the real sketches and then the coloring."

He exchanged the manuscript for the thumbnails. Wanting to squeeze in some recon, he asked,

"How many brothers do you have?"

She cast an amused glance his way. "Why? The big, tough Marine worried he might be

outnumbered at the next Rivera barbecue?"

Her smile did crazy things to him. His brain told him to wait, not to do it just yet, but his heart

screamed for him to take a chance. She had that sweet look on her face that dazzled him. Fuck it. I'm
going for it.

"Depends on how many big brothers I have to dodge if they found out I did this." Taking a step

toward Hadley, he closed the space between them and slid his arm around her waist. He gave a little
tug, and she came willingly into his arms. Cradling the back of her head, he lowered his face and
peered into those startling gray eyes of hers. I'm lost.

And he was. The moment his lips brushed hers, he was gone.
With a little whimper of need, Hadley gripped the front of his shirt and tilted her head, letting

him have whatever he wanted to take. The touch of their lips was gentle and tender at first, but she lit
a fire in his belly with that soft, kittenish noise. It had been a long while since he had kissed a woman,
and he intended to make up for that tonight.

You're only kissing her. That's it. That's all.
That first year he had been sober, there had been so many empty one-night-stands and

miserable, stilted, angry fucks. He had been searching for anything and everything to replace the
craving he had for another beer or a shot of bourbon. He hadn't found it in any of those hotel rooms or
strange bedrooms with women he barely knew because it didn't exist. There was no replacement for
that craving. There was only acceptance and peace.

Only kissing Hadley proved to be more than enough. It was more than he deserved. She was

such a good woman, all sweetness and light, and too damned good for him. He eased his tongue into
her mouth and felt the shy flick of hers. Smiling, he chased her tongue and made contact again. Her
grip tightened on his shirt, and she pressed toward him by lifting on tiptoes. Her breasts rubbed his
chest, and heat streaked right down to his cock.

Deepening the kiss, he claimed her with as much intensity as he dared. A triumphant thrill raced

through his chest when she wound an arm around his waist and tried to get even closer. The desire to
lift her up and deposit her on that tall chair she used for drafting nearly topped him. He wanted to
shove her dress up around her waist and see what sort of dainty little panties she was wearing. He
would dip his fingers under the fabric to find her wet heat—and probably his tongue too.

Flirting with danger had gotten him in trouble too many times in the past. He refused to ruin the

start of something beautiful with Hadley by giving into his reckless impulses. There was plenty of
time to do all the wonderfully dirty things he wanted do with her.

But not tonight.
As tenderly as he could manage, he lessened the power of their kisses. His tongue finally left

her mouth, taking with it the sugary sweetness of her tea. He sucked on her lower lip and teased his
teeth against the plump, soft flesh of her pout. Their noses nuzzled together as they shared a chaste,
simple kiss, their lips lingering until he finally gathered the strength to pull away from her. They were
both breathing hard now.

"Four," she said in a huskier voice. "I have four older brothers."
He grimaced with exaggeration. "Not good odds for this Marine."
"Well," she toyed with the point of his shirt collar, "you probably wouldn't have to worry about

my two oldest brothers. Carlos has never been a hothead, and Marco would be so enamored with
those green eyes of yours that he wouldn't even care that you took a kiss from his baby sister. But…
Dom and Tres? No promises there." She abandoned his collar and played with a button now. "Dom
was kicked out of three private schools and a public school before he was sixteen and ran away to
join a doom metal band as a bassist. Tres went straight into the Marines after high school. He did
eight years and then left to be Dom's bodyguard."

"Not good odds," he murmured, thinking that a Marine and a doom metal bassist could probably

whip his ass from sunup 'til sundown if they got ahold of him.

She playfully patted his chest. "Luckily for you, they both adore me and wouldn’t do anything to

make me cry."

"Then I had better be on my best behavior and keep you happy."
"Sounds like a smart plan," she whispered, rising up to kiss him one more time.
Caressing her cheek, he asked, "May I see you again?"
"I'd like that."
"What are you doing tomorrow night?" Slow down. You're moving too fast.
"I have this event thing," she said, biting her lip. "You wouldn't happen to have a tuxedo in your

closet, would you?"

"Actually, I do." He traced her jawline with his thumb. "A friend of mine got married at

Christmas, and I decided to buy a good tux and have it properly tailored." He gestured to his
prosthetic leg. "It's hard to get a nice fit off the rack."

Her gaze lowered to his foot. "I bet."
"Why do I need a tux?"
"It's a fundraiser for the children's hospital. I go every year. It's my main charity," she

explained. "The arts center is my passion and the way I help people directly, but fundraising for the
hospital is hugely important to me." She smiled shyly. "I'd like it if you came with me."

He couldn't imagine a worse way to spend a Saturday night than cooped up in some ballroom at

a stuffy fundraiser, but he couldn't tell her no. She looked up at him with those big puppy dog eyes,
and he would have promised her the moon. "I'd love to go with you."

Because that was the point, wasn't it? He wanted to be with her. The where wasn't important.
"Meet me here tomorrow night around seven?"
"I can do that." Unable to help himself, he tasted her mouth again. She stroked his neck and

rubbed his earlobe between her dainty fingers as he kissed her long and hard. Touching his forehead
to hers, he exhaled roughly. "I really need to go."

She swallowed audibly. "That's probably a good idea."
Ask her if you can stay…
He batted away the unwanted thought and moved away from her. Holding her hand, he followed

her to the front door of her home. When they reached it, he laughed. "We still didn’t talk about
insurgency battle plans."

"There's always tomorrow or Sunday or…" She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm sure we'll get

to it eventually."

Something told him they would probably keep getting sidetracked by more interesting things,

but he liked the excuse of helping her with her book to maintain an open invite to see her. "Good
night, Hadley."

"Night, Finn." She stood in the doorway until he was inside the elevator. "Bye."
"Goodbye." The doors closed, and he rode down to the garage level where he had parked. She

had given him a strange look when he had chosen not to valet park, but he didn't like the thought of
other people driving his truck.

Still on a high from kissing Hadley and making a second date, he didn't even notice the man

leaning against his truck until it was too late. He stopped abruptly, but he had already been seen. A
shock tore through him at the sight of that fucking Russian mobster smoking a cigarette. He didn't
know Kostya's last name. He only knew that the man was dangerous and deadly and probably the
darkest soul he had ever had the misfortune to meet.

"Finn." Kostya stubbed out the cigarette on the bottom of his shoe and flicked the butt across the

garage.

"Kostya." He sized up the mob henchman he hadn't seen since the night he had shot that cartel

assassin to save his brother and Abby. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

The Russian inclined his head toward the truck. "Let's take a ride."
"Let's not."
Kostya's icy glare chilled Finn to the bone. "I wasn't asking."
Gritting his teeth, Finn stormed to the driver's side door and wrenched it open. He started the

truck and waited for Kostya to fasten his seatbelt. He glanced at his uninvited passenger. "And where
would his majesty like to go?"

"Head toward Hobby Airport," the cleaner instructed.
"Why?"
"Because the boss wants to see you, and you don’t want to make him wait any longer," Kostya

stated matter-of-factly.

Pissed off but preferring not to get on the wrong side of the most powerful man in Houston, Finn

left the parking garage and drove toward the airport to meet Nikolai Kalasnikov. He had never
actually met the Russian mob boss, but he had seen him a few times. He had watched the silent,
brooding man during the underground bare-knuckle tournament Kelly had been forced to fight in to
clear their father's debts to the Albanian mafia. Kelly had gone up against the Russian's champion, a
great big bear of a man called Sergei, in the final round.

The silence grated on Finn's nerves. "So, how have you been?"
Kostya made a sound that was close to a laugh. "Oh, you know, busy, busy, busy."
Finn thought of the news stories about the cartel war happening south of the border. He had a

feeling the Russians had one of their dirty fingers stirring that pot. "I bet."

They settled into silence again. Eventually, Kostya spoke. "So, you and the Rivera girl, huh?"
Finn's fingers tightened around the steering wheel until the tips went numb. "Don't."
One word. A warning.
Kostya kept his gaze focused on the windshield. "She's not the type of girl we would ever use

as leverage. She's too high profile. Besides, her father has friends in interesting places."

Finn hadn't been expecting that. Interesting places? He wanted to know more, but he wasn't

about to ask Kostya. There were other ways of finding those answers.

"Take this exit. We're headed about three miles from the airport."
Ten minutes later, they turned down a quiet, mostly dark street in a sparsely populated area. He

hadn't driven out this way much. He had gotten so used to houses being packed in tightly together that
the acreage attached to the rundown houses and mobile homes surprised him.

"That one," Kostya said and indicated a white house with a large building looming behind it.

"Kill your lights."

Finn did as told and pulled up to the building. There was already a black SUV and a luxury

sedan waiting there. He turned off the engine. "Now what?"

"Now we meet the boss."
Finn didn't want to meet Nikolai, but he wasn't stupid enough to refuse. He didn't have a

weapon on him, but he was certain Kostya had at least two, probably three, hidden away under his
clothing. When they were out in the dark, damp night, Kostya gestured toward the door. Finn didn't
like being followed, especially not by a man as dangerous as the Russian, but there wasn't much
choice.

When he stepped inside the building, he scanned the space for enemies and possible weapons.

A pipe against the wall looked like a good bet, but that was only if these assholes didn't shoot him
first. His gaze slid to Nikolai Kalasnikov and the two men who flanked him. The guys behind him
were unremarkable looking goons, but the boss was dressed as immaculate as ever, his charcoal gray
suit tailored perfectly to his tall frame. He wore a wedding band on the wrong finger, but Finn
assumed that was something to do with their customs. He tossed a gold lighter between his hands and
raised an imperious eyebrow. "You're late."

"Blame that on the invitation I never received," Finn coolly replied. His focus shifted briefly to

the long table next to Nikolai and the suspicious lump covered by a blue tarp. "What the fuck is that?"

Nikolai pocketed his lighter and retrieved a small jar from his jacket. He held it up for Finn to

see in the dim lighting of the metal barn. "Do you know what this is?"

Oh, Finn knew exactly what it was. He eyed the crunched round rolling around in the jar. "It's

the bullet I put between the eyes of that cartel bastard who tried to shoot my brother and his
girlfriend." He cast an angry glare at Kostya. "The one your man there promised Jack he would dig
out of the wall and toss."

"To be fair," Kostya interjected, "I said I would take care of it. I didn't say I would destroy it."
Nikolai moved to the lump on the table and jerked back the tarp. Finn's disgusted gaze settled

on the frozen corpse of the assassin he had killed. "The Ghost," the boss said, his voice strangely
distant. "He's not nearly as terrifying as I had expected. His name was Erwin Goode, in case you
care. He was forty-four and lived in Mesa, Arizona when he wasn't killing people for the cartel."

Finn's brain worked overtime to piece together the dog and pony show before him. Why the hell

was the mob boss pulling out all the stops? "Is there a point to this?"

"Just one more thing," Nikolai said and gestured for one of his men to get something. The

shorter, younger of his soldiers retrieved a rifle from a worktable along the wall. Wearing black
leather gloves, he held it up, and Finn went rigid. It was his gun, the same one he had used to fire that
fatal shot. They had all the evidence necessary to have him found guilty of murder.

"You broke into my storage locker to steal my rifle?"
Nikolai gestured for the kid to put it back. "I needed you to know the score, Finn. You need to

understand your position."

"And what position is that?" His chest tightened so badly that his jaw started to ache.
"You're going to be contacted by a representative of the Guzman cartel. He's going to offer you

a job as a way of repaying your debt for killing their man here." Nikolai covered up the frozen corpse
and the tucked the bullet back into his pocket. "You're going to take that job."

"Like. Fucking. Hell." He ground out each word between clenched teeth. "I'm not some puppet

on strings you can yank whenever you feel like it."

The Russian didn't say a word. He crossed the distance between them in deliberate steps, each

one slow and carefully placed, and his movements disturbingly fluid. Finn had thought that Kostya
was the most dangerous man in this room, but now he wondered if he hadn't been wrong. The
intimidating tattoos covering the man's hands and neck warned Finn not to push too hard with this one.
He was outmanned and outgunned. This wasn't a battle he could win.

Nikolai stopped a few feet from him and clasped his hands behind his back. "Do you love your

family?"

His eyes narrowed with irritation. The voice inside his head urging him to be careful was

snuffed out upon hearing that subtle warning. "I will tell you this once and only once. Don't threaten
my family." He noticed the two soldiers move forward fractionally, their expressions taut, but he paid
them little attention. "You might scare the piss out of everyone else, but I spit in Death's face when a
bunch of coward terrorists blew me up on the side of some shithole road outside Gardez. Don't think
for one fucking second that I'll hesitate to spit in yours."

The Russian's eyes flashed. "You say you've seen war. Well there's a war coming to Houston.

Unless you want to see it rage on the streets of this city where your family and mine live, I need your
help."

The tension left Finn's shoulders. "What kind of help?"
"The cartel is fractured. Lorenzo Guzman is scrambling to stay in power. There's word that he's

going to order a hit on someone important in the city. I need to know who that person is."

"So you can save them?"
Nikolai waited four long seconds to answer. "If saving their life furthers my position and keeps

the city quiet? Yes."

At least the Russian hadn't lied to him. "So you want me to betray a fucking cartel?"
"I want you to survive, Mr. Connolly. If you tell the cartel no, they'll kill you, your brothers,

their girlfriends, their girlfriends' families and everyone who ever made you happy. If you say yes,
you feed the information to me, and I'll protect you and the people you love."

His final words spoken, Nikolai nodded and exited the barn. The bigger of his two soldiers

hefted up the body while the other one gathered the rifle. Left alone with Kostya, he eyed the man with
distrust. Kostya extended a plain business card with a phone number printed on it. Finn reluctantly
accepted it.

"When you've heard from the cartel, call me. I'll arrange meeting spots for us to discuss

whatever you learn. Buy some burner cells. Get rid of them after we talk."

"And if you need to contact me?" Finn didn't know how he would do that if he tossed a phone

every time he finished a call.

"That won't be a problem. I can find anyone in this city." Kostya said it with a ghost of a smile,

but it sounded like a thinly veiled threat.

Left alone at the barn, Finn didn't dally. He slid behind the wheel of his truck and got the hell

out of there. His mind raced in five different directions. Agree to take a job for a cartel? Betray a
bunch of bloodthirsty narco-bastards? Say no to Nikolai Kalasnikov and bring the fury of the Russian
mob down on his head?

Finn still hadn't made up his mind when he reached the house. He let himself inside, locked the

door and reset the alarm. He passed by the living room on his way to the stairs but backtracked when
he felt his father's presence there. The old man had taken to sitting in the dark late at night to stare out
the front window. The reasons why evaded Finn.

"You all right, Pop?" He leaned against the door frame and waited for his father's answer.
"Just thinking, boy."
"About?"
"Nothing that you need to worry your head over," Nick Connolly gently shot back. "How was

your date?"

"Fine."
His father made a rumbling sound. "You headed to bed?"
"Soon," Finn said, coming into the living room to take the chair next to the old man's. "Jack is

staying with Abby tonight. I went ahead and set the alarm." He thought of the threat against them. "We
should probably be more diligent about using that thing."

"Why?" He couldn't see his father's face, but he could hear the curiosity in his voice.
"We pay a lot of money for that service. We should use it."
"Bullshit. What aren't you telling me?"
Finn rubbed his hand back and forth over the upholstery stretched across the arm of his chair.

"What if you were given a chance to save your family, but it meant you had to go against everything
you believed in?"

"I'm the wrong man to ask that question, son. I'm a selfish old bastard who put the bottle, cards,

whores and horses before my family." His father rose from his chair, his arthritic knees creaking and
popping. A strong hand settled on his shoulder. "But you? You're just honorable enough to get
yourself killed doing the right thing."

He listened to the old man shuffle out of the living area and slowly climb the stairs. Gazing out

the window into the darkness of the night, Finn blew out a rough breath. There would be no sleep
tonight, but he was sure of a beautiful sunrise.

Chapter Four

I bolted awake to the crash of cymbals and the outrageously brassy swell of an orchestra.

Blinking and trying to catch my breath, I recognized the melody and groaned. Dropping back to the
mattress, I glanced at the clock on my bedside table. Seven in the morning was too damned early for
Wagner. The sounds of Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral were never a good thing in close
proximity to Coby. It meant one thing and only one thing.

Death.
Rubbing my hands down my face, I sat up and tossed back the covers. I grabbed my thin cotton

robe from the end of the bed and slipped into it, covering up my tank and shorts as I fastened the belt.
I ducked into my bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face but didn't bother getting dressed.

Before leaving my bedroom, I opened the second drawer on my desk and withdrew the gift I

had put together for Coby. Her Navy SEAL father had been gone nine years now, but she still grieved
the loss. She let herself wallow in it on his birthday and only his birthday. Unfortunately for me,
Jacob Taggart was probably the only SEAL in the world who adored Wagner and especially
Lohengrin.

With the small package clamped in my hand, I followed the sounds of Elsa's Procession across

the penthouse to Coby's bedroom and her adjoining office and studio. She had the door closed, but the
music was ungodly loud. I knocked twice, and she turned it down a little before opening the door.
Still wearing her usual club attire, she looked tired and rumpled. Her cobalt blue T-shirt emblazoned
with the periodic table symbol for the element she used as her stage name had a stain on the front.
Ketchup, maybe? The childish watch she wore looked too big for her wrist, and her hot pink and
canary yellow fingernails were chipped and in sore need of a polish change.

"Sorry," she said and bit her lip. "I didn't think it was that loud."
"That's because you're ruining your ears at all those clubs and music festivals you play." I

trailed her into the studio and dropped down on the cushy loveseat there. I set aside the box for now.
"You're going to lose your hearing by the time you're thirty."

She rolled her sea blue eyes and tugged the purple elastic free from the sloppy bun she had at

the back of her head. Combing her fingers through her dark hair, she gathered it high and secured it in
a neater ponytail. Motioning toward the box of Mexican pastries from the Marquez bakery we both
loved, she said, "I brought breakfast."

Never one to turn down a yummy start to the day, I opened the box and picked out the biggest,

prettiest concha. The first bite of the yeasty, airy bread was heavenly, especially that crunch of pink
sugary paste crowning the seashell-like markings on top. Seated on the floor and surrounded by old
records, Coby picked out one of the dark brown little pigs sprinkled with sugar and nibbled at it. "So
how did the doctor visit go?"

My mouth full, I gave her a thumbs-down.
"And the date?"
Holding my pastry between my teeth, I gave her two thumbs-up.
She grinned and waggled her eyebrows. Grabbing a can of that crazy caffeinated energy drink

she loved from the stack near her desk, she popped the top and took a long drink.

"That shit is going to kill you," I warned with all seriousness. "You cannot survive off of sugar

and caffeine, Coby."

"I eat real food."

"When?"
"On Sundays when I go to dinner at your parents' house," she answered like a real smartass.

"Now, tell me about the doctor."

I explained the situation to her. "So I'm going in for testing early on Tuesday morning."
"I'll go with you."
"You sure? It's early."
"I don't spin on Monday nights. Even if I did, I would still be there for you."
Of course she would. Even if my best friend's personal life was a total shambles, she always

kept her word. "I'm glad you'll be there."

Coby put aside her drink and puerquito and grasped my hand. "We'll get through this, Hadley.

You know Bee will fly back in an instant too."

"I don't want to tell her yet. My family either," I added quickly. "Ally's quinceañera is

Saturday. I want her to have a perfect party without all this crap," I motioned toward my chest with
the pastry, "hanging over it like a black cloud of doom."

"I understand." Coby wouldn't breathe a word of this to anyone. "Now—what happened with

the Connolly brother? And don't leave out the good parts! And by good parts I mean the dirty bits."

I laughed. "There were no dirty bits last night."
She pouted. "Lame."
"It was our first date."
"What is this? The nineteenth century?"
"He came back here with me after we dropped off Mattie and Ellie."
"Ooh! And?"
"We kissed."
"And?" She sat forward excitedly.
"And that was it."
She pouted again. "Just one kiss?"
"Er…not exactly."
"Ha! Knew it! So…how was the kissing?"
"Good."
"Just good?"
"Fantastic," I allowed, my lips buzzing with the phantom sensation of Finn's pressed against

them. I had gone to sleep with my arms wrapped around a pillow last night, all the while thinking
about Finn's strong arms holding me tight.

"Yes!" She practically bounced up and down on the floor. "Is this the start of something really

awesome?"

"I don't know."
"What! You've been lusting after this guy for more than a month. He ran through gunfire to save

you and rolled in glass to keep you from getting cut. Now he's kissed you—and you're not sure?"

"My heart," I pointed out the obvious.
"What about it?"
"It's crapping out on me again. This isn't a good time to get involved."
"Oh for the love of—Hadley!" Popping up onto her knees in sheer consternation, Coby forced

me to look at her. "Chica, there is no perfect time to get involved with someone. There's always going

to be a reason not to get into a relationship if you go looking hard enough. Look, you like this guy, and
he likes you. The two of you had a great night, right?"

"Yes."
"If he asks you out again, you say yes, or I'm going to play Wagner around the clock for, like,

ten weeks straight."

Her threat was real. She would totally do it to me. Laughing softly, I nodded. "All right. But,

actually, I've already asked him out."

"Hey now! That's awfully progressive of you."
I thumped her with my fingers. "We're going to the fundraiser tonight."
Coby's pinched expression worried me. "Um…what about your dad?"
My eyes widened, and I nearly fell off the loveseat. In the heat of the moment, I had forgotten all

about my parents attending the fundraiser. "Shit."

"Yeah. Won't you all be sitting at the same table?"
"Yes." I cringed at the thought of poor Finn having to sit near my dad who had threatened to

have him arrested and thrown in jail for saving me.

"Well, I mean, he has to meet the family eventually," Coby said, searching for a positive spin.

"You may as well do it in public."

"Why?"
"Your dad can't punch him at a fundraiser. There's too much publicity."
I laughed. "Fair point."
"You know," Coby resumed munching on her breakfast, "if the fundraiser goes well, you should

invite him to the quinceañera."

"You think?" I had been considering that all night. "It's not too early to do a big family thing like

that?"

She shrugged. "He can say no if he's not comfortable. If he goes, he can sit with me in the back

of the church while you do all the ceremony stuff up front."

"Maybe," I said uncertainly. Not wanting to dwell on the uncertain state of my love life, I

reached for the box and handed it to her. "Here."

She took it from me with some suspicion. "What's this?"
"It's a gift."
"What? Like a birthday gift for my dead dad?"
"No." I rolled my eyes. "Nothing so morbid. It's something I thought you would like for

remembering him."

Her curiosity clearly piqued, Coby untied the ribbon and opened the box. I heard her intake of

breath when she discovered the one-of-a-kind comic book inside. She carefully retrieved it from the
box and ran her fingers across the glossy front. Grinning, she turned the pages to see the drawings
inside. She looked at me with watery eyes. "How?"

"You have all those pictures in your bedroom, and you've told me the stories about him a

million times. I came up with a story of my own, a happy one."

Coby reached the final page. She scanned the pages and ended on the final drawing. She traced

her finger over the image of a younger version of her running into her father's outstretched arms.
"Home," she said, repeating the caption. Lifting her teary eyes, she smiled at me. "Thank you."

Gulping down the emotion that threatened to make me start crying, I nodded simply. "You're

welcome."

She stared at the last page. "Sometimes I wish I could tell you how much your friendship has

meant to me. Words just aren't enough."

"They are." I leaned forward and took her hand. We're like sisters so I don’t need her to say the

words. Smiling at her, I read the answer on her face. "I know."

* * *

Growling at his reflection in the mirror, Finn struggled with the stupid bowtie that refused to

come together neatly. He swore loudly and ripped it free for the tenth time. He was wrapping it
around his neck and seriously thinking of strangling himself with it when a shadow fell over him.

Glancing at the mirror, he spotted Connall Munro standing in the open doorway of the

bathroom. He had arrived earlier that afternoon, dog tired after a series of flights from the war-torn
hell of Sudan where he had been on one of his high-paid mercenary jobs. His weariness had been
replaced with an amused expression that contorted his badly scarred face.

A giant who stood a full foot taller than Finn, the imposing Scotsman had been blasted by the

same IED that had nearly killed him. It hadn't been a US convoy that he and his spotter had hitched a
ride with after completing their mission. It had been one of their allies who had picked them up to cart
them to safety.

An SAS Captain, Conn and his small team had also been hitchhikers on that ill-fated convoy.

Over their many deployments to Afghanistan, the two men had worked together a handful of times.
Finn had been glad to see the abrasive brute when he had hopped onto that truck. It was a comforting
feeling to have capable men at his sides.

Conn had lost four good men in the blasts and firefight. Even with half his face burned off, the

Scottish beast had fought like a warrior and had refused help until every badly injured man had been
treated and evacuated. It was Conn's trauma dressings and hastily improvised tourniquets that had
saved Finn's life.

"Jesus," Conn growled and stalked into the small bathroom. He jerked the strip of fabric from

Finn's hand. "Give me that. I'm sick and tired of listening to your moaning. Now turn around."

Finn did as instructed and stared at the snarling wolf image stretched across the T-shirt

covering Conn's broad chest. "I thought you were sleeping."

"Fucking hard to do that when it sounds like you're wrestling a bear in here, mate."
"Sorry."
"Learn to tie your own bowtie so you don't have to be sorry next time." In true Conn fashion, he

ignored the apology and spouted off advice instead. His scarred hands made surprisingly quick work
of the delicate procedure. "Cross, up and loop. Double over. Loop. Double over again. Poke through
the loop. Tug. Adjust. Done."

Finn marveled at Conn's speed. He turned around and inspected the elegant handiwork of such a

deadly man. "Where did you learn this?"

"Parents put me in one of those posh schools," he grumbled. "Some things you never forget."
"Well, thanks, man. I appreciate it."
Conn waved his hand and left the bathroom. Finn gave himself one final glance to make sure his

waistcoat covered his suspenders and the pleats of his cummerbund were flat before following Conn.
He grabbed his tuxedo jacket and wallet from his bedroom and headed downstairs. He found Conn in
the kitchen making a pot of coffee. The real estate section of the newspaper sat on the round table

there. A few of the listings had been circled. Finn took a moment to look at them and was heartened to
see his father was making an effort to find a new place.

Slinging his jacket over his shoulder, Finn snatched his keys from the peg by the side door. "I'll

be home late, but I've got my cell on me if you need anything."

Leaning back against the counter, Conn arched his brows. "I didn't realize the free room and

board came with babysitting too."

"Don't be an ass." Finn headed for the door. "You're in a strange new city, and you've just come

off a bloody, violent job in a place no sane person wants to visit. I thought you might like to know that
I'm here if you need anything."

"Aye," Conn said finally. "I know." A moment later, he gruffly added, "I appreciate your help."
"I know you do." Finn left the house and climbed into his truck. He flexed his thigh and

grimaced at the unfamiliar weight and feel of the highly polished black oxford enclosing his prosthetic
foot. He was used to the lighter weight and the harder grip of the rubber soles of his sneakers and
boots. Making a mental note to take care if he came across any marble floors, he backed out of the
driveway.

When he reached her building, he pulled into the second lane at the front entrance and spoke

briefly with one of the valets who assured him it was perfectly fine to leave his truck there while he
went up for Hadley. They fawned over him when he spoke her name. "Oh, Miss Rivera, yes, of
course, sir. Right this way, sir. We'll keep an eye on your truck, sir."

Last night had been so normal. Tonight, he had a feeling he would finally get a taste of what her

privileged life was like. He stretched his neck and made a face. He prayed he wouldn't screw up and
do anything to embarrass her tonight. This really wasn't his crowd, but he could pretend—for her.

Hadley greeted with him a grin and stepped aside to let him into her penthouse. "Come in. I'm

almost ready to go."

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She looked so pretty in her coral pink dress and gold

jewelry. The gown was simple but somehow that made it all the more elegant. She didn't need sequins
and ruffles or twenty carats of diamonds to enhance her beauty.

Wanting to kiss her before she ran off to finish getting dressed, he snatched her wrist just above

the bracelet she wore and stepped toward her. Biting her lip, she took a step back and hit the wall.
Perfect. Right where he wanted her.

Holding her hand and planting his other palm against the wall, he pinned her in place, leaned

down and captured her mouth. She hadn't put on lipstick yet so there wasn't anything between them.
He took his time enjoying her sweet pout, dipping his tongue inside and making her whimper. When
he ended the kiss, she sighed softly and smiled up at him, her eyes wide with wonder and dark with
need.

"Hello, Hadley." Had she even realized that she had been in such a hurry to finish primping that

she hadn't greeted him properly?

After blitzing her with that kiss, she seemed to remember. "Hi, Finn."
"That's better." He claimed her mouth again and relished the way she happily submitted to the

erotic onslaught of his kisses. "You look so beautiful."

"Thank you." She blushed and glanced down shyly. The movement drew his gaze toward her

cleavage. Unlike the dress that had hid her scars last night, this one bared them for the world to see.
The thick, bumpy line was pale against her honey-colored skin but nowhere near as gnarly as one

might expect. Of course, she had probably had the benefit of surgeons with incredible skill and
closing procedures that mimicked those of a plastic surgeon.

Her small hand moved to his chest, and she smoothed her fingers across the peaked lapel of his

tuxedo jacket. "You look handsome. Single-breasted and peaked lapels fits you much better than a
shawl collar or a double-breasted jacket."

"That's what the tailor said," he murmured, not caring one way or the other about fashion terms.
"He has good taste. You should use him again."
"One tuxedo is enough for me."
Her exotic gray eyes lifted to meet his gaze. "Stick around me, and you'll change that tune

quick."

She deftly extricated herself from his arms and glanced back over her shoulder in a coy and

inviting way. Certain that if he followed her, they wouldn’t make it to her fundraising gala at all, he
stayed in the hallway and waited for her. When she returned a few minutes later, she was tucking
something into a small gold clutch. "I'm ready if you are."

He clasped her hand and led her out of the penthouse. She locked up, and they rode the elevator

down to the lobby. Her perfume was stronger tonight and even more tempting. The way she had styled
her hair, with the black waves piled in an intricate knot at the back of her head, entranced him. When
they crossed the covered parking, he spotted a valet waiting patiently next to his idling truck, ready to
move it if necessary and safeguarding it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her opening her clutch. He thought she might be grabbing

lipstick or something like that until he saw a flash of cash. Annoyed that she automatically assumed he
wouldn't tip, he touched her wrist in a silent bid to stop her. "I've got this."

"Oh. I—"
"It's fine." He stepped aside as the valet opened her door, but he helped her into the cab. He

eyed her high heeled strappy sandals and added a hand to the small of her back to steady her, just in
case. Shutting her door, he walked around to the driver's side where the valet waited by the open
door. He slipped the man a tip and nodded at him.

They were two blocks down from her building before Hadley spoke. "Finn, I didn't mean to

step on your toes back there. It's just that I'm the one who asked you out so—"

"So you thought you'd pick up the tab? Hadley, I'm perfectly capable of paying for our dates."
She sighed and tapped her finger on the hard shell of her clutch. "Is this where we start fighting

about money?"

"What?" He glanced from the street to her and back again. "Why would ask me that?"
"I can feel it coming. This always happens." She sounded so dejected and resigned. Her sad

voice slashed at him. "Every time I think I have it figured out, I screw it up."

"You didn't screw up anything." Feeling guilty for upsetting her, he reached out and found her

hand in the shadows. "Listen, if you want to talk money, we can talk money. We can get it all out on
the table, if you'd like."

"I don't want to argue with you. Not on our first real date," she pleaded.
"Hadley, I'm not upset. I'm just—" What the hell was he feeling? "I got annoyed that you

assumed I wouldn't pay the valet. That's all."

"I didn't assume. I thought it would be nice to do it since I live there and public parking is a

nightmare around the building."

He interlaced their fingers. "Are we okay?"
"Are we?" She squeezed his hand. "I have more money than you, Finn. Unless something really

crazy happens, I'll always have more money than you. Men tell me it doesn't matter, but it does, Finn.
It always does in the end."

"Jesus," he said on a blown out breath. "Where the hell are you finding these men? Let's get it

straight right now, Hadley. Your money means nothing to me. I'm perfectly content living my middle
class life. I've got a nice truck. I can pay my rent and buy groceries. I have good health insurance and
a few hobbies that interest me. I'm a simple guy."

"You're hardly that." She placed her other hand on top of mine. "But I understand what you

mean."

"I don't want this to be a thing between us." His stomach churned at the idea of her ever

suspecting him of only hanging around to see what he could get out of her.

"It won't become a thing if we don't let it."
"Good." He had a feeling this uncomfortable subject would rear its ugly head again. Their

relationship was too new.

"Listen," she said, her voice suspiciously high, "there's something I should probably tell you

about tonight."

His stomach dropped. "What is it?"
"My parents are going to be there tonight. Actually, my brother Carlos and his wife will be

there too. We're sort of sitting at the same table with all of them."

"I see." He wasn’t thrilled by the prospect of running into her father again for the first time in

such a public place, but he didn't hold the older man's outburst against him. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"I'm sorry, Finn. I really did forget all about them when I asked you last night. I was sort of

kiss-buzzed so my brain was misfiring."

Her description made him smile. "I suppose I can forgive that."
"I promise my father will be on his best behavior tonight. I'm sure he feels bad about the way he

shouted at you."

And I'm sure he doesn't. "It'll be fine, Hadley. Don't worry about it."
A heavy weight settled on his chest. He hoped his words convinced her because they sure as

hell didn't convince him.

Chapter Five

Completely out of his element, Finn nevertheless managed to play it off as if he rubbed

shoulders with Houston's elite and wealthy every day. The ballroom of the hotel swarmed with
guests, all of them decked out in evening gowns and tuxedos. Jewelry glittered under the chandeliers.
A brassy live band played lively music.

After passing through the photo line, something he enjoyed because he got to slip his arm

around Hadley and hold her close, he stood behind her while she grabbed their place cards and
studied the seating chart. He scanned the ballroom ahead and the grand hall where they currently
stood.

It didn’t take him long to spot the security guards stationed around the event. Most of them he

recognized as employees of the Lone Star Group. They trained at Connolly Fitness so he was friendly
with them. The nearest guard gave him a nod. Finn returned it and let his guard down some. He would
never fully shed his heightened awareness of his surroundings, but tonight he could afford to be a little
more relaxed.

"We're near the front." Hadley returned to his side. "My parents, Carlos and my sister-in-law

Vonny, and my grandfather and my cousin Pips will be with us."

"Which grandfather?" He realized he didn't know nearly enough about her family.
"My mother's father," she explained. "My namesake. Hadley Barlow. He's brought Pips with

him. You'll like her. She's sweet and funny."

He recognized the name of the Houston socialite from the papers. Remembering her usual

cohort, he asked, "Isn't she friends with that gossip columnist?"

"Ty Weston? He's not into gossip anymore. He still owns that empire of gossip blogs, but he's

got journalists in all the big cities who handle all the stories. These days he's committed to the crisis
PR firm he runs with Lena Cruz."

He didn't know Lena personally, but he was familiar with her because Kelly had been hired as

her bodyguard by her Russian billionaire boyfriend Yuri Novakovsky.

"Come on." She slipped her arm around his. "Walk me to our table."
When they neared the spot her family had been given, he quickly assessed the situation. The

white-haired man on the far side of the round table was obviously her grandfather, and the stunning
blonde on his left was Pips. A dark-haired man close to Finn's age sat close to a willowy red-head
and curved his hand in a protective, possessive way along the back of her chair. Carlos and Vonny, he
decided. A dark-haired woman had her back to them, but he recognized Eddie Rivera well enough,
even from behind. He noticed the women were all wearing shades of pink, Hadley's the brightest,
Vonny's paler and Sela's a shade closer to champagne. He wouldn’t have put it past the ladies to
coordinate their gowns for better photos.

Carlos spotted them first. His eyes widened fractionally at the sight of his little sister with a

date, but he recovered quickly and stood to welcome them. Her grandfather was on his feet next and
then Eddie. While Finn received two smiles, he earned nothing but a tight-lipped frown from Hadley's
father.

"Hi, Daddy," she said in that sweet way she had. She pecked his cheek and enjoyed his hug.

"Mama." She gave her mother a quick embrace and kiss. Taking a step back, she gestured to Finn.
"This is Finn Connolly. Finn, these are my parents, Eddie and Sela Rivera."

"We've met." Eddie's rough baritone cut through the pleasantries. "I'm sure Mr. Connolly

remembers."

"I'm sure he does, Daddy. It would be hard for anyone to forget a grown man shouting at them

like that." Hadley's eyes flashed, and she moved closer to me, as if staking her claim and daring her
father to make a scene.

Oh. Shit.
Not wanting this to get any more awkward or worse than it already was, Finn extended his

hand. "It's nice to meet you again under calmer circumstances, Mr. Rivera. It was very chaotic that
night."

To his credit, Eddie didn't snub him. He grasped Finn's hand in an iron grip. "It was chaotic. I

should apologize for the way I reacted when I arrived at the hospital."

Should apologize, Finn noted, but he wasn't saying the magic words yet.
"It's fine," Finn assured him.
Holding out her slender, graceful hand, Sela, the very epitome of a southern lady, smiled at him.

She spoke with a slow Texas twang. "It's so good to finally meet you, Finn. I'm so very happy that you
were there that night to save our daughter. Thank you."

"You're welcome, ma'am."
After shaking Sela's hand, he moved around the table with Hadley to meet her brother and

sister-in-law, grandfather and cousin. Finally, they were able to take their seats. When a waiter came
by to pour wine, Finn placed his hand over his glass. No one but Eddie seemed to notice. An
interested look crossed his face but he didn't ask. As Hadley sipped her iced tea, it occurred to Finn
that she was foregoing the wine and champagne because of his issues.

Leaning closer, Finn spoke directly into her ear. "You can have a drink. It doesn't bother me."
"No, I can't." Her hand found his under the table cloth. She dragged it onto her lap and settled

his big paw on her thigh. "I plan to pick up right where we left off in the hallway when this is all
over. I don't want you to have to taste it."

His cravings for alcohol were mostly dormant these days. When he was stressed, his brain

often flashed images of a cold beer or a shot of bourbon, but sitting here at dinner, seeing others
drinking, didn't bother him at all. That said, he was secretly relieved Hadley wasn't going to have the
taste of alcohol on her tongue later. He wasn't sure what his poor brain would do if he tasted his two
favorite things at once.

But it wasn't fair to expect her to change her life to accommodate his problems. Later, when

they were alone, he planned to talk to her about the reality of dating a recovering alcoholic. He
wanted her more than anything in the world, but he refused to put her in a position where she had to
give up things that she enjoyed to cater to his needs.

As dinner was served, a steady stream of speakers took the stage at the front of the ballroom.

The first pair of speakers were rehab specialists who shared stories of how they helped children who
had lost limbs to accidents or disease. The stories and pictures touched him deeply. When they
mentioned always welcoming volunteers, he decided to look into the possibility. Now that the special
needs baseball program was finished until spring, he had some open hours in his week that could be
filled with helping out some kids who were going through something so hard.

At one point, a surgeon in his early fifties took the stage with a five-pound sack of flour in his

hands to illustrate the tiny size of the babies he operated on every day at the heart center. He held up a
strawberry to show the average size of the little hearts he mended. Hadley leaned over as the surgeon

spoke and whispered that this was the man who had performed all of her surgeries to date.

Sitting back in his chair, Finn stared at that strawberry and that sack of flour in the surgeon's

capable hands. He experienced a wave of emotion that stunned him. When he had undergone his life-
saving surgeries, he had been so grateful to the trauma surgeons who worked tirelessly in terrible
conditions. He had written letters to the medics and flight teams that had evacuated him to Germany,
to the doctors and nurses there and then again to the doctors and therapists at Walter Reed who had
gotten him back on his feet again.

As much as he admired every medical professional who had saved him and helped him, he

recognized the surgeon standing on the stage and speaking so passionately about saving children was
in a league all his own. Finn couldn’t imagine the stress of looking terrified parents in the eyes and
asking them to hand over their days-old babies with the promise of returning them with the best
possible chance at survival.

To think those hands had handled and healed Hadley's heart! Finn realized he owed one hell of

a huge debt of gratitude to Dr. Manning. Without him, Finn never would have met the brilliant, bold
young woman who had ensnared him with a grin and a silly paper frog.

Near the end of his keynote address, Dr. Manning shared some slides on the screen behind him

of recent patients, including a baby born with her heart outside her body and a baby with a broken
heart a colleague had mended in utero. Older photos were also included and Dr. Manning began to
call out the names of teenagers and adults in the audience. Hadley was among of the last of them. She
rose with a shy smile and waited for Dr. Manning to make his point that every life they manage to
save was a life filled with potential.

When she sat down, Hadley smiled at him and then at her father who kissed her temple. There

was no mistaking the depth of love between father and daughter. It occurred to Finn that there were
two men sitting at that table who would die for Hadley. He had already proven that he was more than
willing to run through a hail of gunfire for her. Eddie Rivera wouldn't hesitate either.

A new speaker took the stage, and Hadley leaned over to rest her head against Eddie's shoulder

for a bit. She might be a grown woman, but she was always going to be daddy's little girl. Finn began
to understand that Hadley's father would be the biggest roadblock in the relationship he wanted with
her. She had stood up for him tonight, but it was clear that she cared very much for Eddie's opinion. If
he couldn't win over the old man, he had no chance of winning her love either.

During a lull in dinner, while the waiters cleared away the tables and brought dessert, Finn

excused himself and headed for the men's room. On his way back to the table, he heard a man call his
name.

"Finn Connolly."
Slowing his speed, he pivoted toward the origin of the voice and found a man standing near a

potted plant and a marble column. His face wasn't familiar. He looked Hispanic but didn't speak with
an accent. "I'm sorry. I don't know your name."

"It's not important." The man moved closer but was careful to stay hidden from view. "My

employer is interested in speaking with you about an open position in our organization."

The penny dropped. Stepping so close that he could see the flecks of green in the man's whisky

colored eyes, Finn hissed, "You can scamper on back to Mexico and tell your boss that Finn Connolly
isn't for sale."

The man didn't bat an eyelash. "I won't actually. In fact, I'm going to forget you said that. I'll

give you a few days to reconsider, Mr. Connolly. After that, my visits won't be as pleasant as this
one."

Finn watched the anonymous man stride away and swallowed the anger clogging his throat. Last

night, he'd had the Russian mafia up his ass. Tonight, he had a Mexican cartel showing up on his date.
He didn't even want to think about what kind of bullshit he'd have to deal with tomorrow.

Pissed off and conflicted about what to do, Finn returned to the table. He slid into his seat and

smiled at Hadley who shot him a curious look. Could she read him that easily? He ignored her
questioning gaze and focused on his dessert. Hadley was pulled into a conversation with Pips, and he
finally read through the glossy program that he had been handed earlier that night.

On the last page, he found the list of donors. It didn't surprise him that Hadley's family was at

the very top of the list. The key at the bottom of the page gave a range of donation amounts to earn
bronze, silver, gold or platinum status. The minimum amount for the platinum table where he now sat
was three times what he earned in a year.

Hadley plucked the program from his hand and dropped it onto the table. "Would you like to

dance?"

Had she seen him staring at the donor amounts? Was she worried about their conversation in the

truck? Not wanting to ruin her night, he grasped her hand and tugged her onto the dance floor. She
giggled excitedly and followed him in the sea of bodies twirling around them. He gathered her close
and dipped his head to breathe in the alluring scent of her.

Dancing on a prosthesis had been one of the hardest skills for him to master. He still wasn't as

smooth or comfortable on the dance floor as he had been in the past, but Hadley didn't seem to mind
one bit. The slow two-step was easy enough. She grinned up at him and slid her hand from his
shoulder to the back of his neck, gently stroking him as the danced.

For a moment, he allowed himself to get lost in her beautiful face. He let himself forget about

Nikolai Kalasnikov, the Ghost and the Guzman cartel. He didn’t worry about the simmering tension
between his father and Jack. He only cared about Hadley and this perfect moment with her.

Closing his eyes, he pulled her in even closer and silently thanked God that she had been saved

by Dr. Manning. There was something about this girl, something so special, that he was certain they
were supposed to cross paths. He'd gladly brave another assassin for the chance to dance with her
one more time.

But when he opened his eyes, he found himself looking right at Eddie Rivera's glowering mug.

The older man didn't like him one bit. Of all the enemies Finn had at the moment, Hadley's father
might be his worst.

* * *

As we entered my penthouse later that night, I couldn’t figure out where the night had gone

wrong. Something had happened when Finn had left the table during dessert. He had returned with a
scowl on his face. Then I'd caught him looking at the donor page in the program. It was so terribly
gauche to post the amounts donors gave to the hospital, but I understood that was the best marketing
technique out there for the fundraisers. Houston's elite all wanted to outdo one another.

Finn followed me into the living room. "What's wrong, Hadley?"
Surprised by his question, I gawked at him. "What's wrong with you?"
"Me?" He looked taken aback. "There's nothing wrong with me. I thought—I thought we had a

nice evening."

"So did I until you came back from the bathroom looking all pissed off and then you were

scowling at the donor page." I removed my heavy earrings and placed them on the coffee table.
Working on my bracelet and necklace, I said, "I thought we were okay about the money thing, Finn."

"It wasn't about the money, Hadley." Irritation laced his voice. "I wish you wouldn't

automatically jump to that conclusion."

My face grew warm as I realized he was right. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you like that."
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I ran into someone I would rather not have seen

while I was on my way back from the restroom. I shouldn’t have let it bother me, but it did."

A painful sensation twisted my belly. "Was it an ex-girlfriend?"
As soon as the words left my mouth, I hated myself for being so weak. I didn't have any

business asking a question like that. Finn wasn't mine. He didn't belong to me. And yet…

He let loose a short laugh. "No."
"I'm sorry." I apologized for the second time in as many minutes. "I shouldn’t have asked that. It

was rude."

"It wasn't. If you had come back looking like that, I might have thought the same thing."
Feeling a little guilty, I confessed, "You sort of met one of my exes tonight."
His mouth settled into a tight line. "Which guy?"
"Do you remember the blond who offered me a flute of champagne after we danced to the

Robert Earl Keen cover?"

The sour look on his face told me he did. "Yes."
"We dated last year."
"He's a lawyer, right?" Finn seemed to be trying to remember every detail he could about that

brief interaction.

I nodded. "He works at Vonny's firm on the international law side of things."
"I see."
Now I suspected Finn was actually thinking about money and position. Needing him to

understand how I felt, I stepped toward him but didn't get close enough to touch him just yet. "I don't
care about things like that, Finn. Having a degree or whatever? It doesn't matter to me."

"Not to you," he allowed, "but to your father? That was one frosty shoulder he kept turned my

way."

"He'll come around." Please, God, let him come around. "But it's not your job that bothers him,

Finn. I promise."

"How can you know that?" His eyes narrowed. "I'm sure he's thrilled by the prospect of his

baby girl dating a wounded vet who never attended college and who works in a gym."

"You co-own a gym. There's a difference," she corrected. "And he respects you for your

service. Daddy fought in Vietnam. He did three tours over there, Finn. He knows all about sacrifice."

Finn's surprised expression told me he hadn't been aware of that fact. "I didn't know that."
"He might talk to you about it. He's pretty tight-lipped about his experience. It wasn't good.

That's about as much as I know. He had a hard time when he first left the Army, and he was in his
early thirties before he finally found Mama and settled down."

"She's younger, I noticed."
"Eleven years," I said. "She was in college when he met her. She was Texas royalty, and he

was a groundskeeper at the country club where Papaw played golf."

Now Finn's eyes were really wide. "Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack," I replied dryly. "Papaw wasn't happy with the match, but Mama wouldn't be

swayed. By that time, Daddy had already invested in some cell towers. Like you, he was a simple
guy. He lived in a tiny little house and had no debt so he tossed all his extra money into the stock
market or found smart investments."

"Like cell towers?"
"Yes. So, you see, Daddy is a self-made man. In fact, since the first time he realized I was

interested in boys, he told me not to date a trust fund baby. He practically begged me to find a nice
mechanic or a doctor—"

"Or a lawyer," Finn interjected with a frown.
I rolled my eyes at the thought of Harry. "Sure, a lawyer would be fine too." I moved closer and

grasped the tucked end of his bowtie. With a tug, I loosened the knot and removed it slowly. "But I'm
pretty sure a Marine who owns a successful small business is more along the lines of what he had in
mind."

Finn swallowed as I pushed his tuxedo jacket off his shoulders and tossed it onto the couch. As

if looking for a reason why we couldn't be together, he said, "My family is a mess. My dad was a
gambler and an alcoholic. He used to beat the shit out of us when were kids. I don't think that's the
sort of man your dad wants connected to your family."

My heart ached for Finn. I tried to imagine him as a scared little boy cowering from the blows

of a drunken, enraged man. The vision made my eyes prickle with heat, but I didn't cry. "Vonny's
mother is a madam."

His jaw actually dropped. "What?"
"Have you heard of Alina's?"
"The high-end brothel hidden away somewhere in the city? Yeah. Why?"
"Alina is Vonny's mother."
"Are you—?"
"Yes, I'm serious, Finn. My parents weren't ecstatic about the idea of being tied to Alina, but

she runs a quiet business and her customers like to keep things on the down low so it hasn't caused
any problems. Honestly, I think my parents were more upset about Carlos and Vonny getting pregnant
in high school than what her mother did for a living."

I thought Finn might fall over that revelation. "Carlos and Vonny were teen parents?"
"My niece is having her quinceañera next Saturday. Would you like to come?"
"I—well—yes." He stammered over the words as he tried to make his decision. "You realize

your father is probably going to snub me again."

"Probably," I agreed sadly, "but you're braver than that. Prove to him I'm worth fighting for,

Finn."

He cupped my face. "You are worth fighting for, Hadley."
Feeling anxious, but desperate to know, I touched his jaw. "Do you see me, Finn?"
Confusion furrowed his brow. "What do you mean, sugar?"
The pet name inspired a secret thrill. "I want a man who sees me for me. Not the money or my

bestselling books or even this wonky heart of mine. I need a man who wants me." I swallowed hard.
"Do you see me, Finn?"

He gathered me up in his powerful arms. "I see you, Hadley. Ever since the day I met you, I see

you everywhere I look. I see you when I'm running in the mornings. I see you late at night when I'm
drawing in my room. I see you right now." He shook his head in wonder. "And you don't even know,"
he murmured. "You don't even realize that you're the brightest fucking star in my sky."

With a burst of passion that rivaled any supernova, Finn kissed me. He drank from my mouth

like a man thirsting to death and seeking succor. His tongue danced with mine, his lips branding me
and the heat of his body making me melt against him. We kissed until we were panting and breathless,
both of us shaking and clutching and hanging on for dear life.

Showing me just how strong he was, Finn hoisted me up and carried me to the nearest couch.

He placed me down so gently and grasped the fluttery skirt of my dress to drag it up around my thighs.
A quiver of excitement ripped through my belly. He left my panties covered by my dress but nudged
my legs apart before he crawled over me and claimed me in another steamy kiss.

I wasn't used to this. The guys I normally dated were all so scared of my father they rarely made

moves like these. Finn clearly had some doubts about the way he would be received by my family, but
he wasn't about to let that stop him from enjoying our time together. He wanted me, and the heady
knowledge of this outrageously sexy man's desire for me left me throbbing in all the right places.

"God, you're so beautiful," he breathed against my neck. "Your skin is so soft, and your eyes are

so damned pretty. I can't," he dotted kisses along the swell of my breast, "get enough of you."

"Finn," I sighed his name and ran my hands over his muscular arms, all the while wishing he

wasn't wearing the shirt. "Take this off. Please."

He laughed at the hastily tacked on courtesy but pushed up onto one knee to remove his

cummerbund, waistcoat and shirt. I licked my lips as his incredibly toned body was finally revealed
to me. He had pecs and an abdomen worthy of a fitness magazine cover. The tattoos on his upper arms
and back rippled when he twisted to shoot his balled up clothing into a nearby chair. I wasn't at all
surprised to see the eagle, globe and anchor or a quote about marksmanship inking his skin.

"Now, where were we?" He asked with a mischievous smile and dropped back down to cover

me with his hot body. "I think," he whispered against my collarbone, "I was right here."

"Oh." I closed my eyes and reveled in the erotic heat of his tongue licking my skin. A thrumming

pulse between my thighs drove me crazy. Finn's skilled hands skimmed my curves, gliding over the
fabric of my dress and teasing me with the promise of what would soon come. His wicked mouth
made me whimper and moan until I had my thighs wrapped around his waist in search of something,
anything, to assuage the ache surrounding that special spot.

Understanding my silent plea, Finn planted a hand next to my head and thrust against me. The

rigid outline of his rock-hard cock grazed against my sensitive area. He thrust against me again and
again until we were both smiling and panting like a couple of teenagers making out in the humid
backseat of a car.

Wanting him buried deep inside me, I flicked at his bottom lip. I was ready for this, so damned

ready to finally go all the way. I wanted it to be Finn. I trusted that he would make it good for me. I
parted my lips to tell him what I wanted and to let him know that I was still a proud member of the V-
Club when I felt it.

My heart flip-flopped in my chest. A second later, my heartbeat kicked up the pace. It was as if

someone had punched the accelerator on my heart. Finn must have seen that flash of panic in my face
because he instantly lifted up and cupped my face. "Baby, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I replied weakly. "It's just…it will go."

He moved off of me and helped me sit up. Holding my hands, he studied me intently. "Should I

do something? Call an ambulance? Take you to the emergency room?"

"No, they told me that I only need to go in and be seen if I'm having chest pain, trouble breathing

or if the episodes last longer than twenty minutes. I was cleared to keep going to Zumba and the gym
as long as I self-limit when I'm too winded or having a fast heartbeat."

He glanced at his watch to mark the time of onset. "Would you like something to drink?"
"No." Embarrassment gripped me as Finn rubbed my back and tended to me like a nursemaid.

No wonder I was still a virgin at twenty-three! I couldn't even make out with Finn without my stupid
heart going into a crazy rhythm.

"It's all right, Hadley." He kissed my temple and hugged me against his side. "We needed to

stop anyway."

My heart was finally starting to slow down to a normal rate. "Why?"
Please don't say because of your heart.
"Because this is only our second date," he explained.
"It's not because you're freaked out about my heart?"
"Well, I'm worried about you, but if your doctor said that it was safe for you to keep exercising

then I'm pretty sure that means it's safe enough for us to have fun together." He kissed me so tenderly.
"Just not tonight, sugar."

"You're so old-fashioned." I said it sweetly and without a hint of censure.
His big hand curved along my cheek. "No, I just want it to be different with you. Real," he

added. "I want it to mean something."

Realizing I had to come clean with him, I confessed, "It will always mean something to me,

Finn. I haven't ever had sex. I mean, obviously, I've enjoyed intimacy in my past relationships, but I
never went all the way."

He didn't seem the least bit fazed by my admission. "Until me?"
"Until you," I confirmed with a smile. Touching his hand, I asked, "Stay with me?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Tonight?"
"For starters," he said quietly.
He helped me off the couch, and we gathered up his clothing and my jewelry. He followed me

to my bedroom and unzipped my dress for me. While I ducked into the bathroom to remove my
makeup and slip into some comfy sleeping shorts and a tee, he stripped down to his boxers. We
brushed together in the doorway of the bathroom when he took his turn. He stopped me by placing his
arm against the frame and boxing me in place. After a lingering kiss, he let me go. I made sure to tell
him where he could find the extra toothbrushes and toiletries that I kept in my travel drawer.

He rejoined me a short time later and sat on the reading chair I kept in the corner of the room.

Wearing only his boxers, he gave me my first unobstructed view of his prosthesis. It was the type of
prosthetic I had expected to see, with a piece that covered his thigh and a metal knee socket. The fake
foot attached to the metal stem held my attention. How in the world did he manage to balance so
easily on that?

"I can put my pants back on and wear my leg while we sleep."
Finn's resigned tone surprised me. Glancing at his face, I realized he had misinterpreted my

stare. "I wasn't thinking about it like that, Finn. I was wondering how you danced so perfectly."

His shoulders visibly relaxed. "It's a skill you learn like any other. You have to practice." He

gestured to his leg. "Should I leave it on?"

"No, I want you to sleep comfortably. It doesn't bother me." I had a sinking feeling some other

woman in the past had said something ugly to him about his injured leg. It made me want to punch this
unknown woman right in the mouth for hurting him.

Taking it off wasn't as complicated as I had expected. A series of cloth and silicone sleeves

attached his prosthesis to his thigh. The surgeons had taken everything from the knee down. The scars
on his thigh were puckered and thick. I could see the indentations of shrapnel wounds on both legs.
Knowing the pain he must have experienced saddened me.

After propping up his prosthetic, Finn crossed the room with four practiced hops and slid into

bed next to me. He switched off the lamp and reached for me in the darkness. I snuggled in tight and
happily surrendered to his minty kisses. With my head against his chest, I let the strong, steady
heartbeat beneath my ear lull me to sleep.

Please let me hear this every night. Forever.

Chapter Six

Clad in only his tuxedo pants, Finn quietly left the bedroom and made his way to the kitchen to

start a pot of coffee. It wasn't quite eight yet, but he couldn't stay in bed a moment longer. He had been
awake for two hours but had been content to simply watch Hadley sleep. Enthralled by how peaceful
and sweet she looked, he had traced her jaw and bottom lip before finally sneaking a quick kiss and
leaving her bed.

After that strange episode last night, he was concerned about her. While he trusted that it was

all right for things to get hot and heavy between them, he didn't want to put her at risk for a tumble
between those designer sheets. Not that making love to her could ever be called something as simple
as a tumble.

He found the coffee maker. It was the type that brewed a single cup at a time. He couldn't

understand the appeal of these contraptions. When he wanted coffee, he wanted a whole pot, not one
tiny cup at a time, but when in Rome…

A few minutes later, after hunting down some sugar and cream, he grudgingly admitted the

coffee was some of the best he had ever had. He crossed the dining area to the closest balcony and
unlocked the sliding door. Out in the damp but cool morning, he enjoyed his coffee and the incredible
view of the city.

His thoughts took a natural turn to Hadley. A night of fevered dreams had left him hard and

aching for her this morning. While her arrhythmia episode last night had scared him, he was glad for
the interruption. He had meant what he said about wanting things to be different with her, but that
didn't mean he was a monk. Listening to her pleasured sighs and soft moans last night had nearly done
him in, and he wasn't sure how much of that he could take before he surrendered.

A high-pitched catcall of a whistle startled him. He whirled around and sloshed coffee on his

fingers. Thankfully it had cooled enough not to burn him. Expecting to see Hadley ogling him from
inside the penthouse, he was even more surprised to find a strange young woman eyeing him like a
piece of meat.

With a banana yellow hoodie slung over one shoulder, the petite, thin woman couldn't have

been twenty years old. She wore a grapefruit pink t-shirt bearing the logo of a Swedish music
festival. Her dark hair had pulled back in a low ponytail, and she had on the tightest, skinniest pair of
gray jeans he had ever seen in his life. Barefoot, she wiggled her toes. "You hungry?"

Actually, he was. "I could eat."
She gave the heavy plastic bag a jiggle. "You like breakfast tacos?"
"Hell yes."
"Come on. I'll feed you while Hadley sleeps." She turned on her heel and strode toward the

kitchen. Finn returned to the penthouse and shut the door behind him, making sure to lock it. "Your
girlfriend is a late sleeper. You'll be lucky if Moneybags rolls out of bed by ten."

The nickname was said in a friendly, familiar way. He had a feeling these two teased each

other all the time. "So I guess you're Coby?"

"Yep." She dropped the bag on the island and tossed her hoodie into the sink. The fabric

unfurled, and he noticed the blue and red stains on the fabric. "You're Finn Connolly."

"The one and only," he replied.
Coby grinned at him and pushed the sack of breakfast tacos toward him. "Help yourself."
"Thanks." He picked out one labeled chorizo, potato and egg and accepted the paper towel she

slapped in front of him. "Are you just getting off work?"

"Sort of," she said cryptically. After grabbing a can of soda from the refrigerator, she hopped

up onto the counter next to him and tore into the foil wrapping of the burrito she had picked. "So, do
you have any other brothers?"

Finn laughed. "No. Why? You need a date?"
Her smile slipped, but she quickly recovered and breezily answered, "I don't date military

guys."

"No? I thought all ladies loved a man in uniform."
"This lady did, and this lady learned that they don't all come back."
He sobered up quickly upon hearing that reply. Thinking of how young she was, he figured her

loss had to have been a father or brother. "Your dad?"

She nodded and took a long sip of her soda. "He was a SEAL."
He sensed she didn't want to talk about the details of her father's death. "I'm sorry."
She shrugged. "You didn't know him, and it was a long time ago."
"Still…"
"I appreciate the thought, Finn." Brightening up, she said, "I only asked about brothers because

I'm running out of single friends. Every time one of you Connolly boys shows up, my friends lose their
minds and go all gaga crazy. If there are any more of you out there, I'm putting tracking devices on
you."

"I'm the last single Connolly."
"Are you? Single, I mean?"
"Depends on the definition, I guess," he answered honestly. "If you're asking am I married or

engaged? Then, yes, I'm single. If you're asking if I'm involved in a serious relation? My answer is no,
I'm not single. I'm involved."

"Good answer," she said and playfully kicked my hip. "Did she tell you about…?" Coby

gestured to her chest.

"She did," he said solemnly. "You're going to the tests with her on Tuesday morning?"
"I am."
"I'm glad she'll have you there."
"Did she tell you about not wanting to talk to her family about it yet?"
"Yes."
"And what do you think about that?"
He got the feeling Coby didn't agree with Hadley keeping something so serious from them. "I

think it's her choice."

If he had been expecting Coby to be disappointed by his reply, he couldn’t have been more

wrong. She damn near beamed at him. "She was right. You really are perfect for her."

The tips of his ears grew hot, and he snorted roughly. "Girl, I'm about as far from perfect as a

man can get."

"Because you're a one-legged alcoholic?" She didn't say it meanly, but that didn’t mean her

frank retort didn't sting.

"That's a good place to start."
"In my experience, the guys who seem perfect on the outside are the worst ones. Give me a one-

legged alcoholic any day."

"Recovering," Finn corrected. "I'm in recovery. For nearly three years," he added pointedly.
"Good for you, and I mean that sincerely." She shuddered. "You wouldn't believe some of the

awful addicts I meet when I'm on tour. It's a hard thing to beat, but you're clearly made of stronger
stock than most."

"I don't know about that." He sipped his coffee. "I think I just had more reasons to fight than

most."

"And now you've got one more." Coby studied him for an unnervingly long moment. "You

know, I did hear something about you last night."

"Me? Why would anyone at Faze talk about me?"
"Apparently there's a rumor that you might be going into business with some friends from the

south."

His head snapped up at that. "Where the hell did you hear that?"
"Is it true?"
"No."
She examined his face for a few seconds as if to detect a lie. She must have seen something that

put her at ease. "I heard it when I ran up to the VIP floor for a break. I didn't see who said it, but take
your pick, man. The bouncers don't call that section the viper pit for no reason." She chewed a bite of
her burrito and swallowed. "I saw Lalo Contreras up there earlier in the night and ran into Hector
Salas a little while later. They're both known associates of the Guzman cartel."

Lalo Contreras was a man Finn had seen at the underground fight tournament. The man he had

met last night wasn't Lalo Contreras. Was he Hector Salas?

Hopping off the counter, she gathered up her burrito and soda. "I've got to get this melody out of

my head or I'm going to lose it." Coby cast a pleading look his way. "Be careful, Finn."

"I always am."
"I meant with her."
"You don't need to worry on that score. As long as I'm around, no one will ever hurt her and

that goes double for me."

Coby seemed pleased with his answer. She nodded and disappeared from the kitchen, heading

down a hallway on the other side of the living room and ducking into the first door she reached. Not
long after, he heard the thump of electronic music and a keyboard. He had just finished his breakfast
and fixed another cup of coffee when he heard the doorbell ring.

Certain Coby couldn't hear it over that racket she was making, he left the kitchen to answer it.

He glanced through the peep hole but could only see dark hair and the back of a man's head. When he
opened the door, Finn's gut clenched. Shit.

Eddie Rivera turned around with a big smile on his face. The lifted corners of his mouth

deflated quickly. His glowering gaze burned Finn as it swept over his half-naked frame. He felt the
older man's attention lingering on the bare prosthetic foot sticking out from the bottom of his pants.

Realizing there was no way to avoid the awkward turn this was about to take, Finn stepped

aside so the man could enter. "Hadley is still in bed. We were up late."

Fuck. Fuck. A moment too late, Finn heard what he had said. No doubt Eddie was imaging the

very worst now.

Clearing his throat, he gestured toward the bedroom. "I'll, uh, I'll go get her."
"No." The word came out like a crack of gunfire. "Let her sleep. You and I should talk."

Before Finn could start listing the million and one reasons why they really, really shouldn't, he

heard Hadley's sleeping voice coming down the hallway from her bedroom. "Finn? Did I hear the
door?"

She emerged from the hallway with a thin robe over her pajamas. The tired look on her face

was blasted right off the second she spotted her father. Her gaze jumped to Finn and then back to
Eddie. It would have been comical if it hadn't been so damned uncomfortable. "Daddy! I didn't know
you were coming over this morning."

"I wanted to take you out for breakfast before Mass. I canceled both of our lunch dates in the

last two weeks. I wanted to make it up to you." Eddie's irritated glare landed on Finn. "But I can see
you're busy."

"Not at all," Finn interjected carefully. "I need to get to the gym."
She smiled brightly at her father. "Give me twenty minutes?"
"Take your time, mi'ja."
With Eddie's glare burning a hole in his back, Finn followed Hadley to her bedroom. Somehow

that man had managed to make him feel like a naughty teenager who had been caught necking with his
girlfriend. You're a grown man. She's a grown woman. You're allowed to share a bed without the
Inquisition.

Hadley shut the door behind him and dropped back against it. She started to giggle nervously.

"Oh. My. God. How awkward was that?"

"I'm pretty sure that was the weirdest moment of my life." Trying to inject some levity into a

strained situation, he joked rather darkly, "Your dad is probably out there right now calling out a hit
on me."

She laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure he's dialing up Hector as we speak."
The name surprised him, but he didn't let it show on his face. "Who?"
She waved her hand. "He's a friend of the family. It's complicated."
"Uh-huh."
"I'll tell you about it someday, but right now, I've really got to get into the shower and get

dressed. Why don't you hide out here until I'm done? You can shower after me and leave after I've
gone."

"Sure." He caught her wrist before she could escape too far and dragged her close for a kiss.

She lifted up to meet his seeking mouth and smiled when he finally let her go. When she reached the
bathroom, she cast a longing glance over her shoulder. If her father hadn't been in the living room, he
would have accepted that silent invitation for some soapy, wet fun.

Left alone in the bedroom, he began to wonder about the interesting connections Kostya had

told him that Hadley's family had. Had he meant Alina, the madam of the city's most exclusive brothel,
or Hector Salas who seemed to have some sort of relationship with the family?

Whoever it was, Finn suspected the answer wasn't going to be good for him.

Chapter Seven

"I'm going to be glowing by the time this is over," I grumbled while sketching some ideas onto

the pad I kept in my bag.

"Well, if you decide to Hulk out on me tonight, give me a little warning, okay?" Coby's fingers

danced across the screen of her phone as she answered emails and instant messages.

I laughed softly so as not to annoy any of the other people sitting around us in the waiting room

of the cardiology practice. "I'll try."

"So what was the final tally?"
"MRI, chest x-ray, echo, EKG, stress test and blood work," I ticked off each test I had endured

in the last four hours. "Hopefully they got everything they needed."

"Don't forget about making you pee in a cup," she added with a smirk. "Because that really is

the cherry on your sundae of a day."

I laughed again. "Are you working tonight?"
She shook her head. "No, but I'm going to head over to Micah's place to work on some new

tracks. I figured Mr. High-And-Tight would be visiting tonight. Thought you two lovebirds might like
the place to yourselves."

I smiled at her nickname for Finn. "He's been texting me all morning to see how the tests are

going. I think he felt really guilty about not being able to make it."

"That's because he's falling head over heels for you, Moneybags," she said matter-of-factly.
"Well, I don't know about that. It's early days."
"When you know, you know."
"Miss Rivera?" A nurse in purple scrubs stood in a doorway that led to the exam area.
I glanced at Coby. "Come with me?"
"Of course," she said and stuffed her phone into her purse. She followed me into the triage area

and stood close by while I was weighed and had my blood pressure and temperature taken. We were
taken to an exam room where Coby proceeded to tell me the juicy gossip from Faze to keep my mind
off the upcoming chat with Dr. Rae.

When the doctor finally arrived, she had a box in her hand that I recognized only too well. She

smiled at Coby. "I don't think we've met."

"Coby Taggart." She shook Dr. Rae's hand. "I'm Hadley's friend and roommate."
"It's nice to meet you, Coby." Sitting down on her rolling stool, Dr. Rae held the box on her lap.

"So let's just cut right to the chase, Hadley. The more detailed echo and the stress test have confirmed
what we already suspected. That valve is failing, and you've got a pretty gnarly arrhythmia going
now."

She wasn't telling me anything I hadn't expected to hear. "What do we do now?"
"Well, we need to do two more tests so I can get a total picture before I plan the interventions

you'll need." Dr. Rae held up the box. "I know you're familiar with this one."

"The Holter monitor? Yeah."
"We'll hook you up before you leave, and I'll need you to wear it for twenty-four hours. You

know the drill, right?"

I nodded. "I keep notes of all the physical activity I do and mark any events by pressing the

button."

"Right. I want you to do everything you normally do in a day, okay? So exercise, eat, argue with

your parents, climb stairs, make love to your boyfriend—don't hold back. I need to see how your
heart is reacting to different situations."

I could just imagine Finn's face if I told him we had to make love on my doctor's orders.

Considering we hadn't gone beyond kissing and heavy petting, the tactic seemed like my best bet at
finally getting him naked and into my bed. "And the other test?"

"I'd like to schedule an exploratory cath procedure for this week."
The news hit me hard. "So soon?"
"I think it's for the best, Hadley."
God, what isn't she telling me? How bad is the valve?
"It will be an outpatient procedure," she continued. "It won't be like the times you had stents

placed as a kid. You'll be home by late afternoon, but you'll need to take it easy for the night."

"My cousin's quinceañera is Saturday. I've got a million things to do on Friday."
"Then we'll see if we can get you in tomorrow morning or Thursday, all right?"
I found myself nodding again. "Okay."
"We'll schedule a follow-up for next week, and we can discuss what steps we need to take.

You need to prepare yourself for a valve replacement surgery that's going to happen sooner rather
than later and a pacemaker. Medications just aren't very good at controlling arrhythmias in patients
with congenital heart defects, and I don't feel like ablation is the right choice for you either."

"All right."
She rose from her stool and gave my shoulder a squeeze. "I know this wasn't what you wanted

to hear."

"Not exactly," I agreed, "but thank you for being frank with me."
"That's my job." She headed for the door. "I'll send the nurse in to get you hooked up and make

a note to schedule your cath."

When we were alone, Coby flew at me. She hugged me tight and whispered comforting words.

As much as I appreciated her embrace and kindness, I found myself yearning for the feel of Finn's
powerful arms wrapping me up tight.

* * *

While wiping down equipment during a lull between clients, Finn heard his cell phone ringing

in his office. He dropped the towel and sprinted across the gym. He hadn't heard from Hadley other
than a couple of quick text messages. He was desperate for some information on her morning of tests.

"Hello?"
"Mr. Connolly." The now familiar voice of the cartel man who had sought him out at the

fundraiser met his ear.

Taking an educated guess, he replied, "Mr. Salas."
A laugh echoed in his ear. "They told me you were the smart one in the family—and the most

dangerous."

"What do you want?" Finn wasn't in the mood for chit-chat with some cartel enforcer.
"We need to meet."
"I don't have time."
"You'll make time. I'm texting you an address. Meet me here in half an hour."
The line went dead. Cursing under his breath, Finn glanced at the message that lit up his phone.

He tapped it and the address of one of the local parks appeared on his screen. Of all the places a

cold-blooded cartel killer might want to meet, a playground hadn't been one that Finn would have
expected. Which, to think of it, made it the perfect place to meet without rousing too much suspicion.

Although meeting Hector Salas was the very last thing in the world he wanted to do, Finn

thought it was a better choice to speak with the man and see what, exactly, the cartel wanted him to do
before he made his decision. He didn't like the idea of having two violent criminal gangs breathing
down his neck, but he really, really liked the idea of keeping his neck attached to his shoulders.

"Jack?" He found his brother up front with Mattie where they were putting together new

member packets.

"Yeah?" His older brother continued sorting papers into stacks.
"I need to go out for a bit."
Jack stopped sorting immediately. Concern darkened his face. "Hadley?"
"No." Touched that his brother cared that much, he said, "I'll explain everything later, but I need

to go now."

Jack frowned. "All right, but we need to talk when you have time."
"We will." I just have to decide what the hell I'm going to do before you have a chance to get

involved. Jack would feel so damned guilty once he found out about the blackmail, but it wasn't Jack's
fault any more than it was Abby's. They hadn't asked to be dragged into a vendetta between a cartel
and a motorcycle gang. He had willingly gone to that warehouse parking lot and taken aim on that
assassin knowing full well what he was doing and what it would mean if he were caught.

Only now he had something to live for and a reason to stay out of prison. The thought of being

forced away from Hadley now made his heart ache. A pain gripped his chest, and he rubbed at his
sternum while he drove to the park. A few days with Hadley, and already he was becoming
hopelessly entangled with her. Not that he minded at all. His brain reminded him that this was all
happening too fast, but his heart reassured him that everything was happening exactly the way it had
always been meant to happen.

When he reached the park, Finn drove around the entire perimeter and slowly crept through the

parking lot to get a feel for the place. He chose a space that was easily reached and close to the exit,
just in case. The number of children tended by their mothers and caregivers made him nervous. Would
Hector put innocent kids at risk for a meeting?

Hoping the enforcer wasn't that reckless, he crossed the parking lot and scanned the playground.

He spotted Hector sitting at a bench under one of the big shade trees. He had a plastic cup of
lemonade in one hand and his phone in the other. Taking the spot next to him, Finn leaned back and
stretched out his legs. He glanced at Hector and caught the briefest glimpse of the photos he had been
surreptitiously taking with his phone. A flash of red hair caught his eye before the device was quickly
pocketed.

Pretending not to have seen it, Finn looked over the playground with a bored expression. In

truth, he was searching for the redhead Hector had been photographing. "So you wanted to see me?"

"My boss would like an answer about the job we proposed."
"You didn't propose anything." Finn zeroed in on a redhead pushing a toddler in one of the baby

swings. Interesting.

"We need you to use your skillset to solve a problem in much the same way you solved that

unfortunate poltergeist problem of ours."

Finn's lips thinned with a line of irritation. "I'm not a killer for hire."

"No, but you're a man facing a long trial and twenty-five to life if found guilty."
Finn doubted that very much. No jury in the state of Texas would convict him for killing a

known cartel assassin to save his brother. Then again, it wasn't the prospect of a jury trial and the
ensuing publicity that concerned him the most. It was the prospect of what the cartel or Nikolai would
do if he said no.

Sighing, Finn kept his gaze focused on the young woman pushing the squealing, laughing baby.

She looked younger than Hadley, maybe even closer to Coby's age. Despite the mother's bright red
hair, the baby had wild dark curls. An idea started to form in Finn's mind, but he didn’t tip his hand
just yet.

"If I say no?"
"You won't." Hector finished off his lemonade and chucked the cup into the nearest trashcan. He

sank the shot with minimal effort. Despite the circumstances, Finn was impressed. "I'll be in touch
shortly, Finn. You'll want to keep your schedule open. Don't worry about materials. We'll provide
you with everything you'll need to finish the job."

Standing up, Hector took a handful of steps before turning around to face him. "I hope Hadley is

going to be all right."

Narrowing his eyes, Finn questioned the cartel man. "What is the deal there?"
"Did she say anything about me?"
"She mentioned you in passing. Said it was complicated."
"It is."
Finn took a moment to look at Hector Salas, to really look at him. His brown skin was a shade

darker than Hadley's but there were similarities in Hector's face and that of her older brother Carlos.
Thinking of Hadley's father, he wondered if the old man had gotten some girl in trouble thirty years
ago. "Are you her brother?"

"Cousin," Hector corrected. "We're cousins. My mother and her father were brother and sister."
"Were?"
"My mother was killed by my father's enemies."
Finn suspected Hector meant one of the many drug wars that occurred south of the border had

claimed her.

"Hadley is safe," Hector assured him. "She's family. I protect my family."
Finn's gaze traveled to the redhead and the child. He began to form an even clearer picture of

the dynamic at play here.

"You'll do this job, and you'll go home. We'll never speak of it again. If I see you in public, we

act like strangers. It's easy, Finn. You'll do what you need to do to protect your family."

Though it made his gut twist to even think of killing someone for the cartel or to betray the

cartel by running right to Nikolai, Finn didn't argue with Hector. He truly would do whatever was
necessary to protect his family. There was no price too high to keep the people he loved safe.

He prayed Hadley would forgive him for what he was about to do if she ever found out.

Chapter Eight

When Finn knocked on the door of Hadley's penthouse later that evening, he was greeted by

Coby. She had a leather satchel dangling over one shoulder and was hopping into a pair of lime green
and orange sneakers. "Hey, Finn! Come on in."

"You heading out?" He held out his hand to steady her when she started to tilt toward the

entryway table. "Careful."

She shot him a thankful smile. "Yeah, I'm meeting some friends to mix some tracks." Her gaze

dropped to the paper bag in his other hand. "Italian?"

Finn nodded. "She said she wanted pasta."
"You're new to this so I'll let you in on a secret. When Hadley asks for pasta, that's code for

comfort. It means she's afraid or feeling insecure."

He filed away that tidbit. "Thanks for the heads-up."
"Be extra sweet with her tonight, okay? She's had a rough day." Coby lifted her satchel strap

over her head. "And don't be weird about the monitor she's wearing."

"Monitor?"
Coby nodded. "She'll explain it to you. Just don't a make a big deal about it."
"I wouldn’t. I won't," he promised. Gesturing to his leg, he said, "Like I've got any room to

talk?"

Coby glanced at his leg as if she had forgotten. "Oh. Right." Glancing at the neon orange watch

strapped to her wrist, she said, "I've got to run. She's in the studio."

He stepped aside as Coby headed out the door. "Be safe tonight."
"I always am. Lock up?"
"Yeah." He shut and locked the door behind Coby and sought out Hadley. When he reached the

studio, he found her listening to music and standing in front of her drawing table. Dressed in tiny pink
shorts and a white tank, she had a capped red marker behind one ear and traced the page in front of
her with the pointed tip of a black one. He waited until she had lifted the marker to speak. "Hadley?"

She turned toward the doorway and smiled at him. "Finn!"
Now that she was facing him, he could see the green electrode stickers dotting her chest and

abdomen. The wires were all gathered to the left side of her hip and were attached to a cell phone
sized device clipped onto the waistband of her shorts. Lifting his gaze to her face, he read her taut
expression and felt awful for her. It couldn't be easy to walk around like a science experiment.

"That's new," he said casually and crossed the studio. He placed their dinner on a worktable

and leaned down to kiss her. Careful with his hand, he settled it against the small of her back before
dipping down to claim her lush pout. He made sure she understood that he had missed her today by
kissing her until she was fisting the front of his shirt and making whimpering noises. His cock started
to throb to life, but he ignored the primitive impulse for now. Later…

Biting her lip and gazing up at him so adoringly, she smiled. "I guess the monitor doesn't freak

you out."

He shook his head. "No."
"I have to wear it for twenty-four hours. It allows the cardiac team to see exactly how my heart

is beating."

"Are there any restrictions while you're using it?"
Her eyes flashed with something akin to mischief. "No. Why?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Just wondering."
Walking her fingers up his arm, she sidled closer and brushed her lips the sensitive curve of his

throat. "Are you wondering about me naked, Finn?"

He shivered as her soft tongue flicked at his skin. "Might be."
She ran her hands over his chest. "All you have to do is ask."
He chuckled quietly and kissed her again. His hand rode the curve of her back and landed on

her tight little ass. He palmed her plump flesh. "And if I asked you to strip and crawl up onto that
table so I have my dessert first?"

Heat flushed her cheeks the prettiest shade of tawny pink. She gulped and licked her lips. "I

would have definitely have to hit the event record button on this monitor."

He laughed. "Oh, I see. So when we're…?"
She nodded. "That's the deal."
"Hmm," he said, feigning uncertainty while he peppered kisses up and down her neck. "I'm not

sure how I feel about being graded by strangers."

"You'd better show them your best work."
"Is that a dare?"
She bit her lip. "I have a feeling I've just gotten myself into trouble."
"Something tells me that's a position you find yourself in quite often."
They both laughed. After a few more yearning kisses, Finn insisted they eat diner while it was

still hot. They moved to the dining room and had a nice meal together. She talked to him about her
appointment with Dr. Rae and what her future surgery would probably entail. She spoke with such
resignation. It saddened him greatly.

What was it like to grow up knowing that there were always going to be limits? Hadley clearly

fought like hell to break those limits. She had done amazing things in her short life, but was she fueled
by a desire to accomplish as much as possible, just in case? He couldn’t imagine living like that.
Even when fighting in the sandbox, he hadn't feared death. He had been so fucking arrogant and
confident in his skills that he had simply assumed he would survive. And he had—against all odds.

But it wasn't that simple for Hadley. She had beaten the odds, time and time again. Even so, it

would never end. She would have her heart fixed—and then what? Would she make it ten years?
Fifteen? What would it be like to always have an expiration date hanging over her head?

As they finished dinner and cleaned up the mess, he decided that for one night, at the very least,

he was going to make her forget. Standing side by side in the bathroom, they brushed their teeth and
exchanged flirtatious glances. When they were done dabbing at their mouths, he swept her up in his
arms and carried her into the bedroom. He was tempted to toss her down on that king size bed
caveman style, but he didn't want to dislodge the electrodes attached to her skin.

Realizing he was going to need help getting her undressed, he set her down next to the bed. She

seemed to understand what he was thinking. "If you'll help me lift my shirt, I'll hold down the wires.

"Okay." He pulled the front of the shirt as far away from her skin as possible and lifted it

carefully. He tossed it behind him and gazed at her naked breasts. They were big enough to fill his
hands and sensitive too if the shuddery sigh she gave at his thumb brushing a peak was any indication.
The urge to suckle her sweet tits was high, but he was concerned about the electrodes there. Maybe if
he was really careful…

"Oh!"

Yep. Really careful.
Smiling against her breast, he sucked her nipple into his mouth, pulling on the puckered peak

with hard tugs. She clutched at his shoulders and pressed against him. He paid attention to her other
breast by pinching and rolling her nipple between his fingertips. He was gentle at first and increased
the pressure by following her cues. His mouth danced back and forth between her breasts until she
was panting.

The scent of her arousal drifted toward his nose. So she liked that, did she? He had a couple of

things in mine he hoped she would like even more.

"Get on the bed," he ordered softly. When she was on her back, he rid himself of his prosthesis

for the night, letting it fall carelessly next to the bed. He crawled over her and nuzzled her neck. He
had to keep his chest off of hers because of the wires and stickers.

"Um, we need to be careful with this." Hadley unclipped the monitoring device before things

got too headed. She made sure the wires had slack in them as she pushed the device out of the way
and across the mattress. "Nothing too crazy tonight."

"Not tonight," he promised. Sliding down beside her, he hooked one of his legs over hers and

dragged her thighs apart. While he devoured her mouth and stabbed his tongue against hers, he
caressed her upper thighs and lower belly. He wanted to run his hands over her chest but that would
have to wait.

When he cupped her pussy, he could feel the blazing heat radiating off of her. He explored her

with his fingers. She was already soaking wet. He kept his attention on her clit for the moment. She
seemed tense and nervous so he hoped an orgasm would relax her. He ran his finger over the swollen
nub hidden away there, his finger moving in a U shape along the hood that protected her pleasure
button.

When her thighs widened even more and she started to stab her tongue against his, he

concentrated his fingertips on her clit, moving in faster, tighter circles now. She rocked her hips and
panted against his mouth. With a squeak of surprise, she came quietly. Her little orgasm was the first
of many he planned to give her so he didn't push it.

Moving down the bed, he slid onto his belly between her thighs. He hadn't eaten pussy in quite

a while. It wasn't something he ever indulged in with those one-night stands, and he hadn't dated
anyone seriously enough to get this intimate in ages. His mouth watered as he gazed upon her pink,
glistening folds. He used his fingers to separate her lips and lazily ran his tongue through her slit.

Hadley made a whimpering sound that made his balls fucking ache. Wanting to see if she tasted

as good as she looked, he dipped his tongue into her cunt. She reminded him of the sea, and he
couldn't get enough. Settled in for the long haul, he lavished her virgin pussy with attention. He was
gentle at first, just exploring her and finding out what she liked. When he figured that out, his flicks
grew more intense and focused.

This time, she came with a loud moan, her back arching off the bed and his name falling from

her lips. Her nails scratched at his scalp. He smiled against her pussy and continued suckling and
nibbling at her until she came down from that second euphoric high.

She was wetter now, and her slick cum made it easy for one finger to enter her. Her tight

passage squeezed his long finger, and his cock throbbed with jealousy. The thought of being buried in
this slippery heat made him so hard he actually hurt. Soon, he promised his cock. Patience.

His tongue fluttered around her clit while his finger slipped in and out of her with ease. Always

mindful of her, he made sure to glance at her face and listen to her breaths, in case there was trouble.
With the utmost care, he added a second finger, stretching her a bit and giving her time to adjust. He
felt her walls clenching his fingers and attacked her clit with a little more intensity.

Panting, she cried out again and again, her moans growing louder and higher. He followed her

cues and pushed her into another orgasm. She burst with ecstasy and a high-pitched cry. A flood of
her nectar drenched his chin, and he grinned like a victor. Swelling with manly pride, he went wild
between her thighs, forcing her to come and come until she begged him to stop.

He kissed her clit and her inner thighs but he wasn't done yet. He removed the fingers soaked by

her slick cream and pressed one against the pucker hidden between her cheeks. Hadley gasped, but
she didn't try to move away. He glanced at her face. A beet red blush darkened her face as he
penetrated her virgin ass. He sensed that she was simultaneously curious and outraged by his
scandalous act so he gave her ample time to tell him to stop.

When she didn't, he slipped his thumb back into her pussy. She thrust her hips toward him,

rolling them like a belly dancer, and whimpered wantonly. Smiling, he dropped his mouth to her clit
again. She went crazy as he fingered her ass and pussy and licked that pink pearl of hers. As he gave
her pleasure, Finn secretly planned all the ways he would eventually claim her. If things continued so
hot and heavy between them, she wouldn't be a virgin for long.

He heard elastic popping and realized she had yanked the sheets off the bed. Laughing against

her pussy, he decided to give her what she needed. He fluttered his tongue around her clit in the way
that made her scream the hardest and thrust his fingers into her body again and again until she
shattered. His name echoed in the penthouse over and over until she sagged against the bed,
completely and utterly spent.

"Finn," she whispered hoarsely and rubbed the back of his head as he rested his cheek on her

thigh. "That was… I can't even… God!"

He smiled and kissed her thigh. "The more we try it, the better we'll get."
"I don't know if I can survive better. This was better than I ever imagined. I didn't even know

that it could be this good."

Glad that he had demolished whatever other experiences she had had with past boyfriends, Finn

crawled back up to her side. She traced his lips with her fingertip and kissed him so tenderly. "Thank
you."

"No need for a thank you. I enjoyed that as much as you did."
She eyed him curiously. "Really?"
"Making you come while my tongue was buried inside you? That was the highlight of the last

five years of my life." He scratched his stubbled jaw. "Hell, maybe the whole thing."

Her small hand bravely grasped his dick. "So I guess that means you don't want me to take care

of this?"

He caught her teasing little smirk. Covering his hand with hers, he murmured, "I didn't say that."

Glancing at the wires, he shook his head. "As much as I'd love to bury my cock in that sweet, pouty
mouth of yours, I think it's better if we don't tonight."

She didn't disagree with him. "Tell me what you want."
"Straddle my thighs," he instructed, leaning back against the pillows behind him for the best

view. "Just be careful there." He pointed to the scarred end of his stump. "It can be pretty sensitive.
It's not a good feeling when it gets jostled."

"Okay." She cautiously moved into the position he had ordered. He watched her face as she did,

searching for any signs of secret revulsion. More than once he had come across women who were
sickened by the sight of his mangled leg. Hadley didn't seem to pay it any mind at all. To her, it was
just a part of him.

"Get your fingers wet," he urged, his breaths coming faster now. She blushed again but her

embarrassment didn’t stop her from reaching between her thighs. Fingers slick, she wrapped them
around the top of his shaft and slowly stroked him. He was already on edge from feeling her come
under his mouth.

"Do you like this?" she asked softly, curiously.
"Yes." He curled his fingers into fists at his side. Her hand tightened around him and moved a

little faster now. Languid and unrushed, she stroked him from the tip to the root. Her other hand
fondled his balls. She palmed his heavy sac and used those elegant fingers of hers to drive him
fucking insane.

He was so excited that he was leaking pre-cum now. The drops slicked her fingers, and she

started to concentrate on his head. Her fingers squeezed him tighter, and she stroked faster. The ruddy
crown of his cock was screaming. A flush of excitement turned her face and breasts an alluring shade
of pink. She licked her lips as she stroked him between her hands, both of them working him now.

"Faster," he commanded. "Harder."
She seemed surprised by his order. Always an obedient girl, she gave him exactly what he

wanted. His heart thundered against his ribcage. His balls buzzed and pulled up tight against his body.
Close, so close…

That naughty little minx slipped a finger under his sac to rub the sensitive skin there. His eyes

flashed open, and his gaze locked onto hers. She wore an impish smile that dared him to say no.
Considering what he had just done to her, she seemed intent on showing him that turnabout was fair
play. He hadn't ever let a woman go there, but fuck if he was about to stop Hadley.

In the end, she didn't actually go all the way. She seemed content to tease him by rubbing that

spot while jerking his cock. Sweat slicked and panting, he stared at her beautiful face, refusing to
break eye contact even when the first spasm gripped him.

Growling her name, he grunted and enjoyed wave after wave of pleasure that rocked him. She

pushed his cock toward his chest. His cum spurted onto his belly and chest, missing her completely.
He realized that she was actually saddened to not have his seed painting her skin when she leaned
down and dragged her tongue over his belly and chest. She licked him clean and then dropped down
beside him with a sigh and a smile.

He rolled onto his side to stare at her. Cupping her face, he pushed hair behind her ear and

played with her earlobe. They traded sensual, easy kisses until sleep made them both so drowsy they
could hardly keep their eyes open. He helped her back into her shorts and shirt and reluctantly slid to
the far edge of the bed. He wanted to hold her while she slept, but he didn’t trust himself not to yank
free the electrodes during the night. He grasped her hand instead and held it until he felt her relax and
heard her breaths change.

Staring up at the ceiling in her bedroom, Finn smiled contentedly. There was no way around it.

This wild, vivacious woman had ensnared him—and he hoped she never set him free.

Chapter Nine

"Are you sure you don't want me to call your parents?" Finn sat next to my bedside in the

holding area of the cardiac cath lab and swept loose strands of my hair behind my ear. "There's still
time for them to get here and be waiting for you when you come out."

Starting to feel a bit drowsy from the sedative I had been administered, I shook my head. "No.

It's better this way."

Finn only nodded and kissed me lovingly. "If that's what you want, sugar."
"That's what I want." Deep down inside, I really wanted my parents here, but I thought of Ally

and refused to take anything away from her. I convinced myself that nothing would happen today
anyway. Next week, I would get my surgery plan and then I would sit my family down and fill them in
on the situation.

"Miss Rivera?" The cath specialist strode into the cubicle where they had stationed me. "I'm

Dr. Krishnamurthy. I'll be completing your catheterization today. I've studied your chart and your case
so I understand this isn't your first time. Do you have any questions for me?"

I shook my head. "I went over everything with the nurse-practitioner. I'm ready to get this show

on the road."

Dr. Krishnamurthy smiled at me. "As the lady commands…"
Two nurses appeared from the other side of the curtain and began to move the monitoring

equipment onto the gurney. Finn and I gazed at each other, both of us unwilling to be the first to glance
away first. He leaned down and kissed me, his lips lingering against mine while his fingertips
caressed my cheek. "I'll be waiting for you with Coby."

Unable to speak as wild emotions raced through me, I could only nod. He didn't seem to mind.

His lips touched my forehead and then he was gone, leaving me with the nurses and the doctor. They
wheeled me out of the holding area, down a hall and into a procedure room where I transferred to a
flat table. They rearranged my IV bag and attached the electrode wires, the blood pressure cuff tubes
and the pulse oximeter lead to a different machine.

It was all straight-forward from there. The medication they had given me to keep me relaxed

made it hard for me to concentrate. I was glad for it when they bared my upper thigh and began to
clean the spot where they would insert the catheter. After numbing the spot, Dr. Krishnamurthy gained
access to my vein and began to thread the long, thin wire into my body. He gently fed the wire to my
heart and took his time studying the organ that had caused me so much trouble. As he worked, he
spoke softly and pleasantly as he detailed the procedure to me.

I faded in and out, my fuzzy brain no longer caring that some doctor was feeding a tube through

my veins like a plumber snaking a drain. I didn't stare at the screen in wonder and awe as the image of
the interior chambers of my beating heart appeared. I hardly even noticed when my heart began to
wobble strangely. Dr. Krishnamurthy and his team didn't bat an eyelash as they caught my arrhythmia.
If anything, he sounded pleased to have it happening right then and there.

Still drowsy and struggling to concentrate, I became aware of the cath lab team moving around

the bed. There was a large bandage applied to my thigh and a weight taped on top to slow the
bleeding. Dr. Krishnamurthy leaned over me and patted my hand, telling me I had done very well. The
nurses transferred me back to the gurney and gave me strict orders to stay very still. Halfway down
the hall to the recovery area, I was asleep.

When I woke sometime later, I felt groggy and thirsty. The scrape of a chair drew my attention.

Finn was on his feet in an instant and at my bedside. He eased onto the bed, our hips touching, and
smoothed his hand down my face. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," I croaked.
While Finn slowly inclined the head of the bed so I was sitting up, Coby appeared on the other

side of the bed and poured a small amount of water from the pink pitcher into a matching plastic cup.
She gently pressed it into my hands. "Here."

The cool water soothed my sore throat and dry mouth. Bit by bit, I awakened completely. My

leg freaking throbbed, and I had a headache from the medication and forced hunger because of the
empty stomach rule. "When do I get to leave?"

Finn glanced at his watch. "Three more hours. They wanted to keep you in observation until

three. Apparently, you had another episode while they were working on you."

"Yeah," I said glumly. "I think that's actually a good thing though. It means Dr. Rae will be able

to see exactly what's happening when my heart goes all wobbly like that."

As if summoned by the mere mention of her voice, Dr. Rae peeked her head around the curtain

separating my cubicle from the rest of the recovery area. She smiled at me. "Hey, kiddo, how you
feeling?"

"Okay." I handed off my cup to Coby. "Were you in surgery this morning?"
"Quadruple bypass," she said effortlessly. She came into the cubicle and grabbed my chart from

the foot of the bed. She held out a hand to Finn. "I'm Dr. Hwa Rae."

"Finn Connolly, ma'am."
"Oh, ma'am!" Dr. Rae grinned at me. "I like this one."
"So do I," I murmured happily.
"I bet you do." She glanced through my chart. "So Dr. Krishnamurthy and I had a quick chat, and

we think that ablation is out of the question. When I get his full report, I'll put together a list of options
for our follow-up next week. If possible, I think it's best if we start thinking about early October
surgery dates."

"October?" That was less than a month away. Four weeks, and I would be clenching the rails of

a gurney while they wheeled me into a frightening and cold sterile room. Four weeks, and I would
know the fresh hell of having my chest cracked open and wired back together again.

Dr. Rae patted my foot. "It's better to fix something like this sooner rather than later. The longer

we let the valve go, the more that right side of your heart has to work harder. The more dilated that
right side gets…"

"I know," I whispered, a tremor of fear quaking my belly.
She gave my foot a squeeze. "Go home and get some rest. I'll see you next week."
After Dr. Rae left, Finn took my hand and interlaced our fingers. "What happens if your heart

dilates?"

And there we were, standing at the moment I had never wanted to face with him. It was the

moment when I knew he would pull away and retreat. It was the moment no one ever wanted to face
with me. It was the moment when they all realized this was deadly serious.

"There's only one to fix right side heart dilation."
"And that is?" he asked earnestly.
"A transplant," I answered clearly, my voice stronger and steadier than I ever would be.
"A transplant," he echoed softly.

Beside us, I could feel Coby trying to breathe as quietly as possible and not move. It was as if

she wanted to fade into the background and disappear lest she intrude on the serious moment I was
sharing with Finn. She knew my deepest fear. She knew that I was holding my breath and steeling
myself for the inevitable rejection. No man on the planet was going to choose to put the effort into a
building a life with a woman who might not even be there in ten years.

Finn placed a hand on the bed and leaned over me. He blocked out the entire room until all I

could focus on was his handsome face. He cupped my chin and trailed his thumb over my lower lip.
For the briefest, most petrifying moment, I thought this was it. This was the moment when he would
end it all with a sweet, tender and heartbreaking kiss.

But he didn't.
He stunned me.
"I'll take care of you."
A single tear dripped from my eye and glided down my cheek. He meant it. He spoke the words

to me like an unbreakable vow. I'll take care of you.

I said the only thing I could. I asked him to do exactly what he had promised. "Please."
Take care of me.
He sealed his promise with a kiss that made my toes tingle and my heart sing.

* * *

Later that night, Finn prowled the penthouse like a caged lion. Hadley had disappeared into her

studio after dinner, but he didn't feel like watching her draw tonight. Any other time, he would have
happily sat in a chair at her side and handed her the different colored pencils and markers she
requested. Tonight, he was buzzing with energy and anxious.

Watching them roll Hadley away had been hard for him, harder than he had imagined it would

be. Dr. Rae's insistence that Hadley go under the knife in a month or so had punched him right in the
gut. Surgery was safer than it had ever been in the history of mankind, but there was always a risk.
Always.

I can't lose her.
He was afraid. He hadn't been this afraid in years. Not even the threat of the cartel and Nikolai

Kalasnikov made his belly clench and his palms sweat like this. The thought of Hadley disappearing
behind a set of double doors to never return made him sick. He rubbed the back of his neck and fought
the urge to punch a hole in the nearest wall.

It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. What the hell had Hadley ever done to deserve something like

this? Hadn't she suffered enough? How many times was she going to be forced to endure the pain and
trauma of surgery?

"You can go, if you want."
So lost in thoughts, Finn hadn't even heard Hadley come out of her studio and into the living

room. She wore a loose white nightgown that reminded him of a summery dress. Judging by the light
silhouetting her and making the fabric so sheer, she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. Last night,
the thought of Hadley naked under a nightgown would have given him a hard-on to rival any other. He
would have been tempted to push her up against the closest wall and duck his head under her dress to
get a taste of her.

But not tonight. Tonight, he wanted to sweep her up in his arms and hold her until sunrise. He

wanted to bury his nose in her hair and caress her skin and never, ever let her go.

"I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you." Forever.
"I don't need a babysitter, Finn. You don't owe me anything."
Recognizing her defensiveness as a tactic she was using to deflect attention to the fear she felt,

he shook his head. "You can stop that right now. It won't work on me." He gestured to his leg. "I've
been there and done that."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, give me a break, Finn. Do you really think losing your leg comes

anywhere close to what I'm going through?"

From anyone else, the question would have pissed him off, but he let Hadley have her go at him.

"No, not even close."

His answer deflated her anger. Her shoulders slumped when she realized she wasn't going to

get the fight she wanted and needed. Aching for her, he said, "Hadley, baby, it'll all work out in the
end."

Derision contorted her beautiful face. "That's a fairytale, Finn. You know it as well as I do.

People die. That's life."

"Not you," he stated without hesitation. "Not. You."
"You don't know that. You can't know that." She bit her lower lip and stared at the wall.

Seemingly lost in her memories, she finally said, "When I had my first valve replacement, I had been
in the CVICU for about two days when the little girl in the room next to me coded. They didn't have
time to pull the curtains to cover the windows between our rooms so I saw everything. I watched
them jumping up and down on that kid's chest. I watched them shock her and push drugs and work like
madmen to save her."

Finn held his breath as the horror of the scene she had witnessed washed over him like a cold

wave.

Hadley roughly wiped at the tears running down her face. "She was four years old, and she

died, Finn. She died. Right there in that room, without anyone she loved nearby because her mother
had left her side for the first time in five days to shower and get a bite to eat at the Ronald McDonald
house facilities in the hospital."

She sniffled loudly. "And when she came back, and her baby was dead, she screamed, Finn. It

was a sound I will never forget. Never. She started beating her chest and tearing out her hair."

She pointed an accusing finger at him. "So don’t stand there and tell me it will all work out in

the end."

"Hadley," he walked toward her but she held up her hand.
"Five percent, Finn. Those are the odds that I'll die in surgery."
"Five percent is nothing," he shot back, his voice roughened with emotion.
"I had less than a point-zero-one chance of being born with this defect in the first place. If I

could win that lottery—"

"Hush." He couldn't take it a moment longer. What she said was true. He had seen the unfairness

of death on the battlefield too many times. He understood what she was saying and accepted the facts
as they were, but that didn't mean he had to listen to them.

Finn wrapped his arms around her and crushed her to his chest. He drove her backward toward

the nearest flat surface—a demilune table artfully arranged with books and beach knickknacks. He
cleared the table with one sweep of his hand and hoisted her onto it. She gasped at the cold sensation
of the table touching her flesh, but he swallowed her protest with a deep, hard kiss. She clung to his

shoulders, her short nails biting into him, and wrapped her thighs around his waist. She held onto him
as if she feared he would disappear.

Panting for air and trying to get a grip on the powerful emotions rocking his core, Finn clasped

her face between both hands. "You listen to me, Hadley Rivera. I survived having my leg blown off
and fought to get sober to find you. You." He kissed her again. "You're the one for me. The only one
for me. God isn't cruel enough to take you away when I've only just found you."

"Finn," she sobbed his name.
With shaking fingers tangled in her hair, he tenderly claimed her mouth. Peering into her gray

eyes, he promised, "It's you and me, Hadley. It was always supposed to be you and me."

He believed that with every fiber of his being. Everything he had survived and the obstacles she

had triumphed had been put in the way to make sure they met. She was his perfect half, and he was
hers. It was that simple to him.

"I'm falling in love with you, Finn," she confessed tearfully. "I'm falling in love with you, and it

scares me so much. I've never wanted anything more in my life."

"Then fight for me," he urged. "Live for us." He gulped. "Because I'm falling in love with you,

and I need you, Hadley."

They embraced for a long time, both refusing to let go just yet. Eventually, she stopped crying.

Finn soothed her with gentle kisses. The urge to make love to her was so strong, but she had to be
careful about doing anything strenuous because the chance of bleeding was so high. Holding her while
she slept was more than enough for him.

After an exhausting day, Hadley quickly drifted off but his mind wouldn't stop racing. Feeling

vulnerable and exposed, he found himself thinking about having a drink to take the edge off. The
desire surprised him. The last time he had wanted a shot of bourbon had been the night he had killed
the Ghost. Taking a life under military orders was one thing. Choosing to do it, even to protect his
brother and the woman he loved, had rattled him.

That bastard alcoholic voice that he managed to keep chained away and silent whispered into

his ear. It reminded him of the full bar in the living room and the bottle of Pappy Van Winkle sitting
there. His mouth watered as the temptation smacked him right in the face.

No.
The weakness he detested most in himself shamed Finn. Refusing to give in to the urge, he did

the only thing that worked. He carefully got out of bed, pulled on his prosthesis, grabbed his phone,
locked himself inside the powder room at the front of the penthouse and called his sponsor. It was
late, but Paul answered on the fourth ring.

"Yeah?" The truck driver had a naturally gravelly voice that a lifetime of cigarette smoking had

only exacerbated.

"Paul, it's Finn."
"Finn? Are you okay?"
"I want a drink." There was no use in mincing words here. He laid it on the line.
"Talk to me, boy."
For an hour, Paul listened as Finn spilled out everything that was bothering him. He didn't give

the details about the cartel and the Russian mob, but he made it clear that a family issue was weighing
heavily on his conscience. It was Hadley that took up most of the call. It was his fear of losing her and
everything that their brief relationship had promised that terrified him most and made him want to

lose himself in a bottle.

"The drink won't fix it, kid. You'll wake up tomorrow hating yourself. You told this girl you

were clean and sober for nearly three years. You told her you would take care of her. How can she
trust anything you say if you take a drink now?"

It was the thought of failing Hadley and betraying her trust that doused the raging fire of need

for a sip of alcohol.

"Now, listen to me, boy," Paul said seriously. "When my wife was diagnosed with cancer, I

walked into a liquor store, bought a bottle of Wild Turkey and sat in my workshop for an hour just
staring at the damned thing. I wanted it. I wanted it so bad, Finn. I needed it. You know what stopped
me?"

"No."
"Beth needed me more. She needed me whole." Paul cleared his throat. "So you call me every

day if you need. You might even think about adding in more meetings. Maybe Monday nights aren't
enough right now. You've got to walk that line, Finn."

"I will." Trust the process, Finn reminded himself. He had cut down to one meeting a week

earlier in the year, but Paul was right. He needed that support. For her.

After thanking Paul for answering his call for help, he returned to the bedroom. He sat down to

remove his leg and slid into bed next to her as carefully as possible so as not to wake her. She looked
so peaceful and relaxed and welcoming.

He kissed her cheek and her forehead before moving down in the bed. Placing his ear against

her chest, he let her soft breast cushion his head while he listened. In the silence of the penthouse, he
could hear her heartbeat clearly. It wasn't the usual thud-thud-thud, but more of a swooshing-thump.

Eyes closed, he concentrated on the sound. Let her live.

Chapter Ten

Two nights later, mariachis wailed in the background as my niece paraded into the center of the

ballroom dressed like a fairytale princess in yards of blush pink tulle and satin. A dazzling crown sat
atop her perfectly coiffed auburn curls. It wasn't quite as ostentatious as the one my father had gifted
me on my fifteenth birthday, but it was one of the most glittering I had ever seen at one of these
celebrations.

The pieces of jewelry Ally had been gifted during the church ceremony glinted so beautifully on

her skin. The diamond bracelet I had given her matched the earrings Marco had chosen, the necklace
Dom had picked out and the sweet little ring Tres had had designed. Flanked by her court of honor,
seven boys in tuxedos and seven girls garbed in fancy dresses in complementing shades of hot pink
and a rich yellow, she floated into the center of the ballroom. The traditional marcha began, a
choreographed dance that showcased my niece and her friends.

Finn's fingers tickled my neck as he leaned over to whisper in my ear. We were seated at one of

the best tables at the reception and had a perfect view of the festivities. Instead of putting all the
family together, Mama and Vonny had scattered us around the room to make sure we were mingling
with our guests. "This is the wildest birthday party I've ever seen."

I laughed softly. "I'm sure it is."
"I can just imagine what a blowout your daddy arranged for you."
Memories of my quinceañera flashed before me. I had been preparing for another surgery so

Daddy had gone all out for my celebration. All these years later, I absolutely cringed at the idea of
how much money he had spent, but it had been one of the happiest days of my life. To be the center of
attention and to experience the same ceremony that my grandmother and aunts had all experienced
upon their welcome to womanhood had been meaningful and moving.

"So they dance and then?" Despite giving Finn a rundown of the evening's events before leaving

the penthouse that morning, he seemed perplexed.

"After her court finishes dancing, Carlos will dance with her and then my dad. Marco, Dom and

Tres will twirl her around the ballroom too. Then the dance floor will open to everyone else." I
glanced at his plate. "Did you enjoy dinner?"

"Yes." He traced the shell of my ear. His expression softened. "You are too pretty for your own

good."

"Oh?" I blushed under his intense gaze.
"For my good too," he added. "Those brothers of yours have been giving me dirty looks all

night. They're going to kill me when they see this." He swept in and kissed me. It wasn't one of the
sensual kisses we had shared last night while snuggling on the couch, but sweeter, gentler and shorter.

When he pulled away, I narrowed my eyes at him. "I can't decide if you're really brave or just

plain crazy."

"Crazy for you," he murmured and toyed with my dangling earrings.
I glanced at the table next to us where Dom glared at Finn. Head shaved and built like a bull, he

made that tuxedo look dangerous. He had shown up at the rehearsal dinner at our parents' house with
bruises on his knuckles and a big, freaking love bite on his neck. Apparently the concert in L.A. had
gotten rather wild.

Dom grabbed a handful of the candies from one the decorative dishes on the table and popped

them into his mouth, chewing and glowering at Finn. Tres sat next to him, nursing a beer, but he

offered me a smile. I couldn't get used to his curly, shaggy black hair and the rough beard he kept
now. Mama had threatened to shave him in his sleep, but he had won her over with his big puppy dog
eyes. Then he had thrown Dom under the bus for that hickey and split from the kitchen as quickly as
possible.

He had shocked me last night by admitting that he knew Finn Connolly by name. Apparently

Finn had quite the reputation as a sniper and a Marine. He had been glad to find out that Finn had
gotten his life together and was happy now.

On the other side of the ballroom, Marco cozied up to his longtime partner Dieter Bosch. The

tall, lean furniture designer had won Marco's heart years earlier during one of my brother's trips to
Berlin. They were a good couple and balanced each other nicely. Marco winked at me over his wine
glass and silently toasted us.

"Well," I turned my attention to Finn, "I think you only need to worry about Dom."
Finn sized up my brother with an unflinching and steady stare. "I've taken down bigger guys."
"That may be," I took his hand, "but let's try to keep the brawling to a minimum tonight."
Finn lifted our linked hands and kissed mine. "If you insist."
"I do."
As the marcha ended, the girls and boys of the honor court moved to the sidelines while Ally

enjoyed a dance with her father and grandfather. Dom, Tres and Marco lined up at the edge of the
dance floor to have their turns. As much as he frightened everyone, Dom had always been Ally's
favorite uncle. For her, he always had a kind word and a gift from his travels. Marco whirled her
around the floor like a professional ballroom dancer, making her laugh and grin with excitement. Tres
passably waltzed with her, his skills on the battlefield much better than his sills on the dance floor.

Soon all of the guests were flooding the wide open center of the ballroom. The live band

energized the crowd. Finn led me onto the floor, and we danced and danced and danced until I was
breathless in the best way. I got a short break before Carlos snatched me away. I was surprised to see
Finn asking Vonny for a dance. She happily accepted and smiled at Finn, something that made Dom
frown even more from the corner he had claimed as his own kingdom of grumpiness.

When Carlos led me off the floor, I decided to face my unhappy brother. I wound my way

through the crowd, stopping every few feet to talk to acquaintances of our family. Eventually I arrived
at Dom's little fiefdom of scowls and flicked his shoulder. "You look like someone kicked your
favorite puppy."

"More like someone is trying to steal my favorite sister," he grumbled.
I placed my hand along the back of his shaved head and rubbed the smooth, shiny skin. "I'm your

only sister."

"Doesn't mean you can't also be my favorite," he muttered. Stretching out his long legs, he

sighed loudly. "You like this one?"

I glanced out at the dance floor and found Finn two-stepping with my mother. The sight of them

laughing and sharing easy conversation filled me with a warm sensation. "Yes. I like this one very
much."

"He's in love with you." Dom didn’t sound happy about it. "I can tell by the way he looks at

you."

"And how is that?" My heart flip-flopped with exhilaration at Dom's insistence that Finn loved

me.

"Like you're his whole world," Dom said. "Like he can't even breathe without you close."
"Well… I don't…"
"It's all right, Hadley. Tres told me all I needed to know about Finn Connolly. I think maybe I

could learn to like this one."

Coming from Dom that was high praise indeed.
"Now," he turned in his seat and examined me, "tell me about you."
"What about me?" My skin prickled as a ripple of anxiety hit my belly. Dom had always had the

uncanny knack for spotting a lie.

"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"Bullshit. You're lying. You're the worst liar." A glimmer of something that looked suspiciously

like panic flashed in his hazel eyes. "It's your heart, isn't it?"

I couldn't lie to him. Exhaling a long, slow breath, I nodded. "I didn't want to say anything until

after Ally's quinceañera. I knew that Mama and Daddy would go nuts if they found out I was having
problems again. Ally will only be fifteen once. I'll have heart problems forever."

Dom swiveled in his chair and tugged me down onto the empty one next to him. Leaning

forward, he held my hands in his giant ones. "How bad is it?"

"I had a whole bunch of tests run on Tuesday and a cath on Thursday."
"What?" he growled angrily. "You had a fucking cardiac cath without telling anyone?"
"I told Coby and Finn. They were with me." Not wanting Finn to be the target of Dom's fury, I

added, "Finn wanted me to tell you guys, but I made him promise he wouldn't. He didn't like it, but he
respected my choice."

Dom issued a rough huffing sound at that. "What did your tests reveal?"
"I need to have my valve replaced again and a pacemaker implanted."
"Munchie," he said softly, using a nickname for me I was so glad to hear. I had always been his

little munchkin or Munchie. Any other day the childish name would have annoyed me, but tonight?
Tonight I needed it.

He squeezed my hands in his massive paws. "What did Finn say when he found out about all

this?"

"He told me to fight. He told me to live." I blinked as tears burned my eyes with the memory of

our passionate kissing session that night. "He told me he would take care of me."

Dom peered at me for a long moment. "I guess I won't get to kick his ass after all."
I laughed at that. Dom retrieved his pocket square and dabbed at my cheek. "It's not a

monogrammed handkerchief like the ones Marco carries, but it'll do."

"Maybe I'll get you some for Christmas. With skulls," I added, thinking of the monogram I

would design for my doom metal brother.

"Hell yes," he agreed with enthusiasm. "Blood red or black," he insisted.
"Of course," I said. "I wouldn't get you anything else."
"Are you making your sister cry again, Domingo?"
My brother and I both glanced at our father. We had been so wrapped up in our conversation

we hadn't even noticed his approach. There wasn't a hint of censure in Daddy's voice, but he gazed at
us with obvious curiosity.

"It's a good cry, Daddy."

"Hmm," he said, unconvinced. Holding out his hand, he wiggled his fingers. "They're playing

our song next. Come on, mi'ja."

Wanting to pretend that everything was fine, I let my father tug me out of my seat and lead me

onto the dance floor. We had just found our spot when the familiar opening beats of My Girl echoed
in the ballroom. We had been dancing to this song since I was a little girl, back in the days when he
would hold me on his hip and whirl me around his home office.

Now, more than ever, I wanted to feel like that little girl again. She believed in miracles and

happily-ever-afters. Spinning around the dance floor with my father, I almost believed in them too.

*

Unable to stop the smile that tugged at his mouth, Finn watched Hadley and Eddie dance. It was

clear the two of them did this often. They laughed and grinned and chattered animatedly. Thrilled that
she had this one night of perfect happiness before she came clean with her family in the morning, Finn
slowly faded into the crowd and sought out some peace and quiet. He had been lucky to escape his
many combat tours without too many issues, but he had a hard time in big crowds and noisy rooms. A
breather would do the trick.

Out in the opulent lobby of the hotel the Rivera clan had commandeered for Ally's ostentatious

birthday celebration, Finn found a bench near a fountain and claimed a spot. The music was muted out
here with the doors to the ballroom closed, but anytime one of them opened, the cacophony of revelry
drifted into the peaceful stillness of the lobby.

He stretched out his legs, flexing his tight thigh and watching his prosthetic foot move up and

down in an almost natural way as the various pins and levers worked their engineering magic. He
thought back to that day Hadley had warned him that one tuxedo wouldn't be enough if he hung around
her long enough. She had been right. Budgeting for another one was top of his list.

Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back and listened to the burble of water spilling into the

mosaic tiled pool. Even with his eyes closed, he remained aware of his surroundings. It was the soft
tap of dress shoes against the marble that told him someone was coming toward him. A man, he
decided, by the sounds of it. He listened to the footfalls and relaxed when he realized they weren't
heavy enough to belong to Dom. Of all of Hadley's brother's, the bassist with the bruised knuckles
was the one most likely to deck him over some unknown slight.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?"
Finn parted his eyelids with surprise at the sound of Eddie Rivera's voice. Sitting up, he

gestured to the bench. "Not at all, sir."

"No need for that, Finn. I'm not your C.O." Eddie sank down on the bench with apparent relief.

No doubt his feet were killing him after being on them all day. Shooting him a knowing look, he
asked, "The noise get to you?"

Finn nodded. "It's the bodies that make it hard for me to relax. I find myself scanning them for

hints of explosive vests or belts."

Eddie didn't seem the least bit surprised by Finn's honest reply. "I know how that goes. I still

can't stand the Fourth of July. I gritted my teeth and muscled through it when the kids were young, but
I'll tell you what. I was so damned happy the summer Hadley told me she didn't like sparklers or
fireworks. The boys were old enough to do their own thing at that point. That was the first year I had
relaxed during the holiday since Carlos had been born."

"We get out of town. My brothers and I," he clarified. "We go to some place with a burn ban

and enjoy the silence. We had some problems with a neighbor last year who liked to set off black cats
at two in the morning, but the sight of Jack vaulting over his fence put an end to that."

Eddie chuckled. "A man has the right to a good night's sleep in his own home."
"That he does."
"How many times were you over there?"
The question threw him for a second. "I did three tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. You?"
Eddie held up three fingers. "A helo crash ended my time in Vietnam. How I survived with only

some cuts and scrapes I will never know."

"That's war for you."
"Yeah," Eddie agreed quietly.
Deciding it was now or never, Finn said, "You had me investigated after the night I saved

Hadley."

"Of course," the older man confirmed. "I wanted to know what sort of man had a cartel gunning

for him."

"Not for me," Finn corrected. Not then, at least.
"No, not for you," Eddie agreed.
With his suspicions confirmed about the background check, Finn said, "Well, I guess I know

why you dislike me so much. You think I'm no good for her because I'm a recovering alcoholic, but
I'll prove you wrong."

Eddie didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, he pushed aside the lapel of his tuxedo jacket

and stuck two fingers into the pocket of his waistcoat. He retrieved a coin and flicked it at Finn who
caught it easily. Holding it up, Finn read the inscriptions on both sides. He blinked and read them
again before glancing at Eddie. "Is this real?"

"Twenty-nine years," Eddie confirmed. "Sela has a new one made for me on the anniversary of

my last drink. Carlos was four when I stopped."

Hadley's ability to recite A.A. slogans that night he had admitted to his affliction suddenly made

sense. "I didn't know."

"It's not something a man goes around advertising. Admitting weakness isn't a good business

tactic." Eddie twisted in his seat and laid his arm along the back of the bench. "Finn, I don't dislike
you because you're a recovered alcoholic or because your family got tangled up with a cartel. I
dislike you because you're a man."

Finn rubbed the coin between his fingers. "I don't understand."
"You don't understand because you aren't a father. When Hadley was born, we knew something

was wrong with her. They found it at Sela's ultrasound. Back then, the surgeries she needed had a
twenty percent or higher mortality rate. They delivered her by C-section and ran her out of the room
before we even got to see her. You can't imagine what that feels like."

No, he really couldn't. Someday, maybe, he would know what it was like to be a father.
"When she was stabilized in the NICU, they let me in to see her. I got to sit in a rocking chair

next to the little incubator where they were keeping her and hold her. She was a tiny thing, even at
thirty-eight weeks. She wasn't even six pounds, and she was covered in wires and tubes. She had
those strange, pretty eyes of hers even back then. She held my finger, and I knew right then that I
would die for her. I would kill for her. I would anything to keep her alive."

Shaking his head, Eddie continued, "I handed her over a few mornings later to Dr. Manning. I

gave my tiny, sick, crying baby to a bunch of strangers and prayed they would fix her. I swore
—swore—that I would protect her, and I gave her to strangers who smelled wrong and looked wrong
and made her cry. I made up my mind, then and there, that she would never be entrusted to anyone
who didn't love her and deserve her."

Turning his head, Eddie held Finn's gaze. "No man will ever be good enough for my baby girl

—but you have the best shot of any man I've ever met."

Finn gulped as the sincerity of her father's words hit him. "Thank you, sir."
"Don't let me down, Finn."
Because I'll bury you. The unspoken threat hung between them, but Finn respected the old man

for it. Someday he would probably be telling his daughter's boyfriend the same thing.

Eddie's gaze skipped to something over Finn's shoulder. He glanced back and spotted Hadley

watching them. He tried to soothe her nervous expression with a warm smile.

"I think my daughter is ready to leave." Eddie slowly shoved off the bench, and Finn tried to

return the coin. "Keep it, Finn."

"Thank you." He pocketed the sobriety coin and wondered if he might start his own collection.
"Be careful with her."
"I will."
Eddie nodded and made his way to Hadley. She hugged her father and pecked his cheek before

walking away from him. Holding her clutch in one hand, she reached for Finn. "Take me home?"

Grinning and feeling at ease, he stood and tugged her close. "I thought you'd never ask."

Chapter Eleven

My belly quivered with excitement as we neared the front door of the penthouse. Coby would

be out until morning which meant we had the whole place to ourselves. The predatory gleam in Finn's
eyes as I pulled my key from my clutch convinced me that this was the night. My fingers were shaking
so badly I couldn't even get the key into the lock.

Embracing me from behind, Finn slid one around my waist and ran his hand along my arm to

cover my trembling fingers. He nuzzled the side of my neck and made my knees weak. His ticklish
kisses made me shiver, and he gently turned my hand, helping me unlock the door.

With our bodies pressed together, we entered the penthouse. He stepped away from me long

enough to close and lock the door, but then he was on me again. Our mouths crashed together in a
passionate burst of need. Finn clasped my face as he kissed me, stabbing his tongue against mine. One
his hands slid down my neck, along my side and around the curve of my hip to grasp my backside. He
gave my bottom a squeeze through the frightfully expensive cocktail dress I wore before popping my
left cheek hard enough to make me gasp. "Finn!"

He laughed and nibbled at my lower lip. "You can't tell me that you aren't getting wet just

thinking about me spanking this fine ass of yours."

I gulped and tried to ignore the throbbing wet heat between my thighs. "No, I'm not."
"Liar," he teased before kissing me again. His hand slipped under my skirt and rode the outside

of my thigh. He moved toward my panties, but I squeezed my thighs together. Holding my gaze with
his smoky, lust-darkened eyes, he pressed his stronger hand between my legs and pried them apart,
almost daring me to tell him no. His lips hovered close to mine as his fingers hooked the lacy fabric
of my undies.

I whimpered when he started to slowly trace the seam of my pussy. His fingers were gentle

with me, gliding between my lower lips and finding my clit. He swirled them around it a few times
before sliding his fingers even lower to dip into my opening. A triumphant grin stretched that sexy
mouth of his when he encountered the slick wetness there. He pumped his fingers into me a few times,
his pace so slow that my mouth fell open and my head dropped back against the wall.

I protested the loss of his fingers with a mewling whine. He lifted his hand to prove that I was,

in fact, a liar. He painted my lips with the wetness clinging to fingers before sucking on his long,
scarred digits and cleaning them. Then he was kissing me again, his wicked tongue darting between
my lips in a way that made me think of a different way he might kiss me tonight.

In between voracious kisses, we slowly worked our way back to my bedroom. I lost my shoes

along the way. Finn's tuxedo jacket was left near the kitchen. His cummerbund and waistcoat were
dropped in the hallway. My dress fell onto the floor of my bedroom. My bra and panties were gone
before my back ever hit the mattress.

Reclining against my pillows, I watched Finn strip. He had the sexiest body I had ever seen. I

couldn't believe how lucky I was that all that muscled perfection belonged to me. I wanted to run my
fingers and tongue all over him. Just as he planned to claim me, I wanted to leave my mark on him
too.

When he sat on the chair to remove his prosthesis, Finn gave me an order. "Open your thighs,

Hadley. Show me your pussy."

I inhaled a shaky breath and complied. Planting my feet on the bed, I let my thighs fall apart and

bared my feminine secrets to his hungry gaze.

"More," he ordered. "Use your fingers. Show me where you want me."
It wasn't my arrhythmia making my heart do wild things now. It was all Finn. Using my fingers

to separate the folds of my sex, I ran a fingertip up and down my slit. I slid one finger inside me, into
the place where I hoped Finn would soon be buried. His cock would be the first I would know. The
last, a thrilled voice whispered in my head. He'll be your first and your only.

I worked that one finger in and out of my tight channel and used two fingers from the other hand

to rub my clit in the way I liked best. I preferred light pressure on the outside and just above that little
nub. Finn watched me intently, his hands following muscle memory to finish their task while his entire
focus remained on my spread thighs and my fingers doing such dirty things.

When he moved onto the bed, I was so wet my fingers were making the naughtiest sounds as

they glided in and out of my core and circled my clitoris. Finn slid down onto his belly and shoved
my hands out of the way. His mouth descended on my pussy, and he wasted no time enjoying me. His
tongue fluttered over my clit and his fingers penetrated me. In and out, round and round, he used his
mouth and hand to drive me crazy.

"Finn." I rocked my hips when he suckled my clit, tugging the swollen pearl between his lips

and worrying his tongue around it. My toes glided up and down his sides until they finally settled on
his naked hips. I scratched at his shoulders and scalp and tried to hold off the explosion that
threatened to detonate at any moment.

But he was too good. He found that rhythm that set me on fire. My body thrummed as a coil of

bliss unfurled in my lower belly. His tongue swirled and swirled and his finger nudged a spot deep
inside me that made me see stars. "Finn!"

I climaxed hard, my hips popping off the bed and my toes digging into the mattress. He cupped

my bottom in both hands and feasted on me. His tongue stabbed inside me before returning to my
clitoris. He repeated that move until I was on the edge again. He held me there until I was begging
him to let me come again. "Please. Please."

Finn groaned against my pussy, the sound encouraging me to let loose and let him have his way.

So I did. He gave me exactly what I needed, but on his own terms. When he finally let me climax
again, I shrieked so loudly I was sure my downstairs neighbors would be calling the cops. The
powerful bursts of pleasure rocketed through me, wringing me out and leaving me limp and damn near
sobbing on the bed.

Kissing his way up my body, Finn made sure to spend time on every single scar he crossed.

There were puckered marks from chest tubes and drains plus a long C-shaped scar on my right side
from the shunt procedure I had undergone as an infant. When he moved to my breasts, Finn suckled my
nipples, laving them and teething them until they were hard little points that ached. He dragged his
tongue along the scar between my breasts and pressed a noisy kiss at the pulse point in my throat.

Pushing up onto one hand, he caressed my face. "We can stop here if you'd like."
I shook my head. "I want you, Finn. I want all of you."
He gave his consent with a nod. "But if you change your mind—"
"I trust you to stop."
"I will."
Finn rolled onto his back and reached for one of the condoms he had stashed in my bedside

drawer. I plucked the foil package from his hand and pushed up onto my knees. Straddling his injured
thigh, I glanced at his face to make sure I wasn't hurting him. He had explained that sometimes that leg

was more sensitive, but he seemed perfectly content to have the slick softness of my pussy rubbing
against him.

Leaning down, I kissed the tip of his cock before flicking at the clear beads dripping from the

head. I sucked the blunt crown of him into my mouth and let saliva pool on my tongue before going
down his shaft. His fingers were in my hair now, plucking free the pins and bejeweled clips that held
my updo in place. He shook out the waves and gripped them in one strong hand.

Our gazes clashed as I bobbed up and down on his long, thick cock. He breathed hard as he

watched me swirl my tongue around the ruddy head and then drag it all the way down to base. When I
flicked at his sac, he let loose a string of cuss words that would have made a sailor blush and
widened his thighs. I didn't need more of an invitation than that. I slid down in bed and made good use
of the space to drive him wild.

"No more," Finn growled. "I want to be inside you."
I knelt between his thighs and applied the condom to his pulsing shaft. He grasped my hips and

tugged me toward him. I was a bit surprised that he wanted me to be on top for our first time together.
I had always assumed that most guys wanted to be in control and set the pace, but Finn seemed to
have other ideas.

"It will be easier if you're in control. For both of us," he added. "There aren't many position I

can't do as long as we get creative, but I want it to be good for you tonight." He ran a loving hand up
and down my back. "You can go as fast or as slow as you'd like. You just tell me what you need."

Straddling him, I lifted my backside. He grasped his cock and pushed into place. He nudged my

opening but didn’t go any deeper. Aroused and excited but experiencing a wave of trepidation, I
pressed down on his shaft. I was so wet and relaxed after the wickedly wonderful things he had done
to me that he slid in easily. A stinging sensation made me bite my lip, but it was nothing like the
discomfort I had expected.

His cock stretched and filled me in a way I hadn't imagined possible. His fingers had felt so

good inside me but this? This was heaven. I sank down until all of his erection was buried in my
virgin pussy. The tight heat must have felt good to him because now Finn was the one biting his lower
lip.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a husky tone.
"Yes," I sighed. "It's good. Really good."
He smiled and gripped my hips. "It gets better."
Assured and confident, Finn helped me move. Back and forth, up and down, we tried different

ways until we found a rhythm that made us both cry out and groan. He cupped my breasts as I rocked
atop him, grinding my clit against him and seeking a release that seemed just out of reach. Finn
pinched my nipples, toying with the peaks in a way that sent shockwaves of delight straight to my
pleasure spot. My pussy clenched his shaft every time he caused those little bites of pain. "Finn! Oh!"

He pushed his thumb into my mouth and waited until I had gotten it nice and wet before he

pulled it free. He rubbed my clit with his slick thumb and thrust up into me. "Are you going to come
for me?"

Shaking and breathless, I nodded. "Yes. Yes. Yes."
I clawed at his chest as the first powerful wave hit me. I gulped in a breath and was dragged

under the current, drowning in the ecstasy of it. He thrust up into me, pounding away at me from
below and making me scream his name. Every nerve-ending in my body was throbbing now. The

pleasurable bursts in my belly were almost too much.

"Hadley. Sugar." Finn slammed deep, his final thrust bouncing me on his lap. Only the hand

clamped on my shoulder kept me from flying off him. He jerked underneath me and grunted as he
enjoyed his orgasm.

Slumped against him, I let him hold me close until I felt him start to soften. Even though I

wanted nothing more than to stay like this all night, I knew we had to be careful. Finn gently shifted
me onto the bed and kissed me with such love and tenderness. I turned on my side and squeezed my
thighs together as he sat up and plucked tissues from the box on my bedside table.

He was busy taking care of the not so romantic side of responsible lovemaking when I felt the

first flutter in my chest. No. Not now.

But my heart had a mind of its own. My throat tightened and my chest constricted. I swallowed

hard and put a hand to my neck. My heartbeat was racing now. It was faster than I had ever felt it,
faster even than when I used to run in high school. I licked my lips and tried to swallow, but my pulse
was thundering in my throat.

Panic gripped me. I couldn't catch my breath. The pressure in my chest was too much. Realizing

this was about as far from normal as it could get, I tried to speak but couldn't get a word out. Needing
to get his attention, I slapped Finn's back.

He twisted to look at me. The amused, relaxed expression on his face quickly mirrored my

own. He shifted toward me. "Hadley?"

*

Boneless and sated, Finn smiled when Hadley whacked his back. If she was feeling anything

like he was, she probably couldn't even form a complete sentence. But when he got one look at her
panicked, ashen face, he realized he couldn't have been more wrong.

"Hadley?" He touched her neck and found her pulse. His eyes widened at the wild speed of her

heartbeat. It was too fast. Dangerously fast.

He spotted her phone on the bedside table where she had left it that morning in her hurry to meet

her mother at the church. Holding her hand, he quickly dialed 9-1-1 and asked for an ambulance.
While he gave the dispatcher the medical history he knew, he hastily pulled on his prosthetic and his
pants. His shirt quickly followed.

"Have the medics wait for us in the lobby. I'm taking her down now. It'll be faster than having

them find the concierge or someone at the front desk with an access key to her penthouse."

After tucking the phone into the waistband of his pants, he bent down to sweep her up into his

arms, fully intending to just wrap her up in the sheet and run, but she stopped him.

"Finn…" She panted his name. "Clothes."
Understanding that she wouldn't want to be picked up by a bunch of firemen stark naked, he

rushed to her closet and grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He used the corner of her sheet to wipe
away the evidence of their lovemaking. Guilt speared him right in the chest. He should've been
stronger. He should have been more careful with her. They had a lifetime of lovemaking ahead of
them. Why the hell hadn't he waited until after her surgery?

Because you love her and you wanted to make her happy.
As if she could sense his inner turmoil, Hadley touched his face. "It's…okay. I…wan…

wanted…."

"I know, sugar." He kissed her gently. "I know."

He did. What was happening now could have easily have happened while she was dancing with

her father or even sitting quietly at the reception. Her heart had a mind of its own. He wasn't going to
deny her whatever pleasures she could find in life on the chance that maybe she might have an
episode like this. God only knew she had earned the right to some joy.

Lifting her up in his arms, he carried Hadley out to the living room. He stormed out of the

penthouse and cursed the short sixteen second wait for the elevator. The ride down was excruciating.
He could feel her panicked, short breaths on his neck. Her skin was clammy and cold. He brushed his
lips against her temple. "Just hold on, baby."

The elevator doors parted on the lobby floor. When he stepped out, he spotted the medics and

firemen rushing in through the main entrance. The flashing lights of their ambulance and squad SUV lit
up the lobby. They saw him carrying Hadley and rushed toward him with their gurney and equipment.
He placed her on the gurney and stepped back while they began to assess her.

Anytime she couldn't answer a question, he answered as best he could. He remembered the

medical alert bracelet she had left off that morning because she said it had clashed with her outfit. He
swore on everything holy that she would never do that again.

One medic hastily applied electrodes to her body while the other started an IV in her hand.

They took her blood pressure and clamped a pulse oximeter on her finger before sliding a nasal
cannula into place. Whatever they saw on the monitor made them exchange grim looks. Finn wanted to
scream but balled up his fists at his side. One of the medics opened a box and retrieved a vial of
medication and a syringe.

"Honey, we're going to give you a dose of adenosine to see if we can slow down your

heartbeat. You've got a wild case of SVT." The female medic drew up the medication and plugged it
into the port of Hadley's IV while the other medic handed her a syringe he had filled with saline. She
pressed that needle into the port next to the medication. "This is going to feel weird so don't panic."

Weird? Don’t panic? Finn felt like he needed the medication.
He kept his gaze glued to Hadley's face, always remaining in her line of sight so she knew she

wasn't alone. The medic pushed the adenosine and the burst of saline at the same time. He knew the
instant the medication took effect. Hadley's flashed open wider than he had ever seen. Every muscle
in her body seemed to tense—and then she relaxed.

His own damned heart skipped about twelve beats when she flatlined on the monitor. A flutter

of beats appeared on the screen and then more regular, normally spaced beats followed. It was still
faster than it should have been but he wasn't seeing those frighteningly high numbers flashing on the
screen.

Jesus. Christ.
Finn wiped a hand down his face as the medics prepared to roll her out to the waiting

ambulance and transport her to the hospital.

"Where do you want us to take you?"
"Memorial Hermann," she panted tiredly. "Dr. Rae."
One of the firemen glanced at him. "You riding with us?"
"Yes." He wasn’t about to leave her side, not after witnessing her heart literally stop before his

eyes.

"You can ride up front with me."
Finn followed the gurney out to the ambulance. He noticed the members of the building's staff

standing vigil on the sidelines, all of them clearly worried for a woman he sensed might be one of
their favorite residents. Standing next to the gurney, he squeezed her hand before they loaded her into
the box. "I'm right here, Hadley."

She weakly squeezed his hand and closed her eyes. Feeling the rush of adrenaline that had fed

his body for the last ten minutes fade, he climbed onto the front seat and fastened his seatbelt. While
he waited for the fireman who would be driving to join him in the cab, Finn used Hadley's phone to
contact her parents. It was the very last phone call he had ever wanted to make.

"Hadley! You're missing the best part of the night!" Eddie Rivera bellowed in to the phone, his

voice filled with happiness. "They just cut the cake."

"Eddie, it's Finn."
"Finn? What's wrong?"
"You need to meet us at Memorial Hermann. Hadley had a strange episode. I called 9-1-1.

We're in an ambulance right now."

"We'll be there as soon as possible."
The line went dead, and Finn closed his eyes as he imagined the fear and turmoil her parents

would experience now. Before tucking away her phone, he sent a text message to Coby. She had
ducked out of the reception after dinner to go to work at Faze. She might not even see the message
until early morning, but he wanted her to know as soon as possible.

It was a blur from the moment the fireman punched the gas and flicked on his siren. The

screaming wail and the flashing lights brought back unwanted memories. He heard snippets of the
conversation in the back of the box. Every time a medic spoke, he tensed and expected the worst.

In no time at all, they were pulling into the emergency room ambulance bay. He stood out of the

way as she was unloaded but made sure she could see him again. Trailing the gurney, he hugged a
wall in the corner of the room while doctors and nurses filed in and out of the space. She was poked,
prodded and received more medication. The terrified look on her face just killed him. It left him
feeling weak and impotent. He wanted to gather her close and make all this bullshit go away.

"Where is my daughter?" Eddie Rivera's voice carried across the busy ER.
Finn stepped out of the room and lifted his hand, waving it to get Eddie's attention. The Rivera

patriarch strode toward him. Before Eddie could speak, a nurse tersely informed them, "Only one
family member at a time."

"You should stay with her." Finn gestured to the room. He had done all he could. Hadley

needed a medical advocate at her side who knew her complicated history. "She needs you right now."

Eddie stopped him before he had taken even two steps. He squeezed Finn's shoulder. "I’m glad

you were with her tonight."

"So am I."
Eddie patted his back. "She'll be all right, son."
Nodding at Eddie and refusing to believe anything else, he left the emergency room and entered

the waiting room just in time to see Dom and Tres rushing inside. They exchange stares before Dom
gestured to a trio of open seats in a quiet corner. He joined the two Rivera brothers and took the seat
next to Dom. His choice earned an amused glance from Tres.

The youngest Rivera brother spoke first. "Hadley told Dom about her heart problems earlier

tonight. He filled me in on the drive over here."

Dom cracked his battered knuckles. "What happened?"

He didn't take offense to Dom's gruff tone. "She had an episode of her arrhythmia. It was

different than the others so I called for an ambulance."

"What triggered it?" Dom wondered. Finn hesitated a moment too long to answer. The roughest

of the Rivera men actually looked embarrassed. A flush spread along his neck. "Oh." With an angered
growl, he snarled, "It's a good thing we're sitting in an ER. You'll be able to limp in for an x-ray when
I'm done kicking your ass."

"Dom!" Aghast, Tres whacked his brother on the head. "Dude!"
Too late, Dom realized what he had said. An expression of genuine regret crossed his face.

"Hey, Finn, man, I didn't mean it like that. It wasn't a rag on your leg."

Glad to see the rocker was all bark and no bite, he waved his hand. "It's fine. I've heard it all."
"No, it's not. Hadley cares about you, and I respect that. I respect you. What you gave? It's not a

joke, man. I'm sorry."

"We're all right," Finn assured him.
"I don't know why you're always such a caveman about protecting Hadley, Dom." Tres frowned

at his brother. "She's an adult. Let her have some fun."

"She's our baby sister."
"And how many little sisters have you fucked while on tour? How many angry brothers have I

had to chase away from the tour bus or a hotel room?"

"That's different."
"You're a jackass."
"And you're a—"
"Hey," Finn cut in and gestured to their surroundings.
Both men grumbled but stayed quiet for a while.
Tres laughed. "Can you imagine Dad's face when he hears what Hadley was up to before her

heart went haywire?" Shooting Finn a look, he warned, "You might want to start carrying a piece.
When he finds out you were corrupting his innocent baby girl, he's going to sic Hector on you."

The reminder of Hector Salas wasn't a welcome one. Finn pretended not to know who Hector

was but found himself wondering when the cartel henchman would contact him again. With his luck, it
would be very soon.

"You want a soda?" Dom smacked his arm to get his attention. "I’m making a vending machine

run."

"Sure."
When they were alone, Tres patted Finn's back. "Hadley is a tough girl. She'll pull through this.

She always does."

It was the always does part that scared Finn the most. How many times could the woman he

was falling hopelessly in love with beat the odds?

Chapter Twelve

I woke up in my least favorite place—a hospital room. Without moving, I took quick stock of

the situation. I wasn't intubated and my chest didn't hurt so I figured I hadn't gone into surgery yet.
Flashes of the night raced through my mind. Dancing with Finn. Talking to Dom. Making love to Finn.
The phantom elephant crushing my chest. The medication that made my heart stop. The exhaustion that
dragged me down as my father held my hand.

My gaze moved around the room. My parents were curled up together on the long couch along

the far wall of my room. Daddy was still in his tuxedo, and Mama's beautiful dress was a rumpled
mess. I glanced to my right and found Finn sitting in the chair next to my bed, his tired eyes watching
me. He hadn't spoken yet, and I sensed he had been waiting for me to find him.

With the stealth that had served him so well in war, Finn rose from the chair and stood next to

my bed. He clasped my hand and leaned down to press a tender kiss to my forehead. I was sure my
makeup had smeared and my hair was a mess, but Finn gazed down at me as if I were the most
beautiful woman in the whole wild world.

His voice barely a whisper, he said, "You scared the shit out of me last night."
I smiled at his crude description. Voice scratchy, I whispered, "I scared the shit out of myself."
"Don’t ever do that again."
"I'll try." He lowered his head as if he meant to kiss me, but I turned my face. "Finn, I have

morning breath."

He turned my face. "I don't care."
Our lips touched, and I felt so alive. My heart monitor audibly recorded my response to Finn's

kiss, the beats bleeping faster. We broke apart smiling.

A cleared throat alerted me to the fact that my mother was wide awake and watching us. Finn

and I exchanged embarrassed glances, but it was my father's sleepy voice that made us laugh.

"At least if they get carried away like they did last night, we've got a full staff of cardiologists

down the hall."

"Eddie!" My mother playfully smacked his leg. "Don't encourage them!"
His eyes closed and his arm thrown across his face, my father laughed. "Of all of our kids,

Silly, I think Hadley is the least of our worries." He groaned as he sat up. "God, Silly girl, I'm getting
too old for sleeping on couches."

"Silly?" Finn mouthed the nickname my father had for my mother. I shrugged and wondered

what name my brothers or father would pick for him once he was fully welcomed into the fold.

A timid knock at the door announced Coby and Tres. I didn’t miss the excited look my mother

exchanged with my father upon seeing the pair together. In the last year, she had gotten it into her head
that they would make a perfect couple. Unfortunately, those two hadn't gotten the message. No matter
how many times she tried to drag me into setting them up, I steadfastly refused.

Coby looked relieved to see me. She held up a drink holder containing steaming coffees and a

box of donuts. "We grabbed a quick breakfast for everyone."

"And clothes and toiletries for Hadley," Tres said, lifting a pair of bags. His gaze shifted to

Finn. "I would have run by your place to grab something for you, but I didn't know where you lived.
There wasn't anything of yours at Hadley's either."

It might have been my imagination, but my mother seemed to relax upon learning that we

weren’t straight-up shacking up yet. Mama thanked Tres and Coby for being so kind and sorted out the

coffees and donuts. She hesitated before letting me have anything. "We should probably wait until the
doctors do rounds before you eat."

"I'm fine." I was starving actually, but I understood her concern. "Could someone ask one of the

nurses if I can have something to drink? Even ice chips would be better than nothing."

"I'll go," Coby offered and disappeared from the room. A short time later, she returned with a

small cup and a pitcher and Dom hot on her heels. "They said you can drink. You aren't on the surgery
schedule so they're pretty sure you're okay to eat."

"I'll wait." Mix-ups happened all the times in hospitals. I didn't want to be one of them.
My parents and Finn were halfway through their cups of coffee and donuts when a team of

surgeons and cardiologists led by Dr. Rae entered my room. She came in with her usual sunny
disposition, but I could see the concern tightening the corners of her mouth. Coming to stand next to
me, she patted my hand. "I hear you gave everyone quite a scare last night."

"It's a gift," I murmured.
She laughed softly and then gestured to the team that came with her. "My colleagues and I have

discussed your case. What happened last night was very serious and, frankly, unexpected after you've
reported only mild episodes. We're concerned that delaying surgery too long puts you at a greater risk
of developing complications."

"Like death?" I said what everyone was thinking but no one was brave enough to voice. Cutting

right to the chase, I asked, "When do you want to operate?"

"Tomorrow morning," she said. "You'll be the first case. We'll take you in around seven and

hopefully have you out by one or two in the afternoon. You'll spend ten to fourteen days in the
hospital."

As Dr. Rae began to discuss the pros and cons of the different valves and pacemakers available

to me, I started to zone out. Everyone was talking around me while I silently sat there and clung to
Finn's hand. Whether I chose pacemaker A or the cow valve over the pig valve, this surgery was
happening. Feeling powerless, I accepted that what I really wanted—to be healthy and normal—was
never going to happen.

Finn must have felt me slipping into apathy. He caressed my hand and brushed his fingertips up

and down my arm. The ticklish sensation drew me back to the present. Everyone else in the room was
focused on Dr. Rae and the resident who were talking pacemakers, but Finn focused solely on me.

I was reminded of the promise he had made to me after my cath procedure. I'll take care of

you.

He tucked wayward strands of hair behind my ear and rubbed my earlobe between his fingers.

In the back of my mind, I wondered where my jewelry was but figured the nurses had removed it
when I had been admitted. Hopefully it had found its way back to Mama or Daddy for safekeeping.

"So, Hadley, what do you think?"
Because I had already been researching my options, I was able to talk to Dr. Rae without

making her repeat everything she had just said. We settled on the valve and pacemaker that was best,
and I was given my surgery instructions, including my food and water intake cutoff time later that
evening.

When the surgical team left, my family, Coby and Finn stared at me. They all seemed to be

waiting for me to speak. "Well," I said with an exaggerated breath, "if I'm going to be on hospital
rations for the next two weeks, I want a freaking steak for lunch and a hamburger for dinner."

Dom grinned at me. "I'll handle that, Munchie."
"I'll pack whatever you need from the penthouse," Coby offered. "Just make me a list."
"I can drive you, Coby" Tres said helpfully.
"Thanks, Tres." Without a car of her own, she typically used her bike, her MetroRail pass or a

cab. Her Faze contract provided her with a driver for the nights she worked so she didn't have to
worry about running into trouble.

"Your mother and I will organize the hospital shifts." No doubt Daddy would be breaking out

his colored markers and schedules to ensure that I was never alone in the hospital.

"I'll handle the arts center," Mama assured me. "I'm sure we can find enough volunteers to

cover your classes."

"Call Vivian Kalasnikov," I suggested. "Her number is on my desk at the center. She's super

fantastic, and she's always willing to help. You might see if Abby Kirkwood will host a beginner
photography class one night."

"I'll talk to them," Mama promised.
"So, Finn," my father said, "that leaves you to concentrate on Hadley. Whatever she needs—"
"I'll make sure she gets it."
Pleased, my father nodded. With everyone assigned their tasks, the room cleared out slowly.

Dom and Tres were the first to leave after Coby said that she would stay. My parents headed out next
to go home to shower, change and begin making arrangements. Finn lingered the longest, but even he
finally bid me farewell with a heated kiss and an embrace that soothed me right to the core.

Alone with Coby, I fixed the lumpy pillows and leaned back against them. She brought the box

of donuts closer and let me pick out a fluffy one covered in powdered sugar and filled with raspberry
crème. She dropped the box on the rolling table and hopped up onto the foot of my bed.

"So," she said with a mischievous smile, "what exactly did Finn do that made your heart go

crazy like a hummingbird's? Because, damn, he should patent that move and write a book or
something."

I choked on my donut, and Coby cackled with glee.
"But, really," she said with interest. "How did it go?"
With a cloud of powdered sugar dust between us, I sighed and smiled. "It was fantastic."
She practically bounced up and down. "Start at the beginning!"
"Well, first we…"

* * *

Finn stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stared at his

reflection in the foggy mirror. Dark circles under his eyes and stubble on his cheeks betrayed his
exhaustion. He answered a knock at the door and found his father waiting with a cup of coffee.

"I thought you could use this. Your friend is making breakfast for you."
"Conn doesn't need to do that."
"He knows." The old man leaned against the door frame. "I heard you talking to Jack. He's right.

You should take as much time as you need. The gym means nothing. It's your family and this girl that
matter."

Finn couldn't believe his father was giving him advice that he had never seen fit to follow

himself. Shocking him even more, the old man added, "I'm moving out next week. I signed a lease on
Friday."

"Where?"
"It's not far from here. A townhouse," he said. "The rent is cheap. The neighborhood seems

quiet."

"That's good, Pop."
"Jack damned near danced a jig in the kitchen this morning."
"I'm sure he did," Finn said with a snorting laugh. Though he had found it within himself to

forgive their father for all he had done, Jack and Kelly were a long way from reaching that point.

"I'm heading to Mass and then to my meetings. If you need anything, you let me know. I'm here

for you."

The words his father finally spoke were words he had wanted to hear for years. Better late than

never, he supposed. Between sips of coffee, he shaved his stubble and brushed his teeth. Done with
his morning routine, he moved into his bedroom to pack a bag. He had avoided hospitals since his
discharge from Walter Reed and wasn't looking forward to spending two weeks in one. For Hadley's
sake, he wouldn't complain.

"Hey," Conn appeared in the open doorway of the bedroom with a foil wrapped square. "Here.

It's hot. Thought you might want to eat and drive."

Finn caught the breakfast sandwich and hissed. It was searing hot. "Thanks, man."
"Do you need anything? I can come to the hospital to keep you company or run errands for you."
"I'm fine today, but later this week, I'm sure I could use your help."
"I'll be here." Conn watched him pack. "I'm going to visit Dimitri Stepanov on Wednesday."
"Yeah? I thought you said you were done with private security?"
"I'm done with mercenary work, but I hear that Russian runs a clean firm. It's good work. Easy

work," he added. "I think this," he gestured to his scarred face, "will be my only problem getting an
assignment."

Finn frowned. "Your record and your skills are what they're paying you for, Conn."
He issued a harsh laugh and started to say something, but the ringing doorbell interrupted them.

"I'll go."

Finn finished packing and tore into the egg and bacon sandwich Conn had cooked for him. He

was working on a big bite when Conn returned with a strange look on his face and an envelope in his
hand. Finn swallowed his mouthful. "What's that?"

"No idea, mate." He brought the envelope to Finn but gave it a shake before handing it over.

"It's not very heavy. I opened the door, and it was on the welcome mat."

Finn studied the envelope. It didn’t have a return address on it. His name was printed on the

front in block letters. A sinking feeling in his stomach, he opened the envelope and discovered a
business card with a key taped to it. The card was for one of those mailbox stores. The box number
was on the back.

"What the fuck, Finn?"
He started to make up a lie but let the words die on his tongue. Conn had spent years working

with people who made the cartel look like angels. If anyone could understand this situation, it was
him. "I’m being blackmailed by the Guzman cartel."

Conn's arms went slack and fell to his sides. "For what?"
"Six weeks ago, Jack and Abby got into some trouble. I'll tell you the whole story later, but

what you need to know right now is that I shot a cartel assassin to save them. The Russian mob here in

town has the body, the round and my rifle. They're blackmailing me to force me into bed with the
Guzman cartel."

Conn let that sink in for a moment. "What do the Russians want from you?"
"They want me to turn on the cartel after I agree to work with them. They want information."
"In exchange for?"
"Protection from the fallout," Finn said.
"Do you trust them?"
"Who? The Russians?" Finn chortled. "About as far as I could throw your giant ass."
"But?"
"My back is against the wall here." He hesitated. "Hadley's family is tied in with the cartel

enforcer who has been meeting with me."

"Fuck."
"Yeah."
Conn gestured to the key. "Let's see what's in the mailbox first."
Grabbing his packed bag and the sandwich, Finn trailed Conn out of the house. They piled into

his truck and drove to the west side of the city where the mailbox store was located. He went in alone
to get the package and came back to find Conn drumming his fingers on the dash and scanning their
surroundings from behind his aviator sunglasses.

"We weren't followed. Coast is clear." Conn gave a slight tilt of his head toward his window.

"Unless that minivan follows us."

He stealthily eyed the dark green vehicle before opening the box that had been left for him.

Inside he found a large blue envelope, a gun and a fully loaded clip. Conn swore a blue streak from
the passenger seat. The new envelope yielded a hot pink and black business card for a high-end salon
and spa, the floor plan of the business, a key, and a photograph of a dazzlingly beautiful blonde
woman with a time and date written on the back.

"What is that?"
"It's a salon business card." Finn flicked it with his finger. "I think Hadley goes here. I've seen

this logo on a magnet on her refrigerator."

"Do you know the woman?"
"I've never seen her before in my life."
"What's her name?"
Finn read the information on the business card. "Holiday Phillips."
"The fuck kind of name is Holiday?"
Finn shrugged and tapped the card on his steering wheel. "The date is today, and the time is

tonight."

"Are you going to do it?"
Finn snapped his attention to Conn. "Are you really asking me if I'm going to slaughter some

innocent woman?"

"A bullet between the eyes isn't slaughtering. Hell, in some situations, it's a mercy. For all you

know, this woman is knee-deep in the shit. Maybe a clean death from you is better than whatever the
cartel might resort to if you say no."

Finn's mouth gaped as Conn coldly explained the reality of the situation. "No."
Conn held up both hands. "I'm just saying—"

"And I'm saying no." Finn tossed the business card into the box and put his truck in drive. He

pulled out of his parking space and onto the road. He checked the mirror to make sure that the van
didn't follow them. It stayed put and the tension in his gut eased some. He drove straight to a
convenience store, careful to park his truck in a way that made it impossible for the security cameras
to catch his license plate. He dug a cap out of his baseball bag in the backseat and jammed it down on
his head. Inside the store, he bought a couple of burner phones with cash.

When he got back into the truck, he drove to the parking lot of the nearest shopping center and

found the business card with Kostya's contact information on it. He dialed the number and waited for
an answer. The cleaner answered in Russian, and Finn didn't have any idea what the man had just
said.

"Kostya? This is Finn Connolly."
"Finn? It must be serious if you're calling me today considering your woman is in the hospital."
How the hell did these guys keep track of everyone in the city? "This isn't about Hadley. It's

about a job."

Kostya rattled off an address. "How fast can you get there?"
"Twenty minutes? Half an hour?"
"I'll be waiting. Go into the first stall in the men's room and lock the door."
Creeped out by the instruction, Finn nevertheless drove to the fast food spot. Conn hadn't said a

word since the parking lot of the mailbox place. When they reached the burger joint, he finally spoke.
"You want me to come in as backup?"

Finn shook his head. "Watch my back from out here?"
"Like you have to ask," Conn grumbled.
Finn grabbed the envelope he had picked up in the mailbox and carried it into the fast food

place hidden under his t-shirt and tucked into the waistband of his jeans. He went straight to the men's
room and locked himself in the first stall. A minute or so later, he heard the bathroom door open and
lock. Someone walked into the stall next to him. For a split-second, he wondered if he was about to
get shot through the wall dividing the stalls.

"Well?"
Finn held the envelope over the stall. "This is the target."
Kostya reached up and grasped the envelope. Finn listened carefully as the Russian cleaner

lifted the flap and studied the contents. A shocked hiss filled the air. Did Kostya recognize the
woman?

A long silence stretched between them. Finally the envelope appeared over Finn's head again.

He grabbed it and waited for his instruction. When he received none, he asked, "What do I do?"

In a deadly, cold voice, Kostya answered, "You go to the salon tonight—and you kill Holly

Phillips."

* * *

Controlling his breaths, Finn crossed the shadowy parking lot to the rear door of the salon and

spa. His heart beat quickly but his hands remained steady. Dressed in all black, he kept to the
darkness and ensured every step was perfectly placed. He used the key he had been provided to slip
into the stockroom of the salon via the delivery door. The information in the packet he had been sent
had assured him the security system would be disengaged, and it was.

Inside the building, he took a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the light change. He had

memorized the layout of the salon and spa so he moved easily through the halls. When he entered the
office area of the business, he heard a woman's voice drifting through a door. He followed it to the
office at the end of the hall.

Holding his breath, he listened carefully. It was a woman—Holiday Phillips—talking to a

customer service agent about her problem with the security system. It wasn't the first time it had
happened, apparently. Calm and collected, he pushed the door open and entered the office.

Blonde hair was visible over the top of the chair. Weapon at his side, he crept toward the chair.

More controlled breaths kept his movements even and his fingers steady on the grip of his pistol.
Gripping the back of the chair, he spun it around quickly—and dropped to his knees.

Two puffs from a silenced pistol hit their target in the doorway, the rounds fired from the chair

he had just spun. Popping out of the chair, Kostya whisked off the blonde wig he had been wearing
and stormed to the doorway. The recording of the woman's voice continued to play in the background.
He crouched down and kicked away the gun the man who had been following Finn for the past twenty
minutes had been carrying. The fine hairs on the back of Finn's neck finally settled down now that the
threat was ended.

"Is he dead?" Finn rose slowly and kept his weapon pointed at the floor. The Russian cleaner's

plan had gone accordingly so far.

"Yes." Kostya began to rifle through the man's pockets. Finn moved closer—and heard the

telltale sign of approaching footsteps. He tapped Kostya's shoulder to alert the other man. Pushing him
out of the way, Finn moved into a better position. The second the dark figure appeared just outside the
doorway, Finn grabbed him and hauled him into the office. He slammed the unknown man into the
wall and put his forearm across the man's throat.

"Hey! Hey!" Hector Salas threw up both hands, one of them holding a gun. Finn quickly

stripped him of his weapon and pointed his own pistol on him. "You have three seconds to tell me
why you're here."

Kostya touched Finn's hand. "Lower your weapon."
Realizing there was even more at play here than he had understood, Finn reluctantly did as told.

The two criminals held a staring match. Finally, Kostya coldly stated, "You're late."

"It's been a busy night," Hector replied.
"Did you get it done?"
"It's finished. It's over."
Kostya made a humming sound and nudged the dead man with the toe of his boot. "What do you

want to do with this one?"

"That's your specialty, not mine."
"That's right. Betrayal and treachery are yours."
Hector shot Kostya the finger, and Finn began to piece together what had happened tonight.

Whatever this move was against Holly Phillips, it had been meant to provoke a response from the
Russian mob family. Nikolai Kalasnikov had answered it by—what? Making a deal with Hector? Is
that why Kostya said the other man's specialty was betrayal?

"You should go, Finn." Hector gestured toward the door. "This isn't the sort of night you want to

be without an alibi. Get back to the hospital. Hadley needs you. This," he spun his finger in the air, "is
done. You're free of whatever obligation you had to the cartel."

"Wait." Kostya reached into his pocket and retrieved a card. He extended it toward Finn.

"Consider it your insurance policy. Whatever you need, you call me. I owe you a debt."

Finn hoped he never needed the card, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He

tucked it into his back pocket—and got the hell out of that building. The events of the last ten hours
flashed before him as he drove back to the house to shower and change, from Kostya explaining his
plan through the wall of that bathroom to arranging for Conn to sit at the hospital and watch Hadley's
room, just in case.

He waved at his father as he came into the house and hurried upstairs to get out of his clothing.

He put it all in a large trash bag that he carted with him to his truck after his shower. On the way
outside, he heard his father listening to the news. He backtracked to stare at the screen. His stomach
dropped like a runaway elevator.

"You see this, son?" Nick Connolly shook his head. "They're saying it was a bloodbath around

the city tonight. Seventeen known associates of the Guzman cartel were killed tonight in Houston.
Apparently south of the border, it's the same story. They're calling it a coup."

Finn didn't say a word. He quietly left the house and drove to the storage locker across town.

When he pulled up to the building he rented with Jack and Kelly, a man stepped out of an idling SUV.
He held a rifle case. Finn exchanged his sack of possibly contaminated clothing for the return of his
rifle.

"You'll find the spent round in the case," the man said in heavily accented English. "The boss

thanks you for your service tonight. He says that his door is always open if you need anything, and he
wanted me to tell you that he hopes your girl's surgery is successful and that she has a swift
recovery."

Finn nodded and watched the Russian mob soldier climb back into his SUV and drive away. He

unlocked and entered the storage container and stowed his rifle on a top shelf. He would never shoot
that one again, and he couldn't sell it either. It seemed destined to stay on that shelf and gather dust
until the end of time.

Still not quite believing that he had gotten out of this bind without firing a single shot, Finn

headed for the hospital. He would have to sneak in because the visiting hours were about to end. Not
that anyone would dare to tell him no. It had become clear to him very quickly that Hadley was
receiving different treatment than most patients. No doubt the possibility of a mega endowment by her
father or her had everyone on their best behavior.

When he entered her hospital room, Finn discovered Hadley squished between her mother and

Dom on the bed while they watched television. Hadley's entire face brightened at the sight of him. She
hadn't said that she loved him yet, but he could feel it radiating from her all the same.

With a slow, cleansing exhale, Finn released all the tension and fear of the past. This beautiful

woman in front of him was his future—and it looked pretty damned bright.

Chapter Thirteen

Stomach empty and mouth dry, I glanced at the door to my hospital room. All the consent forms

had been signed. I had been visited by our parish priest earlier in the morning to partake in
confession. After that torrid night with Finn, I had quite a bit more to atone for than usual, but I had
wanted to make sure I was going into this surgery with the slate wiped clean, so to speak.

My insides wobbled, and my fingers trembled. I was surrounded by the people who loved me

—Mom, Dad, Finn, my brothers, my sister-in-law and Dieter, Coby and Papaw. Kelly and Bee were
making an appearance via Coby's tablet. Bee had wanted to fly in to be with me, but I didn't see the
point in her spending twenty-four plus hours in a plane just to sit in a waiting room when she could do
that via an internet connection.

The love and friendship surrounding me bolstered my courage. They all strengthened me by

sitting at my bedside and making me laugh and smile. Their love for me would see me through this
trial in my life. I believed that absolutely.

Dr. Rae, an anesthesiologist and three nurses entered the room. Dr. Rae smiled at me. "It's time,

kiddo."

With a brave nod, I started the long process of hugging my friends and family members. Coby

went first and made sure Kelly and Bee got their well wishes in there too. Vonny, Dieter and Papaw
went next, and then my brothers took turns squeezing the air out of my lungs. My mother was already
crying when she kissed my cheek and hugged me tight. Tres and Papaw lingered near the doorway and
eventually came over to get Mama. Both men slid their arms around her shoulders and helped her
from the room, leaving Finn and Daddy behind.

They walked on either side of the gurney as I was wheeled out of my room and down the halls

of the hospital. When we reached the double doors leading to the operating suites, the gurney slowed
to a stop. This was it.

Daddy wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to my temple. Suddenly, I was five

years old and on the verge of begging my father to take me away from here, to steal me away and hide
me someplace safe. Somehow I managed to hold it together.

"I'll see you soon, mi'ja." His voice was husky with emotion. "Everything will be all right." He

squeezed my hand. "I love you."

"I love you, too."
He stepped aside and let Finn have his chance. Tracing my lower lip with his thumb, Finn

grinned down at me, his eyes shining with love. He captured my mouth in a loving, thorough kiss.
Pulling back slowly and gently, he brushed his fingers down my cheek. "I'll be right beside you when
you wake up."

"Okay."
Finn dipped his head and whispered, "I love you, Hadley."
Clutching his arm, I never wanted to let go. "I love you, Finn."
The whispered words were audible only to our own ears. It was a secret, special moment that

we shared among all those curious gazes. Reluctantly, Finn and my father remained standing in the
hall while the nurses rolled me through the automatic doors and into the operating room.

They took me to an operating suite at the far end of the surgical floor, transferring my care to a

team decked out in scrubs, gowns, masks and gloves. My hands began to shake, and if there had been
anything in my stomach, it would have made an unwanted appearance. With help from the surgical

team, I transferred from the softer hospital bed to the cold, hard table. My arms quivered at my sides
as I stared up at the ceiling and answered questions about my name and birth date to ensure they had
the right patient on the right table.

The anesthesiologist spoke to me, his voice muffled by the papery barrier covering his mouth

and nose. "All right, Hadley. I'm going to put a mask over your face and give you some gas that will
help you sleep. Once you're asleep, I'll administer a heavier dose of anesthesia. When you're out,
we'll prepare you for the surgery by placing central lines, IVs and a breathing tube. Then Dr. Rae and
her colleagues will start the procedure." The anesthesiologist reassuringly patted my shoulder. "Are
you ready?"

"No," I admitted weakly, "but it's time."
"It's time," he echoed calmly. Very carefully, he placed a mask over my nose and mouth. I

fought the claustrophobic panic of having something on my face and inhaled normally. "Count back
from ten, please."

"Ten, nine, eight, seven…" As the gas filled my lungs and made my head spin, I heard Finn's

voice. I'll take care of you.

*

With a flutter of eyelashes, I regained consciousness. My head throbbed, and I couldn't think

straight. My body felt so heavy. I didn't even try to move my arms. A dull ache in my chest spurred the
memories of what had happened and where I was. It was the after effects of the anesthesia and the
massive doses of morphine they were pumping into me that left me feeling weighted but disconnected.

The sensation of air whooshing into my lungs, the slight puffs coming out of my nostrils

confirmed my worst fear. I had awakened while still intubated. The tube shoved down my throat
supported my breaths, just in case my heart and lungs decided to quit.

Relax. Relax. Don't gag. It will hurt.
A flash of movement caught my attention. Finn and my father were at my side in an instant.

Concern and worry were etched into their faces. Finn offered an encouraging smile and carefully
caressed my cheek. He said something, but I couldn't understand it. Drowsy and too weak to fight, I
surrendered to the promise of endless sleep.

*

When I woke up again, the first thing I noticed was the missing intubation tube. Raw and

burning, my poor abused throat warned me to take this breathing thing easy. I inhaled a cautious
breath and anticipated the pain that was sure to come.

And there it was.
Grimacing, I held very still as my ribs and chest screamed at me. The narcotics they were

forcing into my system via IVs would keep the worst pain at bay, but there was always that constant
throbbing reminder in my chest. I tried to find the silver lining. If I was hurting, I was alive.

Remembering Finn's promise, I glanced to the left, the only space in the CVICU cubicle that

wasn't packed with machines and life-saving equipment. He watched me over the rim of his coffee
cup. His searing gaze burned me, but I welcomed the heat. I'm alive. I'm alive, and he's here.

Taking in the man I loved so much, I realized he really hadn't left my side since the surgery. He

had stubble and lines of exhaustion marring his handsome face. His clothes were different, but I had a
feeling he was making quick work of changing and eating so he could be near me.

Setting aside his cup, Finn pushed out of his chair and joined me. He eased his hip onto the bed.

His mindful gaze took in the positions of the IV tubes and chest drains snaking out from under the
sheet that covered me. He gingerly lifted my hand, sliding his bigger, rougher palm underneath mine. I
found the strength to entwine our fingers.

Finn leaned down and kissed my forehead. His warm lips lingered there. "How do you feel?"
"Tired," I croaked. "Beat up."
Finn's gaze dropped to the open front of my hospital gown. A long line of bandages sporting

pinkish spots of blood and fluid covered the stitches and surgical glue that had been used to close my
chest. Peering at my face again, he had suspiciously shiny eyes. "You are the strongest person I have
ever met."

I didn't know about that. I thought of some of the men he must have known while in the Marines.

Surely a number of them had been through so much worse than me and survived.

Finn's head dipped toward mine. Our foreheads touched. He inhaled a ragged breath. His

fingers tightened around mine. "You make so proud to be your man."

My man? I liked the sound of that. Lifting a trembling hand, I trailed my fingers down his jaw

and smiled. "Mine."

Finn's mouth curved with happiness. "Yours." He kissed me with so much love. "Always."

Epilogue

Ten Months Later

"Finn?" I bumped the door to the penthouse closed with my hip and carried my shopping bags

across the living area.

"I'm in the studio."
Of course you are, I thought with a smile. We had started working on a co-authored graphic

novel while I had been recovering from my heart surgery. Collaborating on such a multi-layered story
hadn't been easy. A few times, I had been tempted to stab him with a colored pencil, but we had
muscled through the problems and learned to compromise. In many ways, the shared fictional
universe we had created strengthened our relationship.

"Did you have fun with your mother?" His loud voice carried through the penthouse as I

stopped for a bottle of water in the kitchen.

"That woman death marched me around the Galleria," I grumbled back. "If Ally hadn't been

with us, I would have left Mama at Sak's. How many dang evening gowns does one woman need, you
know?"

Finn's chortle echoed in the house. "Says the woman who asked me to move my clothing to the

guest room closet because she needed a place to put her fall collection?"

"That's different!"
"You're right, sugar. It's totally different."
I heard the teasing in his voice and smiled.
"Did you find a dress for Jack and Abby's wedding?"
"Yes. It's in alterations. I'll pick it up next week." I unscrewed the cap on the water bottle. "Did

Kelly talk to you about Mattie?"

"Yeah. He and Bee are going to take him to Disneyland while Jack and Abby are on their

honeymoon. I told them we might like to tag along. I've never been to Disneyland," he admitted.

"What? Oh my God! We are so going with them. You. Me. The Matterhorn? It's a date!" Finn's

laughter filled me with a giddy sort of warmth. Even all these months later, the passion I felt for him
had yet to fade. "Did you and Daddy have a good game?"

Ever since the surgery, Finn had been welcomed into my family with open arms. On Sundays,

he came to Mass and lunch and then played a round of golf with my father. Sometimes my brothers
tagged along if they were free. Oddly enough, Finn and Dom had become pretty good friends. He had
the closest bond with Tres, though. Their shared experiences in the Corps had ensured that.

"He whipped my ass like he always does."
I sipped the water. That didn't surprise me at all.
"Hey, beautiful, can you come help me with something?"
"Sure." I left my shopping bags and the water in the kitchen and made my way to the studio

space we now shared. When I entered the room, I instantly noticed that Finn had tidied up our space.
He wasn't wearing his usual drawing clothes either. He had slipped into the sky blue button-down and
khaki chinos I had bought him a few weeks ago. "Are we going out for dinner?"

"I thought you would want to after…" Finn's low, rumbling voice trailed off as he shifted

nervously.

"After what?"
Finn crossed the distance between us and grasped my hand. He led me over to the magnetic

strips we used to piece together the pages for our books. At first, I didn't notice anything different, but
then I did a double-take. The drawings hung on the wall weren't the finals for our book. They were
new art I had never seen.

Still holding his hand, I moved closer—and gasped. "This is—it's us!"
Finn enveloped me from behind and rested his chin atop my head. "It's the story of us."
"You drew this?"
"I did."
Reaching up to hold onto his muscular arms, I let my gaze travel from my page to page. My

belly fluttered with excitement. He had started with that evening we had met at the arts center. His
style of art had a heavy Japanese influence and his punchy dialog always impressed me. He had
chosen to draw fifteen moments from our nearly year-long courtship. Some of them made me laugh,
but a few made me tear up. I dabbed at my cheek and caught the tears dripping down my face.

"There's one more page, but I need your help finishing it." Finn unwound his arms and led me

over to the drafting table we had installed for him. Taped to the center of the white board was a page
with four panels. In the first, I was staring at the drawing in front of me—just as I was now in real
life.

In the second panel, Finn was reaching into his pocket. I read the caption in the bubble over his

head. Don't screw this up. It has to be perfect for her.

My heart flip-flopped in my chest. In the back of my mind, I hoped my pacemaker wasn't about

to zap me.

My gaze slid to the third panel. In the drawing, Finn stood behind me and held out a box. On

shaky legs, I slowly turned to face him and found the love of my life gazing down at me with utter
adoration. His fingers trembled as he opened the ring box and presented me with the most
breathtaking Art Deco style engagement ring I had ever seen. The Asscher cut diamond glinted and
winked at me.

"Hadley?"
"Yes, Finn?" I breathlessly waited for him to ask me.
"Will you marry me? Will you let me take care of you?"
"Forever?" I asked, my voice quavering with emotion.
"And ever," he added, taking the ring from the box and reaching for my hand. He slid it onto my

finger so reverently and then lifted my hand to his lips. Eyes closed, he pressed his lips to my skin.

Holding his hand, I turned back to the drawing on his desk. The final panel showed me gazing

up at him. There was a dialog bubble over my head, but it was empty. Picking up a black marker with
a steady hand, I printed my answer in the bubble.

YES!

Author's Note

Thank you so much for reading Finn and Hadley's story. I hope you've enjoyed the Fighting

Connollys series. It's a bit different from my Her Russian Protector and Debt Collection series. The
Connolly brothers are good guys, through and through, and real heroes. I think that's why their ladies
swoon for them!

About the Author

I am a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. When I’m not chasing after my wild

preschooler, I like to write super sexy romances and scorching hot erotica. I live in Texas with a
husband who could easily snag a job as an extra on the History Channel’s new Viking series and a
sweet but rowdy four-year-old.

I also have another dirty-book writing alter ego,

Lolita Lopez

, who writes deliciously steamy

scifi and paranormal erotic romance tales for Ellora’s Cave, Forever Yours/Grand Central,
Mischief/Harper Collins UK, Siren Publishing and Cleis Press.

You can find me online at

www.roxierivera.com

.

Backlist

Her Russian Protector Series

Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1)
Dimitri (Her Russian Protector #2)
Yuri (Her Russian Protector #3)
A Very Russian Christmas (Her Russian Protector #3.5)
Nikolai (Her Russian Protector #4)
Sergei (Her Russian Protector #5)
Sergei, Volume 2 (Her Russian Protector #5.5)—Coming May 2014
Nikolai, Volume 2 (Her Russian Protector #6)—Coming May 2014
Kostya (Her Russian Protector #7)—Coming Summer 2014
Alexei (Her Russian Protector #8)—Coming Fall 2014
Danila (Her Russian Protector #9)—Coming Fall 2014

The Fighting Connollys Series

In Kelly's Corner (Fighting Connollys #1)
In Jack's Arms (Fighting Connollys #2)
In Finn's Heart (Fighting Connollys #3)

Debt Collection

Collateral (Debt Collection #1)
Past Due (Debt Collection #2)—Coming Late Summer 2014
Paid in Full (Debt Collection #3)—Coming Winter 2014

Her SEAL Protector

Close Quarters

Seduced By…

Seduced by the Loan Shark
Seduced by the Loan Shark 2—Coming Soon!
Seduced by the Congressman
Seduced by the Congressman 2

Erotica

Chance's Bad, Bad Girl
Halftime With Craig
Tease
Eddie's Cuffs 1
Eddie's Cuffs 2
Eddie's Cuffs 3
Disturbing the Peace
Quid Pro Quo
Search and Seizure

Copyrigh

t © 2014 by Roxie Rivera

Cover Art by Melody Simmons/Ebook Indie Covers
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any
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without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied
in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission
requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address
below.
Roxie Rivera/Night Works Books
3515-B Longmire Drive, #103
College Station, TX 77845
www.roxierivera.com
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of
the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes.
Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or
locales is completely coincidental.
In Finn's Heart (Fighting Connollys #3)/ Roxie Rivera. -- 1st ed.
ISBN 978-1-63042-018-5