send his men after me, some sort of sick revenge thing.”
She’d seen death in Dallas O’Kane’s eyes before, and it was there as he rolled out of his chair to brace both hands on the desk. “Fleming kidnapped you for Dom ?”
“He was after Trix,” she confirmed, “but he got Tracy. And he couldn’t wait to shove that in Finn’s face.”
“So Finn shot him.”
The memory—the relief and revulsion, all at once—made her shudder. “Yeah.”
Sighing, Dallas pushed himself upright. “I believe you, darling. A hell of a lot more than I believe a word out of Beckett’s mouth. But Finn...”
She dug her fingernails into her skin to suppress another shudder. “He’s done everything he could do, Dallas, and it almost got him killed. Don’t you think he deserves a chance?”
Dallas reached for her, covered her hands with his own. They were warm, strong—and as tough as his words. “He’s been the monster chained in Fleming’s basement for twenty years. If I give him a chance, will he know what to do with it?”
She wanted to say yes. She even opened her mouth, but the bleak memory of the hopelessness in Finn’s eyes stopped her cold. Despair was no different than drugs or booze or gambling—it could become a habit, just as easily as anything else.
“Maybe not,” she admitted hoarsely. “But what kind of people would we be if we didn’t try?”
Dallas didn’t answer. He circled his desk and drew her into a tight hug, with one big hand cradling the back of her neck and his chin resting on her head. “I’ll figure something out, love. I fucked up by underestimating how much danger you were in, and he fixed it. We all owe him for that.”
“It’s not just that.” She tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “Finn can’t stand what goes on in Five. He lived there and worked there, but he hated it all so much.”
“Good. My gratitude gets him in the door, but the rest he’ll have to earn.” He caught her chin, his gaze serious. “You know what that means, right?”
All the new guys had to deal with a little hazing, even the ones who’d come in under the best of circumstances. Finn would have it worse. “I understand.”
And she did. No, the part that left her blinking back tears was how much Finn would relish the abuse, all because he thought he deserved it.
Finn hadn’t expected to wake up.
For a few disorienting seconds, the only thing he could muster was disappointment. He’d hit the dirt with his last glimpse of Trix etched into his brain—her standing behind Adrian Maddox, protected as the man burned with a righteous fury more suited to Eden’s deity than the benevolent God they worshiped in Sector One.
As last images went, it wasn’t the worst. His girl safe, his mission complete. Dying was the coward’s way out of the mess he’d made, but fuck if he wasn’t tired .
And sore, too. Sore enough that even opening his eyes seemed like too much effort. But he did it anyway, and disappointment shattered as Trix’s face swam into view.
Trix, at his bedside. Thank fucking Christ he’d woken up.
Her lips tilted in a gentle, brilliant smile as she tugged his hand up to the soft curve of her cheek. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Funny, how things didn’t hurt as much now. The magic of touching her. “I guess you rescued me, huh?”
“Yeah?” She turned her head to press a quick kiss to his palm. “Now we’re even.”
Not even close. Not in a million years. But he wasn’t ready to lose the brightness of that smile, so he didn’t argue. “What happened after I passed out? Is Hawk okay?”
“He’s fine. Dallas and Lex are gonna put him up while they figure out this whole mess.”
“And me?”
A little of the light in her eyes dimmed. “You can stay. No one’s jumping for joy about it, though. But you knew that was coming.”
He’d known. He just hadn’t realized how much it would sting. Not the disdain of the O’Kanes—anything short of putting him in the ground
She’d seen death in Dallas O’Kane’s eyes before, and it was there as he rolled out of his chair to brace both hands on the desk. “Fleming kidnapped you for Dom ?”
“He was after Trix,” she confirmed, “but he got Tracy. And he couldn’t wait to shove that in Finn’s face.”
“So Finn shot him.”
The memory—the relief and revulsion, all at once—made her shudder. “Yeah.”
Sighing, Dallas pushed himself upright. “I believe you, darling. A hell of a lot more than I believe a word out of Beckett’s mouth. But Finn...”
She dug her fingernails into her skin to suppress another shudder. “He’s done everything he could do, Dallas, and it almost got him killed. Don’t you think he deserves a chance?”
Dallas reached for her, covered her hands with his own. They were warm, strong—and as tough as his words. “He’s been the monster chained in Fleming’s basement for twenty years. If I give him a chance, will he know what to do with it?”
She wanted to say yes. She even opened her mouth, but the bleak memory of the hopelessness in Finn’s eyes stopped her cold. Despair was no different than drugs or booze or gambling—it could become a habit, just as easily as anything else.
“Maybe not,” she admitted hoarsely. “But what kind of people would we be if we didn’t try?”
Dallas didn’t answer. He circled his desk and drew her into a tight hug, with one big hand cradling the back of her neck and his chin resting on her head. “I’ll figure something out, love. I fucked up by underestimating how much danger you were in, and he fixed it. We all owe him for that.”
“It’s not just that.” She tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “Finn can’t stand what goes on in Five. He lived there and worked there, but he hated it all so much.”
“Good. My gratitude gets him in the door, but the rest he’ll have to earn.” He caught her chin, his gaze serious. “You know what that means, right?”
All the new guys had to deal with a little hazing, even the ones who’d come in under the best of circumstances. Finn would have it worse. “I understand.”
And she did. No, the part that left her blinking back tears was how much Finn would relish the abuse, all because he thought he deserved it.
Finn hadn’t expected to wake up.
For a few disorienting seconds, the only thing he could muster was disappointment. He’d hit the dirt with his last glimpse of Trix etched into his brain—her standing behind Adrian Maddox, protected as the man burned with a righteous fury more suited to Eden’s deity than the benevolent God they worshiped in Sector One.
As last images went, it wasn’t the worst. His girl safe, his mission complete. Dying was the coward’s way out of the mess he’d made, but fuck if he wasn’t tired .
And sore, too. Sore enough that even opening his eyes seemed like too much effort. But he did it anyway, and disappointment shattered as Trix’s face swam into view.
Trix, at his bedside. Thank fucking Christ he’d woken up.
Her lips tilted in a gentle, brilliant smile as she tugged his hand up to the soft curve of her cheek. “Hi.”
“Hey.” Funny, how things didn’t hurt as much now. The magic of touching her. “I guess you rescued me, huh?”
“Yeah?” She turned her head to press a quick kiss to his palm. “Now we’re even.”
Not even close. Not in a million years. But he wasn’t ready to lose the brightness of that smile, so he didn’t argue. “What happened after I passed out? Is Hawk okay?”
“He’s fine. Dallas and Lex are gonna put him up while they figure out this whole mess.”
“And me?”
A little of the light in her eyes dimmed. “You can stay. No one’s jumping for joy about it, though. But you knew that was coming.”
He’d known. He just hadn’t realized how much it would sting. Not the disdain of the O’Kanes—anything short of putting him in the ground
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