20. Chapter Twenty #2
Finn smirks. “I’ll try not to.”
Erik scowls but doesn’t say anything else.
“You really want to be with him?” Dante asks me.
I answer without hesitation. “I really do.”
“Then… fuck it. Welcome back to the family, Finn. But listen to Erik. Don’t fuck it up. Take this chance.”
“I know,” Finn says. “Now that I have Aria, I’m not going to let go of it.” He squeezes my hand and I squeeze back.
Finn
Aria goes home for the night, even though she doesn’t want to. I’m sure returning to her house where her dad died is the last place she wants to be but the hospital staff kick her out, saying I need to rest.
That doesn’t stop Aiden from coming into my room after Aria leaves.
“No more visitors,” I tell him.
“I know. I’ll be quick. I just wanted to say… thank you. For saving Elena’s life. For saving our baby’s life.”
My brother looks so small and tall at the same time in this moment.
“I know I’ve fucked up,” I tell him. “But I did tell you that I was past hurting Elena. I’m not mad that you fell in love any longer. You started a new family. It’s time I do the same.”
“Who are you and where’s my brother?”
I laugh even though it hurts my chest to do so. The doctor told me it will take weeks for me to fully heal and return to my normal self. I’m sure that will make Dante and Erik happy since I’ll be too hurt for them to worry I’ll do anything.
But I made my promise. I’ll work with them if it means having Aria in my life. Nothing else matters now.
“I fell in love too,” I admit. “I never thought I’d see the fucking day but Aria has changed. She’s shown me I can have more out of life. I was holding on to so much anger towards you but I’m done with it. I just want my brother back. If you’ll have me.”
“If I’ll have you? I never gave up on you. I think you know that.”
“Then explain to me why you shot me in the shoulder.”
Aiden shakes his head but he’s smiling. It feels like old times between us. “I thought you were going to hurt Elena. I know better now. I’m just glad to have you back. I missed you.” He clasps me on the shoulder and I try not to wince from the pain. I still have to be tough, you know.
“I missed you too. And for the record: I never gave up on you either. I was never worried you’d kill me because I could never get myself to kill you.”
“I’ll let you rest.”
“Aiden,” I say before he can leave the room. “I never told you but congratulations on the baby. You deserve a family.”
His eyes widen. “Thanks. You really have changed.” He leaves with a smile and I feel better. I have my girl and my brother back. My mom was in here earlier, fretting over me. For the first time in… ever I feel completely full.
The door opens. I’m expecting a nurse but instead it’s Viktor, standing imposing in a suit and tie.
“How did you get in here?” I ask, trying to calm my heart beat down but my monitor is giving away how nervous I am. I can’t fight from my hospital bed. If Viktor wants to kill me, I wouldn’t be able to stop him.
“I bribed a nurse. It wasn’t hard to do.
They don’t earn enough money as is.” He crosses his arms and looks down at me with his intimidating eyes.
“So, you didn’t kill Dante and Erik when you had the chance.
The second I found out you were in the hospital, I had some men watching. Did you make a deal with them?”
“You made a deal with them before and left me in the dust. It’s not my fault you turned on them again.”
“Actually it is your fault and you know it. Dante and Erik would never give me the true respect I deserve. I realized that when they immediately bought your lie and assumed I told you to kidnap Aria. You really think that they’re going to respect you?”
“I’m married now, Vik. I have a wife. I need to think about her. Why don’t you do the same?”
He grabs the front of my hospital gown and yanks me towards him.
“Don’t talk about my wife. You tried to have her killed if I remember correctly.
Inessa has no part in this war. You never utter her name on your lips again.
I am doing this for my wife and sister. They deserve to live in a world where their husband and brother will not be undermined.
Don’t act like you’re better than me, Finn.
You know that Dante and Erik will never fully trust you. ” He lets me go with a shove.
“I know they won’t. But I have to go with my wife, Vik.
You can understand that. And yes, it was my fault that Elio went after you, thinking you gave the order to kidnap Aria.
But Elio is dead now. And you chose to go back to war when you didn’t have to.
I’ve learned that there’s more to life than just anger. Can you say the same for your pride?”
He scoffs. “You’re still angry, Finn. Don’t pretend you’re not. You will always crave chaos. But I see that you won’t be joining my side. I could easily kill you right now, you know.”
“Oh, I know. But are you the type of man to kill an unarmed man in a hospital bed?”
“You’re lucky that I’m not. Guess I’ll see you on the battlefield.” He leaves without another look in my direction. I slump back onto the bed, breathing heavy. That was a fucking close one. Viktor is going to be a problem again in the future.
And this time, I’m not on his side.
But if it means being with Aria, I’ll do whatever it fucking takes.
Aria
Finn and I move into a new house together, one that we can call our own and isn’t tied to dark memories. I couldn’t stay in my dad’s house any longer.
I hire an old nurse to help take care of Finn because there’s no fucking way I’m helping him shower or use the bathroom. I may love him but I know my limits. And I think Finn’s pride wouldn’t stand for me doing those things for him.
Over the next few weeks, we spend a lot of time together as he heals. Aiden and Fiona and Elena come by for dinners. Elena is still shy around Finn but she’s starting to warm up to him. I know she’s upset that Viktor is at war with us since she can’t see her best friend, Inessa.
I hope things will get better but so far the war between Viktor and my men doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon.
Finn hates that he can’t go out and fight himself but I keep reminding him that he needs to heal. It’s the only way he can help in the long run.
We fall into a simple routine. It’s a happy one where Finn and I flirt and tease each other. I know we’re both antsy to make love again but we can’t – not until Finn is fully healed.
I still occasionally dream about Sal hurting me. He’s the reason I no longer have my dad in my life. But he’s already started to fade as more and more days go by. I hope one day, he’ll be a distant memory and I can put the torture I endured behind me.
As for my dad, I’ll never forget him. It pains me that I never fully told him how much he means to me. It’s my one regret in life.
I’m in the kitchen, mincing a shallot for the meal I’m making when Finn comes up behind me. It’s been six weeks since he got shot and I haven’t gotten tired of feeling his arms around me once.
“Smells good,” he says, kissing along my neck.
“It will taste good too.”
“You know what else tastes good? You.”
I flush. “I’m cooking, Finn.”
“Well, turn the stove off. It’s been weeks since I’ve had you. My body is healed enough.”
“Are you sure?”
“Unless you’re not in the mood…”
I quickly turn the stove off and turn around to face him. “Am I in the mood? Well, you’re just going to have to get me there.”
I laugh as Finn lifts me into his arms and carries me into our bedroom.
There’s a frantic energy to him as he takes my clothes off.
My own hands scrabble at his shirt, desperate to touch him skin to skin.
We thought it would be better to limit any naked touch over the past weeks he was healing to reduce temptation.
But now, we don’t have to abide by that rule.
I run my nails down Finn’s bare chest, making him hiss. With a dark grin, he grabs me around the waist and pins me to the bed. My naked body arches up to meet him. I need this. God, I need this.
Finn kisses all along my body until he reaches my pubic mound. I can’t hold back my moan as he spreads my legs and plants his lips right onto my clit. His tongue knows exactly what its doing. My hips buck and arch into his mouth. This sort of pleasure is almost indescribable.
It doesn’t take me long at all to reach my climax. I’ve been waiting weeks for this.
Finn gives each of my inner thighs a kiss before he kisses back up my body. When our lips meet, I can taste myself on him.
“That’s better,” he says in a husky voice. “That’s what I wanted to eat.”
“Are you going to take me yet or what?”
Finn grabs my hips and pulls me flush against his waist. He pushes his pants down, freeing his cock. I shiver knowing it’s going to be inside me soon.
“You want me to fuck you?” he asks. “Tell me.”
“I want it.”
“Bad?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes. I want it bad. Now are you going to take me or not?”
With one thrust of his hips, he enters me. It hurts a little since I’m tight. It has been weeks since we first had sex. But the pain doesn’t last long and pleasure takes over it.
We share a moan as our bodies move together. Our hips rock against one another in a perfect rhythm.
Our lips meet in a passionate, world-consuming kiss. The first time we had sex, we never kissed. It had felt too intimate.
Now things have changed.
I grip Finn’s back so tight, my fingers end up digging into his skin. He hisses and increases his pace. My legs wrap around his waist, drawing him in closer.
I need this. All of this.
Our chests press together. Our lips ignite in a kiss I’ll never forget. Our bodies are becoming one.
I never thought I could love this man and yet, here I am, in love with the man who kidnapped me. None of that matters any longer. I have him in my life and I’m happy. I made the choice to love him. No one else made that choice for me.
I gasp as my orgasm hits me and Finn groans as he thrusts into me once more before he comes with me.
We cling to each other like we’re not ready to let each other go yet.
“I can’t wait to do that for the rest of our lives,” Finn says.
“I can’t wait to be with you for the rest of our lives. Just don’t piss me off. I’ll make you sleep on the couch, you know.”
“Trust me. I know.” He rolls off me and pulls me into his arms and I settle my head on his chest.
Never have I felt more safe than in this moment. All the past trauma I’ve experienced – getting kidnapped when I was a kid, to being tortured by Sal – none of it matters right now.
All that matters is that I’m with Finn.
And that I’m safe with the most unlikely man I ever thought I’d be with.
The End
Read the sixth book in the series, Beautiful Sinner, starring Julia and Matteo, HERE!