Chapter 26
26
Elise woke the next morning feeling sore, aching in the best of ways from the night she and Finn had spent wrapped up in each other’s bodies. Up until now, Finn had been so gentle with her, their lovemaking slow and tender even when it was breathtakingly passionate.
The night before had been different. The conversation on the bridge, the truth that had finally spilled out, had lowered the last of the emotional barriers between them.
It had been like the breaking of a dam, the floodwaters washing over them in a torrent of passion that kept them up most of the night, Finn taking her in every imaginable way, his hands and mouth and tongue leaving no part of her unmapped.
Just thinking about it caused desire to pool between her legs all over again, her spent body begging for the drug of Finn’s touch.
She looked at the empty pillow next to her, the sun streaking in through the big windows in the bedroom.
Rolling onto her stomach, she dropped her upper body off the bed and stretched to reach her jeans, pulled off by Finn and discarded in their hurry to get naked the night before.
She slipped her phone from the pocket and checked the time: just after eleven a.m.
Yikes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so late. They were due to see Nico Vitale this afternoon, which meant she needed to get moving.
She got out of bed and fished in her luggage for a pair of boxer shorts and a tank top, then padded into the living room.
She knew right away something was wrong, knew it from the way Ronan was staring at his computer on the apartment’s dining room table, Finn pacing behind him, his brow furrowed.
“It’s fine. Everything’s fine,” Julia was saying onscreen. “Please don’t worry. It’s just a little cleanup.”
“What’s going on?” Elise asked, walking around the computer to look at her sister. “What happened?”
Julia looked exhausted, her face drawn, so pale the shadows under her eyes looked like bruises.
“Someone broke into the house while we were in London,” Julia said.
Dread seeped like an oil slick through Elise’s stomach. “Are you serious? Was anyone home?”
Julia shook her head. “JT was with Annie, as planned, and Nick and Alexa are in their house full-time now.” She sighed. “It’s just a mess.”
“I’ll be home in six hours,” Ronan said, his voice tight with rage.
“No, you won’t,” Julia said. “There’s nothing you can do here.”
“The hell there isn’t,” Ronan almost roared. “I can protect my family.”
“Finn is your family too,” Julia said, her eyes flashing. “And I’m not a damsel in distress. The alarm worked just like it should, which is why most of the damage is in the kitchen and living room. The cops got here less than ten minutes after the alarm was tripped.”
“Ten minutes too long,” Ronan growled.
“I filed a police report,” Julia said. “They’re going to send a patrol car around every half hour for the next few days.”
“Great, I’ll be happy to bring the officers coffee when I get home,” Ronan said, his voice tight.
“Listen to me, Ronan.” Julia’s voice was uncharacteristically hard. “I want you to stay in Rome. I want you to finish this with Finn. It’s gone on too long — for everyone. If you come home now, we’re right back where we started.”
Elise knew Julia was thinking of her and Finn. She heard Julia’s voice in the back seat of the car in London.
Enough.
They’d all had enough. It was time to finish it.
“I want to be there,” Ronan said.
“I know.” Julia’s voice softened. “I want you here too. But I’m going to be so, so pissed if you come home without seeing Nico.”
Ronan picked up the computer and marched into his bedroom. The door slammed behind him.
Finn looked at Elise and sighed. “Fuck.”
“Was it Achilles?” Elise asked.
“Had to be,” Finn said. “Nothing was even stolen.”
“How could he know about the house?” Elise asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m guessing it has something to do with the mountain house,” Finn said.
It made sense. Other than the main house, all of the Murphy’s property were hidden by shell companies, but having the location of one would make it easier to find connections to others.
It had taken Achilles over a month, but he’d obviously found them.
She went to Finn and slipped her arms around his waist. “At least no one was hurt.”
“Yeah, but they could have been, and it’s my fault.”
“It’s not,” Elise said. “Whoever killed Fedir and Iryna started this. Wanting to hold them accountable doesn’t make you the bad guy.”
She pushed away the thought of Finn killing Eudorus. It was too much to rationalize right now. She was worried about her sister, her nephew, and while she understood Julia wanting Ronan to finish what he’d started with Finn, no amount of justice was worth the lives of Julia and JT.
She felt helpless, too far away to even be there for Julia, who’d always been there for her.
Ronan emerged in the hall, looking like he’d aged ten years, although Elise couldn’t be sure whether it was from the break-in or the fight with Julia.
“You go,” Finn said to him. “I can handle this.”
“Trust me, you can not handle Nico Vitale,” Ronan said.
Finn sighed. “Okay. We see Nico, then you fly straight home. I’ll take it from there, whatever it ends up being.”
Ronan shook his head. “Julia will kick my ass if I come home before this is finished.”
“I’ll go,” Elise said. “I know it’s not the same. I can’t protect Julia like you can, but I can be there at least.”
Finn put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed. She didn’t want to be away from him, but her sister needed her, and it was time for Elise to be there.
“That would make me feel better,” Ronan said. “Nick and Declan will be checking in, and I’m going to hire someone too, but nothing helps like family at a time like this.”
“Hire someone?” Elise asked. “Who?”
“A firm I’ve used in the past. They’ll keep an eye on the house — on you and Julia and JT — until we can get back,” Ronan said.
“Bodyguards?” Elise asked.
Ronan snorted, but there wasn’t any humor in it. “In a manner of speaking.”
Elise wanted to ask for more information, but she was anxious to get on with the day. “I’ll go get ready.”
She’d go to Nico Vitale’s compound outside Rome and make nice with the mob wife.
Then she was going home to her sister.