Chapter 10 #2
“You’ve lost your mind, Gannon. Whatever was between us, it definitely wasn’t some grand love affair that changed my life.
It was what it was. You can sit there and try to pretend like Rose and my father aren’t men because you can’t even comprehend what it takes to be a man like them!
They put their family first. They live by a code and have more honor than your weak ass can even fathom! ” Her sharp words triggered him.
Gannon continued to rage, ready to fire another shot.
Minx and Mille remained on the floor while Finn covered his wound with one hand and raised his gun with the other.
Gannon was quicker with the trigger, and when he squeezed off, suddenly he got snuck from behind.
A wired rope wrapped around his throat, throwing his balance off.
The buckshots sprayed the wall a few feet from where Finn was propped up.
Max used both hands to hold him tight, squeezing the rope with all his might.
Gannon was losing the fight, and the gauge fell from his hands and clattered to the floor.
His hands went to his throat, and he fought against Max while he robbed him of air.
He whipped him around with force so that they were face-to-face, just as Rose charged up the stairs, ready for action.
Gannon choked and clawed, eventually growing weak and limp in Max’s grasp.
When he finally gave up, his mouth was wide open, eyes stretched so far it looked as if they would pop right out of his sockets.
Max yanked him to the side, forcing him onto the ground.
Minx shielded Mille’s eyes from seeing his corpse displayed right in front of them, and she shut hers to block out the last image of Gannon that she would see.
She held her brother tight, rocking on the cold tile in a fetal position.
Rose rushed to Finn’s side and extended a hand to help him to his feet.
Max continued to coldly glare down as Gannon’s chest heaved.
He brought Mila along and kept a tail on him and another on Rose and his children.
A false tip was sent to Max, sending him on the opposite side of town to trace Gannon.
He was halfway there when something clicked, and he hit a hell of U-turn and smashed the gas all the way back to his home.
He could hear Gannon ranting from outside.
All he had to do was follow his voice. Gratification put him on a high as he kept his eyes glued to the ground.
Finn held himself up against a counter, sweat on his chest as pain spread through him.
Rose grabbed Minx and pulled both her and Mille up.
She rushed into his arms and held him tight, burying her face in his chest.
“It’s over,” she whispered. “It’s over.”
Hours later…
Finn sat shirtless in the living room of Rose’s house.
His shoulder patched up, and making a sour face as he took a large swig from the bottle of D’Ussé perched on the table.
He winced while reclining in his chair and taking in a few deep breaths.
The footsteps behind him were light, and he remembered that he wasn’t alone.
“Mmm, how are you feeling?” Rye asked, sliding her arms across his shoulders while she whispered in his ear.
Finn was drunk, and he didn’t know what the hell he was thinking calling that girl.
Luna had him fucked up in the head. After getting the doctor to take care of him and making sure everyone else was good, Rose told him to come here and crash and he would check with him in the morning.
Finn pulled up and didn’t want to be alone, so he went through his call log and scrolled.
He came across Rye’s name after lingering over Luna’s for about five minutes.
His mind went against even calling her back.
Rye was his best bet, and he didn’t even have to sweet-talk her to get her to come by and play nurse for him.
She missed him and was eager for the chance to please him.
“I’m straight,” he replied, resting the bottle on his knee.
Rye massaged his shoulders and kissed his neck, then climbed over the sofa and joined him at his side. In nothing but a big t-shirt, she was still recovering from them fucking all up and down Rose’s hallway the last hour or so.
“I got dinner in the oven. You need anything else?” she asked, eyes focused on him.
Finn didn’t answer, and the doorbell rang, interrupting them.
“You can get that,” he told her.
Rye hopped up like she lived there. Finn brought the bottle to his lips to sip again and stared off. He heard the door open and then Rye’s raised voice.
“I’m sorry, did he ask you to be here?” The attitude she carried alerted him.
He slowly brought himself to his feet and went into the foyer. He stopped dead in his tracks when he observed Luna standing there. He couldn’t read her, but she was definitely pissed, judging by the glare in her eyes. Sucking her teeth, Luna slowly shook her head, a bitter grin claiming her lips.
“No, he didn’t. I guess it doesn’t take much to move on, right?” Luna questioned, lifting a brow.
Finn remained there, unphased, gripping his bottle between two fingers. His heart was actually happy to see her, but then he was reminded about the anger he felt for her. When she turned to go, he called out to her and took a couple of steps forward.
“Why are you here? Thought of some more bullshit to say?” he asked, clearly intoxicated as she studied him.
“No.” Luna shook her head after whirling around to give him a piece of her mind. “Clearly there isn’t anything else that we need to say. We are done here. I came to let you know that I’m leaving town. I’ll cut you a check for the business and send it to you as soon as everything clears.”
“Where are you going?” Finn asked, heart racing at the thought of not seeing her.
“Anywhere but here at this point,” she muttered. “Have a nice life, Finn.” Her footsteps grew further away, and he wanted to call out, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to.
He had to let her go. It was best for both of them.
At first, he was pissed at how she perceived him, but after some thought, he knew that she was right.
Luna deserved better than Finn. He was going to make something of himself though, and he would carry her with him in whatever he did and wish nothing but the best for her, even after everything they’d been through.
He was taking a page from the “if you love something, let it go” tutorial.
Luna was sure to be better off without him.
Still in the doorway with a smug Rye at his side. She cuddled up to him from behind, but Finn was numb to her touch. He guzzled more alcohol and watched Luna get into her car. She didn’t drive off right away, and he found himself curious. Finn remained in the doorway as Rye pulled away from him.
“I’m going inside to get dinner together.” She sweetly pecked his neck one last time.
For her, Finn was the epitome of everything that she wanted in a man.
She thought that they were great together.
Finn was rugged, and Rye wasn’t trying to change him.
She was more than happy being the good little wifey, birthing his babies, and making sure that he had everything that he needed and wanted when he came home.
She was a natural nurturer. Her only goal in life had been to snag a man that was loyal and worked hard and marry and get pregnant by him.
Finn had the potential for all that. Rye knew that he was smart, and together, they could elevate.
It might take him some time to get past Luna and the little time that they shared together, but eventually he would come around.
With her gone, it was one less distraction.
Rye had no clue the power that Luna had over Finn.
She might be out of sight, but she was never far from his mind or heart.
That was what she was competing with. He might give her pieces of himself, and they might even be happy together, but Finn knew right then and there that he would never love a woman that he did the one that just left the doorstep.
Luna checked herself in the rearview mirror.
She snatched her clutch from the seat and dug around inside it.
Eyes misting, she sniffled to avoid more tears, her trembling hand gripping a positive pregnancy test. She tucked the test back into her purse and briefly closed her eyes.
With one last glance at Finn’s door, she was surprised to find him still standing there looking at her car like he could see her through the tint.
Luna couldn’t stay here any longer. She had to go.
Everything in her life was changing, beyond her control.