Chapter 5 Satan’s Lackey #3
He and I hadn’t had very many interactions over the past ten days, besides the ones with the whole team and the car accident.
From what I’d gathered, he and Waverly built their team up together.
Their relationship went far beyond being coworkers, though I didn’t get the impression they’d explored anything romantic.
It was more of a familial bond between them, similar to what I had with Noreen and Joel.
“Sure.” I veered off course, stepping across the threshold. “Is this about my case?”
“Nope.”
Feck.
At six six, I was no slouch in height or breadth.
My workout routine was solid; eight miles on the treadmill each morning, followed by weight training.
I was fit, but that didn’t mean I held a candle to the man currently glaring a hole through my center.
If I had to wager a guess, he could bench press a small car without breaking a sweat.
There was no way to defend myself against his level of hulk, so I had to hope our impromptu meeting didn’t end in a smackdown.
Taking a stab at the topic of discussion, I offered, “I’m not gonna hurt her.”
He hiked a brow, widened his stance, and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “You’ve known her for exactly five minutes, O’Lachlan. Don’t write checks your hefty bank account can’t cash.”
“And you’ve known me even less.” My feet moved before I thought better of it.
Two steps forward; mirroring his pose. We were nearly toe to toe, neither of us willing to back down.
“Life is one gigantic risk. Each move I make, both personal and professional, is calculated down to the smallest decimal. No way in hell would I up and move everything and everyone I care about if I thought for one second there wasn’t a future for me here in Huntington with Waverly.
She’s got me tied up in knots, yet I’ve never felt more free. ”
“She has a truckload full of baggage. Are you prepared to help her unpack it?”
“I’ve got a big closet.”
“I’m sure you do.” His arms dropped to his side.
While I appreciated his concern, I was finished with the interrogation. Turning on my heel, I muttered, “Good talk” as I opened the door.
“One more thing,” he said, halting my escape. “Let’s keep this conversation between us.”
“You afraid she’d kick your arse?” I glanced over my shoulder.
“Fuck yes,” he scoffed. “She’s vicious when she’s pissed.”
“Noted.”
“Why are there so few cars in the lot?” Waverly questioned when I made the left turn into Georginia’s, the Italian place I’d found through an internet search.
I’d barely been able to keep my eyes on the road the entire drive.
Despite having worked all day, my beautiful girl looked, well…
beautiful. If I hadn’t known better, I would’ve thought she’d spent hours getting ready for our date.
Her auburn hair hung in loose waves down her back and she wore an emerald-green dress that perfectly matched the shade of her eyes.
It clung to her body like a second skin, showcasing the slight curves of her hips.
The kicker though, and the reason for my rapidly growing erection, was the three-inch silver heels which adorned her feet.
Mental flashes of them digging into my arse, while I buried myself deep in her sexy body, made for hazardous driving conditions.
“Would you be upset if I said I rented the restaurant out for three hours?”
“Seriously, Finn?” She shook her head, amusement coating her voice. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Besides, I didn’t want to share my favorite people with a crowd of strangers.”
It was a half-truth. Joel took my safety seriously.
Since his wife would also be with us, he was doubly precautious.
In order to make his job easier, I offered the perfect solution.
Hell, in New York, a thousand dollars barely would have paid for a decent meal at a top-of-the-line establishment, it certainly wouldn’t have covered the cost of an entire evening.
“Shall we?” I extended my hand, helping her out of the SUV and didn’t release my grip.
The owner, Rosalie, greeted us at the door.
With her hand still tucked in mine, Waverly and I followed the elderly woman through to the dining area, where the entire room had been transformed.
Gone were the multitude of tables which normally took up the space.
Only a single round table, covered in an elegant black cloth, remained in the center.
Joel and Noreen were strategically seated to face the front of the restaurant, but stood as we approached.
“Thank you, Rosalie.” I dipped my chin. “You and your staff went beyond anything I could’ve imagined.”
“Grazie, Signore O'Lachlan." She returned my gesture. “Bon appetit.”
“Oh my. You’re even more beautiful than Finn described.”
“You must be Noreen.” Waverly smiled, extending the hand I wasn’t holding.
Ignoring all social cues, my assistant slash pseudo mom pulled my girl from me, engulfing her in her arms. “Psh. I’m a hugger. Hope you don’t mind.”
“It’s a little late to ask her that, don’t you think, love?” Joel chuckled, earning a side-eye from his wife.
I was about to intervene when I saw Waverly slowly raise her arms out to her side. Her movements were stiff at first, then smoothed out as she eased both arms around Noreen. “I’m a little out of practice in the hug department,” she stated quietly.
“You’re doing just fine, sweet girl.”
The moment was broken by the swish of a door swinging open, as a younger woman stepped through, allowing the loud clang of pots from the kitchen to infiltrate the quiet.
“Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “Rosalie asked me to bring you a bottle of our finest wine to begin with.”
“I guess that’s our cue to take a seat.”
I dragged a chair out from underneath our table, then waited for Waverly to sit down before easing it back in.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Joel doing the same for his wife.
Within a few minutes of the wine being poured, a tray of appetizers was delivered: mushroom risotto, caprese salad, and a basket of freshly baked bread.
The meal itself was served family style.
It was one of the reasons I’d chosen Georginia’s to begin with.
Platters filled with every pasta dish imaginable were set out on the table for us to share.
You name it, they had it. We gorged ourselves on tortellini, lasagna Bolognese, and eggplant parmesan. It was a carb lover's dream come true.
“I’m going to be in a food coma for the next week,” Waverly groaned, setting her fork down beside her empty plate.
Leaning in close, I swept a lock of hair behind her ear, keeping my voice low enough so the other two people at the table wouldn’t be able to hear. “I could help you work off the excess calories.”
A rosy blush spread across her cheeks. She turned her head slowly, meeting my fiery gaze with a heated one of her own. “Don’t tease me.”
“Who said I was teasing?”
We’d been dancing around each other since I came to town. Other than a few stolen kisses, we hadn’t gone any further. It was a game of self-control, one I was currently battling and losing.
“Finn.” She visibly shuddered, letting me know I wasn’t alone in my desires. “You’re killing me here.”
“But what a way to go.” I kissed one corner of her mouth, then the other.
“Oh my God, Joel, look how adorable they are.”
Waverly’s blush deepened right before she belted out a laugh. The sound shot straight to my cock, making me wince as I adjusted myself discreetly under the table while turning back to face the two people I’d forgotten were here.
“Thank you, Noreen. I lost my head there for a moment.”
“It’s easy to do when you’re surrounded by beauty.”
“That it is, Joel. That it is.”
Thankfully, Noreen redirected the conversation to something more appropriate, asking Waverly why she chose to be an FBI agent.
“My father,” she started.
“Oh, is he in the same line of work?” Noreen asked.
“No. He’s a Senator.” The only time she’d mentioned her father was to say he was a dick. There was a story there and I figured she’d eventually fill me in on the gory details. It was a relief to know she felt comfortable enough to share. “We haven’t been close since before my mother passed away.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss, sweet girl.”
“Thank you. It was a really long time ago.” After a few beats, she continued, “His entire family dabbles in politics, yet he was the only one who could command a room with his mere presence. It was awe-inspiring. No matter what though, we were his everything. That all changed when Mom was diagnosed with cancer. Something broke inside of him; something fundamental. He’d leave before the sun was up in the morning and stay at his office until late in the night; anything to avoid what was happening in his own home. ”
“Grief affects each of us differently,” Noreen offered.
“I’m sure grief played a part in his actions, but greed had the starring role.
It wasn’t like we didn’t have money, but suddenly we didn’t have enough.
Instead of trying to create a better world for his constituents, he filled his pockets with their hard-earned money.
I watched as scandal after scandal rocked the news, only to be covered up by his high-priced attorney.
He didn’t fear the consequences of his actions because there weren’t any.
The scales of justice would always tip in his favor; I knew it with every fiber of my being.
There was nothing I could do about him, but there were so many other wrongs in the world I could right.
Sticking it to him by joining the FBI was the cherry on top. ”
“You amaze me, baby.” The endearment slipped from my mouth.
“Your mother would be proud of you,” Noreen added.
“Enough with the heavy,” Joel mused. “What’s everyone having for dessert?”