Chapter 8
MADDISON
When I wake up again, the first thing I notice is that my head is resting on what feels like someone’s lap. I roll my head to the side and peer up at Finn’s pretty blue eyes.
“Hey, beautiful,” he says to me with a weary smile. He still looks beat up, and it also appears as if we’re in the same concrete room as when we blacked out. “How are you feeling?” he adds, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear.
“Fine… I think. My body is a little achy, but I feel more coherent.” I blink a few times before gradually sitting up.
He helps me, keeping his hand on my back as I do. “Move slowly, okay? You’ve been out of it for a while.”
I peer around the room. “Have you figured out where we are yet?”
He shakes his head. “No one’s been in here since the last time you were awake.”
“How much time has passed?”
“I have no idea.”
I scoot back until my back is resting against the wall. “This is crazy. Why would Will take us and lock us in this room? He said something about a bounty, but not like the northside kind.”
“So Will did take us then?” Finn asks, and I nod. “I was out of it when I was dragged out of the car, so I wasn’t sure.”
“He’s doing it for money. That much I do know.” I swallow thickly.
Finn draws his knees up until they’re bent in front of him. “Yeah, it wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to kidnap me and hold me for ransom. It’s just the first time they’ve succeeded.
I shake my head as I recall what Will said right before I blacked out. “I don’t think it’s just about you. They definitely wanted me, probably because, well, you know.”
He presses his finger to his lips and shakes his head. “Careful what you say. I have a feeling we’re being watched, which makes me wonder if there are hidden cameras in here.”
I shudder at the idea that we’re a peeping tom show for some creep, but it’s not a first for me.
“One time, a few years ago, one of my mom’s creepy, perverted friends put a camera in my room.
I’m not sure how long it was in there when I found it, but it was so messed up.
I think my mom—Well, my fake mom anyway, let him do it.
I guess I should probably get used to calling that awful woman Julie, since that’s her name.
” When I glance at him, he looks appalled. “What? Do you not think I should?”
He shakes his head, his gaze never straying from me. “No, you should. But that story you just told me about the cameras…” He pauses for a beat. “That’s awful.”
“I know, but it’s kind of been my life.” I shrug while staring down at the floor.
The chain hooked around his wrist drags against the concrete as he scoots toward me, fixes his finger underneath my chin, and angles my head to look at him.
“Sweetheart, even if that’s been your life, that’s not okay,” he says in the gentlest voice.
I press my lips together as breathing becomes complicated. Unable to deal with the emotions surfacing inside me, I deflect. “Sweetheart? Seriously?”
He gives a half-shrug. “I figure since we have no idea what’s going to happen to us, I should get to call you what I’ve wanted to call you since the first time I laid eyes on you.”
Puzzlement webs through me. “You’ve wanted to call me sweetheart since the first time we met?”
“Yes,” he replies without missing a beat.
“And before you say it, because I know you will, I don’t go around calling women sweetheart.
I’m not really a pet name sort of guy. You, however, I’ve wanted to call you all sorts of nicknames since the first day I saw you, and you opened those pretty full lips of yours to basically tell me to go fuck myself. ”
“You liked that?” I question, trying not to squirm at his confession.
But what does that mean?
Does that mean he likes me?
“Of course I did,” he confesses shamelessly.
“You’re the first woman who’s never swooned over me because of who I am.
I’m the unbetrothed Averson, so if they can get me to marry them, they get social status and wealth.
I’ve never known who liked me for me, which has basically led to me sleeping around and being a total manwhore. ”
“Finn,” I say with a bit of pity in my tone. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been so mean to you about your manwhore ways, but I didn’t really think about why you’re like that. I was so judgmental.”
He dismisses me with a shake of his head. “I like that you judged me. It’s part of why I like you.”
“You like me because I’ve been a judgy bitch to you?” I deadpan.
“Yeah,” he replies in all seriousness, then sinks his teeth into his bottom lip. “Honestly, it kind of turns me on.”
I make a big show of rolling my eyes, but my cheeks are flushing.
A grin spreads across his face. “Did I just make tough Maddy blush?”
“Oh, shut it.” I playfully shove him, but he captures me by the hand.
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s cute.” He traces a path down my palm with his fingertip.
"You're acting weird,” I tell him while fighting back a shiver.
“I know. But I want to be honest just once. I’ve spent my entire life living behind a mask, and I just want to…” He sighs. “I want to tell you something, but I need you to tell me it’s okay.”
The intensity in his gaze causes me to gulp.
“What is it about?” I nervously ask.
“About… about my feelings for you.” He’s still holding my hand. “But I won’t if you don’t want me to.”
My chest constricts. “I don’t… you’re scaring me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to. I just want to see what it’s like… just one time…” He becomes enthralled with my mouth. “Just in case I don’t make it out of here.”
My heartbeat roars in my eardrums. “See what what’s like?” I think I might already know the answer, though, with the way he’s staring at my lips.
He starts to lean in. “What it’s like to kiss someone I actually have feelings for.”
He’s going to kiss me.
He’s going to fucking kiss me.
I feel like I should stop. After all, I’ve kissed River.
But we’re locked in this room, and we don’t know if we’re going to get out.
Maybe it’s that which keeps me motionless.
Or perhaps it’s the exhaustion of the day.
Or maybe it’s Finn’s pretty lips and blazing gaze that keeps me where I am.
Whatever the fucking reason, I remain motionless, and then the next thing I know, his lips are touching mine.
He lets out an agonizing groan as his arm slips around me.
Then he urges me closer, and I surprisingly easily comply, sliding toward him while he parts my lips with his tongue.
I moan. God, do I moan as heat pours through my body.
I reach out to grab onto something, which ends up being his bicep, and his muscles flex under my touch.
He deepens the kiss, kissing me fiercely and then dragging his teeth along my bottom lip, causing me to moan again.
He slightly pulls back and breathes raggedly. “God, I want to see if you make that noise when you come.”
My breath catches in my throat at his filthy words. While I’m used to hearing guys say dirty things to me, it’s almost always been unwelcomed. It’s not like that with Finn. It’s confusing, though, since I like River.
Maybe it’s the life and death situation messing with my head?
He must feel the confusion flowing off of me because he moves back even further. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No, it’s not that. I just… What about River?” My eyes go huge. “Oh my god, what am I doing? Well, other than panicking, because I so am.” I struggle to get oxygen into my lungs.
His fingers frame my face. “Just breathe. Fuck, you’re not breathing.” He takes my hand and lines it to his solid chest. “Match my breathing, okay? Everything will be fine. I promise. River won’t get upset. He won’t be heartbroken. This is on me. I kissed you.”
“I let you,” I point out, but my breathing is returning to normal as I match the rhythm of his own air intakes.
“Shh… Just focus on calming down,” he tries to soothe me. “We’ll figure this out if we get out of this mess, okay? River won’t be pissed off. I know him as well as I know myself.”
I meet his gaze, searching for a crack of a lie in his story, but his expression is genuine. “He’s going to hate me.”
“No, he isn’t, sweetheart,” he assures me with his hand over mine as he presses my palm against his racing heart. “I promise.”
I wish I could fully believe him, but how can River not be upset with me?
I basically just cheated on him. Kind of anyway. We never really established a real relationship in our fake one. That doesn’t excuse what I did.
He reaches out and brushes his knuckles across my cheek. “Are you okay?”
“Kind of.” I let a gradual exhale release from my lips before I inch away from him. “I don’t like how you’re acting like we’re going to die here. I won’t let that happen.”
“I won’t let that happen to you either.”
“See, then we’re both protect—”
The door opens. Finn immediately goes into protective mode as he leans in front of me as a man walks in.
Finn stiffens as the light casts across the man’s face. “Dad?”
The man gives him a cruel smile. “Hello, son.”