Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
Finley
By the time the guys come back from wherever they went, my belly is full and my spirit is settled.
Sutton and I had some bonding time, and I’m beginning to feel more comfortable staying here.
The sound of boots and low, rumbling voices hits the porch before the door swings open.
I glance at Sutton, and she just gives me a knowing look.
I can feel my heart rate pick up. I can’t wait to see him, something that confuses me because from the moment he rescued me, all of my thoughts surround him.
Mercury steps inside first, his eyes finding mine instantly.
It’s heavy, intense, and it makes my breath hitch.
“You're awake,” he says, his voice rough. He walks over, not taking his eyes off me. He looks like he’s been through hell and back, but the way he looks at me makes me feel like I’m the only thing that matters.
“I am,” I answer, my own voice softer than I intend. “Sutton made sure I didn't waste away.”
“I see that,” he replies, shifting his attention to Sutton for a brief second before locking back onto me. “You look better. Like you're actually here instead of just floating.”
“I’m here,” I confirm with a slight hint of teasing in my tone. Standing up and stretching, I notice my body is still a bit stiff, but the pain is duller now, more manageable.
Orion trails in behind him, looking like he’s ready to crack a joke, but he pauses when he sees the look passing between Mercury and me. He clears his throat and says, “Well, the mood in here is thick enough to cut with a knife. Maybe I should have waited outside.”
“Or maybe you should just keep your mouth shut, O,” Mercury growls, but there’s no real heat in it.
I can’t help but smile at the banter. It’s a stark contrast to the silence of the cabin where I was held. This is loud, it’s messy, and it feels like life.
“I'm glad you're all back,” I say, and for once, I mean it.
Mercury steps closer, invading my space in that possessive way he has. He reaches out, his fingers brushing against the bare skin of my arm. His touch sends a jolt through me that has nothing to do with pain.
“We have things to talk about, Finley,” he tells me, his tone serious now. “But that can wait for later. Right now, I just want to know if you're good.”
“I'm good, Mercury,” I confirm, and I realize I finally believe it. “I feel fantastic, that long sleep was needed.”
Mercury lingers. His hand stays on my skin, his palm warm and calloused, grounding me. The air in the room shifts. The playful energy Orion brought in drains away, replaced by something heavier. He leans down, his scent of engine oil and worn leather wrapping around me.
“You don't just look good,” Mercury murmurs, his voice a low baritone of sound. “You look like you're fighting your way back to who you were before they took you. I just hope that path leads to me.”
“Is that right?” I challenge, my heart rapidly beating in my chest.
“Yeah,” he says. He pulls his hand back, though the ghost of his touch still burns. Sniffing the air and rubbing his belly, he continues, “We're going to talk. Soon. But for now, you need to eat. Sutton made some soup, and it's getting cold.”
“I already ate,” I argue, patting my extended stomach.
When he goes to argue, Orion clears his throat, breaking the spell. “Right, soup. Because nothing says welcome home like broth and nerves. Come on, guys, let's give them a minute before the place burns down from all this friction.”
Mercury glares at him, but Orion just grins. He gestures toward the hallway, his face losing some of that jokester mask he wears so well.
“I'm serious, Finley,” Mercury says, his eyes searching mine. “Eat. You're too damn thin from lack of care thanks to those jackasses, and I need you strong for what comes next. Those assholes aren't going to give up once it’s reported that you survived.”
“I'm stronger than I look,” I reply, holding his gaze.
“I know you are,” he whispers. He turns to follow Orion but stops at the doorway.
“Don't stray too far from the house if you decide to go out and stretch your legs.
If you need something, you call for me. Don't make me come looking because you decided to play hero and show your ass by trying to be independent.”
“I'm not a hero,” I tell him, my tone snapping.
“No,” he agrees, that dark, intense look returning. “You're something else entirely.”
My head snaps up, “What’s that supposed to mean?” I quietly ask, but apparently, I’m talking to myself because nobody answers.
He disappears into the hall, leaving me standing there with the heat of his gaze still pressed against my skin. Sutton enters a moment later, holding a bowl, her expression knowing.
“He's a protective one,” Sutton says, handing me the soup.
“He's a handful,” I admit.
“They all are,” she says. “But at least he's on your side.”
I take a spoonful of soup. The warmth spreads through me, but it's nothing compared to the heat Mercury left behind.
I have a feeling my life is about to get a whole lot more complicated, and for the first time in years, I'm okay with that. “I really am still full,” I complain. When did she have time to make this anyway? She’s been with me the entire day outside of the times I had to go to the bathroom.
“Just eat what you can,” she suggests. “These men are like rabid animals when they have their minds set on something.”
“Are we now?” Gemini asks as he comes up behind her, placing kisses along her collarbone.
“You know you’re all a bunch of savages,” Sutton teases him.
“Only for you, baby,” he murmurs into the crease of her neck.
“Where did you guys disappear to?” she asks him as she guides me toward the recliner, her hand resting gently on my shoulder, steering me with a grace that makes me feel incredibly clumsy.
Before I can register the shift, she has me comfortably settled in the chair with the bowl placed in my hands.
She’s slick; I hadn't even realized she was maneuvering me exactly where she wanted me until I was already sitting down.
“We went over to the bowling alley to connect with Midas,” he says. “We had to coordinate the logistics for our upcoming build, since keeping our revenue stream strong is the main focus right now.”
I watch them from my seat. It's surreal, seeing this side of them.
They're brutal, hard men who protect this club with everything they've got, but here they are, soft and domestic in the quiet of the afternoon.
It makes my head spin. I take another spoonful of the broth.
The heat finally settles the nerves that've been clawing at my gut all day.
Sutton runs a hand through Gemini's hair, her thumb tracing the line of his jaw. It’s an intimate gesture, one that speaks volumes about what they have. “Did you get what you needed?” she asks.
“We've got a plan,” Gemini tells her. He glances my way, his gaze assessing, like he's measuring how much I'm keeping it together. “How are you holding up, Finley? That soup isn't just for show. You need the fuel.”
“I'm managing,” I say, my voice steady despite the persistent ache in my chest. “But I'm not a child. You don't have to hover.”
Gemini lets out a rough chuckle. “Hovering's part of the job description around here. You're in the fold now. That means you get the same care as the rest of us.”
Sutton hums in agreement. She leans into him, her head resting against his shoulder.
It’s easy to see the strength they share.
The way they move together, like two halves of a whole, makes me ache with a longing I don’t want to name.
I know the danger they live in. I have felt the cold steel of a gun’s bullet pierce my skin.
I still remember the sharp bite of an arrow as it penetrated my body.
Watching them, I wonder if the risk is worth the reward.
I look down at my soup. I am afraid that if I keep staring, they will see exactly how much I crave that kind of certainty.
Knowing that the person I’m with is connected with me so intimately, without it just being about sex, is the sense of belonging I’ve always craved.
Seeing Sutton and Gemini’s easy give and take fills me with longing as well as a hope that maybe, just maybe, it’s what I could build with Mercury.
Gemini glances my way. He doesn’t pull away from Sutton. Instead, he smiles at her, then his eyes flick back to me. He’s watching, studying me as if I am an engine he needs to tune.
“You’re quiet, Finley,” he accuses. His voice is deep and steady. He’s not judging me, he’s simply observing.
“Just thinking,” I reply. My hands tighten around the spoon. I try to sound casual but if the looks on their faces are any indication, that’s an epic fail.
“Thinking about what?” Sutton asks. Her voice is light and kind. She pulls back from Gemini just an inch so she can see my face.
“About how different this is,” I tell her. “I spent so long running from my life that it’s strange to sit still. It feels like a trap I can’t see.”
“Welcome to the rest of your life,” Gemini replies. “No more running or hiding. You’re part of the Kings family now, and we’re loud, proud, and take no shit from anyone.”
I scoff because that’s so far from my normal personality, I’m unsure if I can find my place. Sutton must read my mind or at least figure out what I’m thinking from my expression because she adds, “You’ll get there, I promise.”