One Night at Finn's (Finn's Pub Romance 1)

“She wanted to.” I lean my head against the wall, still trying to take it all in. “All I got was the basics. She had a safe deposit box with a SIM card and a flash drive that linked Eddie, Brent and a few others to some serious crime. Serious enough that I’m feeling lucky all they did was stab my couch. It was her push-button-in-case-of-emergency option, and she decided to contact the DEA and use it. That’s where she went that night. Since then, they’ve been watching out for her until the police could make an arrest.”

“Wow. Okay, that sounds like it would make a great movie of the week, but you still haven’t told me why she let you go on that date.”

“I thought Brent was telling the truth. That he’d broken off with Eddie like I did, and he wanted the same second chance. He admitted he was gay and that he’d been in love with Eddie for years. He cried in my arms all night, JD. It didn’t feel like a lie. A few days later, when he said he wished he could find someone like you, I thought maybe you could help him. Show him it was ok to be himself...I don’t know.

When I found out it was a lie, I didn’t know what to do. I was worried they would hurt you if you didn’t go. If you were home and tried to protect me. When I heard you’d been…I wanted to come back and take care of you, but the agents told me to stay out of sight until Eddie was caught. I swear to you, if I’d had any idea what they’d planned, I would have stopped you from going. I would have told you everything.”

But she didn’t. She insured her ex and his friend would do actual time and that she would be safe. I was genuinely grateful for both those things. But in her survival-induced panic, she didn’t think everything through. She didn’t stop me from stepping into the middle of her sting, unprepared. She didn’t call me so I could stop agonizing over her safety and feeling guilty for not doing more to help her.

“She had her reasons,” is all I can say. “The point is it’s over now.”

Fiona looks pissed. “Are you kidding me, JD? She had her reasons? I can’t decide if I want to applaud her balls or bitch slap her into the middle of next week for what she put you through.”

That makes me smile. Carter basically said the same thing. He was furious. He hadn’t been willing to look at her when she left with the hovering DEA agent.

But looking back, she did try to warn me, as much as she thought she safely could. She told me not to go home with him. Not to ride in his car. As scared as she must have been, there was still a part of her that was worried about me. That’s something.

Fiona glances over her shoulder again.

“What’s going on?” I ask. “Who are you looking for?”

Now she looks guilty. “What, Fiona? Spill.”

She fiddles with her piercing nervously. “I wasn’t sure where to bring them. I was taking them to the bookstore but then you messaged me that you were coming here so—”

“Bring who? Are you talking about Wyatt and that Thor guy?”

She throws me a glare. “Like I need your help to deal with that. I’m screwing it up just great on my own, thanks.”

That didn’t sound good. “Then who?”

“Your father and brother.”

“What?” I can actually feel the blood draining from my face. “Rick’s here? Not home in Washington where he lives but… Which brother?” There’s only one it can be. “Big irritating Samoan guy?”

She nods and I curse under my breath. “He promised he wouldn’t tell them.”

Royal and Rick are here. And so is Carter. My worlds are about to collide in a police station and it’s giving me one hell of a headache. Not right now. Not after Toni and…

I’d been having a great day until that damn phone rang.

The phone.

“Was that what the all caps is about? Why didn’t you say anything in your texts? Hey there, your dad says hi. Something like that. And how did they end up with you?”

She shrugs helplessly. “They went to your apartment and your landlord told them the name of the bar. He also mentioned that the last time he’d seen you, some angry, older guy you’d met at Finn’s was following you around.”

“Seriously? Jesus.” Someone clearly didn’t like Carter telling him what to do.

“I was there for early deliveries and I heard them talking to Thoreau, describing you and asking questions. So I introduced myself and the next thing I know, I’m driving them around town, taking them to lunch and trying to avoid them showing up on Carter’s doorstep, looking for you.”