His fingers glide down my body. The only barrier preventing his skin from touching mine is the robe underneath the shirt. He quickly undoes the belt and lets the robe pool at my feet. He takes one last gaze at my body in his shirt and walks out without saying another word.
Chapter Six
FINN
Leaving her is like dragging a jagged piece of glass against my dead heart. My eyes take in her beauty, and calm settles over me for the first time in my entire adult life. I enjoy having her in my space. It’s almost like she belongs here, but I know that’s a dream on my part. She’d never accept me, not how I’d want her to. I take one more glance, drinking her in before heading to the bathroom. I collect her discarded clothing on the floor, lock her in, and head to the spare bedroom.
When I built the cabin, the plan was to have one bedroom, but Ciaran told me I'd better add another one unless I wanted to sleep with him.
As I open the door, my phone vibrates in my pocket. Maxim Petrov’s number flashes on the screen. Max is a good enough guy. He works in the shadows, but he’s a man on an honorable mission. None of us know his entire story except Parisa, who vouches for him, and since she’s family, I respect what she says.
“Finn here.”
“I’m outside your house,” Maxim’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Get your ass outside. I know you hate having anyone in your house.”
I hang up and head down the stairs to open the front door, stepping outside.
Maxim is leaning against his Aston Martin in a black three-piece suit, the poster boy for prim and proper. “What the hell happened tonight, Finn? You were supposed to go in there and just kill Bella. The fuckin’ thing turned into a bloodbath. We had to get three cleaning crews in there.”
I shrug, gritting my teeth. I don’t owe Maxim shit. Sure, his connections helped me get into the Lombardi mansion, but the way he’s standing there like I owe him an explanation ticks me off.
My feet step off the front porch and land on the lawn, my gaze fixed on Maxim. His lips curl into a grin, and I can’t help thinking that we must appear like two alpha lions going head-to-head for territory. “I don’t answer to you, Max. I don’t owe you shit in the way of an explanation, but I’ll gladly cut you a check for your services.”
“The girl here? Her body wasn’t in the wreckage.”
“She’s not your concern.”
“Witnesses are a problem, Finn. Especially witnesses that have a heavy fondness for Bella.”
“She won’t be a problem.”
“So you’re gonna kill her?”
I step up to Maxim, my hands on his collar, and lift him from the ground. His smirk gets wider, presenting a challenge, one alpha to another. Maxim has a quiet type of anger. It simmers, and if you blink, you’ll miss it. His decisions aren’t reactionary, unlike mine at this moment. His lips twitch and there’s a dangerous humor in his eyes as if to say, try me.
Men like Maxim are dangerous adversaries and useful allies. But even knowing the kind of man he is, I’d still snap his neck and leave his body on the ground for daring to say “Anissa” and “kill” in the same sentence.
“You’re important to Parisa, so I’m not going to rip your head off with my bare hands, but if you ever think about hurting Anissa, I will tear you limb from limb and not think twice about Parisa’s broken heart.”
Maxim laughs. “You O’Malley’s are incredibly dangerous when it comes to your dicks. If you keep that girl in check and she keeps her mouth shut, we won’t have a problem. But Finn, if she threatens my business or the work I’m doing, she’s as good as six feet under. You feel me?”
I drop Maxim and nod. “You don’t need to worry about her. I’ve got her.”
With a nod of his head, Maxim smiles and gets into his car. I stand there watching as he drives off my land before turning around and heading inside.
Maxim is all business. So long as Anissa doesn’t present a threat to him on that front, he’ll leave things alone. Still, my hands twitch with the desire to hunt him down and pull out his jugular. I’m taken aback by the feelings she’s unleashed in me; protectiveness, defensiveness, lust. All things that were bred out of me a long time ago.
I slam the door to the bedroom, my back against the door. I scrub my face, desperate to erase the contradictory thoughts and emotions flooding through me.
Her bloodstained clothing lies on the floor by my bed, drawing my gaze. I walk over, picking them up and placing them to my nose. They’re stained with the scent of violence and murder, but under that scent is lilacs and cinnamon, a sweet combination that is all Anissa.