Game (14 page)

“
Yeah?
You really mean that?
”

“
I
do. Nobody should live in pain forever, Finn. My sister ain
’
t living in pain. She
’
s somewhere else. Maybe up there
in heaven, dancing to shitty music and tossing her hair around.
”

“
She
really liked shitty music,
”
I whispered.

“
Aye,
she did. I still have her CD
’
s.
I listen to them.
”

I put my hand to Cormac
’
s.
“
I
’
m
so sorry, brother.
”

“
I
know. But we didn
’
t do
anything wrong.
”

“
I
did, Cormac. I slipped. I lost it all. I turned my life and desires into some
kind of sick game. See how far I could go down and how much pain I could find.
”

“
Well,
this is pretty bottom if you ask me,
”
Cormac said.
“
I
’
m going to hit the couch.
Whiskey
’
s got me torn up
good.
”

Cormac went to the couch and
crashed hard. I was pretty sure he was asleep before his head touched the
cushion.

I sat there for the next hour
alone, sipping whiskey and watching the fire burn. It started to die out and I
knew Cormac could survive without a fire overnight. With as much whiskey as he
had in his body he could survive a week in the arctic, butt naked.

Still, I stood and went to the
fireplace. I grabbed two logs and tossed them in.

“
What
do you think?
”

“
It
’
s
…
trees
…”

“
We
’
re in the woods, darling.
”

“
I
know that, Finn.
”

“
But
right here. Right here
…”
I slip my hands to her waist and pull her close.
“
Right here, pretend we
’
re standing in front of
the fireplace. A fire burning. A gentle snow falling
…”

“
Wow,
look at you. All poetic. And here I thought your mouth was only good for one
thing.
”

“
Damn,
woman. You talk filthy sometimes.
”

“
You
don
’
t mind.
”

“
No,
I don
’
t
…”

I turned from the fireplace and wiped
the corners of my eyes.

My life had become a game. A game
of fighting and making money. Even when the darkness took over, I still left it
as a game. A game to fight in a different way, through Fiore. And the women.
They were nothing but a game.

I looked at the bedroom.

Was Shayna a game?

I walked to the bedroom and watched
her sleep. She was rolled up in the sheets, but her right leg stuck out. It was
bent, pulling the sheets up her body, showing off her panties and the sweet
curve of her ass. Whiskey gave me temptation and my fingertips tingled as I
approached the bed.

I reached down and touched the back
of her thigh. I ran up to her ass and cupped her. My fingertips slipped into
the back of her panties. I curled my fingers, feeling warmth. I leaned down a
little, taking a breath, letting my fingers move some more. My fingers kept
going, following the natural curve of her beautiful body. When I touched
between her legs, she wasn
’
t
ready, but that didn
’
t mean
I stopped.

Shayna stirred, letting out a purring
groan.

A second later, I felt the
trickling of wetness. Her body
’
s
reaction to my touch left me gritting my teeth. With two fingers, I gently
rubbed her sex. The gentle moisture quickly became a flood. I had broken the
dam of her desire. My fingers eased between her folds and I pressed, feeling
the tightness of her entrance.

Then I froze.

I pulled back and Shayna groaned
again.

I looked at her face and her eyes
were open.
“
Don
’
t stop,
”
she whispered.
“
Please,
Finn, don
’
t stop
…”

Her hand reached for my wrist, but
I was quicker. I took my hand away from her body. I grabbed the sheets and put
them over her exposed body. But she didn
’
t
stop. She grabbed my wrist, then my hand. She interlocked her fingers to mine.

“
It
’
s okay,
”
she whispered.
“
I
want to know everything. I want the truth.
”

I slid down to my ass and put my
back against the bed. I wasn
’
t
going to sleep in the same bed as Shayna, but I wouldn
’
t leave her side.

We were still holding hands.

“
The
truth?
”
I said, staring
nowhere.
“
The truth, sweetie
…”
I looked back at her. At the
most beautiful woman I
’
d
ever met. A woman who scared me, thrilled me, and made me want more. And I hadn
’
t even fucked her yet.
“
The truth is
…
we
’
re dead.
”

24.

(Shayna)

I knew we were wasting time
together. Day after day, I watched Finn slip in and out of darkness. It
consumed him one second and let him free the next. When he was in his dark
place, he destroyed the punching bag. The sight was like nothing I
’
d ever seen before. The way he
’
d punch it, the way he
’
d grunt, and the way he
’
d send the thing swaying back
and forth was nothing but sheer anger, pain, and muscle.

He always did it without a shirt
on. His back rippled with intense muscle. And the worst part (or maybe it was
the best part) was that as he hit the bag harder, he sweat more, and when he
sweat his muscles glistened with even more definition.

When Finn was in his dark place, he
didn
’
t talk to me.

He punched the bag and drank
whiskey.

During the times he got out of the
darkness, he became what I had come to know as
typical Finn
. Which meant
he looked at me with an intense stare, he flirted with me, he touched me, and
he left me teetering on the edge of waiting desperately to be thrown over his
shoulder and taken to bed.

But he never did.

Finn and I still hadn
’
t
…

I felt stupid as I looked at him,
waiting for it to happen. Like we were some old couple who lost their spark. Or
we were some new couple with a wild spark but still hadn
’
t done it. The feeling in my stomach left me
feeling wild. I never wanted someone as bad as I wanted Finn, yet the feelings
went deeper.

I had to want him. Because of
Fiore. Because of what Fiore wanted.

Nothing was normal and I couldn
’
t allow it to be normal.

So I waited
…
and watched
…

“
I
’
m going to chop firewood,
”
Finn said. He walked to the
front door and left.

I waved and raised an eyebrow.
“
Have fun,
”
I whispered to myself.

I had never been so turned on yet so
confused in my entire life.

I turned and saw the punching bag.
I bit my lip and stepped toward it. I made two fists and brought them up. I put
my right hand back and threw it forward. I wanted my chance at the punching
bag. I wanted to see it sway. I wanted to see what Finn felt.

My fist hit the bag with a thud.

The bag didn
’
t move and a sharp pain shot through my knuckles
into my wrist and up to my shoulder. I cried out and jumped back. I cradled my
wrist and tears filled my eyes.

I hadn
’
t even moved the bag.

Yet just an hour ago Finn had the
thing swaying back and forth like a tree branch in a storm.

He was really that strong. That
tough.

“
Did
you just punch that?
”

I spun around and Finn stood there
with firewood in his massive arms. He dropped it next to the fireplace.

“
Yeah,
”
I said.

“
You
hurt yourself.
”

“
Maybe.
”

Finn grinned.
“
I
’
ll
teach you how to fight someday.
”

“
Finn
…
it
’
s been
…”

Finn turned and walked away. He
stopped in the doorway and his hands balled up into fists.

“
What?
”
I asked.

I saw the car coming as he said it
…

“
Fiore
’
s here.
”

~ ~ ~

I stood next to Finn as we watched
a big black SUV pull up behind the car.

“
What
do we do?
”
I whispered.
“
He knows
…”

“
I
know,
”
Finn growled.
“
He
’
s
checking on us. Just follow my lead.
”

“
You
can
’
t tell him I have my
period again.
”

“
I
’
ll tell him whatever I want,
”
Finn said.

I could sense Finn slipping back
into his darkness. I wondered just how he could go and what he would do. If he
would put himself in danger with Fiore. Because if that happened, then that
meant I was in danger.

The back door of the SUV opened and
out stepped Fiore. He took off a pair of sunglasses and pointed them at us. A
big smile graced his face as he approached the cabin. He walked right up the
steps and put a hand to my stomach. I grabbed for Finn
’
s hand and squeezed it.
Finn didn
’
t squeeze back at me, or
even hold my hand.

“
How
are we feeling?
”
he asked.
“
Nice and full?
”

My mouth opened, but I had nothing.

“
She
’
s not pregnant.
”

Fiore looked at Finn.
“
How do you know? Did you take a
test yet? It can take some time to show up.
”

“
We
haven
’
t had sex,
”
Finn said.

Just like that it felt like the
temperature had dropped by a hundred degrees. My spine shivered and sent chilly
tingles throughout the rest of my body.

What had Finn just done?

“
Say
that again,
”
Fiore said.

“
You
heard me, Fiore. We haven
’
t
had sex.
”

Fiore swung his hand at Finn. He smacked
him with it in the face. Fiore
’
s
ring cut under Finn
’
s lip.
Blood started to leak but Finn just stared at Fiore.

“
Have
you forgotten what I said?
”
Fiore asked.

“
It
’
s my fault,
”
I said.
“
I don
’
t
…
I push him away.
”

Fiore slowly looked at me.
“
Well then, Shayna, I have some
rope in the back of the SUV. I
’
m
going to tie you to the fucking bed. Legs spread wide open. And then I
’
m going to watch Finn fuck you
until he can
’
t move
anymore.
”

“
She
’
s protecting me,
”
Finn said.
“
I haven
’
t made a move. I haven
’
t tried.
”

“
Why
the fuck not?
”

“
Because
of what this all means,
”
Finn said boldly.
“
What do
you expect from us? I
’
m
just a fighter, Fiore. And she
’
s
a runaway. It
’
s not going
to do what you want.
”

Fiore laughed. He clapped his hands
together.
“
I know exactly
what it
’
s going to do. It
’
s going to destroy Zander. It
’
s going to tear him apart. He
’
s going to feel the pain I feel
when I have something he wants.
”

“
You
need to promise me the protection and care of Shayna,
”
Finn said.

“
What?
”
Fiore asked.

“
You
’
re not going to do this and then
just leave her to die. She deserves more. She never wanted this life, Fiore.
”

“
Oh,
so you
’
re going to hold me
hostage?
”
Fiore asked.
“
Do you realize I have three men
with me who would be more than willing to tear Shayna apart right now? Right in
your precious cabin. Your little home you built, right? Is that what you
’
re afraid of?
”

I felt Finn starting to shake. I
worried he was going to hit Fiore.

“
Just
give us time,
”
I said.
“
So much at once
…”

“
Don
’
t speak unless I tell you to,
”
Fiore said to me.
“
All I need you to do is be naked
from the waist down. I
’
ll
even be nice and have you on your stomach. You just stick that ass of yours in
the air and let it all happen.
”

“
This
is my fault,
”
Finn said.
“
Be angry with me, Fiore.
”

“
Oh,
I want to put a bullet in your head. But I can
’
t.
Not with the opportunity in front of me.
”

“
Opportunity?
”
I asked.

Fiore backed up.
“
I was really hoping to come here
and spread all the good news. I was hoping to find you two tired from fucking
so much. Or maybe Shayna feeling pregnant. But I
’
ve
already invested money in this, so I have to ride it out. You have a fight,
Finn. Two nights from now.
”

“
A
fight,
”
Finn said.

“
Big
money on it. You win and you get a nice cut. A nice paycheck. I
’
m thinking maybe the heat of the
fight and the risk of death will get you fired up, Finn. Either way, I
’
m going to win. Know why?
”

“
Why?
”
Finn asked.

“
Because
you
’
re going to win the
fight,
”
Fiore said.
“
I know that. I trust you. You
’
re a good fighter. If you lose
the fight, I kill you. Right there, right in the circle. So I know you
’
re going to win. Now, as far as
my Shayna problem
…”
Fiore
then looked at me.
“
I win
again.
”

“
How?
”
I asked.

“
Because
I
’
m done playing this game,
”
Fiore said.
“
Starting the night of the fight,
Shayna, you become mine. And I
’
ll
make sure I get what I want.
”

“
What
the hell does that mean?
”
Finn asked.

“
I
’
ll make sure she
’
s taken care of,
”
Fiore said.
“
I have plenty of guys that would
love a quick and easy fuck.
”
Fiore put his sunglasses back on.
“
Start
training for your fight, Finn. And you might want to think about fucking
Shayna.
”

Fiore then walked away. He got into
the SUV and it backed away.

Finn and I stood in silence
together.

I felt his hand move. I thought he
was tearing away from me. But he wasn
’
t.
He opened his fingers and interlocked them with mine. That
’
s when he squeezed my hand. That
’
s when he looked at me.

I hoped to see his eyes burning
with raging confidence and lust.

They didn
’
t.

I had no idea what Finn was
thinking.

And it scared the hell out of
me.