Finn reached out, grasping one of her wrists and Hannah stiffened, gasping again but this time in pain as her wounds pulsed back into life. He pulled back an instant later, holding her wrist up to his face in the moonlight.
"Shit. What did you do, princess?" The question was murmured softly and she wasn't even sure if was really asking her for an answer but she gave him one anyway.
"I didn't do anything. You were the one that tied me up, remember?" Hannah's voice was just as soft as she spoke, not accusatory, just the pure statement of facts. "You could let me go, you know. You probably should. The cops still think you and your gang are on the run. You could just disappear. No need to add kidnapping to what I'm sure is an already impressive rap sheet."
"You don't know anything about me, princess," Finn said harshly, not responding to any of her other statements as he rose to his feet, pulling her gently up with him. Hannah huffed in annoyance as he once more drew out the length of rope. He pointed to a nearby tree. "Sit."
"So, I guess that's a no on letting me go, then." Hannah said on a sigh, doing what he asked because well, she didn't exactly have a lot of options. And if she was honest with herself, that unexpected kiss had left her more shaken than she cared to admit. She sat and Finn made quick work of tying her up, running the rope around her waist this time before securing it to the trunk of the tree.
After she was his prisoner once more he sat back on his heels, still kneeling next to her. His gaze was dark and unreadable as he spoke, "I can't let you go, Hannah. You're a hostage, like it or not. The sooner you get used to the idea, the better off you'll be."
"Somehow, I doubt that." Hannah whispered the words as Finn dropped to the ground a few feet away from her, his arms cross over his impressive chest. She didn't know if she was referring to being Finn's hostage, or her wayward body's reaction to him, but either way she very much thought she wouldn't be better off. Not even close.
Chapter 3
Hannah walked with her head down, Finn back in his usual spot behind her and today she was glad that he couldn't see her face. For the hundredth time, she glanced at the sandals buckled on her feet. She'd didn't know how, she didn't know why. All she knew was that she'd woken up early that morning and they'd been there waiting for her.
It seemed so out of character for him. And then after she'd awoken after the few hours of fitful sleep she'd managed, he'd kneeled next to her and wrapped her rope-burned wrists so gently it astounded her. Who was this man? And why was it so easy for him tie her up in knots? Literally, and figuratively, a snide inner voice whispered and Hannah rolled her eyes.
But then her gaze dropped to the shoes once more and confusion filled her, confusion and something else. Gratitude, maybe?
"Thank you," The words were out of Hannah's mouth before she could stop them and she wasn't sure who was more surprised by them, her or Finn. She cast a look behind her to find him staring at her, his gray-eyed gaze shifting like mercury in the bright morning sunlight.
Finn was silent for so long she was sure he wouldn't say anything. Maybe he hadn't even heard her words. But finally, he spoke, and when he did his tone was gruff, "For what?"
"For what?" Hannah repeated, looking back at him once more, "For the shoes, of course. And this," She nodded to her bandaged wrists and nearly missed the embarrassed shrug of his broad shoulders.
"It was nothing. You would have just slowed me down. Couldn't have that."
"Uh huh," Hannah whispered, peering at him like a riddle she couldn't quite solve. Hell, it might as well have been written in a different language altogether. "Don't get me wrong. I understand the irony of thanking my kidnapper for solving the problem that he created in the first place," Finn stiffened at her words as she continued, "but still, thank you nonetheless. And my feet are especially grateful."
Finn's expression softened somewhat and finally he gave another shrug and a sigh. "You're welcome. Just don't get used to it," His voice hardened once more, "Don't expect any kindness from me. You're a prisoner of war, princess, even if you don't seem to realize it."
Hannah tilted her head, trying to understand him, his motives, but even she couldn't puzzle out his convoluted actions, so at odds with his words.
"Whatever you say, Mr. Finn."
"It's not Mr. Finn," he growled, just like she knew he would, "It's Finn. Finn Walker. Finn is my first name."
"Alright then, Mr. Walker. Whatever you say." Hannah turned back around but not before she saw his jaw tense and his expression darken. It was one thing to poke a caged bear to see how it would react, but there was nothing caged about Finn Walker, nothing controlled. On the surface, he looked calm but underneath she could sense a storm raging, a storm that could just as easily destroy her if accidentally unleashed.
But even still, she couldn't stop herself from asking aloud the questions that were burning inside her.
"Where are you taking me, exactly? What is your plan? What are you going to do with me? Why do you want to hurt my sister?" They all fell out in a rush and she held her breath waiting for his answers. She was surprised when he spoke.
"We are going to meet up with the rest of the M60's, or what's left of them after that fucking catastrophe at the Roadburner's clubhouse," Finn's voice filled with a terrible rage but then he took a deep breath and continued, "My plan, well as to that you'll just have to wait and see but just know that Jackrabbit, and Hatchet, and all those back stabbing bastards will get exactly what they deserve. And you?" He paused and she could practically hear the gears in his mind turning over the answer before he spoke again, "You're going to help me get my revenge. One way or another."
"I really don't think so."
"One way or another, princess," Finn said again as if he hadn't even heard her.
"And my sister? Why do you want to hurt her?" Hannah bit her tongue before she could mention anything about Rachael's newborn baby. She wasn't about to give him any more information than he already had.
"Collateral damage." Finn answered with a nonchalance that had her seeing red.
"She's my sister, you … you asshole," Hannah shouted with an uncharacteristic curse. "She's not collateral damage or however you want to try and justify it. She's an innocent human being – ."
"Innocent?" Finn shot back, his eyes wide in disbelief and suddenly he was standing right in front of her, toe to toe. "You really think she's that innocent? Do you really think John Jackrabbit Dawes is innocent?" Finn practically spit out the man's name and Hannah could feel his hatred, the animosity rolling off him in waves. "If she's with that bastard, I can guarantee you she's not innocent."
"Then what about me?" Hannah tilted her head to the side as she watched him struggle to find an answer.
"You," He paused again, his words stilted as he continued, "You were a mistake. But you can still be useful. One of the number one rules of war. Never give up an advantage." He turned on the heel of his boots with a wave for her to follow him, "Let's go. We're wasting time."
Her mind turned over his answer. Finn kept saying war, as if he truly believed they were in one. So, Jackrabbit had been right. He was soldier, through and through. Hannah's brows furrowed as she thought. There had to be some way to use that information, some way to help her escape. Because the farther they got from her home, the less likely that outcome seemed.
They continued walking as she tried to riddle it out, the hot Texas sun beating down on them and Hannah was grateful when Finn suddenly stopped ahead of her.
"What … what is it? Why did we stop?" She started to ask but Finn's strong hand over her mouth cut off her questions.
"Be quiet." His voice was hot and hard against her ear and only then did she see why they had stopped. Just over the hill they were walking across sat a tiny, whitewashed farmhouse but there were no signs of the people who lived there. No lights on. No trucks in the dirt and gravel drive. No dogs barking in the yard.
"I think it's empty. For the moment at least," Finn said, coming to the same conclusion she just had. He dropped his hand from her mouth and wrapped his long fingers instead around her arm. "Let's go."
"Go … where?"
He cast her a sideways look that told her in no uncertain terms she'd just said something idiotic.
"The house, princess." Finn snorted, "Unless you want to walk the rest of the way without food or water. Now, let's go."
He didn't wait to hear her response, instead pulling her along with him up the rest of the small, grassy hill. His eyes never stopped moving, constantly scanning around them in a way that made Hannah feel downright jumpy.