Deadly Illusions(61)

James shook his head but followed. He was kind of curious to see what would happen, too.



FINN found Emma on the sidewalk in front of Hardy Brothers Security. She had her new iPhone pressed to her ear, and she was asking Information for the number of a local cab company.

Finn reached over and took the phone out of her hand, pressing the button to disconnect the call wordlessly. Emma jumped when she felt his presence.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to talk to you,” Finn said. “I think … I think you may have gotten the wrong idea in there.”

“And what is the right idea, Finn?” Emma asked. “You’re disgusted by me. I get it.”

“I’m not disgusted by you,” Finn said, shaking his head for emphasis. “I’m pissed off because of what your father did.”

“What he did to me,” Emma said. “He did it to me. He … ruined me. I know that. I’ve always known that.”

“He didn’t ruin you, Emma,” he said. “He tried to. He could never ruin you, though.”

Tears were falling freely down Emma’s face now. “You can’t tell me that you’ll ever look at me the same way again,” she said. “I see it on your face. You’re trying to be the bigger man here. You’re trying to pretend like I don’t disgust you. I know the truth.”

Finn reached over to wipe one of her tears away with his thumb. “I may not look at you the same way anymore,” he agreed. “Things are different now.”

Emma made a piteous whining sound in her throat.

“Before, I didn’t know the truth,” Finn said. “I didn’t know the real you.”

“The real me? You mean the girl who was used up by her own father before she even hit her teens? Is that the real me you’re talking about?”

Finn tried not to let the bitterness in Emma’s voice break him. “No. I’m talking about the woman who overcame every rotten thing life ever threw at her,” he said. “The real you is sweet, and kind, and beautiful, and heartbreakingly sad sometimes.

“The real you is brave, and fierce, and steadfast, and loyal, and pragmatic,” Finn continued. “The real you is a better person than you have any business being given the trash that raised you.”

Emma shook her head, making a move to walk away from him. Finn wouldn’t let her. Not this time. He stepped in front of her.

“The real you caught my attention the first second I saw you, Emma,” Finn said. “And I know you think it’s because you’re a model, and I just wanted to sleep with you. Part of that is probably true. The real me saw behind your facade, though, and the real me wanted the real you right from the beginning.”

“It’s too late,” Emma said. “You’ll never be able to accept this and move on.”

“How do you know what I’m capable of?” Finn asked. “How do you know what I want? Because let me tell you something, sweetie, I’ve wanted you from the second I saw you and nothing has changed. This hasn’t changed anything, except that I now think you’re even more amazing than I already did.”

A small sob escaped Emma’s mouth. “You can’t mean that. I won’t hold you to that. You just don’t want to hurt me. That’s who you are. You’re kind and giving – and you try really hard to do the right thing. In the end, you’ll leave because you have no other choice.”

Finn reached over, lacing his fingers with hers to buoy himself. “I don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” Finn said. “I can’t promise you forever. We haven’t known each other all that long yet,” he said. “I can promise you that nothing your father said, nothing he did, has changed the way I feel about you. That – all of that – is not going to be a consideration between us. I won’t let it, and I won’t let you let it either.”

Emma’s face crumpled. Finn reached for her, pulling her into his arms as tenderly as he could manage. She melted into him, her legs going out from under her. Finn held her up, tightening his arms so he could keep her tight in his embrace. His mouth found hers after a few seconds. He was tentative, waiting to see if she would respond. When he felt her lips move against his he sighed.

He’d meant every word he said and, if it took days, weeks even, for Emma to have faith in his words, he would just have to keep repeating them until she believed.

He could do that.

He would do that.



MANDY’S face was smug as she watched Finn load Emma into his Escalade. He hadn’t bothered to come back and say goodbye. His priority was clearly Emma now – as it should be – and the two of them probably had a long night ahead of them.