Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
“No sightings. We’ll keep searching.”
“Good.”
I discreetly glanced over. Anna looked calm, happy to be close to Una. “Any decision on Brian?”
“Yes. Una said he is to be cremated, and she’ll bury him with her mum and dad. She wants a private funeral. Our crew has been informed he died a hero helping us. I am doing that for her. And I already informed the morgue. It will happen quickly before questions are asked.”
“All right.” It made sense. Brian was an asshole, but he did save Una’s life. Finn wanted to help her erase his past deeds and be remembered as being decent.
“My focus is back on the territory and the hotel. My priority, though, is Una and helping her through this.”
“Of course.”
He poured himself more coffee. “Una told me Anna grew up in a family that ran summer rentals. She has experience in the industry—at least loosely. I am going to offer to put her in our apprentice program here and give her a room to live in until she’s ready to face the outside world.” He looked over at the two women. “She helped Una. I owe her.” He smiled at me. “I like her too.”
“Whatever you think is best, Finn.”
“Where did she sleep last night?” he asked out of the blue.
I frowned. “In the bedroom. I thought she’d be more comfortable than the sofa.”
“Ah.” He leaned over the table, his eyes bright with curiosity. “Where did you sleep?”
Standing, I narrowed my eyes. “Feck off. She was screaming. I had to stay with her.”
I stalked away, refusing to look back.
The stupid fecker was grinning. I knew it without looking. And I had no defense because, dammit, I liked her too.
I found excuses to stay in the suite most of the day. If I had to leave to handle something, I made sure there was a man at the door. I introduced John to Anna, making sure she understood he, too, was a friend and she was safe with him. She seemed a little less tense as the day wore on, more at ease with her surroundings.
That evening, I came back to the suite after handling a problem at the casino, greeting John.
“Everything good?”
He nodded. “Roman was here. Spoke with Finn and visited Anna.”
“What for?”
He shrugged. “He was only in a few moments. I assumed checking up on her.”
Mystified, I went in, frowning when I saw Anna on the sofa. She smiled at me, but the tension had returned. Had Roman said something to upset her?
I sat across from her.
“Everything all right at the casino?” she asked, offering me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“All sorted.” I cleared my throat. “I hear you had a visitor.”
“Yes. Mr. Costas—or Roman, as he told me to call him.”
“What did he want?” I asked, my voice a little rougher than I expected it to be. I paused. “Did he upset you?”
She swallowed. “No.”
Her reply was a lie and came out more like a question than a statement.
“What did he say?”
She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It fell over her shoulders, and absently, she twirled a thick tress around her finger. “He told me all the other women were being sent home if they wanted or to a safe place to start fresh. The workers they had held captive were given the same option.”
“Yes. We’ll make sure they’re all in a better place.”
“He, ah, asked me my plans. Said they would send me back north or somewhere else if I wanted.”
I tensed. “And what did you say?”
She didn’t meet my eyes. “I didn’t know what to say.”
“You’re staying here,” I replied without thinking.
“I am?”
“You’re not ready to be on your own. You’re safe here. Una is here. I’m here. Finn has an idea for you he will discuss with you.” I stood, towering over her. “You’ll stay in the hotel.”
She gazed up at me, once again the trust and hope in her eyes doing something to my chest.
“If you want,” I added.
“Is-is that what you want?”
I bent and pressed a kiss to her head. “Yes.”
“Okay.”
“Excuse me,” I muttered. “I have to do something. I’ll be right back.”
I passed John in the hall. “You can go.”
I knocked on Finn’s door, glaring when he answered it.
“Niall? Everything okay?”
“She’s staying here. With me. You can tell Roman to feck off with his offers. They’re not needed.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Is that exactly how you’d like me to deliver the message?”
“I don’t care how you deliver it. Just make it clear. Tell the Italian no help is needed on this.”
Then I turned and strode away, ignoring his shout of laughter.
“I’ll handle it, cousin,” he called. “A bit more diplomatically. But consider your territory well and completely marked.”
I flipped him off and headed back to my suite, unsure why I was so pissed off.
Except when I walked in and saw Anna again, my ire melted away.