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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

FINN

N o one spoke in the van that met us at the designated spot. I held Una, her quiet sobs painful to hear. At the hotel, the self-contained parking area was busy, and we took my private elevator to my floor. Niall had a room there as well, and I stopped by his door, indicating the woman he held. “Let her get cleaned up, and you can arrange to take her downstairs.”

He only grunted slightly, entering his room. I carried Una to mine, heading right to the bathroom. I turned on the shower, letting it heat, then set her on the vanity as I stripped. I left my boxers on, unsure about how unsafe she was feeling—even with me. I tugged off the blanket, pausing at the sash of the robe. “Una?” I asked quietly.

She nodded, and I pulled it from her, discarding it on the floor. In the shower, I sat her on the bench, letting the hot water pour over her. I washed myself as she remained still, huddled on the seat, her head lowered and shoulders bent.

I kneeled in front of her. “Let me help,” I murmured.

Again, all I got was a nod. I washed her hair twice, adding conditioner the way she liked, then I spent long minutes pulling a comb through the wet strands, finally working out the knots. I rinsed it and picked up the body wash.

“No,” she whimpered as I reached for the loofah.

I froze. “Okay,” I assured her. “You want to do it?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to go?” I asked, fighting down my hurt. How I was feeling didn’t matter. How she felt was paramount.

She didn’t look at me. “Not far.”

“I’ll be right outside the shower. I’ll get us some fresh clothes and be right back.”

“Okay.”

I slipped out, wrapping a towel around my waist. I waited until she was on her feet and soaping herself, then I hurried to my closet, pulling on sweats and a casual shirt before heading back. She was standing under the spray, moving slowly.

I picked up the clothes from the floor. “I’ll burn these.”

“No!” she gasped, turning. “My necklace.”

I tried not to let my rage show. She was covered in bruises. Cuts and welts were on her ankles, and I realized she’d been chained up. She had marks everywhere. I swallowed my anger.

“Where?” I asked.

“In the lapel. There is a little slit, and it fell to the hem.”

I found it, holding it up. “I have it, mo chroí .”

“It was all I had of you,” she whispered. “I had to keep it to remind myself you were out there.”

I held out my hand. “Una.”

She stepped from the shower, her marked skin wet. I wrapped a towel around her and pulled her close. She melted into me, shaky but still standing.

“I will always be there for you.” I pressed a kiss to her head. “Always.”

“I know.”

* * *

Her hands shook as she held a cup of tea. She was dressed and bundled in a blanket. Dr. Barnes had been to my room and checked her out, with me standing beside her the entire time. He’d been my private physician for years and I trusted him completely, but she needed me close. And he didn’t ask me to leave, understanding her frame of mind. He’d made and overseen all the arrangements downstairs for the victims we’d brought in for care as well.

“Dehydrated. Bruised and battered. She needs liquids, food, and care. Tylenol for the aches. This cream for the cuts on her ankles.” At the door, he met my gaze. “You did a good thing, Finn. All those people. We’ll look after them.”

I glanced back at Una. “I’m worried about her mental state. All of this, and her brother was one of the casualties.”

He handed me a small bottle. “To help her sleep if needed. Nonaddictive,” he assured me. “I can arrange some counseling if she desires it.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, next door. I understand Niall has another one.”

I frowned. “I thought he was taking her downstairs with the others.”

He shrugged. “Change of plan, I suppose.”

He left, and I returned to Una.

I pushed a bowl her way. “Please eat something.”

She looked at the soup, shaking her head. I sat beside her, lifting the bowl and pressing a spoon to her mouth. “Please.”

She let me feed her, some of the creamy soup slowly disappearing. She hadn’t spoken much, but she made sure she touched me. Every time I got up or moved, she became agitated, reaching out for me. I had a feeling it would be that way for a while. I was fine with it—I felt better touching her as well.

I set aside the bowl, offering her some toast. She took the lukewarm bread but made no move to eat it.

“Anna,” she suddenly said.

“Is safe,” I soothed. “With Niall,” I added.

She blinked. “Niall?”

“Apparently.”

“I want to see her.”

I wouldn’t deny her anything she wanted. I helped her to her feet, hating her grimace of pain. She wore a pair of soft leggings, a warm sweater, and socks, plus the blanket wrapped around her, which helped ward off the constant chill she was experiencing.

We went down the hall, knocking on Niall’s door. He opened it, looking unusually ruffled.

“Una wants to see Anna,” I stated.

He opened the door wider, indicating for us to come in.

Anna sat on the sofa, bundled much like Una in a blanket. Her hair was washed, hanging down her back almost to her waist, and it glinted a soft golden blond in the light. She had creamy skin, and her doe-like eyes were a deep brown. She was small and looked vulnerable. She carried the same marks of abuse as Una did, but hers were even more plentiful.

She cried out Una’s name, and the two women clung to each other, whispering and comforting the other.

I looked at Niall, and he shook his head. “I can’t get more than five feet from her and she becomes upset,” he said quietly. “I couldn’t take her downstairs. I stood inside the fucking bathroom facing the wall while she showered to keep her calm.”

“Una is reacting the same.”

“But Anna doesn’t know me.”

“Una probably talked about you. You carried her out of hell, Niall. It makes sense she feels safe with you.”

He didn’t say anything, his gaze locked on the small woman. There was something in his expression I had never seen from him before.

A look I recognized. I wore it every time I looked at Una.

I turned away, trying not to smile.

This could be interesting.

The women sat beside each other. I could see Anna was wearing a T-shirt of Niall’s and a pair of his sweatpants. Thick socks covered her feet. Every item was too big on her.

“Get her some clothing from the boutique tomorrow,” I murmured.

“Yeah, already thought of that. I gave her what I could.”

“Has she eaten?”

“Tea. Toast.”

I chuckled. “These two are alike. Although I did get some soup into Una.”

“Damn it,” he swore. “I never thought of soup.”

I clapped him on the shoulder. “You’ll figure it out.”

“Doc Barnes says she’s severely undernourished. Dehydrated. She needs care and rest.”

I nodded. “She’ll get whatever she needs. Una is very fond of her. Protective.”

He muttered something that sounded like, “ I fucking get that .” But I couldn’t be sure.

“Have you heard from them?” he asked, meaning Roman, Luca, and Aldo.

“A text saying it was done. They should be here soon.” I had arranged suites for them. In fact, I had blocked off two entire floors for the next while, unsure what to expect. I’d had the hotel staff move people, comp rooms, offer casino cash, free accommodations on another date, and dinners. We’d invented a false electrical problem on the two floors as a cover story. The victims and those who helped us tonight had a place to rest and recover for as long as they needed.

“We need to meet.”

“In my suite. I can’t leave Una.”

His gaze drifted to the sofa.

“Bring Anna with you. She can stay with Una.” I looked at them, holding hands, quietly talking. “I think they need each other right now.”

“Okay.”

* * *

I looked around the dining table I rarely sat at. Roman, Luca, and Aldo joined me, drinking coffee and whiskey. Platters of food and carafes of coffee filled the table. Niall was to my right, where he could see the living room.

Una and Anna were on the sofa. Across from them were Effie, Vi, and Justine. They had arrived at my invitation. I knew the men were missing their wives and would find comfort in having them close. The unexpected bonus was the friendship and comfort they were giving to Una and Anna. They had experienced traumas and were able to offer insights I never could.

I sat back, sipping coffee. “Fill me in.”

“Almost everything went according to plan,” Roman stated. His gaze flickered to Luca. “Almost.”

“What didn’t?” I hissed, leaning forward.

“Juan escaped.”

“I thought he was dead!” Niall protested, his anger evident.

“No, the coward was pretending. He was shot and played dead. In the aftermath, he somehow got away. We don’t know how badly he was hurt, but we have eyes out looking for him.”

“Fuck,” Niall muttered. “Anna told me he was obsessed with her. She was there for over three weeks.”

“We’ll keep her safe and hope he’s crawled away to die somewhere,” I assured him.

Aldo looked grim. “I hope he dies painfully.”

“And the building?”

“A pile of rubble. The fire was so intense, the bodies will be unidentifiable. The rumor has already started that there was a fire in the lab, and the entire place went up with them all in it so quickly that no one could escape. All Lopez’s fault for having an auction in the same place as a dangerous lab,” Roman informed us.

“The racetrack was shut down, citing being too close to a chemical fire. Lopez didn’t have a big crew since he kept his shit hidden. Most of them perished tonight. The few who got away are running so fast they won’t stop for a long time and were low-level. The real employees he kept to cover his illegal shit are accounted for. The horses were all transported safely.”

“You accomplished a lot.”

“The syndicate did. We all worked together. Once again proving we’re stronger as a group than on our own. We ended Lopez’s evil culture.”

“And since we’re in no way connected with the track or Lopez, no one will look our way,” Luca added. “We’re safe.”

I glanced toward the women. “Even Santini?”

“He won’t utter a word,” Roman said, looking fierce.

“We need to find Juan. Or his corpse.”

“We will.”

“Brian?” I asked quietly.

“At the morgue. Awaiting instructions.”

“I’ll handle it.”

I heard some laughter and looked over with a smile. “Your women seem to be the best medicine right now.”

“They understand,” Roman replied, a look of adoration in his eyes as he looked at his wife.

“I am obligated to all of you,” I said. “I owe each of you a debt I can never repay, and I will be there if you need me.”

Luca grimaced. “Getting rid of him was in all our best interests. But we’re happy to have helped. I think this has made the syndicate tighter with a common goal. The message will be heard, however it is delivered.” He stood. “But I need my wife and some sleep. We’ll talk more before we leave tomorrow.”

I stood and shook his hand. “Thank you.”

* * *

Una curled up on her side, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She looked drowsy, the sleeping pills she’d agreed to take relaxing her. I was beside her, unsure what to do. I wanted to pull her into my arms, sleep with her on my chest the way we usually did, but I didn’t know if she wanted to be touched that way. Tenderly, I brushed the hair back from her face, trying not to scowl at the bruises on her skin. I wished I could have Lopez in front of me. That I could cover him in marks and bruises. Let him feel real fear before he died.

The sensation of Una’s fingers on my face brought me out of my musings.

“Hi,” I murmured.

“Are you going to leave?” she asked, sounding fearful.

“No.”

“Why aren’t you under the covers with me?”

“I didn’t know if you wanted that,” I admitted honestly.

“Your touch doesn’t frighten me, Finn. It soothes me.”

I slid under the blankets, my entire body relaxing as she shifted, laying her head on my chest, her torso pressed to mine. We were quiet for a moment.

“While I was there in the dark, I couldn’t sleep. But I would drift, and I dreamed you were holding me. It was awful waking up cold and alone.”

I pressed a kiss to her head. “Never again. I will always be here. No one and nothing will harm you again, Una. I swear it.”

She snuggled closer, and I snaked my arm around her waist, holding her tight. “I love you, mo chroí.”

“Same for me,” she whispered, making me smile.

“Sleep. I have you.”

“I know.”

* * *

The next day, Niall walked in with Anna. Neither looked rested. Considering how often Una had cried out and woke screaming, I felt the same way.

It was going to take a while until either woman felt safe.

We left them together, heading to the table. That was as far away as I was comfortable at the moment.

“Rough night?”

“Jesus,” he replied, his voice low. “I have no idea what I’m doing. Her terror is fucking killing me. I can’t take the screams…or the tears.”

“Time,” I replied. “They have to heal.”

“How do you stand it? I know how much you love her. I don’t have the connection to Anna you have, and her pain is ripping me apart.”

“Are you so certain about that, Niall? No connection?”

He scoffed, taking a sip of coffee. “I feel badly for her. I want to help her. She obviously means a lot to Una.”

I let it go. This wasn’t the time for personal exchanges.

“You saw the news this morning?”

“Yes. The reporting is perfect. An explosion led to the discovery of a hidden drug lab. Assumed set off by an accident in the highly flammable facility. All casualties were thought to be employees but are unidentifiable.” He sat back. “Those who knew where the Russians were will assume they were caught in the inferno.”

I nodded. “The racetrack is closed permanently. I think the feeling is the syndicate will purchase it and reopen so they can keep tabs on it. Any news on Juan?”

“No sightings. We’ll keep searching.”

“Good.”

“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.”

“My focus is back on the territory and the hotel. My priority, though, is Una and helping her through this.”

“Of course.”

“She 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.” I looked over at the way the women were sitting facing each other, quietly talking like old friends. “She helped Una. I owe her.” Then I smiled at Niall. “I like her too.”

He looked at them, a softening of his eyes telling me what I needed to know. But he kept his voice neutral. “Whatever you think is best, Finn.”

“Where did she sleep last night?” I asked out of the blue.

He frowned. “In the bedroom. I thought she’d be more comfortable than on the sofa.”

“Ah.” I leaned over the table. “Where did you sleep?”

He narrowed his eyes, standing and pushing his chair back. “Feck off. She was screaming. I had to stay with her.”

Then he stalked away.

Leaving me hiding my grin.

Interesting, indeed.