Page 39 of The Valiant Knight (The Ravensmire Chronicles #2)

The Castle

Later Evening

After Midnight

Thursday

T hanks to a pissy ghost, who had no respect for other people’s bones, it had taken a while to clean up the mess. After examining the painting, they saw nothing about it that looked to be a clue.

In fact, the only remarkable thing was that the back had been sliced open, as if something had been in there.

Well, it was gone now.

So, they put the painting back with the others that were stored in that room, and then picked up the shattered parts of the skull.

Unfortunately for them, someone was going to have to put it back together again, and that wouldn’t be easy.

Tony was going to be busy.

Really busy.

Because they couldn’t trust whatever was lurking, and Ceit was nonstop weeping, they carefully moved the rest of Ceit’s bones back to her crypt.

The whole time, Gabby talked to her, apologizing for what happened as she tried to soothe the sad ghost.

Oddly, that worked.

It was clear that Gabby connected with the deceased woman on some level, and she calmed down.

Which was good because the sobbing was annoying.

Now, as Tony was working in the kitchen with a skull and some glue, Finn knew they needed to get some sleep so that tomorrow wouldn’t be absolutely miserable.

Escorting her to the bedroom, he kissed her at the door. What he wanted was to stay, but he wasn’t going to ask. That seemed tacky, and they were already moving fast.

“If you need me, come get me,” he said.

At his words, she looked confused.

What was this?

“Finn, you’re not sleeping with me?” she asked. Maybe it was just her, but they’d had sex, and they hadn’t used protection. She assumed they were spending the night together from here on out.

That’s what she’d wanted, anyway.

At his question, her heart skipped.

“I didn’t want to assume that I was invited.”

Well, she had news for him. They both jumped in without thinking twice, so there were two people on this ride together now.

That meant bed rights were included.

“If you cum in me, you certainly can sleep beside me,” she offered.

All of that tension and fear of her slipping away in the middle of the night eased, and he actually felt so much better. Now, he could breathe.

In fact, it made him smile.

“I won’t say no to either of those offers,” he admitted, back to feeling giddy again. “I just wanted to give you a choice, and to not feel trapped.”

She reassured him.

“I’m not trapped. I could leave if I wanted to. I just don’t want to. I’m enjoying our adventure, and I’d have to be insane to want off this ride. Did you see that wallpaper on my phone? Sir, you’re sexy.”

Yeah, he loved her.

Oddly, with all of his heart. What shouldn’t have been so quick had been instantaneous.

He.

Was.

Smitten.

“Want to join me in bed, Fineas?” she asked.

Oh, his smile said it all.

When he followed her into the Master’s Suite, the room had a chill in it.

“How about you get ready for bed, and I’ll meet you there?” he asked. “I’ll get a fire going. I want my sexy bedmate to be toasty warm. Spring still gets chilly here,” he admitted.

Yeah, well, she planned on cuddling up to a hot man. She had a feeling she wouldn’t be cold at all.

As she went to brush her teeth, and get ready for bed, Finn loaded up the fireplace.

When he stood up, he stopped moving.

As did Gabby.

“What?” she asked, looking around.

Oh, he didn’t have words. He was distracted because she came out of the bathroom in a white nightgown.

It was old-fashioned, and innocent. It was that sweetness that made his heart skip. She wasn’t trying to impress him, or be someone she wasn’t.

She was unapologetically Gabby.

It was all he ever wanted. The honest truth was that one day, she’d carry his children, and give them life. They’d create a life, and family.

She had become his all so quickly that it stole his breath from his chest.

Yeah, he loved his life.

Today was the best day he’d ever had, and he couldn’t imagine not having her in it.

Finn couldn’t wait to introduce her to his sister tomorrow. By the time the week was over, she’d be inundated with his family, and they would all love her just like he did.

He knew his seven sisters.

They’d invite her in, and treat her like she was one of them. That was his biggest gift he could give to her.

The gift of family.

“You just stole my breath, Lass. That’s all. I’m sorry I’m staring. I can’t believe today even happened. This morning I woke up alone, and now, I’m going to bed with the woman I love. It’s staggering, and I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

Gabby smiled at him.

“I feel the same. I can’t wait to start my new life here with you, Finn. It’s going to be amazing.”

Oh, he’d make sure it was.

Tomorrow, he’d start showing her pieces of his world, so she could assimilate into it. Then, when she took him back to the US, he’d do the same.

Because her life before him was just as important.

When she yawned, he helped her into the bed, and tucked her in.

“I’m going to finish this fire, grab my bag, and brush my teeth. Fall asleep. It’s okay. I’ll be to bed shortly.”

She was good with that.

As she got comfortable, Finn went off to get his bag from the bathroom. In it, he found his toothbrush, and toothpaste.

Placing them on the counter next to hers, his heart did a jittery little dance in his chest.

It was so couple-y that it made him happy to no end.

He had a person now.

Gone were the memories of Rosie, and in their place was the reality of Gabby.

When he was finished, he headed out to the bedroom, checked the fire one last time to make sure the kindling caught, and then headed to the bed.

In it, the woman he loved was out cold.

Stripping down to his boxers, he climbed under the comforter, and immediately, she moved into him, putting her head on his chest, and her thigh over his groin.

Damn.

She felt good against him, and already, his body was back awake.

He’d had more sex today than he ever had on a daily basis with his ex. It was like Gabby genuinely wanted him.

As for sleeping, well, he’d suffer in silence and be grateful that he had her.

She was perfect, and a night of light sleep would be worth it.

There was a sexy woman on him, and he was absolutely not looking that gift horse in the mouth.

PASS.

As he lay there, enjoying the moment, he wasn’t sure how long it took, but at some point, he fell asleep.

The whole time, Finn didn’t even feel Gabby getting restless.

So much for a light sleep.

Had he, Finn would have known something was wrong.

And it was about to get incredibly dangerous.

For her.

* * *The Ravensmire Castle* * *

In The Village

Sleazy Bar

The Alley

Graham had a few too many drinks, and that was about to bite him in the ass. He was three days beyond tipsy, as he tried so goddamn hard to forget about the pain.

Only, the problem with booze was that it took him even deeper into the torment, making it worse.

Yes, he may or may not have let himself get into this position intentionally so that he could forget.

But it wasn’t going away.

Not.

Even.

Close.

Instead, it was a punch to the face, making him angry, raw, and foul. In that moment, all he wanted was to suffer.

And he knew how.

Unfortunately.

As he and the hook up man were sitting in the corner booth, he’d let his guard down so he could hurt.

Oh, and he did.

The whole time he was tucked away with the stranger, and he was plying him with booze, the man had his dick in a death grasp. He was whispering in his ear all of the things he wanted to do to him.

And Graham didn’t care.

He felt nothing but loathing for himself.

The alcohol had him by the balls, much like the stranger he knew would hurt him.

It was crystal clear that he was completely dead inside, and that he deserved whatever happened to him.

When he told him to get up, sneak out the back, and meet him in the alley, Graham did it.

Why?

Because it seemed like a good way to die.

If he got lucky.

So, he snuck out the back, and met the man in the alley, and it was going about as well as he assumed. There was only one thing a stranger would ever want from him in an alley.

His ass.

The second he got there, Graham was grabbed, shoved against the wall, face first, and roughly manhandled through his pants.

The whole time, he said nothing.

Why?

Because he hated himself that damn much that this was exactly what he was worth.

A foul fuck with a stranger in a piss-filled alley.

“I’m going to fuck that ass like it’s never been fucked before,” he whispered in his ear.

Graham could feel his dick, and he knew this was going to be brutal.

“Beg me for it,” he ordered, still reaching around him and jerking on his dick through his pants.

Graham hated himself.

He couldn’t even muster one ounce of self-respect to pull himself out of this downward spiral.

And it was for the best.

Maybe he’d die there.

“Come on, you slut. Tell me to fuck you,” he said again, this time, there was violence in his voice.

And Graham didn’t stop him.

“Fuck me like I deserve,” he whispered, as tears filled his eyes, and what was left of his soul shattered apart into millions of unfixable pieces.

That was exactly what he’d wanted to hear.

When the man shoved down his pants, and his underwear, he braced for the onslaught.

And it was brutal.

He felt him pushing into his body without lubrication, and that pain that nearly took him to his knees. He whimpered in pain, and the man only liked it more.

He took him.

The nameless man forced himself into his body, with no gentleness, care, or finesse.

And he took his ass.

The whole time, Graham knew he deserved this. He earned this.

As he grunted in his ear, and pounded his ass, Graham took it because he’d asked for this.

It was official.

He was empty.

With his arm around his neck, Graham was slowly being suffocated, and he could save himself.

But he wouldn’t.

Maybe this one would be the one.

Maybe this was his end.

Only, as usual, he didn’t get that lucky.