“I don’t kid, son. If I think you’re not taking care of yourself, I’ll send someone down there to get you. Or worse, I’ll send Murray down there to babysit you.”
Oh, hell no. Jason Murray had been in training with him, and he was the chattiest son of a bitch Finn had ever met. Good guy, but Finn might flee the country if he had to share his vacation with the dude. “Got it. Pictures. Active, social Finn.”
“You better convince me, Dorsey.”
Finn rubbed his brow where a headache was brewing. “Yes, sir. And keep me up to date on the case. I’m on leave, but I need to see this thing through.”
“Of course. I’ll keep you in the loop.”
Finn ended the call with his boss and scrubbed a hand over his face. Part of him wished he was back in Virginia, working, going through the mountain of evidence he’d collected with the team. The operation had been his baby. He wanted to see those bastards who ran Dragonfly rot in jail. He wanted to look them in the face, knowing all the horrific crimes they’d committed, and tell them, “Gotcha, assholes.”
But he’d known what would be awaiting him back there. He’d already gone through all the therapy and shit after high school. He couldn’t face another round.
He could bury the ghost of Axel here. Be Finn again. Even though that persona felt like a ghost these days as well. Only when he’d kissed Liv had he felt a thread of that guy he used to be.
Liv.
His fingers flexed as his thoughts shifted from work back to what had happened on the deck. The way Liv had melted into him. The sounds she’d made. Had they not been interrupted, he could have her here in his room right now, drawing those needy noises out of her, tasting her skin…
No.
He needed to stop thinking about the woman. His mind and his quickly stiffening dick couldn’t take it. He and Liv had made the right decision. The smart one. With a grunt, he pushed himself off the bed, tossed his phone onto the nightstand, and stripped down to his boxers, ignoring the half-hard state of his cock. He’d become a pro at taking care of things on his own, but he knew his hand wouldn’t satisfy him tonight. It would just torture him more, remind him of what he didn’t have.
So instead, he focused on doing his nightly routine. One he couldn’t seem to shake even on break. He tucked his gun into his boot next to the bed, within easy reach, and then he double-checked the locks on the doors and windows, making note of all the escape routes.
Once that was all done, he finally let himself settle into bed, Liv still on his mind.
In the morning, he’d leave a note under her door with his number in case she ever needed anything. Then he’d head to the lake house before anyone else got up. Billings wanted him to socialize and re-acclimate, but he’d just have to figure out a way to send the right pictures to get by. Because what was the point? In a few months, he’d be back on assignment. A ghost again.
He didn’t know how to be anything else anymore.
chapter
FIVE
Thump.
Liv rolled over in bed and blinked in the darkness, the unfamiliar room jarring her for a moment. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the cotton from her head.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The soft knocking that had disturbed her sleep came again. What the hell? She sat up and flicked on the lamp, squinting in the sudden light. The knock sounded again but became more insistent.
“Liv?”
The voice was muffled. One of her friends? Hard to tell. But the knocking didn’t stop.
“Okay, okay, hold on.” She climbed out of bed and made her way across the room, her feet moving as though she were walking through marshland, each step slow and cumbersome. She peeked through the peephole, but didn’t see who she’d expected. She frowned and opened the door. “Finn?”
He stood in the hallway, looking just how she’d left him on the porch—black T-shirt, worn jeans, and thick-soled boots. But his hair was mussed and the look on his face intent. “I couldn’t sleep.”
“Okay,” she said carefully.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
“Oh.” The words sent a wash of warmth through her. “That’s…interesting.”
He braced a hand against the doorjamb, leaning in, his voice low and dangerous. “I shouldn’t be here. You should tell me to go back to my room. Right now. Tell me, Liv.”