Page 16 of Finn's Future

“You fell asleep sitting up earlier.”

I let out a quiet groan. “That’s embarrassing.”

“You also snore.”

I stared at him, blinking. “I do not.”

One corner of his mouth lifted slightly, amusement flickering across his face. “Little bit.”

I narrowed my eyes, fighting the smile threatening to break through. “Liar.”

That earned me a proper smile this time, but it was gone almost immediately. Still, something about seeing it made the room feel different.

Less heavy.

I pulled the blanket higher over myself. “You can sleep for a while,” I offered. “I’ll wake you if something happens.”

Finn shook his head. “And if something happens before you wake me?”

I didn’t have an answer for that.

He leaned back in the chair again, arms folded loosely instead of tight across his chest. “You sleep,” he said quietly. “I got it.”

Hearing someone say that after months of surviving on fear and adrenaline made my eyes burn unexpectedly. I turned onto my side before he could notice.

Finn stayed near the door and sometime between one breath and the next, I realized I wasn’t listening for danger anymore.

I was listening for him.

Chapter 8

Finn

The next morning, I made a call before the sun was fully up to an old contact from my life before I patched in. He was a lab tech at County General who owed me a favour after I’d quietly handled something for his brother. I kept it simple—a discreet paternity test, priority processing, no paperwork floating where it shouldn’t be.

We had an appointment for eleven, which was good because having a woman and kid constantly with me was doing nothing for my sex life. Hopefully, whatever way it went, I’d be off babysitting duty and would be balls deep in Honey before the sun set.

I texted Reaper the details.

Me: County General. 11am. Lucy needed for comparison. Few days turnaround even on priority.

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

Reaper: Understood. Keep it tight.

A knock on the door startled Kate. Her whole body went rigid and her hand automatically shot out and settled on Noah’s stomach.

I was already moving before she could bolt.

Maria stood, beaming, with a brand-new car seat balanced on her hip. “Lucy said you didn’t have one.”

Kate murmured a quiet thank you, clutching Noah closer whilst we watched Riot and Keno wrestle with putting the car seat in the truck.

By ten-thirty, we were on the road. Kate sat beside me, Noah strapped into the back seat, her eyes wide like the world might reach in through the windows and snatch him.

“You good?” I asked.

She nodded, but her grip tightened on the seatbelt.