Page 103 of Finn

She glanced around. “Your condo had more life in it. Pictures, that sort of thing.”

“I told you before this was just a place to sleep. I haven’t really considered it home. Nothing felt like home after you left.”

She frowned, studying her mug but not saying anything. I took a long sip from my coffee, needing the bracing caffeine.

“Una, we need to talk.”

Her gaze flew to mine, panic flaring in them. “Finn?”

“No, everything is all right. But the future, Una. We need to talk about the future.”

“The future?” she whispered.

I nodded, gathering the words I needed to say. Knowing her reply might once again leave me alone and without her. A reality I was prepared for. Expecting, in fact, after what had occurred.

“How you foresee us going forward.”

She frowned, looking around. She rose from the sofa and walked around the room, staring and seemingly lost in thought.

“Honestly?” she asked.

I nodded, bracing myself. “Honest. We are always honest with each other.”

“For starters, I’d want to bring some color in here. Personality. I don’t want to live in a hotel room. Well, one that looks like a hotel room—even an expensive one.”

Something in my chest tripped. A small ripple went through me. “You want to stay here with me?”

“Well, first off, I can’t bear the thought of going to my apartment, and frankly, I can’t see you living there. It’s too small. We could look for another place, but I know you like being on-site here. But if we could make it more personal…”

At the look on my face, she trailed off, and an expression of anxious disbelief crossed hers.

“Oh. Oh God, you don’t want me here.”

I was on my feet instantly, crossing the room. I cupped her face, shaking my head. “I want nothing more. I didn’t know if you wanted to stay with me.”

“You mean stay here with you?”

I frowned. “I thought you were going to leave me again, Una.”

Her eyes went wide. “Leave you?”

“You have always hated that part of my life. You left me once because of it. This time was worse because it was you. I wouldn’t blame you.”

She covered my hands with hers, pulling our clasped fingers down to her chest. “Finn,” she whispered. “I told you I would stay. I trust you to keep me safe. I know what happened was because of a sick individual, not because of who you are.”

“You hate this world.”

“But I love you more.”

I bent my head, kissing her fingers. Then I pulled her into my arms and kissed her sweet mouth.

“I thought I’d lost you. That you’d tell me you had to go,” I confessed.

“And you’d let me?”

“I would give you anything to make you happy. I planned to buy you a hotel in a small place and let you go to follow your dreams.” I paused. “With trusted men close and my eyes on you from a distance.”

“You would have let me live my life without you?”