Page 97 of Finn

“Mo chroí,” I murmured. “He’s gone.”

Her voice was drenched in horror and so loud she was almost screaming. “You are not burying my brother with these people.”

Behind me, Roman spoke, his voice firm and calm. “No. We’ll take him, Una. You can bury him properly with your dad. We’ll make sure he gets the respect he deserves, right, Finn?”

“Yes,” I said, meeting her pain-filled gaze. “He saved your life. Tonight, he became a hero. He died protecting you.”

“Promise?” she asked, her voice sounding like a child’s.

“Yes. But you have to let Roman take care of it.”

She finally loosened her hold. Roman leaned down. “Take her, Finn. Leave this all to us. You need to get her out of here. The others have been dispatched and are already on their way to the hotel. Niall has someone he is refusing to let go of. Take them and Una and go. We’ll follow shortly once we finish here.” He met my eyes. “It won’t be long.”

Time was of the essence. We needed to get everyone out and cleared before the explosions began. Before someone heard or saw something. We didn’t want any civilian deaths on our hands.

I didn’t argue. I stood and picked up Una, pushing her head into my neck. The squelch of pooling blood under my feet made me shudder. I covered her ear with my palm, pushing her head into my neck. I didn’t want her to hear it. To look around and see the carnage, the dead bodies and the blood. She had enough to recover from. I walked to Niall. “We need to go.”

He nodded, still holding the small blond woman Una had called Anna. I didn’t ask why.

Clutching my girl, I carried her out of that barn, praying one day her mind would release her from it as well.

I would do everything in my power to make sure it happened.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

FINN

No 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.