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Opening the wardrobe door, I slipped inside just in time to hear the bedroom door click. When Finn didn’t call out my name, I knew I’d been right to hide.
Fear washed through my veins, though.
If someone was looking for me, would they think to look here?
They’d know I was sick, right? Would know I couldn’t have gone far.
Then, I heard it.
A low curse, then someone started talking even though I only heard the sound of one person’s footsteps in the room. Had they picked up their cell? I strained to hear what was being said, but it was foreign. I could speak some Spanish, but it wasn’t any kind of Romance language I knew. It sounded Russian.
Fear made me feel light-headed. I hadn’t stood up this long in days, and my heart was pounding, making my temples pulse with a cruel kind of pain.
I clung to the rail with my right hand. Stretching had me seeing stars, but I needed the support and could only hope it wouldn’t come crashing down if I put too much weight on it. I tried to control my breathing, but it came out in gusts that sounded extremely loud to my ears. I felt hot in the small space and I wanted nothing more than to get out, to get some fresh air.
After what felt like a lifetime, the Russian faded, as did the sound of the stranger’s footsteps. Whoever had come up here hadn’t been very thorough.
Had they been looking for me? Or for Finn?
I sent up a quick prayer of thanks that I’d sent him out to confess. God, talk about perfect timing.
The only problem was, I didn’t dare move. How would I know the apartment was clear? How would I know it was safe, and that the Russian wasn’t waiting for Finn to arrive? Andifhe was waiting on Finn’s return, I had no means of warning my husband, because, dammit to hell, I’d left my cell phone charging on the nightstand.
Oh, God. I was one of those women. One of those stupid damn women in the horror movies who went outside when everyone behind the screen was yelling at her foolish ass to stayinsidethe house.
Fuck.
Fright crashed into my very fragile sense of self. I was shaking like a leaf from both the exertion and terror, and in the end, I had to slump against the side of the wardrobe, my head pressing into the maple, to stop myself from passing out.
I didn’t know how long it was, hours or minutes later, but I heard Finn’s panicked voice as he called my name.
“Finn!”
God, was that me?
So weak? So quivery?
I wasn’t sure he could hear me, but how would I find the strength to speak up?
I clenched my eyes shut, gathered all my strength in preparation for yelling out his name, but I didn’t have to.
The door opened. The clothes were shoved aside, and there they were.
The O'Donnelly brothers and Finn. All armed. All looking a mixture of piss-your-pants scary and concerned for me.
When Finn’s worried gaze snared mine, my knees buckled like that was all I’d been waiting for. He swore and dove to catch me. I had no doubt he would, just hated that I looked so damn weak—especially in front of his brothers. They were men who respected strength, something I’d seen the first time I’d met them that initial Sunday lunch I’d had with the family.
Flopping into Finn’s arms wasn’t exactly a show of strength, and I felt sick about it, but I nuzzled into Finn’s arms the second he hauled me into him. Needing his support, needing to cling to him. Just knowing he was here made me feel safe, when life had already proven to me that there was no such thing as safety anymore.
God, what had I gotten myself into?
“Fuck, Aoife, fuck,” he whispered, kissing my head, kissing the side of my face. Anywhere he could reach, he kissed, and I sensed his panic in each caress.
“What’s going on?” I whispered back, frightened by how quiet my voice was.
Shit, was I on the brink of passing out?
The combination of the heat from the closet, the fact I’d been standing for only God knew how long, and the gut-wrenching fear were plaguing my besieged system.
