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But did Trey and Parks really know what they were doing? Parks could be an ass at times, especially when drunk, but Trey never struck me as a bad guy. I hated the thought of something terrible happening to either of them.
Annika nudged me with her elbow. “Come on. We have lots to do. I need help with everything.”
I followed her down a set of stairs to the bottom level of the house, where Finn’s gym was. When I walked inside, it had everything we could ever need: punching bags, treadmills, weight benches, and much more.
“Wow,” I marveled, gazing around in awe.
Annika walked to the mirrors and lifted her leg onto the bar to stretch her muscles. “I know, right.”
Before I could begin to stretch with her, Finn’s reflection appeared in the mirror, his eyes meeting mine. “Good morning.”
I turned to face him. “Same to you.”
He looked different from last night, more casual in a pair of navy athletic shorts and a white tank top that showed off his tanned muscles. Even his hair was unkempt in that sexy, bedhead kind of way. He nodded toward the hallway.
“I was getting ready to go outside with my guys, but I wanted to see you first,” he said.
When I glanced back at Annika, she waved for me to go, smirking mischievously. Finn moved out into the hall, and I walked alongside him. He took me right back up the stairs Annika and I had just come down.
“I was shocked to hear you were coming here.”
I scoffed. “Yeah, I tend to shock myself sometimes. I just think it’s better to keep you both away from Fightanium. When my brother and father, and everyone else, return from their vacations, I don’t want them asking questions.”
I looked over at him and he nodded. “Fair enough. I kind of like you being here.”
He took me down a different hallway, and I could feel the nervousness well up in my chest. “Where are you taking me exactly?”
Chuckling, he stopped at a closed door and placed a hand on the doorknob. “You don’t have to be nervous, Reagan. You can trust me.”
A laugh escaped my lips, and I stared at him as if he’d just said the most ludicrous thing I’d ever heard. “Sorry. Trust is not something I have right now.”
“I understand,” agreed Finn. “After what Nikolai’s done, I can see why. Hopefully, I can change your mind on a few things.” Doubtful, but I didn’t feel the need to reply. “Are you still coming with me to the charity ball tomorrow night?”
I nodded. “Yes. I have all that money to give away.”
Finn’s lips spread into a wide grin. “Good. Then, I guess I can show you these.” He opened the door and inside was a bedroom that shimmered like a sparkling star. Everything inside was silver: the bedspread, curtains, and even the fabric of the chaise lounge chair at the foot of the king-sized bed. But that wasn’t what he wanted me to look at. On the other side of the room was a clothing rack lined with evening gowns of different colors.
Finn leaned against the doorframe and flourished a hand toward them. “Pick one. They arrived just this morning for you.”
Mouth gaping, I stepped into the room and searched through them; they were gorgeous and made by several of the top designers in New York. “Oh my God,” I breathed.
Finn laughed. “That’s what I hoped you’d say.”
Shaking my head, I turned to face him. “I can’t take one of these. It’s too much.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Yes, you can. I expect one of them to be gone by the time you leave here today.” He winked and then disappeared down the hallway, his footsteps fading away.
With a heavy sigh, I stared at the dresses; my envious heart really wanted one. I didn’t want to be seduced by fancy things, but it was nice. My sister was always pampered with expensive baubles, and so was Peyton. Never once had I been offered what they had until recently.
One royal blue gown caught my eye, and I reached for it, knowing that as soon as I touched the fabric, I’d give in. But it was just a dress.
It won’t change me.
After spending the day with Annika in Finn’s private gym, I tried not to let Braden’s failure to communicate get to me. Nevertheless, it made me angry that he never texted back. Instead of obsessing over it, I’d silenced my phone when Annika and I started our training session and put it away, determined not to look at it. As soon as I didn’t show up at Fightanium, I knew I’d get a gazillion calls. A few hours have passed since I’d looked at my phone, so there were probably some missed calls. Even though I didn’t want to look until I was back in my car, the suspense was killing me.
With my evening gown draped over my arm, I headed outside to my car. I wanted to leave before Finn finished with his fighters. He didn’t scare me or make me feel threatened like Nikolai did, but truth be told, that unnerved me more. It was evident that Finn was interested in me, and I had no idea how to proceed with everythingandmaintain my distance. If I turned him down, what would he do to me? Nikolai had threatened to kill my parents if my sister and Carter didn’t play by his rules. Would Finn do the same thing?
Looking up at the multimillion-dollar house, I felt a wave of unease wash over me. I wouldn't be there if it weren’t for wanting to help Annika. I probably shouldn’t have agreed to it in the first place. But unfortunately, it was too late to back out.
