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“He believed a wife made him look more respectable. Especially the daughter of the New York governor.”
“So, you accepted just like that?” Finn snaps his fingers in front of my face.
I pull back my shoulders. “No, not ‘just like that’. I refused. Told him there was no way in hell I’d marry him. He said if I didn’t agree with his terms, he’d make my family’s life a living hell. And I believed him. I’d heard about how he’d been involved in ruining people’s lives. It wasn’t just a threat—it was a warning.”
Finn propels off the sofa, throwing his arms up. “Why didn’t you come to me? I had money.”
“It was millions of dollars!”
“I would have gotten the money any way I had to. You know I would.” He slaps a hand to his chest.
I hang my head. “I know you would.”
“Then why didn’t you come to me?”
Rising from the sofa, I step closer to him. Careful not to come too close that it might make him skittish and back away. “He threatened you too.”
Finn shrugs. “I wouldn’t have given a fuck what he did to me. He could have taken everything I owned. Left me penniless. Slandered my name. All I wanted…neededwas you. Everything else meant nothing without you.”
Oh God. I hold back the tears burning the backs of my eyes. The anguish etched on his face, the pain I caused him, is killing me. I hold it together so I can get through the rest of the story. When I get home, in the privacy of my bedroom, that’s when I can fall apart.
“Do you remember a few days before we broke up, designs from one of the collections you were working on were stolen? Alessi Fashion lost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
Finn nods.
“That was Derek. He did that because I refused to marry him. He laughed at how easy it was to destroy you.” I wrap my arms around my waist and curl my shoulders inward. “I’ll never forget the mocking look of triumph on his face.” He knew I would never let anyone hurt Finn.
Taking two steps toward me, Finn cups my face in his hands and growls, “If you had told me, I could’ve taken care of it myself. You ruined us!” He flings his hands away, his chest heaving.
“I was protecting you,” I say, my voice cracking.
“I. Didn’t. Need. Your. Protection.” He grounds out each word through gritted teeth. “I neededyou!”
The tears burning in my eyes break free. “Finn—”
He cuts me off. “What about after your parents passed away and you didn’t have that threat hanging over your head? Why didn’t you come to me then?”
My bottom lip trembles. “I tried. When I told him I was leaving him, he organized the fire at Alessi’s in Paris. You’re lucky he didn’t have the entire building burned down.”
“You still should’ve told me. Derek could have burned it to the fucking ground for all I’d care.” He shoves his hands in the pockets of his pants.
“Put yourself in my shoes, I felt like I had no choice,” I plead, hoping he’d understand.
“People always have a choice. If it were me, I would have chosen you.Always. I wanted to marry you!” He removes one hand from his pocket and shakes his fist in the air close to my face.
I flinch, taking quick steps back.
“What the hell?” Finn’s expression changes from anger to concern. “Did you think I was going to hit you?” He opens up the palm of his hand; the engagement ring he was going to give me once sat in his palm.
“No…sorry…it’s just…” My body trembles.
Finn’s face turns dark and murderous. “Did that fucker hit you?”
The strength in my legs gives way, and I sink onto the sofa. Putting my elbows on my knees, I drop my head into my hands. I drag in deep breaths to help stop the churning in my stomach. I feel the seat next to me dip, and Finn’s arm slides across my shoulders.
A sob escapes from my mouth. Hot tears stream down my face, splashing on my skirt—so much for waiting to breakdown at home. During the years I was married to Derek, I never cried. I never wanted him to have the satisfaction of breaking me. No matter what he did to me, what he said, I held back the tears. Oh, it pissed him off. Toward the end, when he couldn’t get a rise from me, things changed. The insults and degrading comments weren’t enough.
Finn pulls me to his chest. I bury my face in his neck. Letting all the tears I never let Derek see, fall. Finn brushes a hand from my head down my hair, mumbling at my temple, “Ssshh. It’s okay. Ssshhh. I’ve got you.” The words only made me sob harder. He might have me now, but as soon as this is over, he’ll let me go. Cocooned in Finn’s arms is my safe place. I never want to let go.
