Abigail

The nightmares had been getting worse.

Two nights ago Annette had shaken me awake at three in the morning, her hands gripping my shoulders. I had woken swinging, gasping, certain that something, someone had their hands around my throat.

My parents’ killer. That man whose face I couldn’t remember.

It was the same now. The lights in the restaurant went down and the void fucking grabbed me. The floor swayed under my feet and suddenly I was back in that wrecked car fifteen years ago.

Cold metal pressed against my cheek. The smell of petrol was heavy in the air, the rain pouring harder only made the smell thicker.

I couldn’t see. My fingers pushed, hitting the window weakly, croaking, calling, but no one heard. No one was coming.

Help me.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest flexed painfully as I tried to gulp down air but I somehow felt so full of air, without having any.

"...can you hear me..."

A hand or something touched my face and I screamed. They wanted to choke me again, I just knew it. Mom and Dad were already dead. Cole was dead. I was next.

I was next.

"....Abby..."

I screamed harder, fighting the hands in the dark.

Let go of me! Don’t touch me.

The hands wrapped around my throat, choking, crushing my windpipe. My eyes rolled back in their sockets and the darkness began to swallow me when-

"Abigail, hey, hey, you’re safe,"

Lies, they were all lies. I would never be safe. Raymond Cole was dead.

You’re next.

"Hey, hey stop fighting me." The voice, deep and soft, washed over me and the grip around my neck loosened a bit. "You’re not there. You’re here, right here with me. I’ve got you,"

"H...help them," I croaked, pointing before me. I couldn’t see my parents but I knew they were there, bloodied, smashed and dead.

The hands around my neck were gone. The sounds of the rain drops hitting the car in heavy thuds disappeared as well as the car itself.

I was propped against something... no, someone. His chest heaved and fell against my head and with a sob my fingers latched onto his shirt, grabbing fistfuls of fabric, my entire body shaking as the world came into view.

The mat on the floor was cool under my knees. There were arms around me, a chest against my cheek, the warmth of his body wrapping around me.

"You’re alright." He soothed, stroking a hand downy back. "You’re alright."

I knew that voice. The tremors moved through me in waves, rising and falling. I couldn’t stop the tears, my fingers gripped his shirt hard because I was afraid that letting go meant the dark might come back and I couldn’t fucking stand it.

"Don’t let go," I whimpered, burying my face deeper in his chest, taking deep breaths of his scent in through my nose. His arms tightened around me as he replied.

"I’m not going anywhere."

The room came back bit by bit. The low restaurant light was back. Someone had to write to the management about getting some bright bulbs in here and I was going to do that as soon as I stopped sobbing my eyes out.

He was on the floor with me, his jacket off, one arm around my back and one hand at my head, his chin resting against my hair.

The door slid open and a waitress bowed in the entrance. "I sincerely apologize for the power disruption, we had a-Oh my, Is she alright?"

I’m bawling my eyes out like a six month old, what do you think lady?

"I’m taking her." Finnegan said, shifting his weight and getting his arms under me. "Thank you."

"Finn..." I protested weakly.

"Just stay, I’ve got you,"

He swept me off the ground. My face went to his shoulder, my hands finding his lapel, as he carried me through the restaurant.

My cheeks heated up in embarrassment and I tucked my face deeper not wanting to see the looks on anyone’s face as they watched my boss cart me out through the doors.

James had the back door open before we reached the car. Finnegan lowered himself in with me still in his arms and the door slammed closed.

That was all I remembered before drifting unconscious.

****

Oh god, I would know that scent anywhere.

I curled against the sheets surrounding me, taking a deep inhale of the Tom Ford scent surrounding me. It was like someone snatched all the scent off Finnegan and dumped it in my room. Maybe I was dreaming

I stretched, burying my face in the pillow drunk on him. Damn, how did I get my room to smell exactly like him?

My eyes fluttered open slowly. Wait... my room? 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Golden rings of lights hung off above me in a deep arch carved into the ceiling.

I sat bolt upright. This was not my room. Oh definitely not. It had to be as huge as my entire apartment. The ceilings were high like towers, making me feel rather tiny in the huge bed I was sprawled on.

Floor to ceiling windows were on one side with the city spread beyond them. A reading chair was in the corner in dark brown leather. The floor was marble with a circular deep grey rug around the bed.

Yeah, everything in here screamed filthy rich, sexy, lethal Finnegan.

Oh my god, he had brought me to his home. Wasn’t he mad at me? My hand flew to my chest, a soft gasp escaping my parted lips.

He had helped me. I’d have thought he would abandon me at the restaurant with how angry he was, but even in his anger, Finnegan had chosen kindness.

What happened to the cold, cynical Wolfe? Or had I read him wrong all along?

The door opened and my jaw dropped at the sexy sight before me. My lips parted in a drool.

Jesus holy Christ. Feed me Daddy.