Page 93 of Exile and Embrace

I know that he is worried about me going to Tennessee without him, but we’ve been arguing about it for the past week. If he doesn’t think that I’ll be safe with Camila, the leader of the damn cartel in Tennessee, then I doubt he’ll ever trust anyone to keep me safe.

On one hand, knowing that he cares that much about me makes my heart skip a beat. On the other hand, I need him to loosen up a little.

I’m already terrified of being back in Tennessee and having memories of my father come flooding back. I don’t know what’s going to happen at the will reading.

Even though I thought I was done looking for answers where my father is concerned, this will reading is the last chance for him to tell me the truth about my birth mother.

I’ve been up for nights thinking about it.

He might have written me a letter, telling me everything. He could have an entire collection of journals that would give me some insight into why he kept everything from me.

I should just let the hope go and write my father off completely, but there is a little girl in me who wants to believe her father had a good reason for everything.

Finn sighs and rubs the stubble on his jaw. “It isn’t safe, Aves. I saw how scared you were after you got off the phone with Declan. And then learning your father tried to sell you to sex traffickers in Tennessee. How the hell can I believe that you’re going to be safe there if I can’t be with you?”

I cup his jaw, my thumb running over his cheek. “I’m going to be fine, Finn. You don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself, and Christian will make sure nothing happens.”

His eyes narrow. “I know Christian can keep you safe, but I don’t like it. I don’t like that we’re going to be nearly a country apart, and if something happens to you, I won’t be there.”

“You could still come with me. There’s plenty of room on the plane, and Christian won’t mind having one more person in his house. Not if Zoe tells him not to mind.”

He laughs and turns his head to kiss my palm. “No. I know that everything is going to be fine. You know how to protect yourself. I just worry about whatever the fascination Declan has with you is.”

I shrug, guilt clawing at me. If I told him the truth about my relationship with Declan now, Finn would never let me get on the plane. “I don’t know. It’s been over between the two of us for years. I’m going to be with Camila and Ruben the entire way to Tennessee and someone is always going to be with me while I’m there.”

Finn nods and signals to get back on the road. “I know.”

“You’re welcome to come.”

He shakes his head as we continue down the highway to the private airport. “Getting involved with your family right now isn’t a good idea. I’m sure that they’re nice enough people, but I’m not the kind of man who is going to be able to support a mourning family.”

“I doubt that they’re going to be mourning after everything my dad did to us.”

Finn gives me a flat look. “Aves, you think I haven’t seen you cry a couple times this week? Even if he was the scum of your earth, you still have good memories of him. It’s okay to mourn those.”

I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head. “I shouldn’t be shedding tears for a man like him. Not one.”

“If my father died next week, I might cry.” Finn puts his free hand on my thigh, giving it a light squeeze. “Don’t bottle away all your feelings, Aves. It’s only going to hurt more in the long run.”

He’s right, even though I don’t want to hear it.

I know that I’m going to go to Tennessee, and a thousand different emotions are going to come flooding back. There are likely still more tears to come for a man who would’ve screwed over his entire family to make his life better.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I look over at Finn, he’s already glancing at me.

He doesn’t say anything, his hand drifting up and down my thigh, sending heat rushing through my body.

“If you keep doing that, then we’re going to have to pull the car over, and we’re never going to get to the airport.” I put my hand over his as it starts creeping higher.

Laughing, I pull his hand off my thigh. “Damn it, Finn. I mean it.”

“Can’t blame a man for trying to keep you home with him.” He smirks and makes a show of putting both hands on the wheel. “I’m still worried about you, Aves. My father knows about you. Going to Tennessee is like walking straight into the lion’s den.”

“He’s in Virginia, and Camila is making sure that he doesn’t cross into her territory. You don’t have to worry about that. My family is going to be able to keep me safe.”

Finn groans. “I hate that you’re so set on going which makes me a massive asshole. I just want you to be safe, Ava. The last thing I want is to get a call from your sister saying that my father got to you.”

“Why do you think he’s going to come after me?”

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