Page 47 of Home Free

Just thinking about it caused desire to pool between her legs all over again, her spent body begging for the drug of Finn’s touch.

She looked at the empty pillow next to her, the sun streaking in through the big windows in the bedroom.

Rolling onto her stomach, she dropped her upper body off the bed and stretched to reach her jeans, pulled off by Finn and discarded in their hurry to get naked the night before.

She slipped her phone from the pocket and checked the time: just after eleven a.m.

Yikes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so late. They were due to see Nico Vitale this afternoon, which meant she needed to get moving.

She got out of bed and fished in her luggage for a pair of boxer shorts and a tank top, then padded into the living room.

She knew right away something was wrong, knew it from the way Ronan was staring at his computer on the apartment’s dining room table, Finn pacing behind him, his brow furrowed.

“It’s fine. Everything’s fine,” Julia was saying onscreen. “Please don’t worry. It’s just a little cleanup.”

“What’s going on?” Elise asked, walking around the computer to look at her sister. “What happened?”

Julia looked exhausted, her face drawn, so pale the shadows under her eyes looked like bruises.

“Someone broke into the house while we were in London,” Julia said.

Dread seeped like an oil slick through Elise’s stomach. “Are you serious? Was anyone home?”

Julia shook her head. “JT was with Annie, as planned, and Nick and Alexa are in their house full-time now.” She sighed. “It’s just a mess.”

“I’ll be home in six hours,” Ronan said, his voice tight with rage.

“No, you won’t,” Julia said. “There’s nothing you can do here.”

“The hell there isn’t,” Ronan almost roared. “I can protect my family.”

“Finn is your family too,” Julia said, her eyes flashing. “And I’m not a damsel in distress. The alarm worked just like it should, which is why most of the damage is in the kitchen and living room. The cops got here less than ten minutes after the alarm was tripped.”

“Ten minutes too long,” Ronan growled.

“I filed a police report,” Julia said. “They’re going to send a patrol car around every half hour for the next few days.”

“Great, I’ll be happy to bring the officers coffee when I get home,” Ronan said, his voice tight.

“Listen to me, Ronan.” Julia’s voice was uncharacteristically hard. “I want you to stay in Rome. I want you to finish this with Finn. It’s gone on too long — for everyone. If you come home now, we’re right back where we started.”

Elise knew Julia was thinking of her and Finn. She heard Julia’s voice in the back seat of the car in London.

Enough.

They’d all had enough. It was time to finish it.

“I want to be there,” Ronan said.

“I know.” Julia’s voice softened. “I want you here too. But I’m going to be so, so pissed if you come home without seeing Nico.”

Ronan picked up the computer and marched into his bedroom. The door slammed behind him.

Finn looked at Elise and sighed. “Fuck.”

“Was it Achilles?” Elise asked.

“Had to be,” Finn said. “Nothing was even stolen.”

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