Page 51 of Liberating Mia
“Jensen Sullivan wanted Dylan dead. The night you raided the warehouse, I was there to tell Dylan what I’d overheard – that Jensen wanted him dead because he was worried D was trying to take over his operation.”
“Hold up. You want me to believe that the head of the ATF is the man behind the Velasco syndicate?”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m telling you. Jensen was the head of the Velasco syndicate.”
To have their intel substantiated by an insider stung. They’d received the intel months before, but to have it confirmed like this was difficult. It was always hard to hear that one of your own was dirty, especially so high up the ladder.
Desai quietly placed a manilla folder on the table in front of Finn. Finn nodded his thanks.
“I’ve got records of your brother’s business dealings here. I need you to talk me through them,” Finn stated.
Another hour and a half passed as they took Mason through all the records they’d printed from the flash drive Mia had given them. By the time they were done, a plan had started to take shape in the back of his mind. He needed to talk it through with Larry to formulate a solid strategy. Finally having all the pieces they needed, he couldn’t wait. He was just sorry he wouldn’t get to be personally involved in the take down.
His meds had long since worn off, yet he wasn’t ready to call it a day. Mason Hunt was escorted to a solitary confinement holding cell to ensure his safety. The team had been assembled and a plan of attack was being discussed. Compounds around the world would have to be raided simultaneously if they had any chance of success. They had one chance only to get it right.
A new day was dawning as Finn let himself into his room. He was exhausted, his arm and side were in agony, yet the sense of elation kept him going. After more hours than he cared to mention, worrying and waiting, their team had received confirmation that the raids had all taken place simultaneously and successfully. The major players had been arrested, even Jensen Sullivan. That one burned his ass. The man had worked his way to the top of the food chain with every intention of using the position to his advantage.
Even riding the high of closing the biggest case of his career, Finn could think of nothing better than getting back to Mia. He’d become so accustomed to her company and had missed her during the long hours as they’d waited for news. Concerned about the recent panic attacks she’d been having, he’d been texting back and forth with her.
He’d even gone so far as to have Tahlia check on her under the guise of keeping each other company while they waited for the men to return. But now that it was all over and he was back in their room, he felt a sense of peace settle over him being her presence.
Toeing off the dress shoes he’d worn for the wedding, he rolled his neck in an attempt to relieve the tightness. He reached up and carefully removed the T-shirt Desai had brought him at the hospital. Then he started in on the zipper of his dress pants. In only his boxer briefs, he slipped into the bed and felt the heat of Mia’s body as she lay partially on his side of the bed.
“Finn?” Her voice was scratchy with sleep.
“Yeah, Sugar. It’s me.”
“I’ve been so worried. Are you alright?”
“I’m good. Just exhausted.”
Rolling over, she curled into him, laying her head on his chest. “Sleep. We can talk in the morning.”
“It is morning.” He chuckled.
“We can talk later then.”
“Yeah.”
He curled an arm around her, hugging her tight to his side, and thanked his lucky stars. Theirs had been a wild ride, but since it had brought her into his life, he couldn’t be mad about it. Watching her walk down the aisle ahead of Tahlia today had been an awakening for him. He realized somewhere along the way he’d fallen for her.
For the first time in his life, he understood what all the love songs talked about in their lyrics. Because she embodied those lyrics, those feelings. And when they woke up, he couldn’t wait to tell her.
Epilogue
Two years later
The setting sun barely kissed the horizon as they stood holding hands on the very same beach where Larry and Tahlia had exchanged their vows two years earlier. He’d been planning this trip for months. Mia, having made the move to the United States with him when the case had ended, had been wanting to come home for a visit with her family, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
Pulling her into his arms, Finn crushed his lips to hers. The kiss instantly burned hot, leaving them both breathless. The need to come up for air had him breaking the kiss, his gaze intense as he drank in the sight of her.
Clarity had hit hard. This one tiny woman held his heart in her small hands. Without her, he had no desire to even be in this world. The restlessness that had plagued him for the past couple of years had suddenly made sense. His soul had recognized its mate before his mind had, and when he’d walked away that first night, he’d been oblivious to the fact.
She was everything that was good and right in his life. Nothing made sense without her.
He’d never thought he wanted or would get to have the white picket fence and two-point-five children, but it had hit him like a two-by-four that he did. With her. Only her.
On a clear summer’s night, he’d thought he was the one liberating Mia from certain hell when he’d found her caged on a wharf in the middle of chaos. But now? Now, he realized that Mia was, in fact, the one who’d freed him.
