Page 59 of When You're Safe

The rain startedto fall with greater fury again. Sam gave Finn an icy stare before taking thekeys and getting in the car. The engine started up and the car moved off towardthe small cobbled road that led to the drawbridge.

Finn turned toWinters and grinned. “I finally got rid of that car!”

Winters tookout her own keys. “Get in.”

The roar ofengines tore through the night as Winters and Finn sped out of the courtyard.Their car’s headlights pierced through the rain, following the taillights ofFinn’s old car that now carried the fugitives.

The shortcobbled road leading out of the Castle DeGrey toward the drawbridge was narrow,and felt more precarious than before, certainly treacherous in the stormyconditions. With the rain making the cobbled surface slick, the chase wasfraught with danger.

The carrumbled along the stone, and Finn felt the vibrations running up through thechassis and up into his legs. The surface was never built with cars in mind,its ancient origins laid centuries before cars and phones and even electricitywere but a dream in an inventor’s imagination.

Finn felt asthough the car was going to skid off those shiny cobblestones, thrusting theminto a deadly collision with the mighty stone walls of the castle, but thedanger did not seem to deter Winters. She gripped the wheel intently, handlingthe car with the adept skill of an off-road driver.

Even frominside Winters’s vehicle, Finn could hear the familiar grinding and crunchingsound of his car’s failing gearbox up ahead. Falstaff was struggling to keepcontrol, the car jerking erratically and losing speed.

Using this toher advantage, Winters deftly maneuvered her vehicle alongside Finn’s car. “Holdon!” she shouted to Finn, her determination evident in the set of her jaw. “He’llonly kill again if we let him get away.”

With acalculated nudge, she forced Finn’s car toward the edge. The two cars scrapedagainst each other, metal against metal, before the weight and inertia sentFinn’s vehicle crashing through the guardrail and plummeting into the moatbelow.

The splash wasenormous, sending water cascading into the air. Winters skidded her car to astop, and both she and Finn leaped out, rushing toward the moat’s edge. Withouthesitation, they both dove into the murky waters, searching for Elizabeth andFalstaff.

Amid thebubbles and the darkness, Finn managed to grab Elizabeth, dragging her up tothe surface, struggling with the injury to his shoulder. Winters surfacedmoments later, Falstaff gasping in her grip. Both culprits were dazed butalive.

On the bank,the two gate guards, previously rendered useless in the unfolding drama, nowhurried to assist. They helped pull Elizabeth and Falstaff from the water,their hands swiftly secured behind their backs with Winters’s cuffs.

Coughing andspluttering, Finn managed to get out, “Knew you gentlemen would come in handyeventually.” He shot them a weary smile.

Waterloggedand exhausted, Winters and Finn caught their breath, the rain mingling with thewater from the moat. “You okay, Finn?” Winters asked, concern evident in hereyes.

Finn touched hisshoulder, his fingers coming away smeared with blood. “I’ll live,” he repliedwith a grimace. Then, with a smirk, he added, “But if I’d been wearing my luckyHawaiian shirt, this never would have happened.”

Winterschuckled, shaking her head in amusement. Their moment of levity was interruptedby the distant sound of sirens, growing louder as they approached the outskirtsof Castle DeGrey. The storm was finally starting to abate. Somewhere unseen beyonddistant horizons, a new day beckoned.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

The Gordon LaMer restaurant was a sight to behold. Far more upmarket than Finn was used to.The chandeliers hung like stars from the ceiling, illuminating the opulent goldand red decor. The ambience was a mix of elegance and sophistication, with thesoft hum of conversation paired with the clinking of expensive silverware.

It had allbeen paid for by Frau Wolf and the DeGrey estate.

Finn, Winters,and Rob sat at a corner table with a panoramic view of London’s nighttimecityscape. Rob was impeccably dressed in his usual authoritative manner, whileFinn, to everyone’s surprise, was in a stylish black suit, his injured armsupported in a sling.

“I have tosay,” Winters commented with an amused smirk, “I’m rather thankful to the chieffor lending you a suit. I half-expected you to show up in something that couldblind a bat.”

Finn glanceddown at his attire, raising an eyebrow. “What? And miss the chance to outshineyou for once?” He grinned, his gaze flitting to Winters.

She sat acrossfrom him, a vision in a black dress that accentuated her elegant features. Herred hair, usually tied up during their investigations, flowed in loose curls,emphasizing the fairness of her skin and the intensity of her green eyes. Finnhad seen Winters in many situations, and although she had always been abeautiful woman, tonight, she looked absolutely breathtaking.

Rob, noticingthe exchange, chuckled softly before lifting his champagne glass. “To Finn andWinters,” he said, his voice filled with warmth. “Two for two now. I must say,it’s a shame there won’t be a third case. It’s been quite the ride with youhere, Finn.”

Finn smirked,picking up his own glass. “Actually, Rob,” he began, pausing for dramatic effect,“I have some news.”

He set hisglass down, fishing his phone out of his pocket. He placed it on the table, anopened email facing upward. Winters leaned in, her brow furrowing as she read,while Rob adjusted in his seat to get a clearer view.

The silencewas palpable as the two absorbed the information. Finally, Winters looked up,her surprise evident. “Three months?!”

“That’s right,”Finn confirmed, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “The case in the US has beenpostponed. My lawyer was able to argue that since I had been injured serving aforeign country, our ally no less, I needed time to recuperate from being shot.So, do you think merry old England can handle a bit more of me?”

Rob laughedheartily, clapping Finn on the back. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

---