Page 40 of Shattered Hearts
I know enough to know that tattoo is Kings’ specific. I don’t know the details, but there are a whole slew of meanings associated with particular mob tattoos, and I’ve seen other Gallagher men with the same one. Maybe it stands for widower…
Finn moves his left arm to the wheel and folds his right onto the armrest between us. The heat radiating off his skin touchesme. My heart rears up like a spooked horse, just having his long, rough fingers reclined so close to me.
Calm down! Why do you have to be so damn susceptible to him? Things will be a lot easier if?—
The screech of tires drowns out every other sound.
Out of nowhere, an acid green muscle car swerves into our lane, cutting us off in traffic. Finn thrusts his arm in front of me and slams the brakes.
We lurch forward. The offending vehicle zooms off. The close call has both of us breathing hard, and when our eyes meet, the unguarded exchange that passes between us sends my heart scrabbling against my ribs.
Finn’s eyes boil with a contagious heat, warming my cheeks. His outstretched arm hovers mere inches in front of my chest.
The dude behind us lays on the horn so hard, we jump, snapping out of the moment and back into reality.
Finn retracts his arm and drops his foot back on the gas. My head hits the headrest as we race through the intersection onto the next block.
“You all right?” Finn’s voice is gruff with an emotion I can’t name.
“Fine.”Never told a bigger lie in my life.
As we ease to a stop at the next light, the oxygen in the car begins to evaporate. Thesqueezingandpoppingof straining leather draws my gaze to Finn, whose ghost-white knuckles tighten around the steering wheel hard enough to rip it from the console.
Murder’s in Finn’s eyes as he scowls at something ahead of us.
Terror drips through me. I follow his vengeful gaze.
The acid green muscle car zips into a turn a block ahead of us.
With my luck, I’m going to be late for work since Finn needs to stop and assassinate the driver on the way.
What else could that frothing, venomous gleam in his eyes mean?
Some people get road rage. Finn gets road wrath.
His jaw clenches and loosens on repeat. I brace myself for a chase, but Finn surprises me by continuing to the shelter. By the time we get there, I’m lightheaded from holding my breath.
I all but dive out onto the curb, gulping down that grimy Manhattan air. My nerves, always on edge when Finn’s around, tell me to run inside again without so much as a goodbye. But when I don’t budge, the passenger window zips down a few inches, making me freeze.
I bend over a little and find Finn’s expectant eyes leveled on me.
My heart leaps up to my throat.
“Friday.” That one word is Finn for,we’re doing something on Friday, right?
I don’t trust myself to speak, so I just shake my head yes, confirming our next appearance day. Finn gives an almost imperceptible nod.
Then, without another syllable, he smashes the gas and tears off into the dimming afternoon haze, like a shadow disappearing with the daylight.
Would he have killed that guy back there, if not for me?
Unanswered and unsatisfied, my heart stammers, beating hard for the man I know I can’t have long after he’s gone.
Chapter 11
Riley
By Wednesday morning, I have nothing left.