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11. Empty Rooms
It took several hours to calm Lili down from the latest tragedy in her life, but Finn stayed by here side and held her the entire time. As the tears slowed down, she asked Finn, "Can you go and see if there's anything left? Take pictures. I need to know."
Finn was worried that this was not a good idea but finally agreed to go in the morning and discuss the damage with the fire marshall and Billy.
In the meantime, he was able to get Lili to calm down and sleep for a few hours.
Once he verified that she was asleep, he went to the visitor's waiting room and called Russel.
"Hey Finn! How are you and Lili managing?"
Finn let out a small laugh before he said, "Well, two steps forward and ten steps backwards."
"What happened?" Russel asked with concern in his voice. He knew Finn well enough that something wasn't right.
"Russ, Lili's house was burned to the grou
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Protecting My Heart 12. Into the Unknown With You
Finn opened the car door and held his hand out to help Lili get out of the car safely. He noticed her expression and wasn't sure if she was going to like this place but once she stood in his embrace she said, "Before we go in, let's just stand here for a second. I want to take this moment in." She was right, this was a big and momentous occasion for them. They would be living together. Two strangers, getting to know each other without defined boundaries. He was scared but tried not to show it. He wrapped his right arm around her as they looked up at the red brick farmhouse with it's inviting wrap around porch and oak rocking chairs. It was really nice and way more than they needed but it was a safe place and they would make it work. "It's nice. Finn, it's nice." Lili was so excited and her innermost feelings were surprisingly positive and she wasn't afraid of Finn and being alone with him. H
Protecting My Heart 13. No Place Like Home
Finn managed to tear himself away from Lili and walked into the bathroom to run the bath water. He filled the tub with warm water and rose water bubble bath. As the room filled with steam he started to get scared that he was going to ruin this moment by saying something stupid or out of place. It wouldn't surprise him, not one bit, if he scared her off by saying something offensive. He wouldn't mean it, but sometime, well sometimes, he just said stupid stuff. With apprehension he shut off the water and walked out to where Lili was resting. She looked so comfortable as she sat there with her cocoa and wrapped in a old flannel blanket that bespoke of comfort and warmth. "Are you ready, my dear little one to feel the warm water on your skin?" he asked. Then he wondered if he said too much, as he scanned her expression for her emotions. Lili just smiled and commented, "Oh my, ye
Protecting My Heart 14. Ghosts from the Past
Around a week laterThe weather was beautiful and Lili really needed to get out of the house, so they planned to take a short walk and have a picnic underneath the willow tree about a few hundred yards from the house. The tree was up a slight hill and it would be a great test of her growing strength.Hand in hand, they walked the short distance and Lili was proud of her increased stamina and how comfortable they were becoming with each other in such a short time."How are you managing?" Finn asked as they were just about to the tree."All is good, all is good!" Lili stated firmly. She didn't want him to think she was a cry baby, just because every bone in her body still ached and the headaches were about the same; intense and at times overwhelming her senses.She was determined to get through this without complaining or taking any pain meds, but she did let him bring them along, just in
Protecting My Heart 15. Aftermath
Finn grabbed Lili and clung to her immediately upon closing their front door. Torrents of tears washed over him as his emotions fell apart. He couldn't pretend to be brave anymore. "Lili, oh my Lili, I am so sorry that my past brought you into danger. I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you today." He just clung to her and buried his face in her wavy red curls. Her scent as well as her touch slowly calmed him down. She was exhausted and needed to go to sleep but pushed through as she whispered, "Finn, of all the days, you finally felt I was strong enough to go on that picnic. If we weren't up there, well, who knows. See, somehow fate, God, your prayers, well they kept us safe. Right?"He just stayed silent, but walked her into their bedroom and tucked her snuggly under the covers and hopped in, from the other side. He whispered, "We can talk later. Can I just ho
Protecting My Heart 16. Confusion
Anders walked out of the interview room ashen and shaken. He couldn't believe the stories Rory was babbling about; but he couldn't ignore them either. What was he going to tell Billy? These lies couldn't be true! No way! No how! He walked as slow as possible to Billy's office and he leaned against the door frame and just looked across the room with his eyes trained on the outdoors. He didn't comprehend what just happened and he dreaded sharing the implications with his boss. "What? Spit it out, Anders!" Billy ordered. Anders felt his knees giving way and barely made it to the dilapidated chair across from Billy. "Billy, he leveled some pretty serious allegations against Finn. He believes Finn forced himself on Rory's sister and that he stole and hid drug money." Anders finally replied. Anders felt his hands go clammy and he rubbed them on his pants while he waited for Billy to proce
Protecting My Heart 17. The Ghosts That Haunt You
Two days later Glass shattered on the tile floor into a thousand tiny shards. Lili was standing in the middle of the mess and was crying as Finn bolted into the bathroom. "Don't move!" he yelled as he entered. Taking a good look at Lili, he grimaced as he watched the tears streaming down her face. "Lili, it's okay. Everything is going to be okay." "Finn, I am so sorry. I am always making a mess of things. This hand, Finn, it's getting worse!" Scooping his barefoot beauty off her feet he whispered, "Bath time is rescheduled. I have other plans for you now." "TJ! Finn!" she yelled as he carried her to their bedroom and softly placed her on the comforter. "Hmmm! What should I do to you? Kiss you or,...?" He let his words hang in the air as he lightly tickled her. Lili squirmed and giggled before managing to say, "I prefer kissing!"
Protecting My Heart 18. Just an Ordinary Day
Lili stayed in bed after Finn got up and felt butterflies stirring her emotions as she thought about his touch upon her skin. They just kissed and cuddled but it sent firecrackers through every fiber of her being. She was on cloud 9! As thoughts flitted through her brain, she blushed when she remembered images of Finn's body. Walking up to the bed, Finn scared her out of her private world when he asked, "I thought you wanted to go out today?" "I do, but I was just thinking," she said, defending herself. "Well, from the looks of it, I think I know what's on your mind," he whispered before kissing her lips. Trying to hide underneath the covers got her nowhere as his fingers tickled her. "I am getting up," she squealed until he stopped tormenting her. "Ok, seriously! We need to get you dressed as I need to stop by Russel's to grab some paperwork and then we can head out for ice cream."
Protecting My Heart 19. The Shadows Surrounding Us
Words filled Lili's head with fantastical stories and fear took over as she listened to Finn tell Billy what was going on. He dialed Russel immediately after and explained the situation all over again. He was pissed at Billy for not resolving this situation sooner, especially after the fire. Why didn't Billy have more information on who started the fire? It was far from random. Yet, Billy was no where with that investigation.Now this! How much more could Lili handle?When he turned around, Lili was gone and he started to panic. He knew that the house fire was deliberately set and the dangers that Hal set into motion were still in play.He started to feel guilty! He should have known better that the fire wasn't the end of Hal's revenge.What the hell Billy! You better get here soon or we are going to be dead. He couldn't imagine why they didn't break into the house by
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