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 hoHi Readers, I hope that you are enjoying the story of Finn and Lili. I love letting the characters guide me through the writing process. I might plan a chapter out, but then, something always happens and they help me twist the plot to their personalities!
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
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!"
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."
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
He was out of his league and was sinking faster than a ship out to sea. Anxiety was taking over as he felt he was failing his friends and community. He needed to get help and he needed it fast, before someone ended up dead and buried. What would the community say then? Lili almost died once and if Finn hadn't stepped in when he did, she very well may have. Now the fire, the shooters. Evil was coming at them from every corner. Finn's past was catching up to them along with whatever horrific deeds that Hal took with him to his grave. Well, they were now haunting the community as well. Billy and Anders sat in the conference room at the station and waited as a team was heading in from Madison to support their investigation. The detectives specialize in cyber and monetary crimes and hopefully they would be able to trace Hal's enemy, who is torturing poor Lili. The aroma of a fresh pot
Sitting back and listening, Billy was learning a lot about interview techniques and was aggrevated that this guy was so good at his job. Billy never needed to be this good, because this sleepy little town was essentially crime free with the exception of speeding tickets. Billy was not prepared for the sophistication of these criminals. "So, Steven let me get this straight, you want me to believe that you were hired by someone who just sent you a letter with money and directions to kill Lili. That's it!" "Yes, sir. I don't know who hired me or why she needed to be killed. I was just doing my job." "Your job! Your job to kill an innocent girl in cold blood! You're telling me that you thought it was acceptable to kill Lili with just a letter and some cash." Caleb snapped back. "Well, the letter threatened to kill me if I did not do as was expected of me," Steven added. "So, do you always follow the dire
Under the circumstances, they had decided to stay in town over the weekend and Lili tried to sit at her computer and type with just one hand. It was slow going and frustrating and she was so disconnected from the characters that she had been writing about, that she soon gave up. Instead she sat outside with the computer and read each chapter slowly, trying to get to know Gio and Hannah and make them a part of her daily life again. She was hoping to be able to start writing their story again within the next few days. She was just thinking that she might add a few hidden Finn adventures to the storyline, when Mr. Handsome walked onto the porch and said, "What are you thinking, princess? That look has under the covers all over it." She blushed as she looked into his eyes and took in his smile. He was driving her mad with nothing but kisses and hugs, insisting that she was still too broken for more intimacy. Her body was
Anders and Stacey couldn't believe their eyes as they read the contents of the notebook and it explained the desperate nature of Hal's behavior before his death and the attempts on Lili's life. They were silent on the drive back to the station and were afraid to speak out loud what they just learned. Hal had gotten himself mixed up in some serious corruption on the dark web. His enemies were to be feared. Within the hour all of the copies had been made and turned into the post office. Then they sat down and scanned the notebook for any high priority information. They found key names and dates, with phone numbers and financial information. Linking Caleb and Billy into a conference call, they kept the conversation to a minimum but revealed the key points, as Anders said, "We have the notebook secured and copies are made, delivered, etc." Caleb replied, "Good job and fast work. Let's just get through the highlights tonight