Chapter 14

Chapter

Fourteen

W hen she was sure he was asleep, Finn disengaged from Croft’s embrace, then silently left their bed, dressed, and slipped out of his home. She needed space and time to think. She tried to convince herself her reasons for wanting to remain were twofold—she felt obligated to him for saving both her and Christian, and his dominant lovemaking so overloaded her senses, she couldn’t think straight in his presence.

Finn breathed a sigh of relief when she saw someone had ferried her rental car back from the Grand Canyon. At that moment, she was grateful she had rented an electric car. She got in, started it up, and drove away silently.

It was still early enough, no one else on the ranch appeared to be up and moving around, for which she was grateful. Once she was on the main highway, she called the airlines and made a reservation. She thought about simply flying home but reminded herself Croft would be none too pleased with her hasty exit from his life and was liable to come looking for her.

As she drove to the airport, she was reminded there was something about what had happened that still nagged at her. She couldn’t really put her finger on it, but it kept pestering her like a bug buzzing around her head. She kept trying to puzzle it out, but still, nothing clarified. She grinned and knew the one person with who she could find clarity. So instead of booking a flight into Dulles International, she chose Gatwick Airport outside of London. One of Finn’s closest friends was Zara Hughes, an investigative journalist who she had worked with successfully in the past. Zara was smart and knew Finn and international politics well. Finn was certain between the two of them, they could figure it out.

Just as she was pulling into the airport to return her car, a call came in from Croft. Finn ignored it, returned her car, and headed for London. She texted Zara that she was on her way and asked to meet and have dinner at the Savoy. Finn found her seat, and even though she was flying first class, sitting was uncomfortable. Every time she moved, she was reminded of the man she had left behind and that he was able to pack quite a lot of sting into a spanking. She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until the plane taxied down the runway and became airborne. Finn brushed away the tears that threatened to fall and closed her eyes to sleep.

C roft had awakened when he reached for Finn, and she wasn’t there. It hadn’t been a concern until he realized not only wasn’t she in their home, her rental car was missing. He tried calling her, but she didn’t answer.

“Damn it, Finn,” he muttered as he stared at his mobile phone. He knew she had to still be wrestling with what she wanted and that she shouldn’t want or need it.

Maybe he should just let her go. Maybe she did know her own mind, and he’d been reading the whole situation and her response wrong. He stopped and stilled his mind, thinking it through. No, Finn was every much his as he was hers. She was just having trouble accepting it. Well, he’d see if a couple of welts and being tied to his bed for a few days couldn’t convince her of what he knew was the truth.

Croft got up, dressed, and headed back to the office to debrief and ask Thom if he could track where she had gone. His plan was to do what he needed here, then fetch her home and deal with her willfulness—he’d teach her not to run instead of talking to him. It crossed his mind, perhaps that was part of what she was running from—answering to his authority and being spanked when she got out of line. She’d have to get over that if they were both to thrive in the relationship—it was essential.

He walked into the office and was greeted by a cheerful Noah.

“Good morning. I thought Finn would be with you. Still getting some sleep?”

“I’m sure she is,” Croft growled. “She seems to be able to sleep comfortably on a plane.”

“What do you mean?” Noah asked, concerned.

“I woke up to no Finn, no rental car, no note, no nothing.”

Noah laughed, earning a scowl from Croft. “My guess is she won’t be sleeping comfortably on the way home.”

“Not funny, Noah.”

“Yeah, it is. As John said, your Finn is a real spitfire. It’s just going to take a lot of work on your part to teach her to yield and that her place is either at your side or underneath you. Look at Willa and Mac—neither of them has ever been happier. Shit, Croft, Finn loves you. That’s as plain to see as the nose on your ugly face.”

“That’s true enough.” Croft nodded and grinned. “I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I just thought we’d gotten through all of that…”

“Through all of what?” John asked, joining them. “Is Finn coming later?”

“I’m sure once Croft catches up with her, she’ll come plenty of times,” Noah laughed.

“Again, not funny, Noah,” Croft said, trying hard not to laugh.

“What does he mean, when you catch up with her?” John asked, trying to figure out what was going on.

Croft sighed. “I woke up this morning, and she was gone. No explanation, nothing. Just gone.”

John shook his head. “You need to put a stop to that. Mandy was bad about that when we first got together. She’d get upset about something and just leave. And Willa used to take off into the hills on horseback. At least Finn will be using conventional methods of transportation. Get Thom to track her.”

“Get me to track who?” Thom asked as he entered the building.

“Finn. She’s decided to ghost me—took off with no explanation and won’t answer my calls.”

Thom nodded. “Unless you guys need anything else from me, I’ll go try to find out where she’s gone.”

Baez and Reid came up from the living area. Reid’s question about Finn’s whereabouts provoked laughter from the majority of those around him.

“It’s a long story, Reid,” Croft explained. “Let’s just say your little sister is being a wee bit difficult.”

Reid surprised them all by laughing.

“Finn’s never been a wee bit anything… especially difficult. My guess is she’s bolted on you. I don’t think I like her odds for that working.”

Croft turned back to Baez. “Anything else from Fariq?”

Baez’s face was grim. “Unfortunately, there is and nothing we want to know about. I’m not sure it’s really safe for Reid or Finn to be out there on their own.”

“But now that you guys have the information, there’s no reason they need or want to hurt me,” Reid said.

“Not necessarily. First, they aren’t sure how much you know, and second, if we turn over what we have to the authorities, and I don’t recommend that at this point, I think you or Finn might be a target to use as an example to others in the future,” Baez replied.

“How’s Fariq?” Croft asked.

“Scared.”

“That’s not good. I’ve known Fariq a long time, and he doesn’t spook easily.”

“The worst part,” Baez continued, “is I think he has reason to be. He’s asked to remain here and has offered to give us everything he knows about his operation and Gerold Springer. Adam helped him secure some of his funds, but not as much as he wanted. Springer’s group was able to move that fast. Adam was impressed.”

Thom shook his head. “That’s really bad… Adam doesn’t impress easily. It means they’re well organized and have some good hackers with them. If you boys don’t need me up here, I’m going to head down and confer with Adam. We may want to beef up the integrity of our firewall and other systems. If we figure out anything else, one of us will head back up. No worries, Croft. By the time you’re ready to fetch Finn home, I’ll figure out where she’s headed.”

“Thanks, Thom. I appreciate it.”

Thom left, and Noah, John, Baez, Reid, and Croft took seats in the conference room. Baez brought them up to speed about Fariq’s organization, the internal factions within it, and that he had come to believe it was far more compromised by the Springers than he had originally thought.

“I think it was a real blow to him when he realized Timon Springer was not acting alone and that his brother, Gerold, was calling the shots. He gave Adam a complete breakdown of how he put his organization together. It’s pretty frightening to think about what will happen if Springer and the extremist group he represents are able to completely take over. There’s a lot of arms and money involved, which could go a long way toward funding extreme acts of terror. Fariq is also convinced Springer has ties to Boko Haram and some of the other groups in the Congo and Nigeria.”

“I’d like to wait to make any final decisions until Mac is back. He and Willa are scheduled to be home at the end of the week,” John said. “I think we keep Fariq and Reid here until we know what’s what and can formulate a plan to keep them safe for however long this takes. But, Croft, that means you tracking down Finn and getting her back under our protection isn’t just a personal imperative, but a Wild Mustang one as well. All company assets are at your disposal.”

“Thanks, John. Hopefully, Thom will know where she’s headed, and I can get her corralled in short order. I think I’ll grab my go-bag and see what Thom knows.”

“Speak of the devil,” Noah said as Thom joined them again.

“She’s on a flight bound for London, Gatwick to be specific, and has reservations at the Savoy.”

Reid nodded. “That sounds like Finn. That’s her favorite place to stay in London.”

“Is she likely to stay there?” Croft asked.

“Not really. If Finn’s trying to get some space and isolate herself, London is not her go-to destination. However, if any of this has piqued her curiosity, she may be headed for Zara Hughes.”

“The investigative journalist?” Noah asked.

“One and the same. She and Finn are close friends and have worked together in the past, producing some pretty impressive pieces.”

“In other words,” Croft said, “if Finn is headed for this Zara, she’s probably about to put herself and her friend in considerable danger.”

“That would be my guess,” Reid agreed.

“Go get your girl, Croft, and bring her home. Noah, go with him. If Finn does hook up with her friend, you stay on the friend.”

“Got it. I’ve got stuff here and can have a go-bag put together in the time it takes Avery to be ready to roll,” Noah said.

John called Avery to apprise her of the situation, and the team began to get set up for what could be a far more intense and dangerous assignment than they had originally imagined.

As Croft returned to the office, Avery taxied the plane close to the office and was waiting for them. He parked and joined Noah as they boarded for the long flight to London. All Croft could hope was they had time to catch up to Finn and her friend before they did something foolish. Once they were airborne, he turned to Noah.

“You sound like you know this friend of Finn’s.”

“Not personally but by reputation, and frankly, I’m a fan. She’s a lot like your Finn—tenacious and fearless. Reid’s right, they’ve teamed up together to bring down a couple of nasty regimes and exposed more than one dictator and terrorist organization.”

Croft smiled. “Pretty?”

“Hughes? Hell, yeah. Stunning. Beautiful features, a smokin’ hot body, and legs that go on forever.”

“Hmm, sounds to me like watching over this woman isn’t going to be your idea of a difficult assignment.”

“No, I’m a fan from afar. She’s way too feisty for me. I want an easy girl, someone who makes Mandy look like a spitfire.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Croft teased.

“Not on a plane headed to London because she’s a pain in the ass.”

“True enough,” Croft laughed.

“You think Finn’s okay with the two of you?”

“I do. I think she’s just having a harder time reconciling what she wants and needs with what she’s told herself over the years. You weren’t wrong when you said she wouldn’t be sitting comfortably after I get my hands on her, and I damn well may handcuff her to me or the bed when I need to sleep. This waking up to find her gone bullshit is coming to an end.”

Noah chuckled. “I can’t imagine waking up, wanting my woman, and finding her gone. That can’t be a good thing.”

“It isn’t. I plan to get things resolved with her. I was trying to give her some time and space to reconcile it for herself, but that’s an enormous failure, so I’ll get it settled for her.”

“Like I said, you and Mac can have the complicated ones. I just want a woman who wants to follow my lead, understands the consequences of misbehaving, and chooses to be a good girl more often than not.”

“What can I tell you, Noah, the heart wants what the heart wants, and I think I wanted Finn from the beginning. Funny thing is, you’d think I would have had this great epiphany after we’d made love, but it wasn’t,” he laughed, “until about midway through the first time I had her over my knee. I think from that point on, it was all over but the shouting… for both of us.”

“Until she decided to convince herself differently.”

“Yeah, right up until then.”

“Look at it this way. It took five years for Mac to get Willa back, and he knew where she was.”

“You have a point,” Croft said before falling silent.

The two men settled down to get what sleep they could for the rest of the flight. Sleep came easily to Noah, but Croft had too much on his mind. He worried Finn might still be in danger and even more so that she would be able to convince herself the two of them were simply not meant to be.

“Gentlemen,” Avery called from the cockpit, “Please buckle up. We’ll be landing at Gatwick in a few minutes. Thom put us up in a suite at the Amba Hotel, which is close to the Savoy.”

They were lucky customs moved them through the line quickly, and within ninety minutes of arrival, they were set up in their room. Thom had confirmed Finn was indeed at the Savoy, but the hotel either didn’t know her departure date or was not inclined to reveal it.

Her departure will be right after I take her upstairs and deal with her.

Croft’s plan to deal with her was a spanking she wouldn’t forget anytime soon, then fuck her so hard and so many times, she’d have trouble walking.

F inn settled into the Savoy, her favorite hotel in all the world—Old World charm and elegance with a staff second to none. She was looking forward to having dinner with Zara. Their friendship went way back, and Finn figured not only was Zara good as a sounding board about Croft but might well be interested in what Finn thought could be a huge story. They had teamed up several times in the past and enjoyed great success.

Upon arrival, Finn had asked the concierge to recommend a shop that would have something appropriate for her to wear to the Savoy Grill. The dress code had been relaxed, but Finn thought something fancier than jeans or leggings with a T-shirt or sweater was called for. Within the hour, a salesperson from a small boutique appeared with several casual outfits appropriate for dinner, and Finn felt she could integrate into her wardrobe at home. She also asked if they could supply her with a carry-on bag for her return flight home. For dinner, she opted for a more bohemian-type skirt with a peasant blouse, under-bust corset, and her cleaned riding boots.

Meeting Zara as she entered the lobby, the two went into the restaurant and were given one of the smaller, more private booths.

“Jesus, Finn, you look like shit.”

“Thanks a lot, Zara, good to see you, too,” Finn laughed.

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Your outfit is fabulous, your hair and makeup perfection, but I’m sitting close enough to see the dark circles under your eyes, and it looks like you’ve been crying.”

“Sometimes, Zara, I think you should have been a photojournalist. You have the eye for it.”

“And get out in all that dirt and grime? No, thanks, I’ll do my reporting from the hotel or dining room behind my trusty laptop.”

Finn smiled. She knew that was a handy ruse Zara liked to employ. She had been with her on more than one occasion where not only did they get filthy, they were shot at, jeered at, and threatened.

“My brother got himself in a little over his head. I had to hire the Wild Mustang Security Firm?—”

“You mean those cowboys out of Arizona? Good Lord, that would indicate it was more than a little over his head.”

Finn shrugged. “Originally, I tried to just hire a guide, but one thing led to another, and I was glad to have them. Reid ran afoul of Fariq Abdal.”

“You don’t say. Was he hurt? Were you?”

“Scared more than anything. I truly believe if it hadn’t been for Wild Mustang, Christian and I wouldn’t be breathing anymore.”

“But you’re both all right?”

“More or less,” Finn said with a smile. “In any event, it seems there’s something brewing in Fariq’s organization that may lead to something bigger, involving a splinter group from the RAF.”

“That would go along with a few things I’ve been picking up from my contacts. Fact is, I was planning to call you to see your availability. If what I’ve heard and what you think is true, this could be a huge story.”

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

“But it’s not excitement for a story I see in your face. What happened, Finn?”

“It’s funny, but I was held hostage very briefly by a man named Gerold Springer.”

“He’s one of Fariq’s lieutenants, isn’t he?”

“Yes, and the one behind the hostile takeover. I got away fairly quickly, with no harm done.”

“Then what?” Zara reached across and squeezed her friend’s hand.

“One of the men with Wild Mustang, his name is William Croft…”

“Billy Crofton—the admiral’s son? The ex-SEAL?”

Finn nodded.

“I saw him once. He’s a gorgeous hunk of man. He’s their main K&R guy, isn’t he? I know he’s well thought of by the authorities and Lloyd’s. How’d you…” Zara stopped and examined Finn’s face. “You didn’t… you bitch! You must tell me all. Please tell me he’s lousy in bed, or I will hate you forever.”

Finn laughed. She knew she’d been right to come to Zara. Not only was she the best reporter of her acquaintance, she was a great friend who always knew the right thing to say.

“Then, I suppose,” Finn teased, “you’ll have to hate me forever. That’s the problem. When I’m with him, nothing else matters, nothing else is important, and I just want to stay with him.”

“From what I know of Croft’s reputation, he isn’t exactly a love ’em and leave ’em kind of man. Oh God, that’s the problem. He wants more than you’re willing to let him have.”

“It’s not so much that. It’s what he wants. I don’t know that I have it within me to give him what he wants and needs. He’s in security, and I’m a photojournalist.”

“The man is in global security, one of the best at K&R, not a mall cop. Wild Mustang and the Cerberus group are the two top firms at what they do, and they both play on an international scale.”

“I know, but he can be a bit overprotective…”

“The best ones are,” Zara sighed.

It was Finn’s turn to reach for her friend’s hand. Zara had once been heavily involved with an operative for NATO intelligence who, despite the hazards of his job, was killed by a drunk driver. Their fights had been legendary, as had their love for one another.

“I didn’t mean to bring up painful memories.”

Zara laughed. “The only thing painful about Damian was when I used to do what I wanted regardless of the danger, and he’d have to come save my silly ass. I never did understand why it was after he saved it, he thought he should beat it. But the sex afterward was off the charts… is that the problem? Not the sex, but that he expects to be in charge?”

Finn was astounded. She had wondered how she was going to get Zara’s input without admitting Croft had spanked her.

“I never knew… about you and Damian.”

“Well, it’s not something you tell most people, and I hate to admit it, but it worked for us. It allowed him to express just how pissed he was at whatever I’d done. Once he was finished—and I don’t mean just the spanking—everything was right with the world, and he was always so sweet the next day.”

“Did he apologize to you?”

“Hell, no,” Zara laughed. “But he did make sure I had fluffy pillows to sit on, and depending on how hard he fucked me afterward, would run me a nice warm bath to soak in. God, I miss him—not just the sex, but knowing he cared enough to do whatever he felt he needed to in order to keep me safe, and knowing no matter how much of a bitch I was, he could and would handle it. I take it you’re having an issue with reconciling all that we’ve told ourselves over the years versus everything that cries out to you to run back to him and atone for what I’m sure he sees as your blatant disobedience… for which I’m sure you will be soundly spanked.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “Doesn’t it just annoy the hell out of you, the harder and longer they beat you, the more you get aroused? Used to drive me crazy.”

“And you don’t get to hate me.” Finn laughed. “If we’d had this talk anytime over the past decade we’ve been friends, I would have known a lot more and wouldn’t have royally pissed him off by taking off this morning without a word.”

“Oh, dear, I rather imagine that will be an issue for your darling Mr. Crofton. I don’t envy your buttocks, but I do envy all that comes after.”

“Any ideas on how I might alleviate some of his anger?”

“Yes, but you’re not going to like it. The best way I found to get Damian to mitigate a punishment was by atoning for it on my own and taking whatever he dished out with good grace. I can tell you that saved me from his strap—I hated that thing—on more than one occasion. But if you can’t do that, then at least be contrite and don’t try to tough it out. Damian never let up until I was crying in earnest, and do not, I repeat, do not ever try to fake them out. Pisses them off to the extreme.”

“Even if I can live with that, I don’t see how we’ll make it work.”

“Really? I was an investigative journalist. Damian was NATO intelligence. We never should have been together, but we were, and they were the best and most glorious years of my life. They were also the most successful because I knew if I got into something really out of my league, Damian would come for me. If you love him, Finn… do you love him?”

“More than I ever thought possible,” she sighed.

“Then go home, Finn, and make things right with him. Let me noodle around with things here, then we’ll talk in a couple of weeks.”

“You think?”

“I know,” Zara said confidently. “And I’d be quick about it. My guess is he’s already tracking you and means to take you home to settle things with you. A transatlantic flight when sitting down is painful is not a good idea.”

“Speaking from experience?” Finn teased.

“Unfortunately, too many times to count. Damian’s thing was always the minute he had me safe, I got put facedown over his knee, my knickers pulled down to my knees, and my butt paddled. He might wait until he had a proper bed to take care of the rest, but he had no intention of putting off punishing me for what he termed my aberrant behavior.”

“Would you do it again?” Finn asked gently, seeing the misty look on her friend’s face.

“Doubtful. Men who are worth submitting to—and make no mistake, that is what you’re doing—are rare. If you’ve found one, and he loves you, hang onto him with all your might.”

The two spent the remainder of their evening laughing and talking about the ballet, which they both loved, the opera, which Zara loved and Finn hated, fashion, friends, and subjects sure to cause neither angst nor pain. They ended the evening with a plan for Zara to chat up some friends in the intelligence community to see if she could detect any hint of what might be going on. Finn promised if Fariq was still in Arizona, she’d find a way to speak with him.

Riding up in the elevator, Finn felt more at peace than at any other time in her life, except for those times she was with Croft and not making herself crazy. She didn’t deserve him, but if he was willing to forgive her, she was going home. They would find a way to make it work.