Finn stared at the blank walls of the cell and tried not to let claustrophobia win.
He’d been grilled for the last several hours. Rapid-fire questions designed to trip him up and poke holes in his story. Unfortunately for the investigators, his story was solid. Because it was the truth.
Not that they’d been willing to listen.
They were still convinced he was lying. And based on several of the questions they asked him, their conviction was supported by something more than what had happened at Genevieve’s studio. Obviously, they weren’t revealing their information to him, but from what he could piece together, it had something to do with Hunt.
He needed to get in touch with Stone to clear up this whole mess. But what he needed more was to speak with Genevieve. Although from the expression on her face, he wasn’t sure she’d be willing to listen to anything he had to say, either.
How was he about to lose everything when he hadn’t done a damn thing wrong?
For the first time in his life, he’d attempted to follow the rules. And everything was turning to shit. Only learning of Sawyer’s death had ever left him feeling this hopeless and helpless.
He’d spent the last few weeks proving to Genevieve that he’d changed. He’d made an effort to earn her trust, and he’d been certain those efforts were paying off.
Apparently not.
At the first sign of trouble, she’d believed the worst. She didn’t question what was happening or whether he was innocent. She definitely hadn’t offered her support. From the devastation on her face, it was clear she’d believed he’d stolen from her.
Which hurt most of all.
Finn had no doubt that eventually, with Stone and Gray’s help, he would clear up the misunderstanding.
But he could see now that no matter how straight and narrow he attempted to live his life, it would never be enough. Genevieve would always be waiting for him to screw up.
And even if he deserved it, he couldn’t live his life that way.
Rubbing a hand over his tight chest, Finn wanted to scream and throw something. But everything in the cell was bolted down.
Dropping his head back against the wall, he shut his eyes and let his body sag. Bone-deep exhaustion pulled at every muscle.
He had no idea how long he sat in the cell, but a while later an officer showed up outside. The door slid open and he gestured for Finn to follow.
“You know, it doesn’t matter how many times you ask the questions, my answers aren’t changing. I didn’t steal anything.”
The officer frowned at him. “This time.”
Leading him through the sterilized hallways, it took Finn a few seconds to register what he’d actually said. “What do you mean, this time?”
“We know you didn’t take anything from Ms. Reilly. All charges have been dropped.”
“They have?” Finn tried not to sound incredulous, but failed. This was too easy.
Or maybe it wasn’t. He’d assumed it would be morning before Stone could get things straightened out, but maybe he’d worked a bit faster.
That had to be it.
The officer led him to a woman, who processed his release. She gave him back the personal belongings that had been cataloged when they’d booked him. And then directed him through double doors and out of the station.
Freedom was a beautiful thing.
Until he walked out and found Genevieve waiting for him on the other side.
The sight of him was overwhelming.
Genevieve didn’t realize just how scared she’d been until he pushed through those doors. She wanted to rush over and grab him. Put her hands on him and make sure he was there and unharmed.
But she didn’t deserve that yet and wasn’t sure what her reception would be. He definitely hadn’t greeted her with his mischievous, open smile. She moved closer anyway, unable to stay away from him.
She wanted to reach for him, but stopped herself. Instead, she led with, “I’m sorry.”
It hurt that he didn’t reach for her, either. He stood in front of her, his expression shuttered and remote in a way that left a pit in her belly. “For what?”
“Doubting you, even for a little while. I realized nothing made sense pretty quickly, before Stone and Gray came to me. But I let my doubt and fears convince me that you must have done something.”
His voice was flat when he said, “It’s okay.”
“It isn’t.”
“You know what? You’re right. It isn’t. I’ve changed who I am for you and Noah, Genevieve. I’ve given up a piece of me. After Sawyer died, I turned to stealing as a way of blocking out the pain, but also reminding myself of just how shitty a person I could really be. Good people don’t steal.”
Genevieve stepped closer. “Stop. You’re a good person, Finn. One of the best men I’ve ever met.”
“Bullshit. The expression on your face when they put me in that cop car said everything. You don’t believe that. And no matter what I do, you never will.”
“That’s not true.” She took another step, trying to bridge the distance between them in more ways than one. “You deserve my faith. Not simply because you’ve earned it, but because deep down I know the man you are. I know you have a code of honor you live by. It might not be the same one everyone else follows, but it’s hard and fast for you. Unshakable. Even discounting the fact that you don’t want or need anything I own, you’d never hurt me. Or use me. You’re right. I should have trusted you. But I’m human, too, Finn. And I made a mistake.”
Finn stared at her for several seconds. Genevieve had no idea what was going on behind his closed expression. Which scared the crap out of her.
But finally, Finn moved. Closing the gap between them, he ran the pads of his fingers across her cheek. “God, I can’t stay mad at you, no matter how much I know I should. Of course I’d never hurt you or Noah. You two have become everything to me.”
Leaning into his caress, Genevieve soaked up the warmth of his palm against her skin.
His mouth twisted. “I’ve given you reason to question me. I recognize that. Regret it every single day.”
Shaking her head, Genevieve wrapped her fingers in the soft fabric of his shirt and tugged him closer. “It’s not fair to continue to punish you for a single mistake that you’ve acknowledged, apologized for and done everything you could to atone for. That’s all I can ask of you.”
But it was more than that. “By every word and action, you’ve shown nothing but support for me. You accept me exactly as I am. Want my happiness and success. You’re an amazing father to our son. We’re both lucky to have you in our lives.”
Slipping her hands up his chest, Genevieve cradled them around his jaw. “I love you, Finn. I have since the moment I met you. You’re dynamic, challenging and the most accepting person I’ve ever met. You don’t always make it easy—”
Finn laughed, the sound coming out a little strangled.
“—but you do make it worth it. You put up a good front, pretend to be this wicked soul, but deep down you’re a good man with a beautiful heart.”
She would have said more, but suddenly she was crushed against Finn’s body. His mouth was on hers, kissing the hell out of her. The moment was filled with heat and promise. Someone behind them cleared their throat. Another person whistled.
Genevieve didn’t care.
She was out of breath when he finally pulled back, murmuring against her lips, “Hush, woman. Give a guy the chance to say I love you, too.”
Finn stared deep into her eyes. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you and Noah, but I plan to spend the rest of my life appreciating the gift I’ve been given. I can’t promise I’ll never screw up.”
Genevieve couldn’t stop a huff of laughter. “I have no doubt.” They were confessing their love in the middle of a police station, after all.
“I can promise I’ll always put you and our family first. And I’ll do everything in my power to protect that. Working with Stone and Gray will help.”
This was the one thing that worried her. But she had to place her trust in Finn. “Just promise that if it’s ever not enough you’ll talk to me. I won’t judge, Finn. I want to give you the same level of support you’ve shown me.”
“That’s an easy promise to make.”
Pulling her in, Finn kissed her again. Genevieve let out a sigh, of happiness, relief and pure joy.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Finn turned to lead her out of the station. “Let’s go home to our son.”