Finn by Madison Stevens Read Free Book Online Page A

understand the problem here.”
    Conor paced the room and glanced over at him.
    “This isn’t the position I expected to be in,” Conor said and wiped a hand over his face.
    “Well maybe not, but you are the most qualified,” Finn said.
    “What about Liam?” Conor swung a hand in Liam’s direction. “Isn’t this something you’d normally go to blood for?”
    Finn narrowed his eyes. “I pick who I want to, and blood hasn’t been the best indicator of reliability.”
    Liam nodded in agreement. “Besides,” he said. “I’m only here temporarily.”
    Finn walked over and clapped Conor on the back. “You’ll do fine,” he said. “ Everyone knows how hard you work to take care of Teagan.”
    Conor gave a sad smile. “I’m not so sure she’s not taking care of me.”
    Finn smiled back. “She certainly is the mothering type,” he said. “How is she?”
    “Stir crazy,” Conor said. “I’m glad she shad the internet, but it seems like it’s her only connection to the outside world.”
    Liam turned to look at him. “Isn’t that about right? How often does she get out?”
    Conor sat hard in the chair next to Liam, and Finn noticed how drawn out Conor seemed to be.
    “Not often. We see her immunologist about once a month, and there’s the occasional trip for white blood cell transfusion.” Conor leaned forward and groaned. “She’s stuck, and there’s nothing I can really do. I know she’s lonely too, and that doesn’t help.” He gave a bitter laugh. “Not exactly like she’s going to talk to her younger brother about her lack of a love life.”
    Finn nodded. Teagan had it hard compared to most. When she was younger, it didn’t seemed so bad. It was just the occasional illness that would lead to a hospital stay or colds that lingered. Then, it got worse.
    The winter after their father was killed by a stray bullet, their mother went back to Ireland. Teagan spent a lot of time trying to manage on her own. It wasn’t until a trip to the store that led to pneumonia and a two-month hospital stay that they truly knew the extent of her health problems.
    “I’m sure she’s glad to have you looking out for her,” Finn said. He sat heavily on his desk.
    “Maybe not, if we don’t get this Russian business sorted,” Conor said.
    Finn nodded. First things first, and the Russians were going to be more than a little problem.
    “Why target Alyssa?” Conor asked.
    Finn shrugged. It bothered him as well. “Maybe to send a message that they will stop at nothing.”
    “Maybe,” Liam said and looked at him directly. “Or maybe they think she’s someone important to you.”
    Finn sighed. He had been thinking that as well. The problem was that she might just be someone important to him. Important people were easy targets, and that was the last thing he wanted Alyssa to be. Not that it mattered. Finn spent all that time pushing her away, and it hadn’t accomplished anything for either of them. She had still ended up a target, and he had been forced to keep his distance.
    Seeing her lost and broken like that had nearly ripped his heart out.
    Finn gripped the desk tightly. What he wouldn’t give to get his hands on Boris.
    “I’m just going to have to keep her near us,” he said. “I can’t trust any of the others with this.”
    “Yeah, things aren’t looking so good on that front,” Liam said.
    Finn gave a curt nod. “We keep dealing. It’s going to come to a head here soon. Just be ready for anything.” He turned to Conor. “No one gets put on any detail that might fuck the whole operation. Unless it’s one of us or Noel, I don’t want anyone getting access to something that could be used against us later. Ennis is crafty. I put nothing past him.”
    The two men nodded, and Finn stood. He glanced to Liam. “We could put you on night detail if that would work best for you.”
    Liam nodded. “It would.”
    Finn walked them to the door and paused. “Check in. It’s the only way we’re