Fighting Redemption(68)

Pressing his lips together, Ryan closed his eyes and Fin filled his vision.

“Come here.” Ryan ran his hand over her bare hip and the curve of her ass as she tucked herself against him. “Kiss me, baby.”

When her lips met his, he rolled her over, pressing her into the bed and kissing her so deeply it made him breathless. Fin’s hands circled the hard length of him, stroking him firmly and he groaned into her mouth.

“Ryan,” she breathed against his lips.

Ryan buried his head in her neck, growling deeply as he rocked himself slowly in her hands. Slowly, Ryan tasted her skin, inching his way down her body until he reached where his name was etched so beautifully into her skin. He traced over the mark with his tongue.

Fin giggled softly. “If you keep doing that, it’ll wear away.”

Ryan looked up at her from beneath his lashes to catch the smile on her face. “I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon.”

“…shoot any straighter, Kendall?”

Ryan turned to face a smirking Kyle. “Huh?”

“Jesus.” Kyle rolled his eyes. “I said,” he enunciated loudly, grinning, “do you think that letting your hair grow any longer is gonna make you shoot any straighter?”

Ryan ran a hand over the back of his head. He’d loved feeling Fin’s hands pulling and tugging at his hair when he was buried between her thighs—the harder she pulled, the hotter he got.

“Fuck you, Brooks,” he retorted. “You couldn’t lift a rifle past that fat gut of yours and hit a goddamn elephant standing two metres away.”

“Oh my God, you think I’m... fat?” Kyle widened his eyes in mock horror, splaying a hand over the well-defined muscles of his abdomen. “It’s the army fatigues isn’t it?” He twisted his head, looking down over his shoulder as though trying to check out his own ass. “They make me look podgy.”

“Fuck podgy,” Galloway called out. “You look like the Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters, only greener.”

“And dumber,” Tex added, laughing as he shuffled forward in the line, in step with everyone else.

Ryan tuned the banter out and took one final, searching look towards the airport windows for Fin.

Not seeing her, he turned back and following behind Monty, stepped up and onto the plane.





With her heart racing, Fin pulled quickly into the parking lot at Base Pearce and parked the car at a wild angle. Yanking her keys out, she grabbed her bag and flung the car door open. Toeing off her heels, she tossed them at the passenger seat and with a slam of the door, ran towards the entrance. Elbowing her way through the crowd, Fin made it towards the large windows in time to see the plane taxi down the runway and lift off into the sky.

“No,” she moaned breathlessly.

Dropping her bag, she pressed both hands against the glass as she watched Ryan disappear until there was nothing left to see but bright blue sky and fluffy clouds. She hadn’t made it. Closing her eyes, Fin rested her forehead against the glass, her breath puffing softly against the gleaming window. She would be holding this baby in her arms before he even returned. Ryan would never run his hands over her pregnant belly with love; he would never feel the joy of their baby’s first kick or see their baby born into the world. She wouldn’t be sharing any of it with him.

Goddamn you, Ryan. Anger cut a deep slash through the hurt, leaving her breathless. You talk about how other countries depend on people like you to fight in their corner, but what about me? I need you too.

“Fin!”

Fin spun around at the sound of her mother’s voice. Her parents were pushing their way towards her through the current of people beginning their slow exit of the building. She lifted her chin. “He’s gone.”

Her father nodded gravely.

“Well then.” Grabbing her bag from its abandoned spot on the floor, she jerked it over her shoulder. “No point in hanging around is there.”

“Finlay.” Her mother placed a hand on her arm.

Fin halted at the gentle touch, fighting to hold onto the anger that was helping keep her shit together. “Don’t, Mum. I’m fine. I need to get back to work.”

“We spoke to him before he left,” her mother said.

“Oh how nice,” she replied icily. “I don’t even get a phone call when he’s leaving, but you two get time to see him and wave him off. Did he look happy?” Her father frowned, his mouth open to reply. “Don’t answer that. I bet he did. I bet you couldn’t wipe the smile from his face at the thought of f*cking off back to war, the only place he’s ever wanted to be.” Her mum reached for her again, but Fin slapped her hand away, feeling the cracks forming in her heart. “I hate him,” she hissed. With tears blurring her vision, she looked at her mum and dad in turn. “I f*cking hate him and I don’t want to ever hear his name again.”

Spinning on bare feet, Fin strode blindly towards the entrance of the airport and out into the midday heat. What had she been thinking chasing after him like that anyway? Obviously she hadn’t been. Ryan had more important things to focus on than waving goodbye to someone he didn’t want anymore.

Fin growled audibly as she beeped the locks on her car, hating herself just as much for the useless pity party she was getting swept away in.