CHAPTER 3: Shamrock

I've been out driving for hours again. Tonight, there's this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I don't know what it means. Throttle tried to come with me again, but I declined. I just want to be alone with my thoughts. Dire and I had a long talk when I got back the other night. Neither of us is giving up searching, but we've got a gun shipment next week for our client in Russia. We might have to take a few days off from our nightly rides to handle all that in a timely fashion.

Coming up to a curve, I slow down. Just as I round the bend, something catches my eye. I slam on my breaks, stopping just short of hitting whatever came out of the woods and fell into the road. My heart is beating so damn fast my chest hurts. I throw the truck in park and leave it running. Getting out, I walk to the front, and my breath catches. Lying on the ground in front of my truck is a woman. She's wearing dirty, torn-up leggings and a sports bra.

Her hair is a light color that I can't really distinguish between my halogen lights and the dirt caked in it. As I get closer, she groans and rolls onto her stomach before slowly getting up to her knees with her back to me and her head hanging forward. "Thanks for stopping."

My blood runs cold. Her voice has something familiar to it. I take a few steps closer, letting my eyes roam over her body. My hands shake as I take in a massive scar between the woman's shoulder blades.

"Faylinn," I whisper just loud enough for her to hear.

The woman's head whips around, and her eyes meet mine. I know those eyes. The next second, I'm down on the ground pulling her into my arms.

"Finn," she breathes as she wraps her arms around me, burying her head in the crook of my neck.

After a moment, I pull back from her and start looking her over. I'm surprised at how healthy she is and the tone of her muscles. Her eyes look exhausted, though. The moment my eyes fall back on hers, I cup the sides of her face. "Let's get you home, baby." Standing, I keep my arms around her and walk to the other side of the truck. She winces and curses under her breath as she lifts her legs to climb in.

Getting in the driver's side, I slam the truck into gear and make a U-turn in the middle of the street. I don't even bother getting my phone out. I just want to get her back to the clubhouse. I don't drive fast because I don't know if she's hurt or not, and I don't want to jostle her. Instead, I go the speed limit, knowing it's over thirty minutes back to the clubhouse. Every few seconds, I glance over at her. She's staring out the window, but there's no tears on her face.

The happiness running through my veins is something I can't describe, but the air in the truck is strained. Whoever Faylinn is now isn't the girl she was fifteen years ago, and as much as I want to kiss her, hold her, and make her mine again, I have a feeling this is just the beginning of a whole new shitstorm. I don't care, though. Fifteen years of looking for her, and I have her. She's alive, in my truck, and from what I can see, in one piece.

"Faylinn," I whisper. She turns her head and looks at me. I lift my arm and lay it across the back of the seat. "Are you comfortable coming over there?"

She lets her eyes roam over my body for a second. "I guess. Why?"

I sigh. "I just need to feel you close to me for a minute."

"You realize I'm dirty as fuck, right?" She quirks up one of her eyebrows as if she's saying I'm crazy, and I chuckle. If I had a nickel for how many times she gave me that look growing up, I'd make Bill Gates look poor.

"Woman, just get your ass over here, please," I snap playfully, and for a second, I think she grins.

She undoes her seat belt and winces again as she scoots over the bench seat next to me. Gently, she lays her head on my shoulder, turning her body to drape her arm across my chest and hook her hand around my shoulder. "Finn, what were you doing out driving this late?"

I wrap my arm around her and run my fingers through her hair, not giving a shit how dirty and messy it is. "Looking for you."

She sits up and looks me in the face. "I'm sorry— what the fuck did you just say?" The hardness in her voice brings me up short. I'm gonna have to keep reminding myself that she's not eighteen anymore.

"Dire and I take turns going out every night. Have been since we lost you."

"It's been fifteen years, Finn. Why the hell would you do that?" She sets her head back against my shoulder and tightens her grip just a little.

"Because we love you. I wasn't going to stop until I found you and brought you home."

"And if I was dead?" she whispers.

I turn my head and gently kiss her forehead. "I was bringing you home regardless. Whether it was alive or your body to bury, I wasn't stopping until we had you back."

"Thank you," she says.

I kiss her forehead again and quietly drive the rest of the way to the clubhouse. After pulling my truck up in front of the doors, I turn it off and get out to help her. She turns and stares at the doors leading into the clubhouse when she steps out of the truck. There's a strange look on her face. As I unlock the door, she grabs my arm, stopping me.

"Finn, my father's bike isn't here, and neither is Celtic's. They're gone, aren't they?" I nod my head and watch as sadness fills her eyes. She still doesn't shed a tear, but coming home and finding out her father is gone can't be easy. "Are my brothers here?"

"Yes. They're officers now." She nods and lets go of my arm so I can open the door. As we step inside, I close the door and turn around to find Faylinn frozen, staring across the room.

"Fay?" Dire stands at the bar with a wide-eyed look of disbelief. "Faylinn!"

I rest my hand on her lower back. Her whole body tenses and shakes as her brother comes barreling toward us.