Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
"Surely ya aren't still angry at me?"
Cassandra rolled her eyes as she shifted in the stage coach seat and tried desperately to ignore the constant rambling of Finnegan in her ear.
"Little Cass, Little Cass give me a grin. Ya cannot stay mad at your best pal Finn."
Cassandra tried desperately to disguise the short bark of laughter that left her chest as a cough but the amusement in Finnegan's voice when he spoke again let her know that she had failed. "Ya know I love ya, Little Cass. Ya cannot stay angry at me forever for one foolish slip of my tongue. Ya know I have no control over the damned thing and it's gotten me in more trouble than a little. Ya know I....."
"Oh for the love of God would you simply tell the man you are no longer angry at him so he will cease speaking! He has not stopped for hours!"
"Yes, it's nearly as annoying as the two you bickering for five days straight was!" Cassandra snapped back at the elderly woman causing her to lay her hand over her abundant bosom and gasp while her companion covered her over nourished belly and declared how horrid Cassandra and her friends were.
Cassandra was fighting laughter with a fierce desperation as she turned and fixed her gaze on Finnegan. He seemed unflustered by the tension in the stage coach as he sat across from her and smiled imploringly. "Please say ya aren't angry."
Cassandra sighed. It was no use even pretending to be angry at the giant buffoon. He hadn't truly done anything wrong... it was her own guilt over her dishonesty causing her to take what he'd said as something more than it was.
"I'm not angry at you, Finn."
"Glad you both got that worked out," Skinny man grumbled.
"Me too," Finnegan agreed. He reached across the space separating his knees from Cassandra's and took her hands. "Ya know ya mean more to me than--" he paused and glanced around. "--than anythin' else."
Cassandra looked into her eyes and found that she believed him. Suddenly she felt very foolish and cruel for keeping this secret about the map from him. Finnegan wouldn't simply turn his back on her. He loved her. She claimed to have faith in him but was not doing very well in proving that. The map and the treasure might be what had brought him back to her but it wasn't what would keep them together. Besides, Finnegan was resourceful and she was learning to be as well. They would figure the map out together or find someone else who could.
"Finn, there's something really important I need to talk to you about as soon as we have some time alone, okay?"
Finnegan dropped to his knees, elbowing skinny man's leg in the process, and rested his head on her knee. "Are ya alright?"
"I'm fine, I promise." Cassandra glanced at the grumbling patrons inside the stage coach. "But you won't be in a matter of moments if you don't stop angering everyone."
"I don't know how you've managed to stay cooped up in here for all these days." Finnegan shook his head. "The company is dreadful."
"Finnegan!" Cassandra snapped but before she could further scold him cries of alarm came from the driver and shot gunner up front and Seamus' voice was filling the air,
"What do you folks want?"
Finnegan's entire demeanor changed. His body stiffened as he moved to the window, practically laying across the lap of the former bickering women as the stage came to a jerking halt.
Cassandra grabbed the sidewall to keep from falling and Finnegan cursed. "Shite! This could be trouble."
"Trouble?" Cassandra's eyes widened. "What kind of trouble?"
Finnegan wouldn't meet her gaze and then the conversation began outside the stage. "You might as well put those guns down," an unfamiliar male voice advised. "We're not here to rob or harm any innocent folks. We're looking for someone."
"Who are you looking for?" Seamus questioned, sounding calm and composed as if he were simply talking about the weather with a man at the local feed store. Finnegan on the other hand was sweating bullets, cursing under his breath and his knees were knocking together.
"We're looking for a man named Finnegan Callahan."
"Finn?" Cassandra whispered. He just kept his gaze on the floor of the stage.
"What do you want with Finnegan and what makes you think he's with us?" Seamus inquired.
"We saw him this morning so we know he's with you," the stranger replied. "Now, Finnegan, you can either come on out willingly or we can take you by force which might end with that pretty little woman you have getting hurt. We'd all hate for that to happen so why don't you come on out?"
"Finn, what are you doing?!" Cassandra hissed as Finnegan began to slide off his gun belt.
"I'm goin', Little Cass."
"You can't just go! Who are these men, Finnegan?" Cassandra demanded, grabbing his arm. "What do they want?"
Finnegan flashed a smile, albeit a bit of a shaky one and leaned toward her. He hugged her neck, kissed her ear and then stood straight, causing Cassandra to wince when she felt a tug in her hair.
"I love ya, Little Cass, and I'll be back by bed time."
He took the leather bound map from his shirt and sat it and his gun belt in her lap. Cassandra sat there in a state of shock as Finnegan opened the door. She was momentarily blinded by the sun as it came pouring into the stage and when her eyes adjusted Finnegan was gone.
"Finnegan, there you are."
Cassandra threw back the curtain just in time to see a man land a breath stealing punch to Finnegan's gut. Letting out a cry of rage Cassandra shoved the map into the waistband of her skirt and burst from the stage leaving the gun belt lying in the seat. She strode to the man with the angry fists and shoved him roughly.
"You won't hit him!" she warned.
Laughter surrounded her and Cassandra realized that she'd just bitten off quite a bit more than she could chew when she saw the six other men on horseback around them. Seamus was off to the side glaring at her, Calvin was watching Seamus as if waiting for some word on what to do and the stage driver and shot gunner appeared ready to run at the first available moment.
"Aren't you a feisty one?" the man Cassandra had shoved jeered as he grabbed her arm and tugged her.
"Aye, she is, but ya would not want her. Damn pain in the arse is what she truly is," Finnegan assured him, shoving his body between them and breaking the man's hold on Cassandra.
Cassandra clenched her fists at her sides and stood her ground, looking around until she found the man who was sitting a bit taller in his saddle than the others. "Are you in charge?"
The man tipped his sweat-stained brown hat. "Most of the time."
"What do you want with this man?" she questioned, finding that her years of training in masking her emotions were coming in quite handy just now. Inside she was scared very nearly to death for her man but outside she was cool, calm and collected.... All except for that rattling sound coming from her skirts which she suspected were her kneecaps.
"Well, ma'am, since you've asked so politely, we are what you might call human retrieval experts."
Cassandra crossed her arms under her breasts. "Bounty hunters?"
"Some would call us that," the man nodded. "It seems that Finnegan here made some bets with a good associate of ours and then didn't hold up his end of the financial arrangement. Now our associate would like to have a sit down chat to discuss how best to deal with the situation."
Cassandra stared hard at Finnegan and he averted his gaze as he flushed with shame. Cassandra knew that if Finnegan left with these men he would die. They would take him to their associate and she would never see the man she loved again.
"I will match whatever you're being paid," Cassandra blustered. "What are you being paid?"
"More than you can match," the leader of the men assured her. "And we have to be going now."
Cassandra watched as Finnegan's hands were cuffed behind his back. "'Twill be fine, Little Cass. It's just a chat they wish to have," Finnegan assured her. "Just a chat."
"Finn...." Cassandra couldn't believe this was happening! Just like that, with no warning, Finnegan was going to be gone. Cassandra felt her heart rip in half. She could not lose him. She could not lose the big-mouthed, slightly annoying, hyperactive, flirtatious, shiftless, drink loving, sticky-fingered man that she loved with all her heart.
"Don't ya worry your pretty heart, love. I'll come back to ya," Finnegan promised, a charming smile lighting up his face and causing his brown eyes to sparkle. Cassandra found herself believing him--or wanting to believe him so badly that she simply had no choice.
"Why don't we take her too?" one of the men on horseback asked as he leered at Cassandra, his beady eyes raking up and down her body. "She looks like she could be fun."
"No fun at all that one," Finnegan shook his head. "Gretchen there has had a bit too much fun in her time, if ya know what I mean. Though the cream the doctor ordered was supposed to clear up the rash...."
"We've got no time or supplies for bringing a woman along," the boss cut Finnegan off as the man who had been interested made a face of disgust and backed his horse up a few paces. Cassandra didn't know whether to kiss Finnegan or punch him in his throat.
"Let's go men. Sorry to have alarmed you fine folks," the leader of the group tipped his head. "We'll be on our way now."
Cassandra stood there with no other option but to watch a rope be tied to Finnegan's neck and him be led away on foot. He was whistling a song and appeared to be taking a leisurely stroll but Cassandra knew this was no laughing matter.
Finnegan Callahan could very well end up dead.
"Seamus!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the horse Seamus was sitting on. "Do something!"
"Do what?" Seamus snapped. "There are seven well trained men with guns, Cassandra. Anything I do will only end with a lot of people dead. Finnegan brought this on himself."
"How can you say that?!" Cassandra demanded angrily.
Seamus snorted. "How can you still defend him? The man nearly let you be violated because he was lost in whiskey and a willing woman. He lies, he cheats, he steals and he drinks and gambles away any money he might have. I told you when this all started that Finnegan was no good for you and that he was going to wind up dead. I was right."
Cassandra felt as if the air had been knocked from her lungs. Seamus was serious. He wasn't going to help his brother. "You're a monster... you're worse than your father was, worse than Finnegan has ever thought of being! At least they are honest about their vices and flaws. You attempt to seem a good man but are unwilling to do anything now. That is your brother!"
"Yes and if he would quit taking money from people he cannot pay then he wouldn't be in this mess. Cassandra, there is nothing I can do. I won't die rushing in to save his life when he's only going to be in this same exact mess in no time. This is normal for Finnegan and that's why I warned you away from him. A life with him is no life. He'll always be running and you'll always be wondering if this is the time that the bastard's luck is finally going to run out."
Cassandra was having none of that! Seamus was wrong. The stage driver called for her to get back on but she ran to Theo who was tied to the back instead. Finnegan had tied the horse there and gotten in the stage with her to beg her forgiveness that morning.
Cassandra untied a snorting Theo's ropes and was about to mount him to take off after Finnegan when Seamus was suddenly beside her and grabbing her arm. "You won't go anywhere near those men," he growled low and deep.
Cassandra tried to jerk her arm away but he held her tight. "Someone has to help, Finn!" she insisted. Theo let out a whinny, yanked his head and pulled the lead rope from Cassandra's hand. She watched in desperation as the horse took off into the woods, galloping out of sight and into the trees.
Tears filled her eyes. She'd lost her man and her horse!
"Come on now and get inside," Seamus urged, leading her toward the door. Cassandra's movements were stiff and jerking. She allowed herself to be sat down on the bench seat and leaned against the wall.
Tears broke loose and slipped down her cheeks but she didn't care. Finnegan was gone. Theo was gone. No one was going to help her get either of them back.
She clutched at her skirts and simply prayed. Prayed that Finnegan would be resourceful enough to get himself out of the mess that he'd found himself in. Prayed that he hadn't only been telling her what she wanted to hear when he had said he'd be back before bed.
Damnation, it was painful to love a wild Irishman.
***
Finnegan sat on the rock that was his bed and listened to the sound of the men holding him captive preparing for slumber. His neck was raw and hurting from the rope that was around it and his shoulders and arms were aching from being tied behind him all day.
At least he was a fit man because he'd been on his feet, following along behind horses all day and a lesser man might have sore calves. Finnegan's calves were fine.... It was his knees that were killing him.
He had learned from catching snippets of conversation throughout the day that it was a man named Martin Timpleton that had ordered these men to find him. Finnegan vaguely remembered old Martin. He'd been at a horse race that Finnegan had found himself placing bets on. Of course the whiskey that Finnegan had spent the morning all but bathing in had clouded his better judgment and he had taken money from Martin Timpleton to place some bets that he assured the man would pay out richly.
Finnegan had been wrong.
But at least he knew his life wasn't in danger. At least not at the moment. Martin would want him alive, not dead. A dead man could not pay you back. However Finnegan's well being was still up in the air because a severely beaten and bloodied man could pay you back.
"Check those cuffs on his wrists and make sure that rope is secure on that tree," the lead man, who the others called Van, ordered.
"Such accommodatin' folks ya are," Finnegan smiled at the short, skinny man that came over to obey Van's command.
Finnegan winced as the rope around his neck was tightened a bit and his arms jerked. "He's secure."
"Good. I'll bed down close to him but he ain't going anywhere. Let's all get some sleep men; it's been a long day."
Finnegan grinned at Van as the other man stretched out a bedroll. "Quit staring at me. It makes me uncomfortable."
"I can't help but stare at such an attractive paintin' of what a man should be," Finnegan replied thoughtfully. "Ya truly are a masterpiece."
"Keep talking like that and I'll break your damn jaw."
"I'm merely statin' truths," Finnegan batted his lashes, "If ya feel eyes on ya tonight that'd just be me takin' in the beauty. If I catch ya smilin' mayhap I'll know you're thinkin' o' me too."
"Stupid, Irishman. Quit running that mouth and go to sleep. You're gonna have a long trip on foot tomorrow, you arrogant bastard."
Finnegan laughed quietly and curled up on his rock. His shoulder ached against the cold stone and the rough fibers of the rope chaffed into his skin but he settled down none the less and waited.
Waiting games were always the hardest to play but he could play them well. Especially if they would lead to him being back with Cassandra where he belonged. He was done with the bets on horse races, buggy races and all speed competitions in general. Just simple poker games for him from here on out and always with his Little Cass by his side to keep him thinking straight.
He knew now that the life he'd been leading before he'd found that treasure map and gone back to his best friend would have ended with him dead. He would not have made it very much longer and he would have died alone without a single person who knew or cared that he was no longer around.
Now he had Little Cass and he would not let her down. He was not going to die today; he was not going to die for a very long time until they were old and gray and terrorizing all the other old folks at the church socials.
Yes, he was an Irishman. He could not keep a secret, talked too much and had a knack for getting into trouble. He loved to gamble, he loved his whiskey and he loved flirting with a pretty lass but the simple truth was that he loved Cassandra more. All he wanted was to get away from these rather ignorant and foul-smelling captors of his and get back to her. She was no doubt worried sick about him though he had told her not to worry.
This wasn't the first time Finnegan had been caught and while he hoped it was, there was a good chance that it wouldn't be the last. He knew well how to get away when the time was right.
Seconds ticked by, becoming minutes which in turn became hours. Darkness closed in tightly around the camp, the firelight began to wane and moonlight lit up the start speckled sky.
Owls hooted, sticks popped and cracked as critters moved about the forest on their nighttime prowls. Still Finnegan waited. He waited until the only sounds within the camp were the heavy breaths, snores and grunts of slumbering men.
Only then did he slip the hair pin from his palm into his fingers. Finnegan was grateful that Cassandra had vain tendencies when it came to her hair and had had plenty tucked within her curls so she did not notice the loss of this one.
Biting his tongue and glancing over his shoulder Finnegan fumbled around with the lock. Sweat trickled between his shoulder blades and down his temple. Twice he nearly dropped the pin from his damp fingers but somehow managed to regain his hold at the last instant each time.
Grinning with his victory once the chains fell away, Finnegan rubbed at his tender wrists. Then he reached into the front of his pants and pulled the knife from the sheath at his groin.
Glancing around at the slumbering men, Finnegan cut the rope from the tree though he left it around his neck. It was dark and he was trembling with far too much excitement to be using a knife around such a delicate area.
Finnegan sent up a prayer of thanks for men who slept too deeply as he stood up from the rock and let the blood flow return to his legs. He rubbed at his backside and rolled his shoulders.
Now it would have been simple enough now that he had his freedom to simply leave but where would the fun in that be?
Instead, Finnegan skipped through the camp scooping up boots as he went. He hid six pairs of the boots in the bushes but kept one that was the same size he wore. After changing boots, Finnegan went about his next task--rifling through saddlebags.
He found a good haul. Several whiskey bottles, a small sack of coins, two fancy pocket watches, a good deal of paper money and lots of tobacco and rolling papers. Finnegan didn't smoke but he figured he could sell them to someone along the way that did and besides, he knew that it would truly piss these men right off when they woke up shoeless, without their belongings and could not even find a bit of tobacco to soothe their nerves.
Finnegan loaded everything into one set of nice saddlebags and a sack; now to find a suitable horse. He was stepping around one of the slumbering men when the man grunted. "What's going on?"
Finnegan froze. He turned a wary glance to the man and then breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that the mustached fella was still much more asleep than awake. "Nothin' at all there, little one. Get ya some rest now. Sleep peaceful."
"Are you a leprechaun?"
Finnegan nearly snorted with laughter. "Yes," he nodded. "Yes, me thinks you're right. I'm a jolly wee leprechaun hunting lucky charms. Sleep now and dream of women with facial hair to rival yours and all the hairy babes ya will rock to sleep at night."
The man blew out a breath through his nose, causing the wispy hairs of his mustache to dance wildly above his lip. He mumbled something about the leprechauns lack of green clothing and then relaxed back upon his bedroll and resumed his snoring.
"Shite, that was close," Finnegan mumbled. He walked to the horses hitched beneath a large oak and looked them over to find one he wanted.
A snorting breath against his neck had his lips curving in a smile. "Hello there, Theo. Ya better be alone because if Little Cass came with ya I'll whoop her beautiful arse myself."
Finnegan waited for a response from Cassandra but none came and he breathed a sigh of relief. At least the woman had had the good sense to believe he'd get out of this mess and come back to her without putting herself in danger.
Finnegan unhitched all seven horses, took off their saddles and swatted their asses, sending the beasts running off into the woods. The sounds of the hooves in the dirt had several of the men stirring. Finnegan gathered up his goodies and leapt onto Theo's back.
"Stop!" Van hollered.
Finnegan laughed, "I'll have to decline that invitation," he said with a shake of his head, "I'll see you gents later!"
With a whoop and a laugh Finnegan rode off into the night leaving seven horseless, shoeless and rather angry men behind him.
***
"That's it, Seamus. I'm going to go find Finnegan."
"No you're not, Cassandra," Seamus replied calmly and remained sitting in the arm chair directly in front of the door of the little hotel room they'd rented for the night. Today had been their last day on the stagecoach. The driver had made it clear he didn't want anyone riding along who would bring trouble with them.
"Seamus, the man is your brother. Maybe you should try to make sure he's okay," Calvin spoke up from where he stood beside the window looking out at the night. The two of them had been keeping Cassandra prisoner in this room all evening but it seemed as if she had finally begun to bring Calvin over to her side.
"What should I do?" Seamus demanded. "Go riding off to who knows where after seven armed men by myself?"
"No, of course not!" Cassandra replied. "I'll be with you."
"Yes and then if by some miracle we find Finnegan alive and well he'll try to kick my ass for allowing you anywhere near danger."
"Oh please! Finnegan isn't nearly that protective."
"He is of you. Clearly you haven't seen the way he looks at you."
Cassandra felt her heart pound. "I thought you didn't approve of him and I."
"I don't," Seamus assured her quickly. "But that doesn't change the fact that the man is in love with you. There's nothing I can do for Finnegan and this mess he got himself in. We cannot go to the law to have them help us save a man who is wanted by rich men because of gambling debts. I doubt they'd be interested in his plight."
Cassandra stomped her foot. "We have to do something! I love him, Seamus, and I will not see him pay for the man he was in the past while I stand by and do nothing!"
"It's not the man he was in the past, Cassandra, he's still the same man. You're his new high, don't you see that? You've taken the place of the whiskey, the gambling and the women for now and you're something new and exciting... but soon the fun will wear off for him, he'll grow bored and he'll be right back to doing things that will lead to him being in the same exact spot he is now."
"You're wrong about him," Cassandra insisted, sticking out her chin and wishing she felt as certain as she sounded. Seamus seemed to know where her weakness lie in her heart and he seemed to enjoy poking those weaknesses every chance he got.
"No, I'm not."
"Why do you hate him so badly, Seamus?" Cassandra asked sadly. "Why do you have so much resentment and bitterness toward your brother?"
"I'm not bitter," Seamus growled, averting his gaze.
Cassandra looked at Calvin who was watching Seamus with curiosity and then she looked once again at Seamus as something snapped into place. A small piece of why Seamus was the way he was when it came to Finnegan.
"It's because he can be who he is and you can't, isn't it?"
"What?" Seamus snapped. He snorted and shook his head. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."
"Yes you do. Finnegan is flawed, I will agree with that completely. He drinks too much, he gambles too much, he flirts too much and he never knows when to shut his mouth. There are a million annoying things that he does every single day but he is who he is and does not have to put on false pretenses--you hate him for that because you live in a false pretense everyday."
"Cassandra, this has nothing to do with me--"
"Yes it does. You need to grow up, Seamus. Be a real man."
"I am a real man--was that an insult because of what you now know about me?" his gaze darted to Calvin and then returned to her.
Cassandra threw her head back with a groan and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, you great idiot. Do you think it matters to me one way or the other who you want to spend your time with? When I say to be a real man I mean to stop being such a sniveling child.
Seamus was silent for a long while. Calvin was twirling a coin between his fingers and acting as if he wanted to be anywhere but there and listening to the conversation going on between the two of them. Finally Seamus sighed. "Cassandra, Finnegan will be fine. He probably isn't even with those men anymore."
"So you won't go after him? Your feelings toward him run that deep?"
"It has nothing to do with my feelings and all to do with the way things are. I won't risk your safety or Calvin's safety just to go save a man who will end up in another mess tomorrow." He slumped down in the chair, stretched his legs out and pulled his hat low. "Now I'd advise you get some rest."
Cassandra stared at Seamus and wondered why in the world she ever fancied herself in love with him. He was cold, cruel, mean and hard-hearted. How could he and Finnegan have come from the same parents? Finnegan might be a lot of things but he was none of the things that Seamus was.
Cassandra knew that Seamus would not let her out the door but there was a ledge outside the window that would wrap around to the ladder in the alley which would take her to the ground three stories below. All that stood between her and that ledge was little Calvin and Calvin was staring at Seamus as if wondering if he'd made a good choice in coming along.
Cassandra grabbed Finnegan's gun belt off the bed and strode to the window. Calvin raised a brow as his blue eyes looked at her curiously. She pulled Finnegan's gun and pointed it at him. "Move."
Calvin's eyes widened and he hopped out of the way. Cassandra threw open the shutter and scrambled out the window, ignoring Seamus' exclamations for her stop. It wasn't until she was on that tiny ledge in the dark with the wind whipping her skirts that Cassandra paused to wonder what in the world she was doing.
She did not much care for heights and all it would take was one slip on her way to that ladder and she would find herself becoming worm food. But Finnegan was worth the risk. She had to help him. She wasn't sure what she would do but she had to do something.
"Dammit, Cassandra, you're going to get yourself killed!"
"Yes, but since you do not risk yourself for the welfare of anyone else I know you will not come out to stop me."
The string of curses that left Seamus' lips had Cassandra biting back laughter and then she squeaked when she realized that he was indeed coming out the window after her.
Cassandra began to move more quickly, scooting along the edge toward the corner. Once her foot slipped and she cried out as she nearly fell. She managed to regain her balance and reached the ladder without any further trouble--unless you counted Seamus rounding the corner after her as no trouble.
She had no idea what she would do once they were both on the ground. Seamus was sure to toss her over his shoulder and once again make her his prisoner but she was beyond reason just now. That impulsive nature of hers did not heed to rhyme or reason.
Cassandra tossed Finnegan's gun belt over her shoulder and then cursed her skirts as they became tangled around her legs, hindering her progress down the ladder. Cassandra slipped and fell the last five feet to the ground, landing on her backside with a tooth-chattering thud that stole her breath.
She was struggling to regain her bearings when Seamus' hand grabbed her shoulders and hauled her to her feet. "What the hell were you thinking?!" he demanded.
"I'm thinking that I am going to save the man I love!" Cassandra snapped back, jerking away from his hold just as Calvin rounded the corner, clearly having used the hotel door.
"Cassandra..."
"No! You might not like Finnegan, you might not think he matters or is worth any amount of effort but I love him! I know he's a good man, a man worth any effort! I won't stand by and do nothing knowing that he could be facing death. I am going to save my best friend!"
"There's no need to save me, Little Cass, seein as how I'm safe and sound."
Cassandra whirled around as a cry of shock, relief and happiness burst from her mouth. She ran three steps and threw herself into Finnegan's arms. He held her tightly, his lips curving against her neck as he smiled. "I love ya, Little Cass. To hear ya sayin' such things about me makes me want to be the man ya believe I am," he whispered for only her to hear.
Cassandra was surprised by the tears she could feel on her cheeks. She was not the crying type but now seemed a good time. She had truly believed that Finnegan was going to die and she would never see him again.
They stayed that way for a long time but finally Seamus' throat clearing and Calvin's shifting feet had them pulling apart. Cassandra got a good look at him then. There was still a rope around his neck and his clothes were dirtier than they had been. He stunk like the backside of a hog and he looked exhausted.
But he also had saddlebags and a sack loaded with things and Cassandra could see the bottle of whiskey hanging out of that sack. She glared at him and her fist connected solidly with his gut.
"What the devil was that for?" he gasped as he rubbed at the abused flesh.
"For scaring me nearly to death! I thought you were going to die, Finnegan!"
"I told ya I'd be back, Little Cass. I don't plan on dyin' anytime soon."
"Well now that you're back and can control your woman I'm going to bed," Seamus grumbled. He walked off around the corner with Calvin following along behind him.
"Finn, what happened?" Cassandra asked, picking at his frayed sleeve.
"I'm sorry ya were so worried about me. It's quite a tale but can we tell it inside, in the bed? My legs are feelin' a bit wore out."
"Finn, your brother kept me locked up in the room. I was a prisoner," Cassandra informed him as he grabbed up the saddlebags and sack and they walked together toward the hotel door.
"I'll thank him later."
"Thank him?!" Cassandra demanded. "I was trying to come help you and he refused to let me! He was a monster about it."
"I wouldn't want ya in danger for me, Little Cass, and Seamus knows that. That and he's a bit of a coward when it comes to rushin' into danger. He's used to havin' several strong men behind him--" Finnegan snickered, "In more than one way it would seem."
Cassandra flushed bright red and tried to shake that image from her mind. "That's enough of that," she warned. "Thank God you're alive, Finn. I don't know what I'd have done if I'd lost you."
"You won't lose me, Little Cass. It'll take more than a couple of rich man's thugs to take me away."
"Finnegan, please promise you won't gamble your way into any more debts like those."
"Promise that you will stick around to keep me thinkin' straight and I can promise ya I won't do it again."
"How many more men are there out there that you owe money to?"
"That'll come after me?" Finnegan grinned sheepishly as they climbed the stairs toward the bedroom. "Only a few. But that won't be a problem once we have the treasure, Little Cass. I am going to pay my debts and change my ways. I don't feel the urges I once felt any longer. My only urge now is to be with you."
Seamus' words about Cassandra only being Finnegan's temporary high replayed themselves in her mind but she forced them away.
"I can't wait to hear about what happened to you today, but Finn?"
"Yes?"
"If you ever scare me like that again I will kill you myself."
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