There’d be no bedding down for good times tonight. The dickheads were well and truly stirred up. Gunshots regularly scattered the quiet as they revved their big bikes up and down the streets. Finn had only managed to dispatch one of the gang, but it was sufficient to get their attention. Nearby, fires raged, fil ing the air with smoke. The idiots might yet end up toasting themselves along with their quarry.

Outside, the wind was blowing like crazy and there was an electric buzz in the air. Hopefully the storm would hit soon and douse the flames. God, Daniel hoped it would. Something had to go their way, for once.

“I love you like the moon loves the stars,” he said.

She cuddled in closer.

“I love you like the fishes love the sea,” he said.

“Hmm.” His girl gave a tired little smile, leant her head on his shoulder. “Do the fishes love the sea?”

“They would be screwed if they didn’t, my love.”

She sighed. “True. Where are you going with this, Daniel?”

He smooched the top of her head, rubbed his cheek against it. The softest silk had nothing on his girl. “Well, because I have this great love for you, I feel compelled to confide in you when you are behaving like an ass.”

Her head fell back, and a hurt look flashed, then faded. If anything, she looked a little defeated. Lovely lips turned down at the corners and sadness filled her eyes. “You mean Finn.” She didn’t move away and didn’t proceed to rip him a new one. It told Daniel much. “Yes, Finn. You’re not being fair, baby.”

“I know.” Ali huddled against him. “The way he just … I mean … He didn’t even blink. Just kil ed that guy.”

And as much as he would have wished to protect her from al sorts of stuff, protecting her from this would not be to her benefit. Not in the least. The brave new world required skills just like the kid’s. His girl needed Finn more than she needed her pride or her delicate sensibilities. Jealousy niggled at Daniel but he pushed it aside.

“Shit, Daniel,” she said.

“So, you’re worried someone you know and possibly have feelings for could kill like that?” he offered, finishing the sentence.

“I guess. I don’t know. Shit. Shit. Shit.” There followed further heartfelt sighs. And he couldn’t have fixed this one for her even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t.

“You should never have started up about the three of us,” she grumbled. “I am not equipped to handle this crap.”

“I disagree.”

Her dark eyes honed in on him. “Why are you pushing for this? Real y?”

“I want you to be happy. Also, I want you to be safe.”

“You want him to protect me. That’s using him, Daniel.”

He made a noise of disapproval despite her being spot the f**k on. Sometimes survival came first. Actual y, always survival came first. “He’s already protecting you. He chose to protect you.”

“Be honest.”

“Babe, I’m open to the idea of sharing you. Okay? And the fact is, there’s something between you and Finn. Now there’s a damn good chance the three of us are going to be sticking together for the long haul, so ignoring it is plain dumb. This is my reasoning.” He patted her on the head and gave her a smile, one that he hoped conveyed more love than sales tactics. “But yes, his ability to protect you has been noted. With the world the way it is these days, how could it not be?”

Al’s mouth widened in a pained expression, her lips thinning. “I get why you might think this is a good idea, Dan. I do. Did it ever occur to you that pushing me in this direction might screw things up spectacularly between all of us?”

Yes, it had occurred to him, and f**k he hoped not. Sincerely to the bottom of his soul.

Dan set his chin on her crown, caught one of the hands fiddling with the seam of her jeans and held on tight. “Okay. Let’s focus here.

Finn acted today to protect you. He risked his life and what he did was for you. He does not deserve to reap your shit for his efforts, babe. No matter where you are on the you and him getting together front, okay?”

She said nothing.

“Leave it for now. Why don’t you sleep on it?”

She snorted. “Right. Sleep.” There followed a long pause. He could almost hear the cogs turning in her overactive mind. “I know he killed for me, and I know I’m not being fair. I just … I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?”

“Feel this way … Twisted. Confused.”

He deposited another kiss on the crown of her head. “Let it go for now. Give yourself a chance to get your head around it. You know, I have every faith in your good judgment.”

“Right,” his girl murmured. “You think fishes love the sea.”

Thus began one of the longest nights of his life.

The fires crept closer until a reluctant drizzle arrived. The air fil ed with smoke and steam and the scent of damp ashes. The rain made listening to the night much harder.

No one slept.

Dawn was a curiously quiet thing. No birds. No bike engines. Nothing. After al the chaos and commotion of the last few days, it was downright creepy.

Finn wandered over and hunched down in front of them, staring straight at his girl, who was studying the doorway over the kid’s right shoulder.

“We should move,” Ali murmured. The shadows beneath her eyes were as bad as the bruise on her face. They were al wel on their way toward wretched. “Maybe they passed out.”