Page 63 of Finlay

“Yep, sorry.” I smiled widely at Reid. “What’s up?”

“Your mood, apparently.” He smirked. “I’m guessing Finn looks just as wonderful without his clothes as he does with them?”

Reid had been off yesterday, granting me a whole day without any pesky questions. I’d hoped maybe he’d have forgotten my…date, with Finn in the meantime, but no such luck.

He could ask his questions, but that didn’t mean I was going to answer them. “Have you got the deliveries ready?”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then.” Reid jerked his thumb at the back door. “And yep, I’m about to take them out now. Is there anything else you need me to do before I go?”

That right there was why I kept Reid on. Both histimekeeping and understanding of professional boundaries were absent, but he was good at his job.

“Nope, but thank you.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “You head on out.”

Reid left and I forced all thoughts of Finn out of my mind as I fell into the easy rhythm of work. Honestly, the days seemed to fly by owning this place. Nothing made me happier than being surrounded by the sweet perfume of freshly cut flowers.

I was busy selecting the most pristine specimens for the next order on my docket, a bridal bouquet, when the bell went out in the shop.

Normally, I’d be grumbling under my breath about Reid not being here to deal with the customer, but not this time. My mouth dried out and my pulse immediately started to race. Was Finn back again? We hadn’t set a time to see each other, but that didn’t stop my nerves going into hyperdrive. Fuck. Was I sweating? Could you see the soup I’d spilled down my front earlier?

There was no time to panic. Inhaling deeply, I strode into the shop with a smile on my face. It faltered immediately when I spotted a man who wasn’t Finn. He was tall, easily as tall as Finn. His build was sleeker though, all taut, lean muscles. Around my age, he had dark, dishevelled hair and his shirt was buttoned wrong. There were smears of dirt up his forearms too.

Odd.

Stop judging the customers,I told myself sternly, moving behind the counter and offering him a polite smile. “Hello. How can I help you?”

The customer smiled widely, showing off way too many teeth. Despite this, every line of him was tense. Coiled, like he was about to pounce. “I’ve come to make an enquiry.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, but I wasn’t sure why. He was being perfectly polite, but there was something about him that just seemed…off.

It was his eyes, I realised as he stepped closer. He was smiling at me, but his eyes were blank. Just dark bottomless pits of emptiness.

Go,my mind was screaming.Danger. Danger!

I wasn’t sure why my instincts were telling me to run from this man when they’d remained silent with Matt. Probably a sign that I was overreacting.

Still, I let my hand fall under the counter to the secateurs we kept there. I couldn’t imagine bringing myself to use them, but it made me feel better knowing they were close to hand. “Sure. What can I help you with today?”

“I’m looking for a man who I believe works here,” the man drawled, bracing his hands on the counter. “Reid.”

Alarm bells were blaring alongside the screams in my head. I’d never been one to lie, but the words slid off my tongue with ease. “Nope. Don’t know him. You must have the wrong place.”

The man tilted his head to the side, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Really? I’m certain this is where I’m meant to be. Let me refresh your memory. He’s twenty-three. Dark hair, green eyes. Speaks more than is smart. Known for getting himself mixed up in situations he should know better about. Drama and trouble seem to follow him like a shadow. Sure you don’t know him?”

My blood was boiling at the casual insults he was dropping about Reid. My assistant had his faults, but none this twat had listed. “Nope. Like I said before, never heard of the bloke.”

“Interesting.” The man leaned closer. I gripped the underside of the counter to stop myself stepping back. Thestranger inhaled deeply, and his eyes widened slightly. “Very interesting. I wonder if I can persuade you in other ways. I’m sure I can find a way to make you talk.”

He cracked his knuckles and I had to suppress an eye-roll. This dude was a bully who clearly got his own way by intimidating others. There was no doubt about it. I might not have recognised Matt as a bully, but this fucker was so obvious he may as well have had it printed on a T-shirt.

Squaring my shoulders, I met the guy’s gaze head-on. “You need to leave. I told you, there’s no one called Reid working here. You’re wasting my time and I’ve got orders to get to.”

The man pulled his lips back in a snarl but I didn’t back down. I wasn’t a violent bloke, but he didn’t know that. My size might work in my favour here, but I didn’t hold out much hope if this did come to blows.

Thankfully, he decided not to press any further. Taking a step back, he pulled a card from his wallet and threw it on the counter. “Give that to Reid when he returns.”

I didn’t look down at it. Didn’t even acknowledge its existence. I just glared at him as he made his way to the front of the shop.

“Oh.” He snapped his fingers and glanced over his shoulder at me. “Remind yourfriendsthat we have a treaty. A treaty I’ve respected by not inciting any violence. I expect them to do the same.”

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