Chapter Thirteen
Cassandra stared at Finnegan with dumbfounded shock when the daft man burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that he covered his stomach with one hand and leaned against the wall with the other.
"What is so funny?" Cassandra demanded.
"My luck," Finnegan chortled. "So much for the luck o'the Irish then."
Cassandra snorted as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Yes well your bad luck is going to cause me to be shipped straight back home, be kept under lock and key and then married off to Thomas Shelton at my father's earliest convenience."
"Relax, Little Cass," Finnegan cooed as he managed to contain his laughter. He slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, "Do ya really think I'd let ya be taken away from me now? We're a team you and I and I need ya."
Cassandra wanted to scream for two reasons. One, because Finnegan did not seem to realize how serious of a situation this really was and two, because she hated that Finnegan's only interest in her was her ability to find the treasure he so desperately wanted. She wished he could feel the same pull and confusing longing for her that she seemed to be feeling for him lately.
Damn heart! Cassandra had never been good at turning the thing off and thinking with her mind instead.
"And just what is your plan, you brilliant man?" she inquired, while batting her lashes and granting him an overly sweet smile.
"Plan for what? And why in the world would anyone use brilliant in a sentence about Finnegan?" Seamus' voice came from the open door. Cassandra and Finnegan both jumped and spun around. It was clear that neither had heard the door slide open.
"Ya need to learn to knock, Dear Seamus," Finnegan warned. "And don't ya even pretend as if ya did because I would have heard ya."
Seamus shrugged and leaned against the door frame, "You're right. I did not. Why is Cassandra scared to death and nearly shaking from her shoes?"
Cassandra knew she had no choice but to tell him and so she sighed, "My father is on this train."
Seamus' eyes widened a fraction, "And why would your father be heading to Montana?"
"This train stops many times before then," Cassandra reminded him, still painfully aware of Finnegan's arm around her shoulders. "He is heading west in search of me no doubt."
"You have him worried about you, Cassandra. That is not right in the least definition of the word," Seamus scolded. "You will go to him now and let him know you are safe and sound...."
"No, I won't."
"And why not?"
Cassandra rolled her eyes, "Because he will make me return home."
"That would be for the best," Seamus replied quite seriously. "This world is a dangerous place and the further west you travel the more dangerous it will become. A lady such as yourself has no business out here and certainly no business running around with a man like Finnegan."
"Hey!" Finnegan called out.
"Seamus, you don't understand. If I return to him and he drags me home then I'll be forced to live a life I do not want. I'll be turned into a society wife. Luncheons, teas, stuffy dances and marriage to Thomas Shelton. I want none of those things."
"The Shelton's are a respectable family. You could do worse." Seamus' eyes fell on Finnegan and Cassandra felt Finnegan's grip tighten yet more and turn almost possessive. That was...interesting.
"Yes but I could do better," Cassandra countered, leaning against Finnegan. What was she doing!?!? And why wasn't Finnegan pulling away? Probably because he was a shameless flirt who acted this way with every woman that came within five yards of him so she truly shouldn't be letting herself think it meant more.
Seamus' lips formed a thin line and he fixed her with a stern gaze, "Cassandra, you need to go home. No treasure is worth death and you could very well die out here. And even if you do not you will never find a respectable husband should you return home, not after running around the country with a man like Finnegan. My brother is not known for caring if a woman is innocent."
"That's enough insults for the morn', dear Seamus. Ya don't want to use them up too quickly and run out of ones to serve me for supper. Little Cass does not want to go home and you will not make the lass do what she does not wish to do."
"It is what she needs to do. And don't pretend you truly care, Finnegan. We all know the only reason you are fighting so hard to keep her with you is so you have someone to read your treasure map."
Cassandra wasn't sure what reaction she expected Finnegan to have to Seamus' words but she knew that the reaction he had wasn't it.
Before Cassandra could say a word, Finnegan launched himself at his brother and tackled the man to the ground. The two of them became a tangle of fists and legs on the narrow space in the room. Cassandra was forced to leap onto the bed to avoid becoming tangled up with them as well.
She glanced at the door and saw and old man and woman staring at them with shock. Cassandra forced a polite smile, "You know those Irishman and their tempers," she offered. When the old couple continued to stare and Finnegan and Seamus continued to fight, Cassandra sighed, "Brothers will fight from time to time I suppose." 'Or every day if they are these brothers' she added silently.
Still the old man and woman stared in horror at the scene and finally Cassandra had had enough. "Oh bug off you two!" she exclaimed at them and they hastily made their retreat while sputtering about how rude the youth of today had become.
Cassandra hopped across the bed and swung herself into the water closet where she filled a tiny pitcher with water. She stepped back into the room and proceeded to dump said water directly on the combative brothers.
Finnegan and Seamus broke apart with very different reactions. Seamus was sputtering, bloodied and cursing while Finnegan was slightly winded yet otherwise unharmed and laughing cheerfully.
He leapt to his feet, grabbed Cassandra around the waist and plopped a noisy kiss to her lips, leaving her in stunned silence while he seemed unaffected. "I love a good brawl now and then!" he exclaimed as he watched Seamus pull himself to his feet.
"What the hell was that for?!" Seamus demanded.
"Your mouth, Dear Seamus. Ya ran it just a wee bit too much about me and Cassandra and I felt I should silence it."
"You honestly think that this is best for her, Finnegan? You think that running around in danger with you is what's best for a proper lady? Or is simply what is best for you and your greed and gambling spirit?"
"I'm standing here, Seamus. Do not talk about me as if I were not," Cassandra snapped.
"Yes, I think this is what is best for Little Cass," Finnegan replied, his arm still around her waist. Cassandra's lips were still tingling from his thoughtless and sloppy kiss and she cursed them to the fiery pits of Hell. "She is a woman with spirit and a love of adventure and she will not have that back in Virginia as Thomas Shelton's wife. They will stifle her spirit and kill that spark that burns within her and that would be a crime the likes o'which have never been matched."
Cassandra was touched beyond words by the sudden passion in Finnegan's voice as he spoke so beautifully about her but Seamus spoke again before she could. "And you believe that you can keep her safe? You?" he spat.
"Yes o'course. I would not have agreed to let her come otherwise. Though I think our Little Cass has proven that she's plenty capable of takin' care of herself," Finnegan winked at his brother, "A bit more capable than you it would seem."
Cassandra stifled a laugh as Seamus swiped blood from his mouth. At the rate it was going the man's lip was never going to heal, "That's enough. I'm going to go tell Vincent Little exactly where his daughter is."
Seamus turned to leave and Cassandra panicked. She had no real explanation or excuse for why she did what she did next but before she could stop herself she had leapt forward and brought the water pitcher down hard on the back of Seamus' head.
His body crumpled unconscious to the ground and Cassandra stared at Finnegan with horror. "What did I do?"
"T'would seem ya killed the lad," Finnegan replied with a grave nod.
Tears filled Cassandra's eyes. "No I didn't! Please tell me I didn't!"
Finnegan laughed and hugged her tight. "Ya did not kill him, though I daresay he'll wish he were dead when he feels that headache he's bound to wake up with. Now he'll want you dead instead of me."
"I had to do it though, Finn. I couldn't let him go to papa," Cassandra gasped as she clung to Finnegan's clean black shirt and breathed in his scent. She had always found his scent to be comforting even when they'd been children. He was her Finn and she was in love with him. To deny that fact, even to herself, was a waste of time.
"I would have done it if you hadn't," Finnegan assured her. "Now let's get him tucked away in his room before the great beast awakens."
Finnegan grabbed Seamus under his arms and hoisted the man up though his legs were dragging the ground. "Check the hall," Finnegan urged.
Cassandra peeked into the hall but thankfully a bit of good luck seemed to have finally decided to come their way and the hall was deserted. She dashed across it and tried to open Seamus' door but it was locked.
Cursing her misfortune she slipped back to Finnegan. "I'll have to check his pockets," she informed him. She quickly checked his shirt pockets but there was no key.
Of course the key simply had to be in the man's pants. Gingerly she reached in and fished around for the key while trying her hardest to ignore the fact that she was mere inches from his manhood as she did so.
"Are ya enjoyin' yourself then, Little Cass?" Finnegan teased which of course earned him a glare.
"Haha!" Cassandra exclaimed victoriously as she pulled out the key. Finnegan winked at her and Cassandra felt the thrill of exhilaration that comes with doing something you are not supposed to do course through her.
She dashed back across the hall and opened the door to Seamus' room. Finnegan was hot on her heels, dragging Seamus' body with him. Cassandra watched him place Seamus on the bed and then Finnegan shocked her when he began tearing strips from the bed sheet.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Tyin' him up," Finnegan replied quickly.
Cassandra saw him make short work of hog-tying his brother before placing a gag in his mouth to keep him quiet. He also removed all of Seamus weapons and slid them under the mattress where Seamus could not hope to reach them.
"You're just going to leave him like this?!" Cassandra demanded.
"I see no other choice until your father is off the train. Seamus is a greedy bastard, much more than even I, and he'll not hesitate before turnin' ya in to get his five thousand dollars."
"He seemed merely concerned about my welfare," Cassandra countered. "He never mentioned the money."
"If ya believe that he was worried about ya and not the money then ya aren't as smart as I thought ya were, Little Cass."
"And what of you?" Cassandra snapped. "You are not worried about me simply your treasure map and how to read it."
Finnegan shook his head. "Ya honestly believe that?" he asked quietly. Then he sighed. "I'm starvin' . We'll have to disguise ourselves if we're to go get a bite to eat. Can't have your papa recognizin' us."
Cassandra was glad he changed the subject. She didn't want Finnegan knowing how much he truly meant to her or how badly her heart would break without him. She followed him back to their room and Finnegan glanced around, "Ya can wear your head wrap once again and remain quiet. No matter how ya change your voice it won't be good enough to fool your papa."
"And what about you, Finnegan? How will you disguise yourself?"
"I'll just have to..." Before Finnegan could finish speaking the train jostled violently on the track and Cassandra lost her balance. She flew forward and nearly crashed into the wall but a body was suddenly between her and the hard landing she'd been heading toward.
Cassandra crashed into Finnegan's chest and the momentum knocked him off balance as well, though he twisted his body, wrapped his arms tight around her and fell onto the bed with her body held firmly atop him.
Cassandra froze. She could not move, could not breathe, could not think. She could feel every inch of Finnegan's long, lean body pressed against her own and his face was mere inches from hers.
His warm breath teased her skin and her lips tingled with the need to close those last few inches of space and press against his firm mouth. She gazed into Finnegan's eyes and became lost in the tenderness she saw there along with the passion.
Was there a chance that Finnegan would not break her heart? That they could have a future as more than just friends on an adventure?
Cassandra had to decide quickly if it was worth the risk to find out. She had to decide before Finnegan pushed her away.
Giving in to her impulsive nature and wasting no more time second guessing herself, Cassandra lowered her lips to Finnegan's and kissed him tenderly.
At first Finnegan's lips remained tight and unresponsive and Cassandra was about to break down with disappointment and regret but then his hands moved to her hair, burying his fingers in her thick blond curls, and his lips responded with an intensity that shocked her.
The kiss was far from the innocent kiss they had shared as little more than children in that barn all those years ago. This kiss was full of an adult passion and hunger the caused Cassandra to tingle clear to her core. A need rose within her for more. Finnegan nipped at her lip and when she gasped in surprise he used that opportunity to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue inside her mouth and lapping lazily at her own.
Cassandra had no idea what kind of kiss this was but she wanted more of it! Her own hand, which wasn't bracing her up, went to his cheek and caressed his gently. He moaned deep in his throat and then surged upward, flipping her onto her back and bracing himself over her.
Cassandra could feel his arousal pressing against her thigh as he continued his assault on her mouth. Their tongues warred together, teasing, tasting and fighting for dominance.
When Finnegan finally pulled his mouth away, Cassandra gasped for breath and whimpered for him to keep going. Finnegan's brown eyes looked deep into hers for several seconds and then they filled with regret and pain and he tore himself away from her, shoving his hand through his thick hair roughly.
"I'll be...." He cleared his throat and removed the huskiness that had been in his voice, "I'll be goin' to get what I need to disguise myself now. You should stay here until I get back." With that Finnegan practically ran from the room leaving Cassandra there still unable to breathe, burning with desire and wondering what in the hell had just happened.