To Monaco & Back - Finn Shelby

7

1927 - Shelby Car
Wednesday 5th November, 6:48pm

Despite the freezing temperatures, Esme had taken off her coat and wrapped Isabella in it, she noticed how skinny she was and how much blood she was covered in and couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl.

"What happened?" she hesitated to ask. Isabella took deep breaths of the cold air, thankful that she had fresh air in her lungs instead of the dirty polluted air she had been living in.

"It was horrible Esme, I woke up in that room and never left it. It was my father's fault, he shot Maggie Taylor's husband. I was raped, all last night. They choked me so I couldn't breath and I was unconscious, but I still felt every part of it." Isabella choked. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

"Is that what the bloods from?" Esme asked. Isabella nodded in return and Esme wrapped her arms around her, "Finn's been going mad, coming to me every bloody day telling me how stupid he feels for being with them girls. He's been screaming at Tommy to let him come to this meeting." 

"Finn's here?" Isabella asked.

"They are all inside, looking for you. Trying to come to an agreement with them to hand you over. If it didn't work they were planning on turning the place upside down until they found you. But I though I'd take matters into my own hands."

At this moment, the brothers walked out the house. Each of them shouting and swearing at the top of their lungs. John climbed into the front seat of the car.

"Fucking useless them Taylor's. Saying she's gone missing. We're coming back tomorrow to find her they took our guns and the whole fucking lot." John said, he turned his head to the passenger seat, then realised Esme was no longer there. His head jolted to the back. "No fucking way."

"Told you I could get here before any of you lot, you lot that are useless not us." she said back. It was true that John's face was a picture. He was shocked to see Isabella, but more shocked at the state of her. 

"Best start the car and get off the estate before we tell Finn, he'll be balling his eyes out and bring all Taylor's out the house." John said as he started the car. He drove in front of Tommy's car, leading the way, to make it easier to get away if the Taylor's were to realise that their escape plan had become more real than they anticipated.

As they drove back into Small Heath, Esme held Isabella tightly. John had handed his coat to the pair to wrap around their legs to keep warm. As he stopped the car on Watery Lane, Esme pulled Isabella up out the car, to show Finn that his wife was in fact safe.

"Look's like Esme found your wife before we did Finn." Arthur laughed, as he saw Esme holding up the much smaller Isabella.

Finn jumped out the car and ran over to her, he stopped once he saw her though, she had changed a lot but it didn't matter to him. All that mattered was that she was safe.

He wrapped his arms around her, taking her out of Esme's arms and holding her close to his body.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." he whispered into the top of her head. Isabella shook her head in his chest. The other Shelby brothers smiled as they saw Isabella safe. They were proud of Esme for saving her, even if she was bending their rules.

Finn led Isabella into their house, carrying her upstairs in silence. A nice silence. The silence which they both needed at this moment.

He placed her onto the end of the bed before beginning to run a bath for her to get into. He filled it up with bubbles and lit a candle to the side. 

He helped her up, then helped her undress herself and placed her into the bath. Isabella didn't normally feel uncomfortable about her body, she didn't like to show it off but she didn't mind too much. But Finn kept his eyes away from her as she tried to cover herself up. He knew to respect her limits. 

She was much different from when he last saw her. Her hair was much knottier and her natural curls had turned into frizz. Her skin was dirty, as if she had been dragged across a pool of hardened mud. Her waist was slimmer, with a good amount of her ribs showing. Isabella couldn't bear to look at the blood which was splattered across the top of her thighs. She was ashamed of herself, she felt as if he had cheated on Finn but he reassured her that it was okay.

Finn felt envy with anger, he wanted to kill whoever did this to her but he also felt like he didn't have the power in him to do so. He wanted to stay by Isabella's side for the rest of her life to protect her. 

Finn sat on a stool behind her, trying to keep his eyes at the top of her head. He needed to know she was well. He knew she wasn't. But he needed to know she felt better now she was home.

"I heard you were going mad at everyone." Isabella said. Finn laughed slightly, remembering the multiple times he screamed at Tommy for failing to arrange a meeting, and throwing a glass or two on the floor out of anger.

"I couldn't help it, I wanted my girl back." he smiled. This made Isabella's heart skip a beat, she had comfort and felt as if she was safe with Finn, something she hadn't felt with anyone before.

"Who were those girls? At the Garrison." Isabella asked. Finn adjusted himself on the stool.

"Isiah's friends. Says he's seen them before and decided to try to take one of them home. I know I shouldn't have got involved but seeing you with someone else made me feel weird." he spoke.

"That weird feeling is jealousy Finn." Isabella replied. She dipped her head underneath the water, letting it soak to turn it back to its natural state, "You didn't do anything with her, did you?" 

"No Bella, Isiah's friend tried to get me too but I said it wouldn't happen." Finn said as she came back up from the water, "I walked to the bar the second you left, then ran after you but you were gone."

"Finn." Isabella stopped him.

"What happened there Isabella?" he asked. 

"I thought you weren't coming back for me. I thought you left me." she muttered. "They held me down and had me, I couldn't move or do anything I stopped breathing." 

"I'd always come back for you. Even if you were taken to Monaco. I'd go to Monaco and back just for you." Finn said, Isabella pulled herself out the tub and Finn passed her a dressing gown to wrap around her. He turned her back as she dressed herself. 

Isabella wrapped her arms around Finn's waist from the back, holding onto him as if it was the last time she ever would.

"I don't know how you make me feel like this Finn." she stated. He turned to face her and guided her to the bed, she climbed in on her side and rested her head into Finn's arm.

Finn wrapped his arm around her tightly, holding onto her the same way she held him. He was scared to let go. Scared it was all a dream and she wasn't really home. Scared that he would wake up and she would be gone again. That night he laid awake like that for hours, his eyes darting around the room each time there was a noise. 

"I'm in love with you." he whispered towards her, as his eyes began to shut and he drifted to sleep.

Finn had never been in love before. He claimed he was once, with Marian Thumpers in year 1. He asked her to sit with him at lunch with a flower, that lunch 'date' was the last time he spoke to her. With Isabella it was much different, they were both attracted to each other. They both had no idea how they had fallen so quickly for each other. They just knew that whatever they were doing, felt right. They needed each other to stay safe. They needed each other to keep in line and to feel happiness. But it was a long way to go.