Free Shadow Season by Tom Piccirilli Page A

seated on top of him. Snow snaps against the glass like it wants him to turn and look for a photo op. Hey, over here, over here. He worries about Harley. He wants to know why she asked, Do you want to die?
    Won’t Ray be surprised when the blind guy shows up ready to kill or die in the middle of—
    The honest rake of Roz’s nails recommits him. She grunts and stiffens as he slams forward. Like always he’s thankful that he can get her off first. She cums hard and immediately orgasms a second time. He holds himself deeply inside her and leans down until his nose brushes her and says, “You’re lovely, Rose.” Her pussy tightens to such an extreme that he lets out a yelp.
    Roz pants, and when he’s nearly there she says, “Did you know Duchess’s granddaughter was denied entrance to St. Val’s?”
    God fuck it.
    Fighting to retain his rhythm, Finn flubs cresting on the wave of climax. Roz zigs to his zag and misses meeting his thrust. He hisses in frustration, and now he’s thinking about what that scene between Duchess and Judith must’ve been like.
    With the lightest touch to the small of his back Roz calms him and gets him back on track so he can finish. He locks up and grunts and spills himself inside of her.
    Finn drops forward and turns on his side, pulling her to him so he doesn’t slip free. His expression must be ludicrous and she whispers, “Sorry.”
    “Jesus Christ, Roz!”
    “I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
    “God damn, honey!”
    “Let’s just—I mean—”
    They relax like that for a while and lightly stroke each other. The tips of their tongues toy together. He lies back with a few bad thoughts starting to squirm loose. The storm is knocking at the window. It wants him to turn and look. Over here, over here.
    Roz is about to say more, she’s at the point that she wants to discuss
things
, but Finn feigns sleep, wondering if she’s visited Ray in prison lately.
    Some of these things he can speak of, some he never will. He keeps them under wraps because he needs them there, constantly being fed into the furnace. It’s what warms him, it’s what keeps the engine going. He is planning to kill a man and he thinks that, even though his shrink only hears about twenty percent of what he says, she might catch wise to that. It doesn’t much matter.
    What else could she say except that it was normal, it was understandable, let’s return to that, let’s revisit that, let’s explore that, your time is up. Roz senses the truth. She understands. She knows he’s waiting and she’s decided to wait alongside him. She has her own mad fantasies, although she’s never shared them. She probably dreams of murder too, or at least great pain. Some of it is her own, some of it is Finn’s, some of it is reserved for others. He’s tried to cut her free but she never leaves. She’s afraid to go it on her own. She’s always needed to stick to a rough man. She’s as confused about love as everybody else. Lately, though, he’s noticed a change in her. She’s both drawing away and asserting herself. It’s a good thing, probably. He suspects she’s going to kick free soon. Maybe she’s found herself a new rough man. Maybe it’s because of this whole Violet situation, maybe it’s just the right thing to do. Five years stuck with a blind asshole is forever. He’s got a very small and petty reason to live, but it’s his and he holds to it selfishly. It’s not time for him to move yet, but when it is, he will spring and strike. His story has it all. Friendship, partnership, mob wars, deception, betrayal, and Finn just doesn’t feel much. Another man would look for answers. But Finn knows there is no answer. Standing beside him are his many ghosts, all his mistakes and lost loves, the dead and the nearly dead and the missing. Finn tilts his chin. The past is cloudy but he feels like he can almost see the future unfolding before him. In the darkness he’s aware and his hands are trembling so badly