She sighed, and really considered his proposal. It sounded like she’d have a job to do, one she excelled at and loved. Plus, she’d have Roman by her side. Right now, she couldn’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be. Even if her situation hadn’t been so dire and she had all the choices in the world on what she should do with her future, she’d want to be with him, to see where their relationship led.
As she thought about it, she realized that ever since she’d met Roman, he had brought out a side of her she didn’t even know had existed. Usually, her life had been very controlled and mundane. She never took chances, but her sister’s death had changed that. That had been the catalyst. There had been her lies to her boss and to the Phoenix PD. She’d jumped off a cliff when she took Roman home that night, and then again while taking a job without really knowing anything about it. Then, she’d risked her life while taking part in a rescue to get Roman, Eden, and Benedict out. Yes, she’d been willingly walking into one strange situation after the other, and now, she felt as if she were getting ready to jump off another ledge. However, this one, she could see where she would be landing.
Yes, it seemed strange to want to be with Roman and to enter his world, but she had nothing left in her own. It was as if her whole being became lighter when she and Roman were together, and she couldn’t imagine her heart filling with more joy than it held at that second.
“I’m in. Let’s do it, Roman.”
He grinned and leaned over, their lips molding together in perfection, making her whole body heat. Before she knew it, she lay under him.
“If we leave now, we can get back just in time for dinner.”
She arched a brow at him and traced her fingers over his shoulder. “Or, you can finish what you started with that kiss and we could eat here a little bit later.”
Smiling, he brought his lips to her neck.. “What an excellent idea, Olivia from Virginia.”
Their mouths met again and she sighed with contentment, feeling as if she’d finally found herself a home.
Chapter 48
The next morning, Roman and Olivia pulled up in front of the silo. He’d called Noah to let him know that they’d be home, and knew the second they went through that door that Olivia would be swarmed with his people wanting to get to know her and to welcome her into their lives.
He had a feeling she’d be a little overwhelmed, just as he’d been when he’d been introduced to everyone for the first time.
They’d spent a good portion of the night talking about everyone. He’d tried to give her a brief background on all of them, and a rundown on who was mated to who, and who was related. In the end, he’d confused himself, and had to write it all down. As he talked, he realized that the remaining people of his race sat about two steps away from being incestuous.
“Are you ready?”
She nodded, but as she picked at her nails, he could tell she felt nervous.
“They’re going to love you, but they can be a bit much.”
“I’ll be fine. If I can interview a serial killer, I can handle this.”
He chuckled, but didn’t tell her that a serial killer might not be as crazy as the bunch he was about to subject her to.
Jovan, Titus, and Rayner had returned last night, claiming they’d had a great time in Florida—they’d particularly liked alligator wrestling in Gatorland, while the females had preferred Disney World—but they hadn’t found any Colonist activity; just some humans using a new form of synthetic drug called Spice. It literally put them into a zombie state, and sometimes, it ended in psychosis. So, when the rash of a few murders happened that Noah thought might have been Colonist activity, it turned out to be humans on the drug.
They exited the car and headed up the silo steps. Olivia flipped her glasses to her head and gazed up at the round sphere. “This is amazing.”
It hadn’t been that long ago that he’d thought the same thing, but now, he just considered it home. “Wait until you see the inside.”
They stepped through one door, walked a short distance, then opened the next one, which led directly into the kitchen.
People hustled around the area, Hudson giving orders to all. With Christmas being two days away, Roman guessed they prepped for the big feast. Glancing over at Olivia, she stared wide-eyed, her mouth in a small O.
No one had seen them yet, and he watched her take it all in.
“This place is gorgeous.”
He nodded as he hung up the car keys. With shiny, silver appliances, and black marble countertops, the kitchen looked like something out of a magazine, despite all the activity.
“Oh my gosh!”
He turned to see Abby walking toward them. “I didn’t even see you guys come in! Hi, Olivia. I’m Abby.”
Other heads turned and in a moment’s time, some more people wandered into the kitchen, and Olivia and he were swarmed. Olivia shook hands and accepted hugs, laughing with the others. Even Justice and Holly had shown up, and Olivia’s eyes flashed in recognition when she saw Holly, then the two women hugged and both talked at once about their brief meeting in the facility. After a few moments, he realized he’d been squeezed out as everyone circled his female, introducing themselves and asking her questions.
He watched it all for a few moments. Olivia’s eyes danced, her smile genuine, and she seemed very happy, especially when Eden said hello. He noticed that Benedict kept his distance.
A moment later, Noah rounded the corner and came into the room. He pushed his way through and shook Olivia’s hand with a grin. “I’m Noah.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Noah glanced over at him. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”
Olivia tilted her head to the side. “So, I’m not supposed to believe that you’re a good, decent man?”
Noah laughed. “Well, that part, you can believe. You and I have a lot to talk about.”
“Yes, I do believe we do.”
He turned to everyone. “Can you guys shut up for a second? I need to say something to Olivia, and I want you all to hear it.”
The room went silent.
“Now, I don’t know if you all were aware of this, but Olivia’s sister was a victim of Daniel.”
Murmurs of surprise went through the crowd as Noah turned back to a very surprised Olivia. She glanced over at Roman, and he moved in between Jovan and Liberty to get to her. He grasped her hand as Noah continued.
“Although I’m not responsible for the actions of another, I was sent here to catch the Colonists. I was one of the Six Saviors—the guy they put in charge. It pains me that we haven’t been successful in our mission, Olivia, and you have suffered because of that. So, as an SR44ian male, I offer you my deepest condolences and my apologies for my failure.”
Noah bowed his head as tears brimmed in Olivia’s eyes. Roman squeezed her hand. The apology hadn’t been necessary, but with the birth of Phoenix, Noah seemed to be softening a bit. Either that, or exhaustion had taken its toll.
“Thank you, Noah. I appreciate the apology, although it wasn’t expected or needed. Roman’s told me a bit about what you do, and it’s admirable work. My sister is gone, but I think working together, we can find the next Colonist, and really concentrate on getting rid of the offspring, as well.”
Noah lifted his head and grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that. I can always use more help around here.”
Conversation broke out again, and Olivia held tightly onto Roman’s hand. After a moment, he spoke. “Okay, can we please give her some space? I don’t want to scare her off quite yet.”
“We’ll give her a tour!” Liberty said.
When she’d left for Florida, her hair had been highlighted purple, and now, it had been changed to bright red. As Liberty and Faith escorted Olivia out of the room, Hudson sidled up next to him.
“Hey, Hudson. How’s everything going?”
He shrugged. “It’s going. It’s been a rough couple of days. I never got the chance to thank you for saving m
y children.”
“No sweat, man.”
“Well, I appreciate it.”
He stared at the male a moment. “Did you know they existed?”
Hudson scoffed. “Of course not. I never would have abandoned them like that.”
“I didn’t think so.”
Hudson glanced around, then leaned in close. “It’s my understanding that you requested information on a certain Major in the U.S. military.”
Roman crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes, I did.”
“I wanted a word or two with him, as well. It seems that the facility you were kept in has shut down for Christmas, and all personnel have been given a few days off.”
“Really.”
“Yes. The guy is bad news, Roman. He was stationed in Afghanistan for a few tours. Some of the Afghan soldiers were keeping young boys as sex slaves right there in the damn barracks. He told those under his command to ignore the practice.”
Roman’s stomach flipped as bile rose in his throat. “That’s fucked up.”
“I know. Thankfully, there were a few soldiers who broke rank and beat the shit out of the Afghans.”
“Good for them.”
“The Major made their lives very difficult.”
“Bastard. I want to give him exactly what he deserves.”
“Yes. Kade and Blake pulled up some other stuff about the guy I think you’ll find interesting. Want to take a look?”
“Absolutely.”
“I was going to go wish Major Holmes a Merry Christmas tonight.”
Roman chuckled as Hudson cracked his knuckles. “I would love to come along and see my old friend.”
“That’s what I thought you’d say.”
Around nine p.m., Roman and Hudson arrived at a neighborhood bar they’d found out the Major frequented when not on duty.
“Let’s go see if he’s here.”
He followed Hudson inside, and they glanced around. An older, somewhat clean establishment that smelled of ancient beer and stale cigarettes, it was still a place where the neighbors gathered to moan about their lives, and he imagined it had been that way for more than a decade.
Black tabletops hid the layers of old beer and body oils, while posters of hard rock bands from the eighties intermingled with beer signs on the yellowish walls. A plump male in his fifties stood behind the bar and chatted with a couple of customers.
Roman saw the Major immediately, sitting at the bar talking to another patron, a freshly-poured beer in his hand.
“He’ll know me on sight.”
Hudson nodded. “Agreed. Why don’t you take a table at the back of the room? I’ll engage the cocksucker.”
Roman moved through the sparse crowd and sat a table that allowed him to watch Hudson. After a moment, Hudson had Major Holmes shaking hands and smiling as he took the stool next to him.
As he sat in the rickety chair, he hoped the damn thing didn’t break. A plain female in her twenties took his drink order, looking as if she’d rather be anywhere else in the world but this bar.
He sipped his whiskey and watched Hudson talk to the Major as if they were old friends. Then the male ordered a few rounds of shots, and Roman smiled, liking where the evening was heading. Sitting back, he thought about earlier in the night, before he and Hudson had left the silo.
Olivia got the grand tour, met everyone, helped with dinner, and finally, afterward, he got a little time alone with her. As he’d taken her down to their quarters, he’d tried to remember if he’d made the bed and picked up the towels off the bathroom floor before he’d left. Something told him he hadn’t.
When she had opened the door, she’d smiled, and he’d sighed in relief. Someone had obviously thought about Olivia’s arrival, because the place looked spotless. It also seemed as though someone had dusted and hung new towels. He’d have to find out who had been responsible and thank them.
He had tried to see the room through her eyes. The light, hardwood floors brightened up the place. The bed had a black, silk comforter, and black silk sheets, with red throw pillows. Two tanned, overstuffed leather chairs sat in front of the sixty-two inch television hanging from the wall. He hadn’t bothered to hang any pictures, so it didn’t seem very homey, but he felt certain Olivia would help him change that.
“This is really, nice, Roman.”
Taking her in his arms, he’d kissed her. “I need to go out tonight. I’m running a quick errand with Hudson.”
Her face had fallen. “Okay. Where are you going?”
“We have to visit an old friend. I’ll only be gone a couple of hours.”
Kissing her again, he’d wondered if he had time to get her naked before he left, but a knock on the door had derailed those thoughts.
Olivia had grinned. “That must be Liberty. She said she’d come down after dinner. We’re meeting some of the other women for drinks in her room.”
A jolt of jealousy had gone through him, but he’d smiled as she’d left, happy to see her fitting right in with the females of the house.
The Major stood and went down a small hallway, bringing Roman back to the present. Hudson glanced over at him, nodded, and followed. He got up, as well, threw a twenty on the table, and walked over to the jukebox just inside the door as a sense of calm overcame him, and he felt good about what would happen in a short amount of time.
Glancing down the hallway, he saw Hudson waiting outside the bathroom. When the Major came out, Hudson slammed his fist into the male’s face, sending him to the ground.
“Whoa! Major! Let me help you up!”
Hudson pulled him to his feet and wrapped one arm around the male’s waist. Dragging him down the hall, he called out to the bartender. “The Major seems to have had a bit too much to drink—passed out in the bathroom and hit his face on the sink. I’ll make sure he gets home.”
The owner nodded. “Not the first time. Thanks!”
Hudson left with the Major, and a couple of moments later, Roman walked out of the bar.
He slid into the front seat and turned around. The Major lay sprawled across the back seat, out cold.
“Looks like you hit him pretty hard.”
Hudson started the vehicle. “I did, and I liked it.”
He chuckled as they left the bar and headed for the freeway.
“What did you say to him to get him to cozy up to you like that back there?”
“I told him I served under him in Afghanistan and made a few jokes about pedophiles.”
Roman’s stomach rolled at just the word. “Disgusting.”
“Yeah, I feel like I need to take a shower and brush my teeth after talking about it.”
A half-hour later, they stood out in the middle of the desert, the moon hanging high in the clear sky. A shiver traveled down his spine at the cold, and he wished he wore a warmer coat.
They stood on either side of the Major, waiting for him to wake up.
“Are you sure you didn’t kill him?”
Hudson shrugged. “I know I hit him hard, but he should be awake by now.”
As if on cue, the Major began to moan, and then he opened his eyes. At first, he seemed a bit disoriented, but then he focused on him and Hudson, his gaze widening as he got to his feet.
Roman glared at him. “Remember me?”
The Major nodded.
Hudson smiled. “I know you don’t remember me, you lying piece of shit, because I was never in Afghanistan. But you know those two kids you had locked up in your facility? The one that you beat to hell?”
The Major nodded slowly, bringing his hand to his face and wiping his bloody nose. “Now that you mention it, you look like them.”
“That’s because I’m their daddy.”
With that, Hudson slammed his fist in the male’s stomach, and satisfaction rolled through Roman as the Major doubled over, gasping for breath.
“You don’t fuck with my kids, man. You just don’t do it.”
Hudson slammed an elbow down on his back, and the Majo
r fell to the ground with a moan.
Roman pushed him over with his foot so he lay on his back. Then, he got down on his haunches and grinned.
“Here’s what’s going to happen, Sherlock. You don’t mind if I call you Sherlock, do you?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Your parents must have thought they were pretty funny with that one. I bet you got teased relentlessly … I bet the kids called you Shirley, didn’t they?”
A flicker of recognition crossed his face. “That’s what I thought, Shirley. But, here’s the deal. You’re not going back to that facility. In fact, you’re going to recommend that it be closed down.”
Breathing hard, the Major said, “I knew you were dangerous—all of you. I should never have tried to be friendly to you.”
“Being friendly to try to earn our trust so that we’d happily give you our blood, so that we wouldn’t put up much of a fight when you took our eyeballs? Major, I’m actually a really nice guy—probably a little too trusting for my own good. However, you have no absolutely no idea how dangerous I will become if you don’t do as I say.”
As he stood up, the Major tried to get to his feet, as well. Roman placed his boot on his chest and applied some pressure, making it hard for him to breathe and rendering him immobile.
“See, my friend here, he’s very protective of his kids, and he wanted to kill you outright for you what did. I had to talk him out of it. I told him everyone deserves a second chance. Isn’t that right, Hudson?”
He nodded, but slid his gun from his waistband. “I think trying to talk with him is a waste of time. You can’t reason with stupid.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he grinned, enjoying the way the tables had been turned on the Major. “Well, I’ve got to try. That’s just the sort of male I am.”
He looked down at the Major again. “Do you understand my request?”
The anger radiated from Sherlock’s face, his lips set in a thin line, but he nodded.
“See, if you don’t, we know where you live. We know where your parents live, the bar you like to frequent, your driver’s license number, and the fact that you’ve been divorced three times. I know that you particularly enjoy a prostitute named Honey Berry at the whorehouse over in Nevada, and you watch an amazing amount of porn.”
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