His brothers were on their way.
It would be the first time he’d laid eyes on any of them in over a month. He thought back to the night in the family kitchen all those weeks ago, hearing his father tell him that he wasn’t his biological son, and it sent his heart churning in the worst possible way. He loved his family, and he knew that his brothers had nothing to do with the pain that had invaded his life since that night, but he found himself sick to his stomach at the thought of seeing them. He knew they would bring up his parents, Tony and Bette Romanovsky, and Roman knew it would take everything in him not to blow up the moment they did.
Seeing Val, Leo and Gary would open all kinds of wounds that he’d just recently managed to close.
That Angie had helped him close.
From the couch, his eyes went to the closed door of Zoey’s bedroom, and the pain and anger in his heart immediately dissipated. Just knowing Angie was on the other side.
He had to shake his head at himself. He saw the way Angie looked at him. He knew sleeping with her was selfish, because she was already in deep. He wasn’t capable of being in a relationship, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt the one woman who’d helped him heal the most. At that point, it felt inevitable. Inevitable because, he didn’t want to hurt her, but at the same time, was utterly incapable of walking away.
Being flat out rejected by his biological father, without even a second of hesitation had, surprisingly, cut him just as deep as Tony and Bette’s betrayal. If Angie hadn’t been by his side on the night Knox turned his back to him, Roman had no idea what he might have done. It frightened him to think about it.
Thank god Angie had been there.
He hadn’t been lying when he told her he needed her that night. He had needed her, and it wasn’t until he’d spread her open, and taken everything she had to give, that he started considering the ramifications.
Her heart. Her feelings. Her expectations.
He knew it was a conversation he’d have to have with her. Soon. Just not yet.
He wasn’t ready for what it would mean, or what it would change.
He wasn’t ready to let her go.
A knock on the door shook him out of his thoughts, and he leapt up from the couch as a feeling so strong zoomed through him, he stopped breathing for a moment.
As he moved to the door, he straightened his hair and clothes. Once in front of it, he took a deep breath before turning the handle and throwing it open.
The moment Gary and Leo, each with a gift cradled under their arm, caught sight of Roman, both their mouths dropped. Almost on cue, their eyes went wide, as well.
Roman tried to hold himself together, his eyebrows pulling tight in his desperate fight for control.
The gift under Gary’s arm tumbled to the ground.
Roman watched it hit the floor, and he didn’t even have time to look back up before Gary took the back of his neck, taking him into a furious hug.
And that was it. Roman choked back a sob, hiding his face in his youngest brother’s shoulders. Gary exhaled heavily as he wrapped his arms around Roman as tightly as they would go. For their entire lives Roman had been the one to protect Gary, hold him when he cried, and not judge him for his pain. Now the tables were turned, and the emotion that boiled up inside of Roman was more powerful than he’d ever imagined it would be.
That emotion was only multiplied when, just a moment after Roman embraced Gary, Leo stepped up and encircled them both in his long arms, bowing his head as he fought against his own emotion as well.
The three brothers remained in their tight embrace, so lost in how much they’d missed one another that they didn’t even hear the door of Zoey’s bedroom open.
“Is that Val back with my damn ice cream—oh my god.” Zoey’s words came to an immediate stop as she caught sight of the quiet embrace that had commenced in her foyer. Covering her mouth with both hands, tears immediately came to her eyes and, without another word, she raced across her living room and into the foyer, wrapping her arms around Roman from behind while cradling her cheek against his strong back.
“You guys.” She blinked out happy tears when Roman craned one arm behind his back, and wrapped it around her, pulling her into the quiet huddle. “I’m so happy,” she finally finished, allowing her eyes to flutter slowly closed.
The front door creaked open as the four held each other. The sound was enough to pull them all apart. Zoey, Roman, Gary and Leo all turned to Val just as he stepped through the door, keys jingling, with a 7-Eleven bag at his side. They all couldn’t help but smile as his eyes landed on Roman, ready for an emotional reunion between the two brothers.
And emotional it was. Val’s eyes went ripe with a mix of so many emotions that the rest of them couldn’t help but feel everything he was clearly feeling, from the moisture that immediately pooled his eyes, to the rapid tightening of his lips.
Much like Gary, the ice cream that had been in Val’s hand immediately hit the floor.
Then he lunged at Roman, his big hands clawing for his neck.
“You son of a bitch,” Val screamed, ignoring the shocked cries from everyone around him as he got Roman around the neck, pushing him back against the nearest wall.
Roman’s blonde hair immediately broke out of it’s gelled style as his head slammed hard against the wall, his blue eyes going wide as Val stole the breath straight from his lungs.
Gary and Leo immediately came up behind Val, each taking one of his arms in an attempt to pull him away, but Val was bigger than all of them, stronger, and his anger served to make him more powerful than he’d ever been.
As the four struggled in the corner, Zoey lunged for the 7-Eleven bag Val had dropped on the floor, immediately checking for her butter pecan ice cream. Once she’d scooped it out of the bag, she cradled it to her chest and turned back to the boys.
She wondered why she was the only one who wasn’t shocked that Val had gone straight for Roman’s neck.
“Where the fuck have you been?” Val cried, tightening his hold around Roman’s neck, even as his brothers fought to pull him away, even as Roman refused to fight back. “Do you have any idea how worried sick we’ve been about your ass? You can’t even talk to us? Can’t even answer your phone when we just want to know you’re alive?”
“Val,” Gary said, calmly, wrapping one arm around Val’s bicep and the other around his waist. “Ease up.”
“Bro. He’s not fighting you. Relax.” Leo soothed, breathing his own deep breath when he felt some of the tension in Val’s arm soften.
Roman’s eyes searched Val’s, feeling his fingers pushing against his throat as he swallowed heavily. When he spoke, his Adam’s apple brushed hard against Val’s palm, making the act almost painful.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Val’s eyes jumped back and forth between Roman’s, and he swallowed thickly, hand still around his throat.
“I’m sorry, Val,” Roman said, again, gasping in a breath when Val suddenly released his neck. Roman reached up and covered the tender skin with his hand, inhaling just as Val reached up and took the back of his neck, instead, pulling him into a hug.
“I love you so much,” Val gasped, exhaling heavily when Roman embraced him in return.
“I love you,” Roman said, just as Gary and Leo wrapped their arms around their shoulders, once more, creating the second huddle in five minutes.
From the distance, Zoey shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth as tears tumbled out of her eyes. She shook her head at the beautiful sight before her, and the even more beautiful flavors that were now swirling around in her mouth.
“You guys…” she mumbled around a mouthful of ice cream, shaking her head. “This is the best baby shower ever.”
***
After demolishing the entire pint of ice cream, Zoey had disappeared back into the bedroom with Angie, promising the guys they wouldn’t keep them waiting for too long.
That had been over an hour ago.
Val, Roman, Leo and Gary all sat in the living room watching ESPN. The sports highlights were usually enough to pacify any man, but with each second that passed, the brothers found themselves sinking deeper into a hefty vat of annoyance, stewing in it, wondering why in god’s name all the women in the world seemed to be on a mission to make the men in the world as late as humanly possible.
Fingers tapped faster, legs bounced harder, and the impatient aura in the room grew heavier as they eyeballed the door Angie and Zoey had disappeared behind over an hour ago.
“Are they dead in there, or what?” Gary beamed.
Roman was relieved Gary had broken the, slightly uncomfortable, silence that had settled in.
“Who’s going to go knock and tell Zoey to hurry her ass up?” Roman asked. Thankfully, his question broke the ice even more, nervous laughs ensuing.
“Not me,” Val immediately bowed out.
“Fuck no.” Leo was right on his heels.
“You know I’m her ‘man-of-honor’, right? I think I’ve suffered enough.’” Gary looked pained.
Roman held his hands up. “Fair enough.”
“So, you planning on coming back to work anytime soon?” Leo asked.
Roman’s eyes met his. “Nah…”
“Nah?” Val jumped in. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
Leo and Gary shared a look, then turned their attentions back to the TV, staring a little too hard at it to be convincing.
Roman’s eyes met Val’s. “To be honest, I’ve been looking to get out of Novsky for a while now. Find my own path. Figure out what I want for my own life.”
“And you’ve had this change of heart only after you’ve used Novsky to stack a dozen investment properties up and down the East Coast, insuring your financial freedom for the rest of your life, only to up and leave without so much as a word? Not even a fucking two weeks notice. That’s real nice, Bro. Thanks a lot.”
“Would you rather I be broke? Miserable? Struggling? If it makes you feel any better, Brother, I’m running a strong two out of three, so you can rest easy. I’m struggling. I saw my real father, and he doesn’t want a god damn thing to do with me. So I apologize if this whole experience has forced me to take a step back and ask myself who I am, and what I might want out of this life…” Roman’s voice shook as he spoke, not missing the fact that he’d caught Leo and Gary’s attention, once more.
Val eased up, breaking his eyes from Roman without responding.
Roman knew the family company, Novsky, was in trouble, they all did, so he knew Val’s sensitivity really had nothing to do with him, and everything to do with the fear of losing the company he’d built with his bare hands.
“You really found your dad?” Gary asked.
“Yeah, I found him.” Roman said sharply. “Actually, Angie found him. And I wish she hadn’t.”
“Why? What happened? What did he say?”
“I just told you, Gar. He didn’t want to see me. He doesn’t want to know me. He doesn’t give a shit.” Three eyes looked back to Roman with deep sadness, but it didn’t make him feel better. “I don’t want to talk about it. I shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.”
It was clear that Gary wasn’t ready to let it go, and he went to probe further, but a not-so-discreet shove from Leo was enough to shut him up.
“Well your real family hasn’t gone anywhere,” Val said. “Just in case you were wondering.”
Roman’s eyes met his. “How’s Ma?”
“She sits at the window every Sunday and stares out, waiting for your car to roll down the street. She’s not good. She’s going real hard on herself.”
“Pop?”
“He misses you, Rome. What do you want?” Val asked. He’d managed to stop himself from choking Roman to death at the door, but the clip in his voice had been ever presence since the moment they’d all sat down. “You been gone. And it’s been weird.”
“Are you coming to family dinner this Sunday?” Gary asked, his green eyes going even bigger than usual.
Roman took in his brother’s baby face, and couldn’t help the grin that pushed his lips. “Nah…”
Val made a frustrated sound, holding his hands out. “So what? You’re just never going to speak to them, again? You’re going to avoid them forever?”
“I don’t want to talk about this,” Roman grumbled.
“Too god damn bad.” Val went to stand.
“Yo,” Leo called, his eyes shooting fire in Val’s direction the moment he made the move to stand. “Sit the fuck down. You’re doing way too much right now. Honestly.”
With a scoff, Val plopped back down.
The twins exchanged a heated look before Leo moved his eyes back to Roman. “Rome. I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I know what you’re going through. I don’t.” Leo looked to Val, who was avoiding any and all eye contact now, but still managed to release another childish scoff. Leo looked back to Roman. “When you’re ready to see Ma and Pop, you’re ready. Maybe you’ll be ready tomorrow. Maybe never. Just know that we’re always going to be here for you, regardless. Know that.”
“I know.” Roman nodded.
“Always,” Leo reiterated.
Roman nodded, again.
“Now Val went straight for your throat. And me and Gar might’ve pulled him back this time.”
Roman’s eyes filled with mischief as Leo spoke, knowing what was coming.
“But if you ever disappear on us like that, again?” Leo paused. “I’ll kill you myself.”
11
Angie pulled the flat iron down a tiny section of her curls tentatively, immediately frowning when smoke instantly began billowing up from the appliance as it moved. Had there been this much smoke when Zoey was doing it? As the newly straightened piece of her hair tumbled onto her shoulder, shining against the vanity’s bright lights, she wondered if she should just wait for Zoey to come out of the master bathroom and finish the job. This pretty girl nonsense was so foreign to Angie, and the last thing she wanted to do was burn her hair off.
A knock on the door solidified her thoughts, and she placed the flat iron back on Zoey’s vanity.
“Yes?” she called.
The door cracked open, and a male voice chimed in. “You decent?”
Angie smiled at the sound of Roman’s voice.
“Yes, come in.” She watched as the door opened with a smile. But the smile immediately vanished when Val stepped through. Her spine straightened, and her smile fell. She was aware that her reaction to Val was less than thrilled, but for some reason she couldn’t stop herself. She hadn’t forgotten about their exchange all those weeks ago, when Val had seemed alarmed, thrown off, even annoyed when she’d mentioned that she’d begun looking into the case with Zoey’s parents. Angie had always told herself to trust her instincts. They’d never failed her. The fact that her instincts were thrown off kilter as Val eased the door shut behind him, eyes riveted to her, alarmed her. She didn’t want to feel this way at the very sight of him, but she couldn’t deny that she did.
Why had he been at the Governor’s house that morning?
How did he even know the Governor?
Why couldn’t she pinpoint the new feeling she now got whenever he was in her presence?
Was it confusion? Fear? Dread? Some skin prickling combination of all three?
She didn’t know. She wanted to ask him all those questions, but her gut told her he would lie.
She knew he would lie.
Some part of her didn’t even want him to know that she was watching the Governor. That scared her, because it officially meant she found Val suspicious.
She just didn’t know why.
“Hey, Angie.” He smiled.
He was gorgeous. Charming. He knew it, too, and was attempting to use it against her. Angie was supremely aware of every move he made, and they all rang false.
“Hey.” She tried to smile. “I thought you were Roman. You guys have the same voice.”
Val crossed his arms as he leaned back against the door. “I’ve spent most of my life worshiping him, so I guess it’s no surprise that we talk alike. I actually wanted to talk to you.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “About what you told me.”
Angie nodded again, but pressed her lips together. Why was he leaning against the door? It was as if he were waiting for her to run. Coincidentally, that was exactly what she wanted to do.
“Any leads on Zoey’s case?” Val asked.
“I really can’t talk about it.”
“Just between us,” he reassured. “I swear. You can trust me.”
You can trust me.
If she’d learned anything in her years as an investigator, it was that those four words were the four most suspicious in the English language. Her eyes fell to his lips, subconsciously waiting for his next fabrication. If a single believable word were to come out of his mouth right then, she would be truly shocked.
“She’s going to be my wife. Don’t I deserve to know what you’ve found?”
She looked at him accusingly. “Have you told her about me looking into this?”
“No…”
“Good, because I’m sure you understand how dangerous it would be to put stress, of any kind, on a woman in her condition.”
“I understand that completely.” Something in his eyes shifted. “Do you?”
Angie’s eyes searched his face.
“If Zoey ever does find out, you can be assured the news didn’t come from me. She’s carrying my child. I would never risk causing her distress of any kind.”
Angie could see he was telling the truth. Finally. Desperate to believe the good in him over the caricature standing before her, she decided to throw him a bone. “There’s streetlight footage I’m following up on, but it’s going to take some time. Once I have it, I’ll have a more concrete answer.”
“Streetlight footage?” Val’s face went deathly serious.
Claiming Roman Page 17
