by J. L. Beck
***
“I’ll miss you,” I tell Elyse while I hug her as tight as I can. “But I am so happy for you.”
“And I am happy for you, so happy you found Roman. I’ll come and visit you soon, I promise. Roman already told Hero that we are more than welcome to come and stay at your place.”
“Really? I’m surprised they get along so well now. Could have fooled me after that first night.” Elyse and I laugh. Oh, it feels good to just laugh with my sister. I give her one last squeeze before releasing her. We say our final goodbyes, thanking Xander and Ella for their hospitality, and walk up the small stairwell leading up to Xander’s private jet he insisted we use to get back home.
I fall into the plush leather seat once we are inside the jet. Roman takes the seat next to me and I snuggle up, into his shoulder right away. I close my eyes almost drifting off to sleep when Roman’s voice rings in my ear.
“I need to tell you something.” My heart starts to beat out of chest. I’m not sure what more he could have to tell me that he hasn’t. “I’ve been thinking about not telling you, but I love you too much to keep anything from you.”
“What is it?” My back straightens as I peer up at him. His green eyes glimmer and I sense a nervousness rolling off of him.
“You weren’t the only one Joseph did this to. There were other girls he took in just to sell later. There was a whole list of them. Some of them have been sold in the past and some of them were still to be sold at a future date. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to worry, but I feel like you should know. You grew up there, and most likely knew the girls.”
“What’s going to happen to them now?” I blurt out.
“I’m not sure exactly, but I know Xander is going to make sure they all make it somewhere safe. No one will ever be sold again in the two territories ran by my brother and Xander and we’ll do what we can to stop it from happening in nearby territories as well.”
I nibble on my bottom lip. There’s nothing for me to say. I have the greatest man ever. I got to see Elyse, after thinking she was dead, and found out Luke who I considered to be a brother is actually my twin brother. An entire cult was brought to the ground today, and I can’t feel a single thing but happiness.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you,” I whisper, leaning into his lips.
He grins at me. “Oh, I think we can come up with a payment arrangement.” His tone is seductive, and sparks of pleasure zing through me.
“No fucking on the furniture,” Ivan teases, and my cheeks heat at his accusation. As if we would actually do that right here in front of everyone.
“We wouldn’t,” I say.
Just as Roman says, “We will.”
Ivan and Roman burst out into laughter at the same time while Violet and I all but roll our eyes. My gaze moves over to Luke who is sitting in a window seat, his eyes are glued to the window. I snuggle deeper into Roman’s side knowing there is no way this could get better.
“As soon as we get home, you’re mine. Every single inch of you,” Roman whispers into my ear, and I shiver feeling every single word he says deep inside my core.
He owns me...heart, mind, body, and soul. And I own him, in all the same ways.
Chapter Seventeen
Roman
When we step out of the plane, the car is already waiting for us at the bottom of stairs. I hold Sophie's hand making sure she doesn't fall down the steep steps. I can’t wait to get her home, and in my bed. After today I’m exhausted. I did what I needed to do for Sophie, but it’s going to take me a couple of days to get back to my normal self.
The person I became to kill her father is someone I don’t want to become ever again. I shut down the shit storm brewing in my mind and descend three steps behind my brother.
Violet slept on the plane most of the time and Ivan is half carrying her down the stairs, while Sophie has my full attention. Which is probably why neither of us notice anything wrong.
“Guys?” Luke suddenly stops in front of us. The alarming tone in his voice has me lifting my eyes from Sophie and out to the parking lot. Every nerve in my body is on full alert. I scan the area and that’s when I notice… something is off. The car waiting for us is a black SUV just like Ivan’s, but it is not his. Ivan’s SUV’s are blacked out, and this one isn’t.
“Get back in the plane,” I yell and shove Sophie directly behind me. Ivan is in front of us and turns with a panicked look in his eyes as he almost throws Violet into my arms. I push her behind me and up the stairs, back into the plane with Sophie. “Get on the floor and hide!” Fear fills their eyes, and I wish I could soothe them, tell them everything is going to be okay, but the truth is I don’t know that it is.
I don’t even turn back all the way before I hear the first pop, then another and another. Bullets ring down on us, and I duck, pulling my gun out. I start firing at the four armed men piling out of the car. I immediately recognize one. Dante. Ivan introduced me to him at one of my visits to the compound.
I run down the stairs after Luke and Ivan. We take cover behind the stairs while the guys trying to shoot us stay behind their car doors.
“Give us the girl and no one has to get hurt.” I twist around the staircase, raise my gun and shoot at one of the men that are peering around the SUV.
The bullet grazes the side of the car, and I damn near curse out loud. I need to practice my shooting; I usually just use my fist.
“You can’t have the girl. You’re asking for a full out war by attacking us on my territory.” Ivan yells, before shooting off two bullets. One lands on its mark through the car door window, taking out the guy I tried to shoot just a short time ago, while the other hits the armored SUV.
“Then a war is what we will have.” Someone responds, a flurry of bullets hit the steps. I try and push down the worry knotting in my stomach, but it’s all I can feel. There’s no way I’m letting these fuckers get their hands on Sophie. I’ll die before I let that happen.
“Two birds with one stone if you ask me. We get the girl and we’ll kill you in the process. You’re a shitty leader anyway, Ivan. You don’t see where the big money comes from. No one respects you. Rossi at least cared for his men and their needs.”
“Fuck you!” I yell. These assholes think they are better than us? I’ll kill every single one of them. No one is touching Sophie, and no one is going to fuck with my brother. We run the show now, whether they like it or not.
“We will not leave here without the girl.”
I hear them move away from the car thinking they are going to come around to where we are. I crouch down waiting for them to come around when I realize they are actually going up the stairs.
Shit. I jump up and move around the stairs as fast as I can with Ivan on my heels. A soon as I’m around the corner, a shot is fired, and something hits my shoulder, making me jerk back. It takes me a moment to even understand I’ve been shot. I stagger back into Ivan, who’s already firing shots at the guys who just hit me.
Ivan gets him in the side of the head and his lifeless body falls backwards off the steps. Dante, who was upfront, jumps back down, gun pointing at Ivan’s head, and for a second, I think I’m about to watch my brother die. My chest tightens. Fuck, it can’t end this way.
Then like a saving fucking grace Luke appears out of nowhere, wrapping his arm around the guy’s neck, while pulling him backwards. The gun goes off again, but Dante just fires into the air above us. Ivan raises his gun, and I see the apprehension in his eyes. He can’t shoot knowing that if he does, he’ll most likely hit Luke as well.
I’m about to rush over and help him when Luke’s eyes meet mine and I freeze. Pure rage fills his gaze as I watch him tighten his hands around Dante’s neck. There's an inhuman look to Luke as he grapples with Dante.
He’s already struggling for air and then he drops the gun, trying to use his hands in a last-ditch effort to get Luke off of him, but it’s already too late.
Luke’
s grip on him is like a boa constrictor. His arms keep tightening around Dante’s neck until his eyes bulge out of his skull and turn vacant with death. Luke grits his teeth, squeezing tighter and tighter. He releases the fucker with a shove, his body making a loud thud as it hits the ground.
Luke exhales a ragged breath, but doesn’t look as if he’s phased by anything that just happened. Most people would be freaking out, but he seems calm...calmer than normal.
I didn't understand why Xander was insisting on Luke working for Ivan until this very moment. He must have seen in him what I’m just now seeing.
Luke is a natural born killer.
“Well, fuck kid. I think you just saved our lives,” Ivan smiles.
“Don’t get used to it,” Luke smirks back at us, rolling his shoulders.
They both turn their attention to me. I’m clutching on to my shoulder as blood seeps through my clothes, soiling the fabric. It hurts, but I’ve felt worse. I want to go get Sophie, but when I get to my feet and start walking, I know I won’t last long. I can already feel my strength withering away, black dots line my vision, and I start swaying unsteadily on my feet.
I grit my teeth...fuck I need to get to Sophie...I’ve got to make sure she’s okay.
She’s all that matters. The words ring out in my ears.
“Fuck, they got you good. We got to go. Mac can take the bullet out hopefully. I really don’t want to have to make a run to the hospital.” Ivan murmurs, grabbing my arm and dragging me to the SUV.
“I need to get her, make sure she’s okay…” I growl, the pain in my shoulder lances through my body as he deposits me on the backseat.
“Luke’s going to get her. Just sit tight, everything will be okay,” Ivan assures me, turning on his heels to go and get Violet. Luke is already halfway up to the plane and when I lean back against the seat. My skin feels clammy, my stomach twisting into a knot.
A few moments later everyone appear at the planes exit door. My vision is blurry, and I can barely make out the images. They make their way down the steps and toward me. Ivan is on the phone, probably having a cleanup crew sent out before anybody sees this fucking mess. My heart thuds inside my chest, the sound vibrating through my veins.
Sophie opens the door, and up close, I see the fear and hysteria in her eyes. She slides in next to me and cradles my head against her lap.
“Oh my god, are you okay?” Her tiny hands feel up and down my body like she’s checking for any injuries. “Where are you hurt? There’s blood…you’re bleeding Roman.”
“I’m fine baby, we just need to go see Mac,” I smile. I can’t help but smile even in the midst of the shit-storm we just went through.
“You’re not fine. You’re bleeding, there is blood everywhere…” I know I should probably be more worried, but I’m not. I’ll be okay. I know it. I feel it in my bones.
Violet and Ivan get into the front seat while Luke lifts my lower body and slides in underneath it. I couldn’t care less how we all get back to my place so long as we do.
“You okay?” Ivan calls from the front seat as he peels out of the parking lot.
“Never been better…I was thinking about heading straight to the gym and going a few more rounds.” My voice cracks as I speak, and Luke looks over at me with a grin.
“Even after being shot he still jokes.”
Sophie shakes her head. “You have no idea.”
It doesn’t take long for us to arrive at the house. Ivan called Mac from my cell somewhere in the time span, but I don’t know when. I was too caught up in Sophie’s ocean blue eyes to care about anything else. We all get out of the car, Mac and Dev halfway carry me into the house all the way into the kitchen. At this rate I should just build an infirmary here.
They put me on the marble top dining island, pushing all the contents to the floor in one swoop. Sophie comes into view and I reach for her hand without thought. She wears her emotions clearly on her features, her adorable little nose is wrinkled, and her thick dark brown brows are pointed down, while her lips show a perfect pout.
Mine. All mine. Until the day we die.
“I’m guessing you don’t want anything for the pain?” Mac mumbles, tearing my shirt off my body. I grit my teeth the movement jarring my shoulder. It feels like Mac is already digging his fingers around in the wound.
“I’m fine. Just dig this fucking bullet out and stitch me up. I can deal with the pain once this thing is out of my fucking body.”
Mac puts his gloves on, the sound of the latex snapping against his skin fills my ears and then the real pain starts. I grit my teeth and breathe through my nose as he cleans the wound before digging around in it. I try to concentrate on anything besides the excruciating pain that comes with him pulling on the muscle and tissue inside my shoulder.
I close my eyes and think about Sophie…Sophie in my bed, in my arms, her skin rubbing against mine, her on top of me, under me. When my dick starts to press uncomfortably against my zipper, I realize I need to think about something else. His meaty fingers grasp the bullet, and he pulls the bastard out. He throws it, and it lands in the kitchen sink with a loud cling.
Then he starts to sew me up, which still sucks but doesn't hurt quite as bad as the last part. Sophie comes up beside me and takes my hand into hers once more.
“Are you okay?” I ask, making her smile.
“You are asking me if I’m okay? I’m not the one who was shot. And I’m just worried about you.”
“This is nothing. I’ve had way worse injuries than this.” As soon as I say it, I realize those words might have freaked her out more than calmed her down like I intended them to do.
“I just don’t want to see you hurt anymore,” she whispers so softly I almost don’t hear, and my heart cracks a little hearing the sad tone in her voice.
“It comes with the job, baby. I would much rather be shot then have a bullet touch your beautiful skin. But I will make a better effort...for you.” I grin.
Mac shakes his head. “I would love to see the day you don’t have to call me to sew you up or tend to your wounds.”
“It will happen and then what the hell are you going to do for work?” I tease, earning an eye roll from Mac.
“Oh, I don’t know, enjoy a night or two off.” He scoffs, cleaning the outside of the wound one last time. “You’re good to go, until the next bullet wound, or busted lip, or eye needs tending.”
I chuckle, “Thanks man. I really appreciate it.”
He gives me a curt nod, and walks over to his bag, putting his stuff away. Ivan comes into view, and I swivel my head around realizing Dev, Violet, and Luke are also in the kitchen. In fact, Luke has got a couple bottles of water out of the fridge.
“You want one?” He asks, offering me one.
“Yeah. I’m just waiting to sit up because I know I’m going to be dizzy as fuck.”
“What’s the plan?” Ivan asks.
“What do you mean?” I quip.
“Are you keeping Luke here for right now? I could always bring him to the compound with me. We need a few extra men.” My head is too much of a mess to think about that right now.
“Let’s talk tomorrow. I feel like shit, and the last thing I want to do is discuss more of this bullshit.”
Ivan’s eyes glitter with amusement. “You know this isn’t going to go away, Roman. This is our life and though I would love to tell you it’s going to get easier, it isn’t. What happened today changes things. Dante might be dead but there are always going to be more fuckers causing trouble.”
“I know,” I interrupt.
Ivan nods. It’s obvious Violet and Sophie are taken back by what’s being said, but there’s no sugarcoating what’s to come. There will always be more bloodshed, more lives lost, more chaos. Hopefully, at the end of it all, we can continue to protect what is ours.
“If anyone else is going to fuck with us, we’ll take care of it. We both know Xander will be behind us no matter what. And between all of us, we have eno
ugh men to fight whoever comes at us.”
“Yeah, I’m sure, but let me heal up first,” I laugh.
“Okay, brother. I’m going to take Violet home. I’ll be in touch. Call me if you need anything at all.” I give him a nod. Mac and Dev follow close behind them, saying their goodbyes, leaving Sophie, Luke, and I alone in the house.
“Hungry?” Luke asks, his eyes moving between Sophie and me.
“Don’t tell me you can cook on top of strangling people?” I finally get into a seated position, pulling Sophie between my legs. Her floral scent washes over me, making it easier to breathe. Everything is easier with her in my arms.
Luke laughs. “I’ve got an entire resume of things I’m good at.”
Sophie shakes her head, and I’d bet anything she’s smiling right now.
“You two are going to be good friends. I can already tell.”
“What are you talking about?” I whisper into Sophie’s ear. “We’re already best friends.”
***
With Sophie’s belly full, both of us showered, and Luke settled into the guest bedroom down the hall, I can finally do what I’ve wanted to do all fucking day.
“I know that look, Roman.” Sophie licks her lips, her blue eyes full of need. She was teasing me in the shower, stroking my dick and rubbing herself against me.
“And what does this look mean?” I circle her like a predator stepping into her space, peering down at her. She looks beautiful. Her skin flawless. Dark brown hair wet and sticking to my shirt—the same shirt she wears nearly every night when we go to bed together.
“It means…” she nibbles on her bottom lip, “I’m about to be devoured…” I press a kiss over her throbbing pulse and pull her into my bare chest. Her nipples are already hard beneath the shirt, and I crave to feel them against my skin.
“And?”
“Fucked?” There’s a question in her tone.
“You have to think about that?” I lift a brow teasingly.
“Of course. You are injured, so maybe we shouldn’t—"
