Chapter 357
357
Backup.
I stumbled sideways as they walked past me, their boots thudding against the floor without hesitation, without even glancing at the puddles of blood. One of them crouched near Paula without flinching when she screamed. Another grabbed Chloe’s hand and inspected it
like he’d seen this a thousand times.
My stomach lurched as the metallic smell got more present in the room. I swear I even heard the wet sound of blood. The steady stream
dripped onto the carpet.
My throat tightened. Then the nausea hit me too fast to fight. I gagged, slapped a hand over my mouth and immediately bolted to the trash can in the corner. My entire breakfast came up in violent heaves.
“Savannah.” Roman’s voice softened instantly, snapping out of whatever trance he had been in. He dropped the gun on the table so fast it clattered loudly. In two strides he was at my side, sweeping my hair back, his palm on my spine. “ Hey, hey. It’s alright, baby. I’m right
here p>
I spat, coughing. “God… the smell p>
“I know.” He stroked my back gently. “I’m really sorry you had to see that p>
I wiped my mouth shakily. “Water,” I whispered. “Please p>
Roman turned toward Chloe like a storm shifting directions and barked, “where’s the water?! ”
She flinched, pointing weakly toward the fridge. “Th–there. ”
He moved faster than I could blink, snatching a bottle and uncapping it. He held it to my lips, eyes filled with worry. After rinsing my mouth, I exhaled shakily, wiping my lips with the back of my hand.
Roman cupped my cheek. “Better? ”
I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if I meant it. My eyes flicked to Chloe and Paula–to the bloody mess Roman had created. The men stitching and pulling and pressing. An absolute nightmare.
“You shot them, ” I whispered. “Roman, you shot Chloe p>
His expression hardened again, instantly. “They pointed a gun at you,” he said flatly. “You think I’m going to stand there and wait for them to pull the trigger? ”
“But they didn’t.” I said. “Paula pointed a gun, yes. But she didn’t fire. And you fired two shots, Roman p>
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9:49 Thu, Dec 25
Chapter 357
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“ She lifted her hand toward you. ” His jaw tightened. “ She would’ve fired. And besides, I wasn’t going to let them play games with us, Savannah. I was simply reacting to their silliness p>
The firmness in his voice. The conviction. It silenced the words on my tongue. He wasn’t unhinged. He was deadly. There’s a difference.
And that difference scared me more than anything.
“Roman…” I whispered, touching his cheek lightly, trying to ground both of us. “I just … I just want all this to end. I want us to go home. I
want peace p>
His face softened at my touch and he leaned in slightly. “We’ll be home soon,” he murmured, lifting my hand to his lips. “I promise, my
love p>
He leaned in to kiss me, but instinct kicked in and I recoiled slightly. “Roman, I literally just threw up p>
His mouth twitched. “I don’t care. ”
He cupped my neck and pulled me in anyway. The kiss was deep and warm and sweet. A shock to my system. My body melted against him immediately as everything else blurred. The chaos, the smell, the shouting. All gone.
When we separated, my head spun for a different reason entirely. I wanted him.
But Roman turned back to business immediately, the softness vanishing like it had never existed. “Zane is a tattoo artist, isn’t he?” he
asked Chloe.
She sniffled, clutching her abdomen while a man wrapped her hand tightly. “Y–yes p>
“Where’s his shop? ”
Her lips trembled and she hesitated. Roman’s jaw ticked and he threatened, “don’t anger me, Chloe p>
Chloe broke. “I–I’ll give you the address p>
Of course she would. After today? No one would dare tell Roman no.
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.