Page 210 of Dark Romeo

My throat tightened. “What favor?”

“One yet to be called upon.”

“That’s not?—”

“This is not a negotiation. You have twelve hours to think it over. You’ll give me your answer face to face. Tonight. I’m afraid Julianna can’t come. You’ll have to give her the slip. Can you do that?”

“Roman?” Julianna called through the bathroom door. “Is everything okay?”

I flinched away from the door. “Fine, honey.”

He was asking me to lie to Jules, not just about meeting him, but about my brother. I promised I wouldn’t lie to her ever again. I promised her.

But this was for our future. I’d be doing her a favor by keeping this horrible solution from her, by sparing her from the dark truth.

“Answer yes or no, Roman,” his voice sounded in my ear.

“Yes.”

“I’ll text you where to meet.”

“Give me a name?” I said before he could hang up. “What do I call you?”

“You can call me…Sevastian.”

The line went dead.

I pressed my forehead on the smooth surface of the bathroom door. What would I do?

Should I take his offer? Should I accept this bloody solution to my problem? The world was better off without Marco Tyrell in it.

Jules…she’d never agree to it. If I wanted an end to my problem, I had to keep this from her. I didn’t want to keep anything from her.

But we couldn’t remain in exile forever. She couldn’t live in exile forever. I could already see the homesickness that Julianna tried to hide. It leaked out from her without her knowing. In the smile that didn’t reach her eyes every time she spoke to her father. In the tears she brushed aside when she thought I wasn’t looking. She was here for me. I had to do this for her. I had to take this deal. I had to end our exile so Julianna could go home. I had to lie to her. For her. I had no choice.

I opened the bathroom door. Jules was standing there, innocent curiosity in her eyes. “Who was that?”

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t lie. I’m sorry, Jules.

“I have something to tell you,” I said. “And you’re not going to like it.”

We sat on the couch and I began to speak. I watched her face contort as I outlined who The Church was and the details of Sevastian’s offer.

She shivered and I pulled her closer so she was seated across my lap. “You know what you have to do,” she said quietly.

I nodded. I had to refuse him.

Julianna turned her amber eyes to me. “You have to accept it.”

“What?” If I had been standing, I would have fallen over. “But, it means…”

“I know what it means. I know you shouldn’t have told me. I’m glad you did. Because now, we can carry the weight of this decision together.”

I couldn’t speak. I didn’t know what to say.

She leaned her forehead against mine. “Let’s end this,” she whispered. “Together.”

JULIANNA

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