Page 194 of Dark Romeo

“All those years I thought I was living,” his voice rumbled against my lips. “I was merely waiting for my life to begin.”

“Stop talking like that, you’re going to be fine.” This could not be goodbye. I wouldn’t let it be. The blood just kept pumping out of his stomach, squeezing between my fingers like grains of sand even as I tried to stop it. What are two hands against a tide?

He grabbed my hands and pulled them off his stomach, his grip surprisingly strong. He brushed my fingers with his mouth, smearing it with liquid the color of roses. “My life began with you. It will end with you.”

“Roman.” A rising panic choked me. Tears blurred my vision. He was saying goodbye. Fuck him for saying goodbye. This could not be goodbye. “Please hang on.”

“I love you,” he said. The three words I’d longed to hear. My heart swelled to bursting. Then shattered. “I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you.”

“Please,” I begged. I begged with every aching piece of my soul. “Don’t leave me.”

“Be brave for me, Julianna,” his voice grew hoarse. “Be happy…” His eyes fluttered shut. He stilled, his fingers unraveling from mine, slipping from all the blood, and fell out to his side.

He let go.

He let go of me.

He wasn’t supposed to let go.

I heard someone screaming, a long, pained scream of anguish. As if the very core of the universe were ripping apart. I realized it was coming from me.

Someone grabbed me, cruel, strong arms ripped me back from Roman’s body. “Miss, you have to let go of him.” I would not. I sent out a desperate plea to God, to Allah, to the devil if he were listening, don’t let him die. All their lives for Roman’s. I would trade all their lives for his.

They dragged me back. I felt my bond with Roman pulling, coming undone like a rope about to snap. The sight of Roman was lost to me as he was surrounded by the dark blue uniforms I used to love so much.

“Let me go,” I screamed. “He needs me. He needs me.” If Roman could just feel me near him. If my soul could just reach out and catch the tail end of his and pull it back into his body. If our love could do that. It was strong enough to do that, wasn’t it?

JULIANNA

____________

I sat in the back of a police van, numb, wrapped in a blanket. My father, still wrapped up in his tactical gear, was standing in front of me, explaining…trying to explain.

“Roman came to me. He said he would do anything to save you. Even turn on his family.”

My stomach clenched. Oh, Roman. Why did you have to try to save me?

“He made a deal with us,” my father continued. “He gave us this location where they were keeping you. He was supposed to wear the wire so we could get something incriminating on tape. So we could end the Tyrell empire. He installed the recording device inside the barn last night.”

“Looks like you got what you wanted,” I spat out. Bitterness coating my tongue.

“He knew the risks.” My father sighed. “You were right. Roman Tyrell…was a good man, in his own way. He died a hero.”

Finally, my father believed me. But it was too late now.

“But no one will know that, will they?”

My father gave me a guilty look. “It’s better if we don’t reveal publicly how we were able to get the recording or to find the location of the barn.”

Angry tears fell on my gray fluffy blanket. This was so unfair. I could scream, but my throat was choked up. “So he dies a criminal.”

“I’m sorry. If it means anything, I think he really did care about you.” My father looked at me with such sorrow I almost softened.

I remembered the barrel of that rifle pointed at Roman. I looked up, glaring at my father. “Your man shot him. Whoever shot him did it on purpose. I saw?—”

“It was crazy in there, Jules. You don’t know what you saw.” My father’s jaw twitched. Was he lying? Did he know something he wasn’t saying? If his team knew that Roman was on their side, then someone had shot Roman on purpose. My father was covering for them.

I pulled the blanket tighter around me. “I’d like to be alone now.”

---