Page 25 of The Flame

“But it’s not theirhome,” she said through gritted teeth. “At least give them a chance to grieve or whatever in peace before disrupting their lives again. I’m not sticking up for the council, or my father, but we’re dealing with a lot, you know? The families, I mean. Although if you ask my mother, it’s just another day. She hasn’t even been to visit my father at the clinic.”

A couple of platitudes came to mind, but they all felt dismissive. Lisa had every right to feel whatever she was feeling.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said then, the slight tremble in her voice flattening out. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Maybe not.” I hesitated. Lisa was not a natural confidant. But she was a St. Ives girl, and St. Ives girls didn’t rat on each other. “But I’m also not okay with some of the decisions that have been made. Like Daniel, or any of the heirs. They shouldn’t be locked up.”

“That’s another one. What the hell? What’s going to happen with them?”

I shrugged, not wanting to get into all that. “I’m just saying, it’s okay to not be okay witheverythingthe Sisterhood does. I’m definitely not.”

She looked surprised, then gave a small laugh. “I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

“You don’t like me,” I said, although it was mostly teasing. I wouldn’t call Lisa a friend, but we’d come a long way from our prickly school days.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot.” She flicked her hair over one shoulder and leaked a small smile as she walked off.

7

Roman’s truck was parked outside the cabin when I got home. It was already starting to get dark, and the lights were on. Thankfully, so was the heating. I shrugged out of my coat and hung it on a peg by the front door.

I had no idea what I’d be walking into, and I mentally prepared myself for everything and anything. Or so I thought. I was not prepared for the sight of Roman tossing a salad in the kitchen.

“Hey,” he said when I walked in, his gaze lingering a moment.

“Hi.” Relief swept over me as I studied him. There was still some bruising on his face, but the color of his skin was back to normal, tanned and healthy. His eyes had lost that feverish shine.

“Hungry?”

“Starving.” I glanced at the steaks he’d already seasoned and set aside to breathe. “I could have made supper.”

“I got home early.” He reached for a pan and turned to the stove. “And I wasn’t sure how late you’d be.”

He didn’t ask where I’d been. Then again, he’d been gone two days without saying where he’d been.

I rested a hip against the edge of the kitchen table and folded my arms. Roman was home, cooking dinner, looking like his oldself. It was almost as if we were back to normal, but of course we weren’t. He wasn’t taking me into his arms or brushing a kiss over my mouth. I wanted to wrap myself around his body and inhale him. I wanted to hug him close and never let go. But I couldn’t do any of that.

At least he seemed mostly recovered. That was the most important thing. “You look a million times better.”

“I am.” The butter in the pan sizzled and he threw the steaks in. “Speaking of which, you know that warden’s meeting I went to? I collapsed and they—”

“You collapsed?” Dread folded around my spine.

“It’s all good.” Roman bent his head my way, his gaze connecting with mine. “I was taken to the clinic on the warden base. That’s where I’ve been the last two days.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Was this what we’d come to? He’d had the opportunity. He’d responded to my messages. “I thought you were cooling your heels in The Smoke, but all this time you’ve been fighting for your life?”

“This is why I didn’t tell you.” His attention returned to the stove. “I wasn’t fighting for my life.”

His dismissive attitude wasn’t helping. My voice pitched. “Because you didn’t want me to overreact?”

“Because I didn’t want you to worry,” he said coolly.

“I am worried.” My fingers dug into my palms. “I should have been worried. You were in hospital.”

“My kidneys were bruised, but it wasn’t life threatening.” He flipped the steaks and slid the pan from the heat. “They hooked me up to IV antibiotics and glucose bags and whatever else they shoved into my blood. I’m a hundred percent now.”

He didn’t get it.

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