Page 38 of King of Ruin

His hand slides down my arm until he’s grasping my fingers in his large hand. “Luke was in charge of the construction project, so I don’t have the details.”

My head pulls back. Luke, the man who was kidnapped. It makes so much sense. But in terms of Roman, it’s also very convenient that he’s not the man with the answers I seek. “What are you in charge of?”

“I run the casinos.”

My eyes close, my fingers still held in his. “Did you bring me here to convince me to sell?”

“That’s Luke’s department.”

“But you run the casinos. Your business is dependent on that tunnel.”

He doesn’t answer and I turn my head away, my eyes still closed. He’s not brought up the fact that his family has made several offers on my house, but my time alone, with a cat purring on my lap, brought some clarity.

Vigo mentioned me signing papers when he threatened to carry me off. “Vigo asked me out because of my house, didn’t he?”

“I couldn’t say.”

“If you were to guess?”

“I’d guess that you are correct.”

“Did you bring me here to convince me to buy my house?”

“I brought you here because your life was in danger. And because you saved mine.”

I want to believe him. I really do.

I draw in a deep breath of air, letting it out slowly. “My grandmother died last year.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

I shake my head. I wasn’t asking for sympathy. “I dropped out of college the year before to take care of her.”

“She was sick?”

“Dementia,” I softly whisper. The memories are still painful. Watching the strongest woman I know slip away was an experience that’s left deep wounds. “She raised me after my mom left.”

“Your mom left?” his voice is so soft, but I can still hear the pain in it.

“I’m a lot,” is all I answer. Who wants to fully share that she ditched out when she realized her daughter was blind.

His fingers lace through mine. “And your dad?”

“Never in the picture.” I shake my head. “The only person who stuck by me is my grandmother.”

“And that’s her house.”

I nod. “I grew up there. It’s been my home my entire life, and every nook and cranny reminds me of her.”

“That’s why you won’t sell.”

I shrug, knowing how much I’ve revealed. But I’ve held back too. Because there are things that Roman can only know whenI trust him. Things that would allow him to take my house right out from under me. And that house is not just my tether to the world, it is my world. “I hope you understand.”

“I do. Perfectly.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Roman

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