Page 7 of Roman

The reason Roman needed to be moving on in the first place. Luc and his trail of bodies had been getting too close. One would think that after seventy goddamn years, he’d have moved on, found someone else to torment. But the miserable bastard was still fixated on Roman.

And for good reason.

Roman pushed aside the familiar guilty thoughts. They didn’t help anything. He tossed the finished blood bag onto the passenger seat floor and started his car. He needed to get moving. To leave this town. He didn’t have time for lovely boys with smooth skin and freckled noses and big brown puppy-dog eyes.

Who knew what his demon would do to little Danny if Roman let himself get his hands on him?

And yet, somehow, he found himself pulling in front of a hotel he’d marked on his way into town.

Merde.

The woman at the front desk was beautiful in a plastic sort of way. Subtle makeup, smooth blonde hair, a perfectly fitted suit hugging her impressive curves. She smiled at Roman’s approach in a way that told him he could easily have the whole package—a hot meal, sexual release—on a platter, no compulsion required. But for once, his demon wasn’t interested.

His damn demon was still angry at him for walking out of that hospital without the boy in his arms.

“How can I help you, sir?” the receptionist inquired, voice sultry.

“I find myself in need of a room.”

“We have a few vacancies available. Just one guest? Traveling alone?” She gave him an unsubtle perusal, and Roman had to fight to keep his lip from curling. Apparently it wasn’t just his demon that didn’t have any patience for non-Danny humans right now.

“Just myself. Just for the night,” he bit out. Where was his usual cool, his usual charm?

To the receptionist’s credit, she immediately took the hint at his lack of interest, and her tone turned to strictly professional. “Certainly, sir. I can book you right now.”

“Perfect.” Roman reached for his wallet.

Except he found himself pausing as he took out his credit card.

He cleared his throat. “Apologies, I misspoke. Not just a night. A week. I’ll be staying a week.”

Goddamn it.

Roman couldn’t stop pacing.

His demon was driving him completely mad. He’d thought the last few years had been bad enough, but they were nothing compared to the intensity of this complete obsession.

Want Danny. Honey. Sweet. Ours. Ours, ours, ours.

Roman rarely resorted to actually talking to his demon—it felt like a step too far in the direction of madness, talking to himself within his own head, but he needed to calm the situation down somehow. He took a breath and focused inward.

Hush. We’ve barely talked to the boy. You’re losing it.

Not losing. Right there. Waiting. Honey sweet. Waiting for us.

Yes,Roman soothed.Waiting. Not going anywhere. We can go back. But not now, not right this second. We already frightened him, I think. Do you want to scare him off? Have him run away? Never find him again?His demon gave a loud growl at the thought. Roman continued on, sensing victory.He’s human. Delicate. We need to be careful. Let me handle it. We’re staying, okay? So hush.

His demon gave another growl in response but much softer this time. It was actually listening to reason, for the first time in a very long while.

Roman let out a loud, steady exhale. He was staying in Hyde Park, at least for now. That much was clear. He knew where the boy worked, where to find him. Hopefully lovely Danny would be working again the next night.

He wasn’t sure his demon would put up with any more wait than that. If it was impatient enough, it might even try to take over, take control of Roman’s consciousness without his permission, and that was the road to a feral state.

So. See Danny again. And then…

Roman was indeed sure they had frightened the boy. Not that one could tell from the sass the young nurse had been spitting out. But Roman had tasted it in the air—not overwhelming but enough to know he hadn’t given the best impression. He hadn’t exactly been at his most charming.

But he didknowhow to charm. Decades of experience luring willing victims, for food or for play. He just needed to get the boy alone for a minute. Maybe he could compel an answer out of him, some reason for Roman’s draw to him.

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