~Nine~
ALANNAH
I barely heard the conversation Roman was having, but I knew the minute he hung up that he would be leaving. Even though I had Miles and Zack here to protect me, I didn’t want to be without Roman. After he had taken command of my body, he continued to worship me in the tub that was filled with warm oils and bubbles. Roman’s touch was gentle as he smoothed the bath sponge against my skin, leaving behind only the memory of how wonderful he felt inside me. I know that he was holding back what he wanted to do because of what I had been through. Even though it was beyond amazing, I still needed more.
Roman was giving me last-minute instructions when a knock came at the door. Kissing me on the forehead as he had done so many times before, he walked over to the door. I leaned back in my chair so I could see who was on the other side. The voice coming from the other side was familiar, and I didn’t need to see the man to know that it was Neal.
I wasn’t sure what he was doing here, but maybe it had to do with the phone call Roman had earlier. There was no mistaking that there was tension between Roman and Neal when he stepped through the door and Roman led him to his study, I would have given anything to hear what was being said, but I heard the door close. Roman had been so thoughtful about keeping me in the loop when it came to my safety, but based on his actions, I was sure this had to do with something else.
Picking at my nails, because that was what I did whenever I got nervous, I tried to hear what was being said from where I was sitting. The only sound heard was their muffled voices. The only way I was going to be able to hear anything was to get closer. Pushing from my chair, I tiptoed across the living room to Roman’s study. I thought for sure I would be able to hear something standing outside the door with my ear against it, but nothing. Only deep voices and nothing else. Footsteps could be heard on the other side, and I knew I needed to move away if I didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping. That was a big no-no, no matter how I looked at it.
My gaze diverted from the magazine that I was pretending to read to the clock on the microwave. It had been forty-five minutes since Roman led Neal to his study. I never thought of myself as an impatient person, but my head was beginning to spin with thoughts of what was going on in Roman’s study. Impatience was taken over by nervousness, and once again, I found myself picking away at my fingernails.
When I heard the door open, ten minutes later, I jumped from my seat. I wasn’t sure why I was so anxious. If the conversation had anything to do with my safety, I was certain that Roman would have included me. Twisting my body, I looked over to Roman and Neal. Neither one of them looked happy, Roman looking tenser than Neal.
“I will meet you atRapturelater.” Roman mentioned. “There are still things that need to be ironed out.”
I couldn’t help myself. As soon as Roman closed the door, I stood and walked over to him. “What’s going on, Roman?”
Taking me by the hand, he led me over to the couch. Sitting next to each other, Roman took hold of my other hand and positioned his body so that he was facing me. I did the same, and when our eyes met, I could see that it was more than tension in his eyes. There was sorrow. “Neal’s daughter Ella was involved with Winston’s son, Brian. She was Brian’s girlfriend, only her name was Trish. She was given the same drug as you, only Neal wasn’t able to get to her in time. She had already lost all memory of him and who she was. For over a year, Neal tried to convince her that her real name was Ella Preston and not Trish Conner. She took her life three weeks ago, but to Neal, he lost his little girl long before that.”
“So, you think Brian and Winston are responsible for her death.”
“I would bet my life on it. The reason is still unclear, but if I had to guess, Ella somehow found out the truth about who she really was and what had been done to her, and the only way to stop her from leaving was to make her death look like a suicide.”
“Do you think they could have had something to do with my father’s death? Do you think what I saw in my dream really happened?” My heart sank at just the thought.
Pulling me closer, Roman wrapped his arms around me. “I think it is more than a possibility. No matter what, Lanie, I will never stop searching for the truth about your father.”
♥ ♥ ♥
Being alone was something that I should have been used to, but I wasn’t. I was bored out of my mind, and staring at the clock made it even worse. Miles and Zack were standing outside the door. They were there to keep me safe and were instructed to make sure I didn’t leave the condo. There was no better way for them to keep an eye on me than to be inside the condo. I could really use the company, and I was sure they wouldn’t feel like they were going against Roman’s instructions if they were in the condo instead of outside. Walking over to the door, I pulled it open to find two sets of eyes on me. “Chill out, you guys. I’m not going anywhere. I just thought that you would like to come inside and keep me company until Roman came back. Maybe we could play a game ofGo Fishor something.”
“I don’t think that is what Roman meant by keeping an eye on you. He specifically said to remain outside the condo.” Miles was stern, and it was going to take some womanly charm to get him to change his mind.
“But if you were inside, you would still be able to keep me safe, and I know that was part of Roman’s instructions as well.”
Batting my eyes and pouting must have done the trick because both of them looked at each other before stepping past me into the condo. As I closed the door, I asked, “Go FishorOld Maid?”
“Don’t you know any other games? Rummy? Poker?” Miles replied.
“These are the only two games I remember ever playing. But if you want, you can teach me.”
“Poker, it is then.” Miles looked over to Zack to see him nod his head with approval.
After closing the door, I walked over to the kitchen and pulled out the drawer where I spotted a deck of cards earlier during my boredom frenzy. Miles and Zack were already in the living room. They made themselves comfortable on the couch, which made it look smaller than it actually was. Both of them were nothing but muscles, and I would bet that there wasn’t one ounce of fat on either of them. Before taking a seat across from them, I handed Miles the deck of cards and watched him remove the stack from the box. I was sure that the way he handled the cards and shuffled them, he had played poker many times.
Holding the five cards in my hand, I had to have had the worst hand possible. Nothing matched the hands that Miles explained were good hands, and having already exchanged two cards, I had nothing. This game was harder than“Go Fish,”which I suggested we play to begin with. Frustrated and exhausted, I laid my cards on the glass table and let out a long sigh. “Are you guys sure you wouldn’t rather playGo Fish?”
Miles looked at Zack and then at me. The roar of laughter they let out made the room shake. I didn’t find anything funny in what I said, and I was becoming pissed off. Their laughter was so loud that none of us heard the door open. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”
I had never seen Roman so mad. The laughter stopped, and the room became quiet. I think we were all holding our breath since that couldn’t be heard either. Miles was the first to stand. “Sorry, sir. We were just trying to keep Lanie company until you arrived.”
Before Roman could say another word, Miles and Zack were out the door. When the door was pulled shut, I felt bad for them. I had to let Roman know that it wasn’t their fault. “I was bored, so I asked the guys to come in and play a card game with me. It wasn’t their fault. I’m sorry.”
“Lanie, it doesn’t matter if you asked them to keep you company. They should have known their place and remained outside of the condo.”
I could have argued with Roman, but I knew it wouldn’t have mattered. He instructed the guys to remain outside the condo, and that is where they should have stayed.
Changing the subject, I asked, “Where did you go anyway?”
“To meet with Brian.”