Page 113 of Forgive Me Father
“Because it’s me you’re trying to get attention from, and it’s worked—”
“I warned you. I warned you what would happen if I saw her—”
“Well, here I am,” Roman exclaims, peeling off his flannel, ready to fight. “So why don’t you man the fuck up and—”
Reaching behind me, I grab the knife, dragging it down my back until he has let go. I hiss in pain as I stomp on the man’s foot, causing him to curse and loosen his grip.
Roman seizes the chance, pulling me away from the man despite the shouts from security. He drives his fist into the man’s face repeatedly. Grabbing theknife from the ground, he thrashes at the man with the blade, continuing to threaten him even after security has intervened.
A medic presses a cloth to my back, applying pressure as they move me away from the chaos. Roman is eventually restrained by security but continues to struggle, trying to grab one of their guns.
Zoey and Aiden help me, with Aiden working to calm the security guards.
“Get the fuck off me,” Roman snaps, breaking free from the security guards’ hold, their attention divided between him and the three unconscious men.
“I’ve got it,” Roman insists, taking over the medic’s role, pressing the cloth to my back with a firmness that surprises me.
“Sir, I should really—”
“I said I got it,” Roman interrupts, focusing solely on me.
He cups my face gently, his gaze full of concern. “Are you okay?”
“Can we go home?” I ask, my voice trembling.
“Absolutely,” He replies, his jaw clenched with determination.
As I scan the crowd, I spot someone in a black hoodie lingering at the edge, their head down and a cross pendant hanging from their neck. They quickly tuck their phone away and turn, disappearing into the crowd.
Ignoring the onlookers, Roman keeps his hand on my lower back and guides us, along with Aiden and Zoey, back to the cars. As we drive away, Roman checks on me repeatedly, his worry palpable.
“That night I came to reservoir and you saw my face all banged up, I had a run-in with the guys who had you. He saw a pictureof you on my phone—”
I grab his hand, stopping his spiraling thoughts. “Let’s just go back to your place. I’m sure you can find a way to make it up to me.”
Roman says nothing more as he puts the car in drive, the figure in the hoodie lingering in my mind.
Chapter 31
David
“What am I looking at here?” I ask, my eyes fixed on the phone’s screen.
“Just watch. One of our guys at the fair caught this on camera.”
The video shows three men surrounding Eden and Zoey, both dressed in revealing outfits. The scene quickly escalates as the men grab the girls with aggressive intent.
“So what? My daughter probably mouthed off,” I say dismissively.
“Just keep watching.”
As the video progresses, Roman and Aiden appear, intervening with brutal force. The sight of Roman’s dark tattoos confirms his identity. He’s engaged in a fierce fight, trying to rescue Eden, who is being held hostage by the largest man.
“He won’t do anything,” I sneer. “He knows she deserves—”
Roman’s relentless attacks on the men contradict my expectations. He focuses his fury on the attackers, pushing them to theground. A medic attends to Eden’s injuries until Roman takes over, his protective nature evident in his tender handling of her wounds.
“This next part is what you’ll want to see,” The assistant says, their tone serious.
