Page 24 of More Than Nothing
There was a flash of burgundy by the far booths and Roman caught sight of Elenie from behind as she leaned over a table, offloading drinks from a large tray. Delia packaged the wrap and pushed his lunch across the counter.
“Thank you.” Dropping the money into her hand, he scooped up the takeout bag.
Elenie turned with the emptied tray and froze the moment she saw him. Her damaged face hit Roman with the force of a sledgehammer.
“What the—”
In an instant, she went into reverse. She spun away, dumping the tray on the counter. Jerky steps took her through the doorsleading to the restrooms and staff area. He caught up with her in the corridor beyond and grabbed her elbow.
“Elenie. Talk to me.”
She looked everywhere but at his face and fury whipped through his stomach like a fire devil. The embarrassment in her eyes made him want to smash something. A livid bruise darkened her cheekbone and the socket of her left eye. It highlighted the exhaustion that pumped off her in waves. Her lip was raw and blood-crusted. Elenie vibrated in his grip and Roman, his nostrils flaring, held her gently upright.
“Take off your apron,” he ground out. “You’re done here for the day.”
She pulled her arm away from him, still without meeting his eyes. “No, I’m not. I’ve got one more hour and then I’m finished.”
Roman swore violently and Elenie flinched. When she finally looked at him, his heart twisted at the defeat in her eyes.
“People like me don’t get second chances. I need this job.”
He looked at his watch. “You finish at three?” Elenie nodded. “I’ll be back then,” he promised.
It took every ounce of will he possessed to turn and walk away from her.
There was a bite in the air as he waited outside the diner an hour later. Clouds split the sky, blue to one side, black and threatening to the other. A downpour would be on them before the afternoon was out. The sidewalk was quiet.
When Elenie finally emerged, slowly, carefully, holding her ribs, she looked like someone at the very end of their tether. Roman had no idea how she’d thought she would get home.
He stepped forward, steering her carefully toward his truck, just a couple of yards away, pulled up on the verge. He’d gone home to swap the police Interceptor for his own F-150, aiming for a lower profile.
“This way.” Roman opened the passenger door and stepped aside, waiting for her to climb up.
Elenie shook her head. “No. This is a bad idea. I—”
Her face took on a clammy sheen; she swayed on her feet. Swearing harsh and low under his breath, he gripped her gently around the waist and slid his other hand to the back of her thighs. Elenie’s protest ended in a small groan of pain as he lifted her into the truck.
“I’m so sorry,” he said gruffly.
Roman stretched across her to fasten the seatbelt. Elenie turned her head as if it was too heavy for her neck and closed her eyes. Before he’d reached the top of Main Street, she’d tumbled headfirst into sleep. It seemed her body had reached its capacity for powering through and she was out for the count when Roman pulled up outside his sister’s house.
She stirred when he lifted her out of the truck, resettling against his shoulder with a whimper as he kicked the front door instead of knocking. Thea was frowning when she pulled it open.
“I need your spare room.” He brushed past her into the foyer.
“What the hell, Ro!” Thea whispered as she followed him up the stairs.
His muscles bunched solid with suppressed rage, he carried Elenie into the bedroom and laid her on the sheets. He felt the jagged sigh she expelled, her eyebrows notching in pain, like a punch in the stomach. With gentle hands, he eased off her shoes and socks, hissing out a breath at the bloom of bruises revealed between the hem of her top and the waistband of her skirt.
Thea gripped his shoulder. “That’s Elenie Dax.”
Roman nodded. He lifted Elenie’s polo shirt just a fraction to check out her ribs. Red, black, blue—the angry discoloration spread over her left side. Fuck, that had to hurt. He straightened the material with tender hands and drew the sheets up to her shoulders. Elenie’s teeth chattered.
“I’ll fill a hot water bottle,” Thea offered softly.
When she left the room, Roman slumped heavily into an upholstered chair facing the bed. Propping his elbows on his knees, he scrubbed at his face and deliberated calling a doctor. He guessed nothing was broken or Elenie would have struggled to put in a full shift at the diner. She might have strong feelings one way or the other but he didn’t plan to wake her up and ask. Getting medical help could wait for now.
His mind churned. He’d already known her life was more challenging than many, but seeing it spelled out this way in violence on her skin was like a kick in the balls. And he realized he knew next to nothing about her at all. He hadn’t even begun to scratch the surface of what made Elenie tick.
