Page 54 of More Than Nothing
Summer:
He’s not going to like it.
You’ve forgotten he dumped my sorry ass in the Barrel.
Caitlyn:
Yh true. Thats OK then. See you at the gala dinner
You’re going??!!
Caitlyn:
Milo, me, Luke, Thea, and Roman. Couldn’t keep us away. Last year’s main raffle prize was a voucher for 2 new tires at Jeffersons Motors.
Kill me now.
Summer:
My mom’s staying that weekend so Dougie and I can’t make it
That’s good! The less people I know, the better. Now I just have to make Craig understand I’d rather put a campfire out with my face than sleep with him.
Summer:
Caitlyn:
Chapter 26
Roman
Roman was in a foul mood.
He was tense to the point of snapping at the thought of Elenie becoming a confidential informant. When she’d messaged to say things had gone as smoothly at home as could be expected, he’d relaxed just a fraction. And then she’d hit him with the news about dating the fucking Brit.
He wished he had the right to tell her not to do it, even though he understood the reasoning. He’d discussed it with Dougie, who’d heard about Perry from Summer. They chewed it over together, neither of them happy with the development. But Elenie insisted it made sense and he could see what she meant. If it helped her cover with Frank, he’d let it go for now. But Perry was in his sights, alongside Dax, and every single move he made would be under Roman’s scrutiny.
His initial contact with the County Sheriff’s Office had led to a preliminary meeting with Chief Deputy Shawn Booth. Unfortunately, Booth, subjected to a barrage of anti-Dax rantings from Chief Roberts over the years, proved a hard sell on Elenie’s suitability as a CI. They’d butted heads with icy politeness—goddam bureaucratic paper-pushers—until Booth reluctantlyagreed to pass the details through to the Drug Enforcement Agency. Roman suspected the current fentanyl crisis was the tipping point; there was pressure from higher up to show steps were being taken to deal with the sharp increase in fentanyl-related deaths.
Subject to a successful background dive and a positive first meet-up, which Roman wouldn’t be allowed to attend, it looked like Elenie might be in.
He hadn’t seen her for more than a week while he worked behind the scenes on setting everything in motion. The niggling need to be somewhere near her rubbed awkwardly in his rib cage.
Pushing open the door of the diner, he scanned the busy hub inside with a casual glance. Otto raised his coffee cup in greeting, a welcoming smile on his lips. Roman strode over and slid onto the opposite bench seat.
“Good to see you, sir,” Otto twinkled. “It’s been a little while.”
“It has. I’m sorry. Things keep cropping up.” He could swear he smelled her before he saw her.
“What can I get you, Chief?” Elenie’s voice was polite and low. He heard the hesitance behind her reserve.
“Just a hot tea, please.”
Roman tried not to look at her but his eyes were traitors who flipped him off and sought her face regardless. However flat he kept his gaze, however impersonal he made his words, just a glance at her eased the tightness inside his chest and he soaked her up.
“Coming right up. And Otto—can I get you a refill?” She mastered the perfect blend of awkward and stilted, so far removed from the more relaxed Elenie of pizza night on Otto’s deck.
“No, I’m fine, thank you.” Otto smiled but he was too sharp to miss their tense exchange. The older man sent him a searching look.
