Page 28 of More Than Nothing
She thought about her mother and her lack of reaction to Frank’s attack. When had Elenie stopped expecting more? Maybe it was finally time to accept things as they were, rather than bartering her soul for a fantasy that would never solidify into real life.
She rubbed a finger over the screen of the new phone in her pocket. It was the first gift she could remember receiving. The invisible link to Roman Martinez felt like a lifeline.
Despite all that had come afterward, Elenie couldn’t regret the time she’d spent with him at the town fair. Walking and chatting, sharing food—the most wonderful kind of ordinary. Roman’s company was undemanding. Irrespective of his lofty job title, his ego seemed non-existent. She thought he looked healthier than he had that first day in the diner. Less angular, some of the tightnessgone from his face. He’d been dangerous then, with the hint of darkness behind his eyes. Now, he was lethal.
She wanted to message him but Elenie recoiled at the thought of getting it wrong. Yes, he was being kind. He might want her to be safe—his job was to keep people safe. It didn’t mean he’d welcome more involvement than that. She already knew he was a decent guy. Reading too much into his attention would be stupid and she’d already been stupid enough.
Shifting her position on the grass, Elenie pressed a fist to her side. Her bruises were blooming into a violent rainbow of colors, the pain turning slowly from a fiery stab to a strong and steady ache throbbing through her bones. It was exhausting. She was exhausted.
She did not want this life. She’d had enough. What she could do about it, though, was another matter.
2A holló vájja ki a szemed(May the raven gouge out your eye / fuck you)—Hungarian
Chapter 14
Roman
“Any chance Craig Perry had anything to do with it?” Dougie’s face was grim as they discussed Elenie’s injuries in Roman’s office.
“What makes you say that?” Since Elenie had told him nothing, Roman was none the wiser about who had hurt her. The lack of knowledge rubbed raw on his simmering temper.
Dougie relayed what Summer had told him about the run-in with Perry at the Rusty Barrel, plus the little he knew about the Englishman. Roman had an inkling Milo would be able to tell him more. Leaving the station on time for once, he placed a call and they arranged to meet up for an early drink. He’d pick Milo’s brains about Perry at the bar.
As he turned his key in the ignition, Roman’s cell pinged in his pocket. Elenie’s name, next to the text, was unexpected.
Elenie:
Thank you so much for the phone. I will guard it with my life. Please don’t pity me.
What could he say to that?
He did feel sorry for her—sorrier than he could express. Not pity exactly. But compassion, definitely.
And he was angry, too. Furious at whoever had lashed out and hurt her. Was it Perry? Or was it Frank Dax? Exerting power and control through brute strength was repellent. Somehow, Roman would find out what was going on. Police work was regularly more of a marathon than a sprint, and he had grim persistence in spades. No one knew better that swift justice and easy arrests were the exception rather than the rule. Pushing his phone back into his pocket, Roman headed for the Barrel.
Luke, just back from his dad’s house, caught a ride to the bar with Milo. They beat Roman there and had beers already lined up when he joined them.
“Craig Perry’s a dick,” Milo said when he asked about the Brit.
“Say what you mean, buddy.” Luke snorted. “How do you not upset more of your clients?”
Roman raised an eyebrow. “A dick in what way?”
“Every way. I don’t like the guy. He’s just too much of everything—too loud, too confident, too smiley, too slick. If he came with instructions, they would just say, ‘Don’t trust me. I’m a dick.’” Milo took another swallow from his bottle. “He’s ruffled a few feathers at the business guild, although a lot of people think there’s some merit in his plans for a new business center.”
“Ruffled them how?”
“Initially, he put feelers out for local investors. When they didn’t jump in as fast as he wanted, Perry piled on some pressure, playing people off against each other. It didn’t go down well.”
“And?”
“Seems now he’s looking outside of the town for the money. There’s been talk he won’t get the planning application he needs anyway, so who knows if the project will even get off the ground.”
“If it does, it shouldn’t. It’s a crappy site for a business center,” Luke interrupted. “It used to be the old fuel station owned by theDeerings. I’ve seen an overview of his construction budget and it’s a joke. He’s made no allowance for removing the underground fuel storage tanks. The valves and pipe vents are still there. You can see them from the access road. To get that site ready for construction will cost a hell of a lot more than he’s allowed, whether he gets the planning application through or not.”
“Why’re you interested in Perry?” Milo asked.
“This got anything to do with Elenie Dax?” Luke leaned back in the booth.
