Page 36 of Last Violent Call
Roma’s gaze whipped up. Juliette’s breath snagged. As Yulun gave Mila another encouraging tap upon her face, Mila blinked rapidly, life returning in the flush of pink rising to her cheeks.
“What happened?” she asked. “I think I lost consciousness.”
He felt Juliette tighten her grip on his hand.
“You were going for your throat,” Yulun answered shakily, trying to wipe off some of the blood at her chin. “But they got to you in time. Roma and Juliette got to you.”
Mila glanced at them. Her hair was tangled. Her eyes were bright.
“I’m… I’m not affected by the experiments anymore?”
Juliette sniffled. She was still holding the syringe in her other hand, and Roma took it from her carefully. He rose upright with the unsteadiness of a startled woodland creature, gesturing for Mila to hold her arm out.
“Tell me if there is even the slightest strange feeling, all right?” he said hoarsely.
Mila offered her wrist, still slathered in red. Roma brought the syringe near. Nearer. Its point touched down on skin, then sank in the barest hairsbreadth.
“Nothing?” he asked her.
Mila shook her head. “I don’t feel anything.”
Roma’s breath of relief practically filled the room, stretching from corner to corner. When he turned back to look at Juliette, he caught the single tear tracking down her cheek, but she wiped it before anyone else could see.
“Then you are free,” Juliette declared.
13
The fireplace was crackling.
Juliette sat with her legs curled on the sofa, a blanket thrown over her lower half. It had gotten rapidly colder this week, rain pouring hard on the rooftop panels and collecting in large puddles. Before he set out for errands, Roma had built the fire to prevent the entire house from feeling like an icebox. Warmth escaped too easily out of the cracks in old infrastructure, but at least they owned plenty of blankets.
There was a book on her lap. To tell the truth, she hadn’t been reading for the last ten minutes, too focused on not dripping persimmon juice everywhere while she munched on the fruit. Yulun had sent a gift basket after they’d settled into a new residence, returning near his mother and her teahouse. The two angel-tattoo mercenaries had also been sent Ah Tou’s way. Though they could hope that the facility would be scared into leaving Mila alone after receiving reports of so many failed attempts, there was no way to know. But regardless of whether a new group might show up or if the facility would give up, Mila wanted to return to her regular life. She had been freed of the experiments. She wouldn’t be compelled to hurt herself anymore. That was the most important thing.
And if anyone else tried, Mila was also armed and had gotten very good at stabbing.
The rain pummeled on. Juliette finished her fruit. Turned the page.Most of her light was coming from the fireplace, since the day was too gray and groggy. She angled her book over her knee, then grimaced when it shifted her blanket and gave her leg a shock of cold air.
“Oof,” she muttered beneath her breath, shivering.
Three rapid knocks sounded on the front door, signaling Roma’s return. He stepped in a beat later, collapsing his umbrella and resting it on the coat rack, a newspaper tucked under his arm and a bag filled with roasted chestnuts clutched in his hand.
Roma paused.
“Juliette,” he said, his tone flummoxed. “What’s the matter?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Nothing. Why would something be the matter?”
He looked around, still hovering by the doorway. “Are you upset? Why are you staying over there?”
“I—what? You knocked three times. Hands full.”
Roma set down the bag. Threw over the slightly damp newspaper bundle so that it landed near her feet. “When has that ever stopped you?”
Juliette rolled her eyes, nudging some of her blanket aside. Despite appearances, she was suffused with sheer delight over his lamenting tone. He was such a pampered lover.
“I am merelycoldand didn’t want to get up. Come here and let me steal your body warmth.”
Roma shed his jacket. He strode over and dropped down, barely making a word of protest when Juliette stuck her cold hands under his shirt.
