Page 70 of After The Storm

“I’m scared, Roman.”

Her confession tore at him, and he silently swore to God he’d get her out of there safe and sound. Heavy footsteps grew closer and closer until finally Roman saw a man appear next to him. A hulking giant of a person, he stood so tall that Roman had to crane his neck to look up at his face. As soon as he did, he wished he hadn’t. Scarred and pockmarked, it sent a chill down his spine. He just hoped Kate didn’t look at him.

The man said nothing for so long Roman began to wonder if he just planned to kill them outright and not even bother to ask any questions. In all reality, they likely didn’t need to ask them much. They had Jonas’s laptop and jump drive, and those contained all the information they’d need about what he and Kate had been up to.

Finally, the ugly man said in a deep voice that matched his giant size perfectly, “Why were you at the governor’s headquarters?”

Behind him, he heard Kate’s sharp intake of breath and knew she must be terrified. He needed to make her think everything would be fine.

“I’m not talking to you or anyone else until your boss gets here.”

The man’s eyes flew open wide in rage, and a moment later, his large, bulbous fist came flying down and crashed into the side of Roman’s face. His head ricocheted back and then came forward to hang as blood began to leak from his mouth.

“Once more, smartass. Why were you at the governor’s headquarters?”

Roman pressed his lips closed, tasting the metallic tang of blood as it pooled on his tongue. He wasn’t going to tell this bastard anything. If he planned on beating him to death, he was going to do it if he answered or not.

Kate sobbed behind him, whimpering, “Roman, are you okay? Are you hurt?”

He opened his mouth to answer her and blood poured out onto his chest. She asked him again if he was okay, and that set the big lug off. But instead of hitting Roman again, this time he punched Kate. She cried out in pain, and in his mind, Roman swore to God once he got loose from his ropes, he’d kill that motherfucker for what he did to her.

“Your girlfriend doesn’t take a punch as well as you do,” the man said with a hearty chuckle, taunting him.

“Nice. Hitting women. What’s next? Kicking babies? You’re a real man,” Kate said behind him.

“Kate!” Roman barked, hoping she’d understand she needed to keep her mouth shut.

He looked up to see the man cocking his arm back and watched in horror knowing he couldn’t do anything to stop him. He’d been tugging at the ropes since he woke up, but he was nowhere close to getting free in time to stop this thug from beating on Kate for what she’d said.

Better for him to take the hit than her.

“I know her mouth makes you want to hit her, but I’m the one who thinks you’re a Grade A asshole. We’d see if you’re as big a pussy as I think if I wasn’t tied up and unable to hit back. My guess is you’d still be a candy ass with an ugly face to boot.”

That did it. The man’s attention returned to Roman, and a few seconds later, he took out his rage on his face with a series of punches that left him dazed and with blood pouring out of his mouth and nose and some nasty kicks to his ribs that made him feel like he’d throw up at any second. His eye began to swell shut, so he could only see from the left side, but Kate had been spared.

At least for the moment.

The sound of another set of footsteps walking across the concrete floor toward them made him look up, but he couldn’t see who had come over. “Kate, if it’s another one like this guy, don’t speak.”

“It’s not,” she said with tears in her words.

“Who is it?”

She hesitated at first and then said in a terrified voice, “It’s the governor.”

Roman lifted his head and through his one eye that hadn’t swelled shut, he saw a man standing there next to them. Tall and thin, his jet black hair sat slicked back and shiny on his head. His long face looked tight, the cheekbones straining against the skin to give him a painful, angular appearance. Everything about this man reminded Roman of a snake.

Ice cold and slick.

“So these are the two found snooping around my campaign office,” he said in a flinty tone, an implicit threat hanging off each syllable.

Roman sat silently and hoped Kate would remain quiet too. Now was the time to listen.

“Your boss and that whistleblower didn’t know when to stop. It seems you two don’t either. I do want to thank you for the laptop and drive, though. One last loose thread that I don’t have to worry about anymore. Once Melvin gets his hands on you two, you’ll be taken care of too.”

All while he spoke, Roman worked to keep the governor’s focus on his face while he twisted and turned his wrists to loosen the ropes holding him. He stared into the man’s eyes and saw pure evil, but he refused to look away, hoping to distract him long enough to let him get free.

The governor turned his head and looked down at Kate. “All I want to know is who got you into my New Orleans office. Answer that and I promise you and your friend will go quickly.”

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