CHAPTER THREE
Roman didn't pursue that line of questioning any further. He already knew most of the answers, so pushing his beloved was not necessary. He did confirm that Jackson had been present, and Roman was already actively investigating the other two. He would have their names soon enough.
Perhaps he should have killed Jackson, leaving his life up to chance; lying there in the alley may have been a mistake.
Roman cursed his soft-heartedness; he often held back when dealing with humans, not wanting to end their short lives.
Jackson stank of privilege and pettiness.
If he survives the alley, he may continue to cause Alex difficulty.
Roman decided to revisit the situation if necessary.
Room service arrived, and it gave Roman a chance to consider his next move regarding Alex.
The bond was fresh and barely there since all they did was hold hands, but the awareness would take hold even with the slightest of contact, so Alex should begin to feel something.
He set out lunch on the dining table, and Alex got up to help him.
"Basic lunch soup, salad, and sandwiches." He says. “Not sure of your preferences.”
"Looks delicious, and thank you." Alex smiled shyly, and it was so cute. Cute was not a descriptor he used often outside of dogs and children, but Alex had a cuteness about him that disarmed, and it needed to be noticed.
They sat and ate in a companionable silence for a few minutes, and then Alex spoke. "Why am I here? Why did you bring me here?" He looked down at his plate and then back up at Roman nervously. "I'm not complaining, I love the treatment and the pajamas, but what's in it for you?"
Roman finished his sandwich and wiped his mouth with his napkin before giving him his complete attention.
Alex was seated beside him with a few inches separating them.
Roman reached out and took his hand. Alex jerked but did not pull away, indicating that the bond was progressing.
Roman held on with a gentle touch as he began.
“I brought you here so you could recover somewhere comfortable and safe. The doctor advised that you not be left alone. Master Conall Rose owns this hotel and this penthouse apartment. He offered it to me so you wouldn’t wake up in the back room of the club.
” Roman observed his processing of what he was being told and noticed his head nod throughout.
Alex shifted his gaze to stare at their clasped hands. He flexed his grip but did not let go. “It’s a lot more than I would have ever expected from strangers. I appreciate not being left in the alley.” Roman was struck briefly by the fact that they had nearly done just that.
He and the others had no desire to insert themselves in the human’s drama. Thankfully, Nolan was a better man than all of them and took matters into his own hands by moving Alex inside. "Our bartender, Nolan, found you by the dumpster and brought you inside." He had to give credit where it was due.
“I’ll have to thank him for that.” Alex ducked his head and took a sip of his juice.
“And I want to thank you for watching over me.
I feel okay, not perfect, just sore and stiff.
It could have been much worse, I suppose.
" He smiled and finished his juice. The growing bond and Roman's nearness were the reasons for his rapid recovery, but he would come to understand that soon.
Alex was careful with his words and made no assumptions. He was taking everything at face value but not committing. He was smart. Roman was fashioning some kind of further explanation for bringing him to the penthouse when his phone rang. He checked it and then excused himself to the other room.
“How’s it going?” Drakon inquired.
“Slow, very slow.” He heard a low chuckle.
“Things will speed up once the awareness fully kicks in. You won’t want to be too far away when it does. Your beloved will need you desperately.” Drakon spoke from experience, but Roman wasn’t sure how he was going to convince Alex to stay much longer.
“He’s wary and a little suspicious, I think," Roman commented.
“That’ll all change.” Drakon was very confident. “The awareness hits them like a freight train.” That visual made Roman smile.
“I look forward to it.” He said, and then added. "He remembered parts of his attack, and he identified his friend Jackson, but he didn't have anything to say about the other two."
"Yes, I hear that young man was discovered in the alley this morning near the dumpsters, rather worse for wear." He laughed this time. "I'm surprised he still lives."
"So am I," Roman admitted. “I tend to give humans undeserved second chances. It’s a weakness I will work to eliminate.”
"We're always honing our skills and sharpening our attacks; it's natural growth." Drakon justified. “You’re a fine guard and an excellent assassin, so don't be too hard on yourself. Your beloved is well, and it is unlikely this man will ever bother him again.”
"If he does, it will be the last thing he ever does."
“Exactly.” He enunciated. They spoke a while longer regarding coven business, but he didn’t keep him long. When he closed the call, he saw that Alex had cleared the table and was now sitting in the living room with a cup of hot coffee and one for Roman. That was nice.
He sat down and picked up the cup, taking a long sip. "Thanks." He says, and Alex nods with that same little smile that Roman was starting to love because it was honest and true and made his eyes sparkle.
"You said that you're a guard for Conall Rose.
That sounds exciting. That guy is a very influential man in this town.
He doesn't do business at my bank, First National, but there are a lot of people there who wish he did.
" Alex wanted information about him, and Roman had no qualms giving him information.
There's a reason Master Rose does not do business at First National, and that is because it is owned by a rival coven.
He can't tell Alex that, not yet anyway, so he couches his reasoning in terms of business relationships.
"Master Rose has done business with several banking institutions over the years that have served him well, so he tends to go with whom he knows and trusts. "
“Makes sense.” He pauses and then asks, “Why do you call him master?”
“That’s his title.”
“What’s your title?”
“Guard.”
“Do you like your job?”
"Very much." He watched Alex mindlessly nod his head. He was digging, but he was not satisfied.
“Do you like your job?” Roman returned, casting a side eye and arching his brow. Alex did not answer right away; he had to think, and that spoke volumes.
"It pays well, but I probably won't stay there."
“Why not?”
"One of my coworkers beat the shit out of me in the alley behind a downtown club. I don't think I need to say any more than that." He laughed, but it was a hollow sound.
“Good point.” Roman smiled and slowly released Alex’s hand and slipped his arm around Alex’s shoulders. It was forward and necessary.
"Do we have something going on here, Roman?” He glanced at the arm around him and then over at Roman.
"We do," Roman responded honestly.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for anything yet.”
"No rush, just making my intentions clear."
"Okay." He didn't sound upset or resistant, and that smile returned, so everything was going well. Then Roman's phone rang again. It was Samuel this time, and Samuel rarely called; he communicated through text almost exclusively.
“Hello.” Roman didn't get up but rather took the call there, and he kept his arm around Alex, idly running his fingers along his shoulder. If Alex heard anything or had questions, they could discuss it after.
“I spoke with Westley last night," Samuel stated.
Westley was the coven's information specialist and capable of finding out anything about anybody, so Samuel had Roman’s attention.
“I asked him about your beloved, the people he came to the club with last night, and the First National Bank. I asked him to find out whatever he could.”
“I’m listening.” What he had to say about Alex, Roman already knew, but his information on Jackson and the bank was eye-opening.
“The VP is a vampire named Finnian Shade, he's second in command of the Castile coven. Word is he has an affinity for the human Jackson Freed, and they’ve had a relationship going for months now.
" Samuel alluded to the fact that they may have an issue with the Castile coven, depending upon the relationship.
“The Bank has been operating as a money laundering site for the coven ever since several of their restaurants were bombed. Jackson has been a part of the laundering operation along with the vampires that are employed there. The other humans are not involved as far as Westley can determine.” Samuel gave the information solemnly without judgment.
Illegal activities were simply business as usual and not uncommon in their world.
The only problem is the relationship between Jackson and Alex and the relationship between Jackson and Finnian.
He didn't want his sweet beloved anywhere near Finnian Shade.
The man had a dark reputation. Roman could handle him, but he doubted Alex could deal with someone like Shade turning on him.
“What is Jackson’s issue with Alex?” Roman asked, and he noticed Alex's attention suddenly focused on him and his phone call.
"Finnian Shade was showing interest in the new teller, and Jackson was getting jealous, according to the gossip." Samuel's tone changed to annoyance. “It’s all petty shit.”
"If that's Shade's stance, then he and I are going to have a problem," Roman stated, anger coloring his tone, but he managed to hold it down because Alex was listening.
"We'll take it as it comes, my friend," Samuel said. "I'll give this report to Drakon, so we'll have permission to do whatever has to be done when the time comes."
“Thanks.”
"If I hear anything more, I'll call." With that, he closed the call, and Roman tossed his phone onto the coffee table before turning his head to the right and catching Alex’s assessing gaze.
****
Alex couldn’t help but hear bits and pieces of the conversation, and it was obvious Roman didn’t care if he listened; otherwise, he would have left the room to take his call.
He said some odd things like vampire and master, but Alex decided not to analyze that right now.
Things were happening, and he had no idea what it all meant or where it would lead.
“What happened to Jackson?” He decided to start there.
“He was jumped in the alley, and he lay there till morning when garbage pickup found him," Roman spoke plain and simple, calm, no mood or theatrics. Roman watched and waited. Alex placed his hand on Roman’s muscled thigh because he wanted to, so he did.
"Thank you," Alex says while nodding his head and wearing a satisfied smile. “That is fantastic, I’m so happy for him.” The sarcasm brought a relieved grin to Roman’s face, and he pulled Alex in for a one-armed hug and placed a brief kiss on the side of Alex's head.
"Mr. Shade has no interest in me, and if Jackson thinks he does, then he is delusional.
" Alex wanted to make that very clear. He wasn't the type to sleep his way to a higher-paying position, and honestly, Mr. Shade would not lower himself to partake of the First National employee pool.
“The Vice President observes staff from time to time and gives awards when warranted.
He does not show interest beyond that, and he has never crossed a line as far as I'm aware. "
“He and Jackson Freed are in a relationship, a physical relationship. Mr. Shade plows his ass on the regular.” Roman said all this and managed to keep a straight face.
Alex could not believe it. "Jackson gets extra-long lunch breaks three times a week.” Roman raised his eyebrows in the universal way that channels understanding.
“How do you know all of this?”
"I work for a large organization. I have many sources and contacts, and we always keep track of rival covens. The affair is an open secret.” He added and dropped another kiss to Alex’s head. He loved the tenderness and connection those kisses conveyed.
“I had no idea that was going on. It’s so inappropriate." Alex twisted his expression, feeling the distaste of the information shared. "He's Jackson’s boss.” Roman smiled, seeming charmed by Alex's disgust.
“Jackson thought you were interfering with his sugar daddy, so he and a couple of friends tried to mess you up in the alley." Alex was having difficulty processing this information. The very idea that he would give it up for the boss was sickening.
“Well, Mr. Shade is handsome enough, I suppose, but it's just appalling, really. He's the boss, you don't fuck your boss. No one with an ounce of self-respect fucks the boss.” Alex made his stance on the subject very clear.
“Jackson had no such qualms, and I would appreciate it if you did not speak of Finnian Shade’s good looks in the future.” The expression Roman wore was hard to describe; it was a cross between playful and lethal.
“No worries, he’s not my type.” Alex took a chance and leaned into Roman, who instantly pulled him closer.
“What is your type?” Roman asked seductively.
“Someone who doesn’t lie to me or kick the shit out of me.” He stated.
"That's a pretty low bar, Alex."
"You'd be surprised how many men don't meet the requirement."
"You're safe with me, Alex."
“I know.”