CHAPTER SEVEN
Leon lived in the Highrise apartments near the lake.
He must be paid very well for his services to afford this place.
He also was not a member of the Castile Coven because all of Castile's people lived at the Lodge, a sprawling compound on the edge of town, nestled in the woods.
He was hired for this job, and Roman was going to make him regret it.
It was easy enough to gain entrance to the secure buildings, which are never as secure as they claim or appear. Being well dressed and presenting as upscale, the door just opened for him; no one questioned. Leon lived on the ninth floor, and he was home. Roman could smell his disgusting trail.
He located the apartment and waited until the hallway was clear before breaking in. He was skilled and probably waiting to be found, so Roman was prepared. His short sword, which he preferred, was in his right hand and his dagger in his left.
Guns weren't effective against vampires, and Leon was definitely a vampire. He made it two steps inside the apartment, and Leon was on him. Flailing his long sword in a way that indicated he was not proficient, but a long sword could do great damage if he managed to connect.
Roman threw him off and backed him up, and they moved around one another.
They entered the larger living area with a kitchen behind him and a glass door and balcony in front of him.
He took a couple of swipes at Roman, but he knocked him back again.
Then the guy charged him, swinging his sword from side to side.
Roman caught him on the left side with his dagger, slicing and twisting before Leon could move away.
He stumbled a bit before gaining his balance and dancing to Roman's right. He made a wide swing with the sword using both hands, and Roman kicked him in the chest, driving him backward and through the glass door.
Roman followed him to the balcony. Leon was back on his feet in an instant and managed to catch Roman’s upper arm with a shallow slicing backhand.
Leon was measuring his moves now, less reactionary and more thought out, but he was still off balance with the long blade.
It was an unfortunate choice and would seal his fate.
They moved back and forth, testing and waiting, and then Leon did it again and lunged at him.
Roman grabbed the base of the sword, dropping his dagger, and swung Leon to the left while sweeping his feet out from under him.
Leon went over the railing in one swift motion.
Nine floors down and landed in a wooded area run through with a branch.
Roman took his sword and left the building, descending via the exterior.
Once he reached the ground, he stole a truck from the parking lot and headed for the Lodge.
Karl resided at the Lodge as well as Finnian.
It was unlikely that Karl took it upon himself to kill the two men from the bank and try to kill Alex.
He was acting under Finnian's orders as always.
****
"I sent a crew to the Highrise apartments," Victor told Conall as they sat together in Conall's office. "Roman killed one and bloodied up the area doing it. The crew will take care of the apartment and remove the body.”
“Where is he now?” Conall asked
"On his way to the Lodge to confront Finnian Shade and his toady Karl. According to our information, Karl was tasked with killing the two men from the bank due to trust issues. But Finnian put a hit on Alex because Roman disrespected him.” Victor laughed.
"How did he show disrespect?" Conall asked, not really caring. He knew that Roman would finish whatever he had started, and the Castile Coven would feel the pain. Roman was lethal and efficient, and it was ill-advised to underestimate him.
"He knocked Jackson around after he found out he was the one who attacked his beloved. Apparently, Finnian took that as a personal insult since he was fucking Jackson." Victor rolled his eyes.
“We’re going to have to look at the Castile coven very closely. They seem unbalanced; perhaps it's time to test their boundaries.” Conall was always looking for growth and acquisition.
“They may be ready to deal once Roman finishes with Finnian and his goon Karl.”
“Maybe we’ll just take what we want.”
“Sounds good to me.”
****
Roman drove up to the gates and exited the truck.
There were two guards at the gate standing together.
He waited until one walked away heading up toward the Lodge, and then he walked up, and the one guard instantly went on the defensive.
Roman kept walking, and he separated, moving in front of Roman and pulling out his weapon.
“What is your business here?” He barked at him.
"I'm here to kill Finnian Shade." He said truthfully and pulled his sword. No sense lying, considering he was covered in blood from his last fight. The guard was more skilled than the last man Roman had killed. He didn’t have time to dance around, fearing that others would hear and join the fight, so he went at him hard, beating him back and breaking him down.
He got a few good hits, laying Roman open on the left thigh and stabbing him in the lower left abdomen.
It hurt like a bitch but was surface nothing deadly.
Roman used his short sword, raining strikes down on him as he took his dagger and plunged it into his side, going deep and twisting it for maximum damage.
He then jerked it upwards, splitting him open and dropping him to the brick pavement.
Roman grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the bushes that lined the driveway and fence. They would find him eventually. He opened the gate and walked in, closing it behind him. The grounds were not clear, but it was easy enough to avoid those moving about.
He kept to the trees and the shadows until he made it to the Lodge. He could smell Karl's scent, which was sharp and pungent, and led him around the side of the Lodge to an outbuilding located about one hundred yards from the Lodge.
The place looked to be some sort of greenhouse or solarium. Karl sat there drinking a cup of something and reading a magazine. Next to him, Finnian Shade is scrolling his phone. He couldn't have asked for a better setup.
“Good morning.” He stated as he stepped into the sunlit shelter.
They both jumped to their feet, and Karl stepped forward, pulling a gun from under his coat. He must have forgotten that guns don't work as well on vampires as they do on his human victims. Finnian stepped back, ready to let Karl do all the heavy lifting.
"Your whore got in the way, Roman. It's nothing personal, you know that." He said with a grin.
"Alex is my beloved Karl," Roman responded with an unnatural calm.
He saw the realization in Karl's expression.
The power of a beloved is unmatched in the vampire world, and he knew there was nothing Roman wouldn't do to protect him.
Karl would not survive this day; he understood that in an instant.
Roman saw Finnian reaching for something, probably an alarm, and Roman threw his dagger, slicing his hand off.
Finnian fell to his knees, grasping his wrist, and Karl did the only thing he could and started shooting.
With certain death looming over his head and his boss on the ground screaming, it was no wonder that his aim was a little off.
The bullet grazed Roman's right shoulder. He was aiming for his head in hopes of it being fatal. He had a fifty-fifty chance, but it was unlikely, and it was not the move he should have taken.
Roman pulled a grenade from his pocket, one that detonated upon impact, and tossed it between them and ran for the door, the only door in the decorative glass house. He cleared the open space and dove behind a half wall when the blast reached him.
Smoke and chaos erupted while Roman stood and exited the property, no one giving him notice as all eyes were on the point of destruction. They would eventually figure it out, and there would be retribution, but such was life.
He made his way back to where he parked the stolen truck and headed home, eager to see his beloved and to bask in his beauty.
****
Alex sat in the leather chair, not moving, his mind consumed with thoughts of Roman and fear for his safety.
He understood that Roman was a vampire warrior, and he was not unfamiliar with the more base and violent aspects of society.
With that said, he still would not rest or relax until he was back with him, where he could see him and hold him.
Roman Sidorov, that fucking amazing man, had wormed his way into Alex's heart and soul. He would never be whole again without him, and he would do whatever he had to in order to keep that man by his side.
He could feel the single-minded determination of the warrior within, but he still worried, still stared at the wall, and waited. All those thoughts filled his mind as the minutes ticked by, and he waited and waited, and the silence of the room bore down on him.
Then it happened, the door opened and life started again. Roman stood there looking a complete mess, but in Alex's heart, he was the most gorgeous creature on this earth. Alex launched himself into his arms, and Roman caught him effortlessly.
He buried his face in the crook of his neck and just breathed, his heart beating wildly and tears filling his eyes. "I love you, Roman, I love every inch of you.” He said his voice was hoarse and rough with emotion.
Roman held him tight in arms that locked and held and would hold him for an eternity. "I love you, Alex. I've loved you from the moment I caught your scent and saw your beautiful face. Every hour since has made me love you more. You are my beloved, and I will be at your side forever."
Alex shifted and looked at his lover, noticing the state of his clothing. "Are you hurt?" He asked, suddenly on edge. Roman smiled and shook his head.
"I'm fine, most of this blood is not mine." He kissed Alex, sweeping his tongue inside to taste, and set Alex's heart stirring. "You're safe now. I will always keep you safe." He said and kissed him again before setting him back on his feet.
Alex took the opportunity to fully survey the condition of his lover.
"I'm fine, Alex." He persisted as Alex removed his shirt and tossed it aside. Seeing the healing scar on his shoulder and side had him investigating thoroughly. Roman smiled and let him do what he needed to do. Alex released a long breath that he’d been holding and looked up at Roman.
"It's going to take me a while to get used to this part of your life." He admitted and then looked away for a moment before capturing his gaze once again. "I can't lose you, Roman, I can’t ever lose you.”
"You'll never lose me, baby, never." He pulled him in for a kiss that promised and pledged it was a kiss that said everything that words could not. This was his beloved, and he loved this man to the absolute depths of his soul.