Chapter 16
Roman
“Let me get this straight,” Marcell says, leaning back in his favorite chair in his office, his eyes snapping between myself and Saranna. “She saved your ass,” he said and I only nodded.
I was a bit sketchy on the details thanks to being knocked out but when I saw the men, there was no disputing she risked her life to save mine. And what’s even better in my book, she didn’t bat an eye and all men thought she wouldn’t do it.
Now, I think she had something on the line to help her over that edge, but I knew she would be a badass I wouldn’t want to mess with if I didn’t have to.
“I did. I’m right here, Marcell.”
She crossed her arms, the blood still on her skin.
As soon as we could, thanks to a call to Marcell to come collect us, we got here and were whisked into his office, where he had been asking question after question for the last two hours.
So, yes, we were tired, sore, had blood everywhere, but we were alive.
“Did you get Fitzgerald?”
“He’s in holding. I wanted him to talk to Saranna for a moment before we did away with him. Though, I’m starting to think I should let her handle him because I’d love to see it.”
“More guns?” she complained, making both myself and Marcell laugh.
“Yes. I don’t think you have it in you for torture. But guns, I can see that,” Marcell said, standing up. “Tell me something, Roman.”
“What’s that?”
“If she did this herself, what the hell was I paying you for? You can refund me that shit.”
“Not on your life,” I told him, smacking his shoulder. I held my hand out for Saranna, which she took, and we both openly chose to ignore the look Marcell was giving us.
Right now, I just didn’t care what he had to say. I was far too tired to put up with him. All I wanted was a long soak in hot water and the woman I loved right next to me.
Marcell led us down to the holding room and then opened the door, waving us. John looked up from the chair he was tired to, his one eye opening wide for a moment as he took in Saranna. I almost laughed at how fucked up he looked.
“Damn it all to hell,” he muttered. “You killed him?” he asked me and I shook my head.
“No, I did,” Saranna said, eyeing the guns on the table before looking at him.
She grabbed one, slipping on the silencer as she spoke.
“You don’t like to lose, it’s evident,” she said, John now looking at her.
“But you had to know that you would have lost the election anyway. There are far more powerful people than you in the world.”
“I was working to clear up the streets, you dumb bitch, and you just ruined that. Such a cunt.”
I lunged at him, but Saranna’s hand on my arm stopped me.
“It’s his final words, let him say what he wants.” Before I could process what she meant, she grinned at me as she pointed the gun, then shot him in the mouth. “I cleaned up the streets for him.”
“Damn, Saranna, I don’t want to piss you off,” Marcell said and she rounded on him, the gun still in her hand.
“Piss me off? Yeah, let’s talk about that.”
“What do you mean?” he said, glancing at the men who were walking her way. I shook my head at them, letting them know she wasn’t a threat.
“I don’t want you ever, EVER, cousin, telling me who I can, or can’t, date. And I sure as hell don’t want you telling those men that they can’t date me.”
“Men?”
“Men, man, I don’t care what it is. You don’t get to do that. Do you know how much time I wasted…we wasted?” she asked. Marcell looked at me over her shoulder before looking at her.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just, Roman isn’t-”
“No, Roman is the perfect man for me,” she said, cutting him off. “You’re just too much of a fool to see it and allow me to be happy. But that ends now. He broke my heart years ago when you told him that he couldn’t date me. I will not let you do it again.”
“Okay, okay. Honestly, there’s no better man for you than Roman. Just don’t kill each other.”
“I make no promises,” she said, laying the gun down then kissing his cheek. “Love you, Marcell,” she said walking out of the room.
“You went behind my back anyway?” he asked me, and I shrugged. Was he pissed? Sure. But at the same time, I knew he would want to make her happy.
“You didn’t know the full extent of my feelings, or you wouldn’t have put me on the assignment.”
“Don’t say that,” he said, clapping my shoulder. “Don’t hurt her.”
“Her? What about me? Did you see what she did? She didn’t even blink,” I moaned, making him laugh. But I took his outstretched hand, giving it a firm shake. “She has my heart and my body, till I take my last breath.”
“There really isn’t a better man I’d want for her, you need to know that. I don’t like you dating, but then I’d be happy with no one dating her. Now, go clean up and rest. The upper floor is yours; I’ll make sure no one goes up there.”
“Thanks,” I told him, following Saranna out of the room.
Two hours later, I climbed out of the tub, wrapping a towel around my waist before wrapping the bigger towel around her.
She looked up at me, her hand gingerly brushing over the wound on my head.
“It didn’t knock any sense into me,” I told her, making her smile.
“Didn’t think it would. He’s okay with this?”
I sighed, wrapping my arms around her and lifted a shoulder.
“I think he’s as fine as he ever will be. Don’t think he’s happy I betrayed his word.”
“It couldn’t have been that serious,” she muttered and I looked at her.
“Why do you say that?”
“You wouldn’t have gone against it, no matter what, if you honestly thought he would have killed you.”
She squealed as I lifted her up then took her to the bed, plopping her down. She laughed and I crawled over her, caging her in my arms. She stared up at me, a smile still on her face.
“When it comes to you, Saranna, I struggled really hard to listen to Marcell. I tried like hell, I really did. And I have no doubt that he let me walk away without decking it out because I did disobey an order,” I stopped, making her lift a brow.
“But?” she pushed, after I paused.
I gave her a soft kiss, smirking. “But you’re worth it. And now, you belong to me, and there will be no one else to watch your back but me. Because from here on out, everyone knows that you have another label, one that’s tied to me and they will all understand.”
“And that is?” she pressed.
“Everyone will know Saranna, She’s Off Limit’s.”