Chapter Twenty-Two
Oakley
“Why now? Why attack you after all this time? It’s been over a year since the last assassination attempt.” My dad was pacing around his office, clearly upset and worried, even though we’d been in here for over an hour already.
The parking lot was clean, the bodies were in the morgue, and the captured cultist was in the dungeon. After he was questioned, he’d be moved to the prison, off-site.
From his place on the small couch beside me, Roman added, “Actually, it’s been seventeen months.”
Dad grunted in acknowledgement, but didn’t stop his pacing.
My phone buzzed, so I pulled it out of my pocket to check my text.
Keryth: Holy shit, I heard you and Rome were attacked. Are you okay?
I rolled my eyes. The gossip mill in my family was fast and ridiculous.
Me: We’re both fine. We killed four guys, captured one, and two got away.
I was still mad at myself for not realizing the guy in the van was a part of their team. A getaway driver.
Keryth: That’s crazy. But I’m glad you’re both okay. Do you guys need anything?
Me: A way to leave this office. I’m still mad at my dad, but I know he’s worried, so I’m trying not to be an asshole and just leave.
Keryth: I’m impressed.
Me: By what?
Keryth: I’ve never known you not to be an asshole.
I snorted out a laugh, but covered it with a cough since Dad was still pacing and pissed. Roman shot me an amused expression, and I shrugged at him.
Me: I think you’re the asshole right now.
He sent me back a kissy face emoji, and I had to stifle a laugh again. Scales, he was a dork, but in the best way possible. Keryth always made me feel lighter, and I needed that. I needed that so badly right now.
I was trying so damn hard to make sure the memories didn’t suck me in. I didn’t want to think about those people. I didn’t want to think about our history. At all.
I should probably call my therapist and talk, though.
Tomorrow. I’d call her tomorrow, and it would help. I hadn’t talked to her in a long time, but I had no doubt that she’d at least have a conversation with me on the phone. She’d likely let me come in to her office tomorrow for an emergency session. She was good like that.
“Gar,” Tan said from his spot on top of Dad’s desk—any other day, I would’ve thought my dad would complain about Tan’s ass on his desk, but he hadn’t even blinked when Tan had hopped up there earlier. And he didn’t yell at Orangelica for using his pile of folders as a bed either.
My dad stopped and faced his viramore.
“You need to calm down. Oak and Rome are safe. You watched the footage. You know they handled the attack quickly. Those guys were no match for them.”
Apparently, the mall’s parking lot had cameras all over, so everyone got to watch our little fight from several angles.
It had felt like it’d lasted a long-ass time while it was happening, but in reality, it was only about three minutes. Me holding the blood witch’s wrists while he died was nearly as long as the fight itself.
Dad said, “I know they are, but what if they’re back? What if they were just… gaining strength or numbers this entire time, and now, they’re here to hurt my kid?”
I grimaced because I was sure that was exactly what they’d done.
Tan took a deep breath. “That’s a possibility, but we can’t really do anything about that right now.
We have no idea where they’re hiding.” My dad looked ready to freak out again, but Tan kept talking.
“The cameras got a good look at both men that got away. We have their pictures, so we can send them out to all the guards, all the police, to everyone we need to. We can even release the photos to the public so neither of them will be able to show their faces in Sedoba again. We’ll take precautions. We’ll—”
“It’s not enough.”
Tan waved his hands around. “Then what do you propose? Send Oakley away to some faraway land and lock them up in a castle tower, guarded by dragons and alligators and basilisks and a billion other creatures?”
“It’s a possibility.”
Before I could tell him that he could shove that idea right up his ass, Tan sighed, saying, “I was being sarcastic. Obviously, we’re not doing any of that.”
Dad groaned, stepped closer to Tan, and dropped his head to Tan’s shoulder. My stepfather started rubbing his back as the two of them whispered for a few minutes. I didn’t listen because I didn’t really want to hear anything they were saying in case it got romantic or you know… just ew.
Roman shoulder-bumped me, and when he pulled away, I leaned into him so our shoulders remained touching. He asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah, just ready to go home. You?”
“Same.”
I nodded.
Dad pulled away from Tan and faced me. “You need to keep a bodyguard with you at all times. I’d like it to be a whole team, but Tan’s convinced me that you’d hate that and be even more pissed at me.”
“He’s right.”
Rome said, “I’ll stay on as Oak’s bodyguard.”
“Not this again. I don’t need a fucking bodyguard.”
Dad shrugged. “I don’t care. You’re getting one anyway. Roman, I accept. Stay with Oakley at all times.”
I rolled my eyes and sighed, but I didn’t argue further. If it was only Rome I had to worry about, it’d be fine. We were always together anyway.
“Fine. Whatever.” I stood. “Let’s go, Rome. I’m starving.”
“You can stay for dinner,” Tan said.
I shook my head. “Sorry, but I’m still pissed at Dad. See ya.” I walked out of the office, ignoring the hurt expressions on Dad and Tan’s faces.
I felt guilty, but I also knew I wasn’t wrong. Dad shouldn’t have taken us off the case. Until he put us back on, I wasn’t going to spend more time with him than I had to.
Rome shut the door behind himself, and we both waved to my dad’s receptionist—she was always super nice and waved back with a big smile—and we headed to the private elevator.
“My condo or yours?” he asked when we stepped inside it.
“Do you have groceries? Something to cook for dinner? I don’t really feel like going out after all that.”
“Me either. And… no, I don’t. I haven’t been home for more than five minutes.
” That was definitely my fault, and I winced, but Roman smiled as he continued.
“We put all the groceries away at your place, so let’s head there so I can cook for you, Your Highness.
” I heard the you supercilious dickhead.
I snorted at that and nudged him. “Rude. I offer to cook all the time.”
He shook his head, looking amused, and when the elevator stopped on my floor, we both got out and headed there. I was happy Roman was coming home with me. If I had anything to say about it, he wouldn’t be leaving for a long time, either.
Sure, Roman was now tasked with staying with me at all times, but I had no doubt that he’d be coming home with me even if he hadn’t been.
He offered me a small smile as I opened my condo door, and I couldn’t help but smile back. I sighed in relief when I closed the door, and it was just the two of us.
Just the two of us and no one else at all.
The perfect way to end a hectic and kind of horrible day.