Chapter 33
THIRTY-THREE
MAGGIE
The road home feels shorter than it should.
Every mile brings me closer to uncertainty.
I slept wrapped in Roman’s arms, our exhausted bodies sated, but my mind was working overtime by the time I awoke.
In the cold light of morning, everything feels heavier.
The ground rumbles under my wheels, mile after mile of worry leading the path home.
Grey sky and wet tarmac as far as the eye can see.
I grip the steering wheel until my hands burn, trying to find something to say to the man who sits beside me. This time, he’s not drugged or zip-tied, but the journey is no less fraught.
Roman is quiet, like he’s carrying too many heavy thoughts in his head. There’s a bruise darkening his jaw, and I can see how painful it is even for him to sit still. The morning had brought a slap of cold reality along with the full realisation of our injuries. Roman’s far worse than mine.
But we are alive.
And we made it out.
‘I’m sorry,’ I say, when he reaches for a bottle of water and winces. ‘For dragging you up there and ruining your life for a reprieve from mine.’
He sighs. ‘You didn’t ruin my life.’
‘You’re never quite the same after you’ve seen a dead body.’ And I inflicted that on him.
Roman is quiet for a time, watching the world pass by outside.
‘It wasn’t the first body I’ve seen.’
I sneak a look at him, leaving him to take a moment.
‘I was the one who found my dad hanging.’
The admission hits me like a rampant elephant. Fuck. No wonder he’d gone down the path he had.
‘Oh, Roman,’ I say.
‘It’s okay, it was a long time ago.’
‘That doesn’t make it okay. I’m sorry you had to go through that. I can’t even imagine.’
I swallow. My throat feels tight as I struggle to know what to say. Difficult conversations aren’t my strong point.
‘It’s fine. Old news.’
The next dozen miles pass in silence until I build up the courage to break through the tension.
‘I want to thank you for playing your part with my family. I didn’t deserve your kindness. And for everything else.’
‘Next time you need help, maybe just ask. It’ll be simpler that way.’
Next time…
I feel like that should be positive, but there’s a hitch in his voice that makes it sound more like an ending than a beginning.
‘At least Eddie won’t be a problem,’ he says. ‘No big red wedding for the two of you.’
‘His family are going to be furious if they ever find out what happened.’
‘If I believe anyone can keep the truth under wraps, it’s your family.’ He’s not unkind when he says it, more matter-of-fact.
I let out a breath. ‘They’re very good at what they do. Everyone but me. I couldn’t even kill Eddie, the one person I hated more than anyone. And he deserved to die.’
‘I’m not sorry he died,’ Roman admits.
‘Me either, so can I count on you not to call the police the minute we get home?’
‘Yes.’
‘And…Thank you for the pity sex.’
He raises a brow. ‘It wasn’t pity.’
I give him a look. ‘Sure. You’re a liar, Roman. A very attractive liar. An actual Adonis. Like someone chiselled you out of marble and magicked you into being. And I’m—’ I gesture at myself, one hand briefly leaving the wheel. ‘Whatever.’
‘Whatever?’ he repeats.
‘A woman who has to kidnap a wedding date and can’t even kill the bad guys.’
‘Maggie,’ he says dryly, ‘not killing people is generally seen as a positive trait.’
‘Not in my world.’
‘Your world is out of sync with normality. You just need to tell your dad no. You’re an adult, he can’t make you do anything.’
And despite all the crazy things that I’ve done in the past few days, the idea of standing up to my dad tops the lot.