RAIN
Chapter fifty-seven
“Don’t you dare,” Rome warns from the driver’s seat as I reach for the door handle.
Taking his bag from the back seat, he drapes it across his chest once he’s out the door and moving toward my side. I grit my teeth through the pain stabbing in my lower back as he helps me out of the car and wraps an arm around me while we walk toward the stadium entrance.
He’s proud to call me his boyfriend, and I’m proud to admit I swoon each time he says it. He posted a picture of us from few nights ago on his socials—we’d just fucked, and he was lying on top of me, smiling against my mouth. His caption read, Mine alongside a white heart emoji.
I took him on a real date last night. I wanted to pull out his chair, but he refused and pulled out mine, helping me sit down.
The server went to help, and he gave her the stink eye the second she touched me.
I was instantly hard when he told her, ‘The only person that is allowed to touch my boyfriend is me. Back. Up.’
Once we arrived home, I held up my end of the deal. He fucked me, and I fucking loved it. He was gentle because he didn’t want to hurt me, but the slow pace of it made me come harder than I ever have.
Cameras flash when we enter the building, and those adorable dimples indent his cheeks.
Apparently, Rome becoming so confident in his sexuality helped another player on his team find the courage to come out as bisexual, and I think he’s beginning to understand that by simply being himself, he’s inspiring everyone around him.
I blink rapidly trying to get rid of the residual flash once we’re in a more secure area.
“You’ll get used to it,” Rome teases.
I grin when he moves in front of me, softly pressing his lips to mine.
“Rome,” Isla’s voice carries down the corridor, and she sprints toward him, a black and white scarf around her neck and his jersey on, black and white pom-poms in hand.
Her parents, grandmother and Rome’s family, including his grandfather, trail behind her.
He growls and lifts her up. “I wore your jersey.” She beams, that star-struck expression glistening in her big blue eyes.
“I can see that,” he laughs.
I twist around to introduce myself, blowing out a breath.
“What’s wrong with you?” Isla’s grandmother, who I now know as Delilah, asks.
“I was shot,” I mouth.
“Oh, God,” Cathy breathes out, her husband’s eyes growing wide.
Delilah laughs and hits my shoulder. “Not even Satan wanted you.”
I shake my head, extending my hand to Rome’s grandfather. “Pleasure to finally meet you, sir.”
He takes my hand with a half-arsed shake. “Rain Weston, correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I knew I should’ve smuggled in my gun,” he grumbles quietly to Delilah.
“Grandpa,” Rome chastises.
“Dad,” Lucy scolds, gently hitting his shoulder.
Kilah and Indie step up, wrapping their arms around their grandfather’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, Grandpa,” Kilah narrows her eyes on me, “we’re keeping a close eye on him.”
“He’s not as bad as he seems,” Indie adds.
Rome sighs and places Isla down before kissing my cheek and whispering in my ear, “Will you be okay?”
“Baby, I’ll be fine. Go beat the fuckers.”
Grinning, he backs away and salutes as the group chants their support. Once he disappears, Isla glares up at me, palm up. “Swear jar.”
“You aren’t conning me out of money, kid.”
Rome’s grandfather clears his throat, with an arched brow. I release a breath and slide my wallet out, slapping a five-pound note into Isla’s hand.
“It’s always the billionaires who are cheap,” Delilah grumbles.
I pin Delilah with a glare before adding a ￡50 note to Isla’s still outstretched hand.
“Swears are worth a lot,” Isla snickers, trying to coax more.
“Certainly not more than ￡55,” I counter.
“Cheap wanker,” Rome’s grandfather mutters, pulling Indie and Kilah towards the stairs.
Lucy steps beside me with a reassuring smile. “She cons everyone out of at least ￡20. Everyone except for Rome—apparently, he can swear like a sailor, and she waives the swear jar fee.”
A smile touches my lips as I crook my arm, and Lucy slides her hand in to take my elbow.
“I’m so excited,” Isla growls from the seat beside me, shaking her pom-poms.
“Can I have one?” I ask.
“No, get your own.” She hugs them to her chest.
“Isla,” her father scolds. “Share.”
“Argh, fine,” she groans, slamming a pom-pom to my chest.
“Thanks, kid.”
Twenty minutes into the first half, it’s 1-1, and Isla continues screaming orders to Rome while Delilah and Rome’s grandfather, Arthur, throws daggers at me from beside her.
Rome’s teammate dribbles the ball toward the goals, Rome sprinting down the other side of the pitch. The ball floats into the air, and my mouth falls open when Rome does a bicycle kick. The entire stadium erupts as the ball hits the back of the net.
“Yeah!” Isla screams, shaking her pom-pom.
Rome points to the team’s box with a wide grin, and I whistle and shake my pom-pom with Isla. His head tips back with a laugh.
“He is great.” I grit my teeth at the sound of my father’s voice.
“What do you want?” I clip.
“You’ve been ignoring my calls.”
Placing the pom-pom on the table, I move past him to an empty table, still with a view of the game. “I’ve been recovering.”
He sighs, gaze dropping to my back. “I know, but I was right when Blade was in hospital, was I not? Your incessant want for independence almost got you both killed.”
I meet his cold stare. “I see it more as a lack of trust. You sent Blade after Rome. What did you expect?” Before he can dribble his bullshit answer, I continue, “I’m aware of why Blade and I receive the best medical care—not because you love us, but because you need to protect your assets.
I’m giving you the opportunity to stop the bullshit empire expansion you’ve been on for the last five years.
I don’t forgive you, nor do I want to, but the love of my life has shown me redemption is possible.
Mum’s dead. You can’t fight to save her.
Will you fight to be a decent father for me and Blade? ”
He looks back to the game with a high head. “That’s all I’ve ever done. Made you both strong. Unbreakable.”
“No, you’ve used us to your advantage. Keeping Blade away from Alexa was your only way to control him. You failed miserably at pinning us against one another.”
“Are you under the assumption I won’t do what I always promised if you aided in him getting to her?”
I smile. “You’re underestimating how far Blade and I would go for one another.
I didn’t want to see him dead, but Blade has made me realise that just because you and I are blood, that doesn’t make us family.
” I step to him, quieting my voice. “I know if either of us makes a move to kill you, you’ve ensured Blade’s life will be taken, but if you go near my family again, I will fucking kill you, Aaron.
” He looks at me, fury blazing in his eyes.
“You’re playing nothing but a shitty facade.
You’re scared of him and me.” I allow my smile to widen.
“The Weston name also ends with me. When I marry Rome, I’ll be taking his last name. ”
“He still owes me his grandfather’s estate,” he spits.
“I can shut down your entire fucking empire, Aaron.”
A devious smile curls his lips. “You really want to test me on that? Are you willing to bet on the lives of Blade and Alexa?”
Fucking cunt.
“I also had a look at that contract of yours, the one you had drawn up by an incompetent outside lawyer. Unfortunately, he’s been disbarred, and all his recent cases are being audited.”
Darkness takes over his eyes, and I can’t tell who’s more unhinged. More fucking manipulative: him or Blade.
A cold chuckle bounces his chest. “You did gift Rome ￡20 million. I’m sure he can purchase another home for his grandfather while convincing his team members to promote Weston & Myer.”
“I will fucking kill you,” I spit through my teeth.
He slowly steps back towards the door. “You always were a sore loser, son.”