Chapter 35 Roman
ROMAN
I spun around on my office chair, going slightly stir crazy from being at home.
I almost laughed—I used to live like this: alone, isolated, stuck inside—but now, I craved the office, my team.
I even missed this weird little town I now called home.
I rubbed my temple, wondering if I had a worse brain injury than they first thought, a smile cracking my lips.
Sean had refused to let me come back to work until Hope, his doctor wife, deemed me well enough, and apparently, she was forcing me to rest for a couple of days, but rest had seen me do one of two things: search for any more signs of Hana and see if we could find anything else to explain the judge’s overstuffed bank accounts. Neither of which had been successful.
I stared up at the ceiling, hoping information might fall from the heavens, just as my phone beeped.
Sean: Preston didn’t have a heart attack. He was poisoned to look like natural causes.
I paused before I typed out a reply.
Me: So, 2 deaths in 2 weeks, and we know they’re linked.
Sean: Yes, but why kill them now?
Me: There has to be something that explains what’s going on here. What if this is a serial killer and there’s more killings to come? I can’t just sit here. I’m coming into the office.
Sean: No, you’re not.
Me: Fine. I’ll just work from here, and then when I collapse, there’ll be no one here to see, and I’ll be left to rot on the floor.
…
…
Sean: Fine, but I’m sending Jarrid to pick you up. You will not drive. And you can stay for 2 hours max.
Me: Yes, Daddy.
Sean: Fuck off. He’ll be there in 30.
“Decaf coffee,” Jarrid announced as he put a mug on the large table we were gathered around.
“Decaf?”
“Sean’s orders.”
I picked up the cup and looked at him suspiciously. “Is this you apologising again?”
He shrugged, pushing his fingers through the hair that had come loose from his bun. “Maybe.”
I huffed out my annoyance. “We talked about this when you picked me up. It’s fine. You weren’t to know. I’m okay. Can we just drop it? I feel like a dick that I was pushed down the stairs by some nimble teenager.”
“What?” said Sean as he appeared like magic.
I took a sip of the coffee, grimacing because it tasted like shit, but the thought was there.
“It’s probably nothing. The whole thing is a bit blurry, but I remember that the person who pushed me had this freaky skeleton mask on, and they were small.
Like skinny and small… just reminded me of a teenager, but what would a teenager want in that house?
Unless it’s like the police said, and they just wanted to rob the place because it was empty. ”
“But nothing’s missing. TVs, watches worth thousands, keys for the sports cars in the garage were all left untouched. If you were going to break in to steal things, why was nothing taken?” Sean questioned.
“I disturbed them with my dramatic tumble down the stairs?” I asked.
“Maybe, but you were out cold, so why wouldn’t they have grabbed something of value? It makes no sense. No, I think they were looking for something specific.”
“Like?” Jarrid said.
Sean bounced his shoulders before turning to Wren.
“Can you look into our judge a bit more? Now we know it’s murder, I think it’s time for a deep dive.
Friends, family, phone calls. See if you can track down his step-kids and find out if they can give us any insights.
I want to know what he had for lunch at work, who he’s sentenced and to what jail time, and then cross-check all of that with what we know about Larson.
Let’s leave no stone unturned because none of this makes any sense, and it’s starting to give me a headache. ”
Wren nodded. “Consider it done.”
“Keep me posted.” He stood, his eyes landing on me. “You, fuck off home. Don’t come back until your boys here have worked their magic. We don’t want to break that brain of yours.”
I clutched my hand to my chest. “Ah, you do love me. I knew you’d warm to me eventually.”
Sean chuckled as he exited the office, flipping me the middle finger over his shoulder as he left, and I’d never felt more at home.
Jarrid’s phone beeped in his hand, and he looked down to read the message, his eyes springing back up, wide with surprise.
“Amber,” he explained, but then added, “Hana’s back.”
I stood too fast, the room spinning.
“Woah,” Jarrid muttered, grabbing my elbow to keep me upright.
“Where?” I asked, focusing on a spot on the floor as I tried to find my balance.
“Diner.”
That didn’t make sense. I had every alert possible set up, so she shouldn’t have been able to step foot in town without my phone going crazy.
“Come on. I’ll walk there with you. Amber’s there anyway.”
The walk from the office to Hana took far too long; I felt every step in my temples, and I wasn’t sure that was a good thing. My heart beat like it was trying to escape to get to her quicker, while anticipation made my mouth dry and my hands sweaty.
“Jesus, Roman. Are you okay there?” Jarrid asked with a chuckle as he hurried beside me.
I turned to him as I continued my march through the streets. “If Amber vanished and you couldn’t find her and then she randomly showed up at her place of work like nothing had happened, how would you react?”
“I’d burn down the world,” he replied confidently, and I gave him a knowing look in return.
We walked the rest of the way in silence, and Jarrid stood back and let me step into the diner first. The second I laid my eyes on Hana, it was like a punch to the gut.
She looked stunning: exactly how I remembered her, but different.
Her face was pinched as if worry was eating away at her, and I hated it.
I wanted to wrap her in my arms and protect her from the world, but I knew she’d hate that.
“Place is closing early, folks. Suspected gas leak. Don’t worry about your bill; just take your things and make your way quickly to the door,” I announced as I headed to the counter where Amber was sitting.
“Gas leak?” she said, looking between Hana and me, confused.
“What the hell, Roman?” Hana fired out, her hands braced on the counter. “That’ll cost me money.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off her, convinced she was about to vanish or I’d wake from a dream. “I’ll pay for them all.”
“Come on, baby. Time to go.” I was aware of Jarrid taking Amber’s hand and leading her to the door.
“See you tomorrow, Roman. Nice to see you back, Hana. And I’m dropping the lock, so no one’ll disturb you.
” He said the last sentence with a chuckle, and then the door closed, the bell jangling as it did.
Hana and I stood, staring at each other, the air thickening with unspoken words. I had so many questions, but my need for her screamed so loudly, it drowned my thoughts.
I braced my hand on the counter, deciding it was far too far to walk around to get to her, so instead, I leapt over, landing just in front of her, ignoring the way my head thumped from the impact.
She gasped, but I didn’t give her a chance to move, banding my arm around her waist and pulling her close.
“When will you stop running?” I growled, my lips millimetres from hers.
She pressed her palms to my chest as if she was about to push me away, but she fisted my jacket instead. “When will you learn that I don’t need you watching out for me?”
“Never.” I lowered my mouth to hers, groaning shamelessly as our lips touched, tasting, probing, exploring, wrapping my tongue with hers, forging a connection I didn’t want to end because it filled the ache that had lived in my core since she vanished.
We kissed so long that the air grew thin and my lungs screamed.
When she finally broke apart, her eyes were blown and her lips swollen, but the surge of oxygen to my dented brain reminded me that I was furious she’d vanished.
“Where did you go?” I asked as Hana turned away from me, picking up a cloth to wipe the already clean counter.
“Why’s that any of your business, Roman? You’re not my keeper.” Her tone was a far cry from the whimpered moans she’d given me moments ago when we kissed.
I stepped up behind her, splaying my hand over her stomach as my mouth found her neck. “I think we’ve established who you belong to, little menace.” I sucked her skin, knowing it would leave a mark… wanting it to; branding her so the world knew what I’d known for years—she belonged to me.
She tossed the cloth to the side and tried to turn, but I pressed my weight into her, trapping her back to my chest. “And just in case you’re not sure, let me be very clear. You’re mine, Hana. Always.”
She tutted loudly. “You sound like a fucking stalker again, psycho.” Her bratty side made my cock ache, need thumping through me like a drum. I lifted her T-shirt until her breast was exposed, and then I yanked down her bra.
“Roman,” she screamed. “Everyone can see me.” Disliking the idea of anyone’s eyes on her but mine, I glanced behind me, spotting that the light switch was in reaching distance, and seconds later, we were plunged into darkness.
The only light now came from the streetlight, but it didn’t reach us, meaning we were hidden in the shadows, and no one could see a thing.
Unable to hold back, I tugged down her leggings and underwear with one hand while I cupped her breast with the other, twisting her nipple until she cried out.
“Tell me to stop,” I instructed, but she didn’t say a word, letting out a soft moan as I nudged apart her feet, spreading her legs as wide as I could within the confines of her clothes still wrapped around her ankles.
Then, I reached for my belt, fumbling with it with one hand while the other palmed her breast.
“Last chance,” I spat out through gritted teeth as I dragged my leaking cock from my underwear and pushed it to her entrance so she was clear about my intention.
“Stop talking and do it already,” she retorted, bracing her hands on the edge of the counter, arching her back and offering me her arse. Fuck, the idea of sinking into her tight hole made my cock throb, but not now. Now I just needed to be inside her, and I didn’t want to hurt her.
I grabbed her hip and pushed inside in one hard thrust.
“Fuck, yes,” she cried, her wet walls sucking me in.
I tugged her with me as I took a step back, elongating her body and giving me more room to fuck her like I wanted.
I moved in and out, slowly at first, loving how tight and familiar she felt. My fingers dug into her hips as her head dropped, her hair spilling around her shoulders.
“You walked away without a word,” I grunted as my hips picked up pace.
“I couldn’t find you, Hana. I couldn’t fucking find you.
” Sweat dripped down my spine as I let frustration control my body.
“I thought you were hurt.” I folded over her, my cock sliding in and out of her as I wrapped my hand around her throat. “I thought you were dead.”
She gasped as I tightened my grip, restricting her airway, loving the gush of her arousal that flooded my shaft.
“Not yours to protect,” she husked out as her hand came behind me, her nails digging into my arse as she pulled me harder against her.
“Yes, you are. Are you in danger?”
She huffed out a laugh. “From you, maybe.”
“Never,” I said as I slammed into her. “Never. Never.” Each word was punctuated by my cock thrusting. I was so close, my balls tightened, my eyes rolling back into my head as pleasure dampened my anger at her walking away, but I needed to see her. I needed more.
I pulled out, causing her to whimper, but within seconds, I’d spun her around, standing on her leggings so when I picked her up and turned us to face the wall, they came off, allowing her to wrap her legs around my waist.
Her arms circled my neck, and her back hit the wall. She was so wet, my cock slipped back in easily, my head falling to the crook of her neck as her body quivered on the edge of her orgasm.
“I love you.” The words left my mouth without my permission, but the rush of relief of saying it after all this time was almost as good as the sound of her orgasm as she came loudly.
“I love you so fucking much. I can’t lose you.
Don’t do that to me again.” My hips picked up pace as I let go of the final shred of my restraint.
Hana cupped my cheek, lifting my face until I was looking directly at her.
I wondered if she would say it back, but the words never came.
Instead, she lowered her lips to mine, kissing me with such passion that emotion clogged my throat and the need to come became too much.
My orgasm started in my balls and spread through my body like rays of the sun spearing the darkness at dawn, setting off every nerve under my skin in a wave of pleasure unlike anything I’d ever felt as I filled her with my cum.
I eased out of her, my legs wobbly from the orgasm and concussion, but I didn’t care. It was worth it to feel her like that again.
Hana didn’t speak, her back to me as she pulled her clothes on. My cock was barely tucked away when she turned, edging her knuckles over my temple and down my cheek.
“I’m sorry, psycho. For everything.” She sounded so sad.
I shook my head, trying to mask my confusion, unsure what she was apologising for, but then she walked past me to the diner door, the streetlamp illuminating her beautiful face.
She unlocked the door, holding it open. “Sunflower.”
“What?” I replied, a feeling of dread dampening the pleasure still humming through me.
“You said if I used my safe word, everything we were doing would stop.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out as my heart turned to dust beneath my ribs.
“Sunflower,” she repeated. “Goodbye, Roman. And I really am sorry. For everything.”
My feet moved without my permission until I was standing outside in the cold, and Hana closed the door behind me, the click of the lock louder than any gunshot, and way more devastating.