Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
W hen Rome saw Sofie fall over the edge, his brain shut down.
No. Fucking, no.
He wasn’t losing her. She was sweetness and light. Love and laughter.
She was his to love, protect, and cherish. Even though she did a damn good job of protecting herself.
This asshole couldn’t have her.
Rome leaped forward, and saw her dangling from the asshole’s hand. Screams started down below.
“Back up or I’ll drop her.” The man’s voice was strained.
“Fuck you.” Rome focused solely on Sofie. He reached down and clamped a hand on her slim wrist, below where her stalker was holding her.
“I said back off!” With his other hand, the man pulled a small knife.
“Rome!” Sofie cried, her legs kicking and her dress flowing around her.
The asshole stabbed at Rome. He felt the prick of the blade on his arm, but blocked out the pain. Nothing would make him let go of Sofie.
“Vander,” Rome growled.
Like a shadow, Vander appeared. He rammed a brutal punch into the man’s kidneys.
The attacker cried out and let Sofie go. Rome took her full weight.
Vander followed through with a hard hit with the butt of his Glock to the back of the man’s head. The guy crumpled.
Vander grabbed the back of the man’s jacket and dragged him away.
Rome looked down at Sofie. “I’ve got you.”
“I love you,” she said. “This is bad timing, I know, but I wanted you to know.”
There was an explosion of emotion in Rome’s chest. “I love you too, beautiful.”
Her brown eyes shimmered with tears. “You do? Oh, God.”
“How about we talk more about this once you aren’t dangling off the side of a balcony,” he suggested.
He grabbed her with his other hand.
“You know, I’m actually pretty good at dangling off buildings.”
Rome grunted. “You’ll be retiring from that.”
With a smooth jerk of his arms, he pulled her up and over the railing.
Below, the gala guests cheered.
Rome yanked her into his arms and sank to the floor. “Fuck.” He let out a shuddering breath. “When I couldn’t find you… When I saw you go over the edge…”
She cupped his cheek. “I’m right here, Rome. Perfectly alive. I knew you’d come.”
He shuddered.
“I knew you’d never give up. Like you never gave up with Lola. You were only a child, you did nothing wrong, Rome. The blame for what happened to her lies solely with her attacker. We can’t live in fear. We have to live.”
“I know, beautiful. Damn, Lola would have loved you.”
Sofie shoved her ripped skirt aside, straddled him, and kissed the hell out of him.
Rome didn’t care where they were, or that they had an audience. She was safe. He felt her pulse under his fingers.
He kissed her with all the love he felt until she moaned into his mouth.
“Well, looks like Rome has things under control.”
Rome lifted his head and saw Zane Roth standing behind the Norcross men, grinning at them. There was amusement and relief on all the men’s faces.
With a laugh, Sofie leaned against Rome’s chest and he held her tight.
Vander dragged her attacker to his feet. “I’ll get this waste of space to Hunt. We’ve got the others downstairs.”
“His name is Lorenz Stalder,” Sofie spat. “He’s a rare book dealer and the head of the Black Fox gang.”
“Antiquarian.” Ace snapped his fingers. “That relates to rare and antique books.”
“And I assume he restores the old book leather with chemicals,” Vander said. “Like the chemical we found on the notes.”
Sofie gripped Rome. “He was Tori’s boyfriend. He ordered her attack and stalked me.”
“He’ll get everything he deserves,” Vander drawled.
Rome saw the bruising starting on Sofie’s neck. He touched the marks gently. “I could just kill him right now.”
Stalder froze. Rage welled in Rome and he glared at the man, imagining his revenge.
“Hey.” Sofie’s face filled his view. “No grisly murders today.”
His rage softened as he took her in. She was so damn resilient.
Then she lifted her hand, and blinked at the blood on her fingers. Her eyes widened. “Rome?”
“He cut me a little. It’s fine.”
“You’re bleeding! We need a doctor, a hospital—” She scrambled up.
Rome rose and swept her into his arms.
“You can’t carry me, you’re hurt—”
“Like hell. I’m carrying you out of here and not letting you go. Ever.”
Her lips parted, her eyes swimming with emotion.
“ You need the hospital,” he said.
“No.” She shook her head. “There will be people and reporters.” Then she winced and touched her neck.
“Yes,” he said.
“ No . Get Ryder to come to the house. I want him to look at that cut of yours.” She was using her princess voice.
“Anything else, Your Highness?”
“I want a hot bath, and for you to never let me go.”
He hitched her higher. “That I can do.”
Norcross Security whisked them out of the gala without stopping to talk to the curious onlookers or the gathering reporters outside.
Rome knew that Gia and the rest of the women would want to see Sofie, but getting her safe and checked over were the most important things.
As they were leaving, he caught Easton’s gaze. “Can you get my mom and sister home?”
The oldest Norcross brother nodded. “Count on it.”
“Wait!” Sofie cried. “I completely forgot about the Sapphire Wave tiara. I hid it.”
The men all paused.
“You forgot about the million-dollar, historic tiara?” Rome said.
Her cheeks heated. “I was kind of busy.”
Vander shook his head, a faint smile curving his lips. “Tell me where it is. I’ll get it.”
Sofie told him, then Rome slid into the back of the X6 and settled her in his lap.
She snuggled into him. “Right here.”
He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “Right here what?”
“This is where I feel safest. Where I belong.”
He tightened his hold on her, realizing that it was nowhere near as tight as the hold this woman had on his heart.
* * *
Sofie sat still as Ryder lifted the ice pack off her neck.
“Well, that lovely skin will have some ugly bruises for a bit.” The paramedic glanced at Rome. “You beat the asshole up?”
“Vander did,” Rome replied.
Rome had shed his jacket and was standing in his bloodstained shirt. She’d watched Ryder clean and bandage the cut on his arm, which thankfully had been shallow.
She hated seeing the blood on his shirt.
“Sofie, take some painkillers before bed.” Ryder closed his black bag. “But you’re lucky. There’s no other permanent damage to your neck or voice box.”
Tonight the paramedic was wearing dark blue scrubs, with his muscular, tattooed arms on display. He’d come from the clinic where he donated his time.
“Thank you, Ryder.”
“Don’t mention it.” He shook Rome’s hand. “You both take it easy. You’ve earned it.”
Sofie watched Rome show the paramedic out. When he returned, he scooped her off the stool.
“Rome, I can walk.”
“Don’t care. I’m carrying you.”
He headed up the stairs and straight to her bathroom. When he stepped inside, she gasped.
“ This is what you were doing when you disappeared earlier.”
He set her down and she took in all the candles dotted around and the tub filled with warm, fragrant water.
His big hands reached for the zipper of her dress.
“Let’s get you in.” He pulled the dress off her, then she felt him stiffen. “Hell, Sofie.”
She looked into the mirror. He was standing behind her, the candlelight flickering on his dark skin. She was wearing a tiny whisper of lace that cupped her breasts and gossamer panties in sapphire blue. He didn’t seem to see her scrapes and bruises.
He ran a hand down her arm and she shivered.
“There it is.” He dropped a kiss to her shoulder.
Oh . She was so turned on. Her muscles felt liquid, and she was slick between her thighs.
“I could have lost you today,” he murmured.
“No. I told Lorenz that I’d fight with everything I had. I have so much to live for.”
Rome opened the bustier and let it drop. She turned and undid the buttons on his shirt.
In the flickering candlelight, they undressed each other.
“So beautiful.” He kissed her. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
“So hot and handsome.” She touched his strong jaw. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
She still wasn’t sure how they’d make this work—his job, her duties—but she wasn’t worrying about that tonight.
Tonight was a celebration of life and love.
Lola and Tori had both had their chance to live stolen from them, but Rome and Sofie would live for all of them. They’d make every moment count.
When they were both naked, he lifted her and stepped into the tub. He sank down, shifting her to straddle him.
Sofie smiled at the big, gorgeous hunk in the bath. “How often do you have a bath?”
His nose wrinkled. “Never.”
She nipped his jaw, his lips. “Well, I like them, so expect to do it more often.”
He cupped her breasts in his palms. “If you’re with me, I think I can struggle through.” His face turned serious. “I love you, Sofie. So much.” He leaned forward and kissed her injured neck.
She arched her head back. He gently kissed every one of her bruises. Her insides turned to mush. No one had ever cherished her like Rome.
They took their time—slow kisses, long caresses, soft moans.
Finally she couldn’t stand it anymore. She grabbed the condom he’d set out on the side of the tub earlier. She tore it open, then fumbled in the water to slide it on him.
“Fuck,” he growled.
Sofie rose up, notched the head of his hard cock between her legs, and slowly sank down.
Their gazes stayed locked, staring into each other’s eyes as he filled her.
“Sofie. My Sofie.”
His big hands clenched on her ass.
“Rome. My Rome.”
She moved faster, water splashing.
Soon they were kissing wildly, bodies straining. Then she felt a rush of pleasure, her muscles clenching.
“Oh, Rome .” She burst apart.
He swallowed her cries, then pushed her down.
“Sofie… fuck .” He groaned through his own release.
Afterward, they were both breathing heavily, holding onto each other.
“I want to wake up with you every day,” he said. “I don’t want to only see you occasionally.”
“I want that too.”
“But I have a job here. One I like. One that I need.”