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So, if all that wasn’t enough to put me in a hellish mood, Indie starts on me about her debt and a stupid contract that I do not have the time or patience to deal with. The only thing that stopped me today from taking my anger out on her was her sad, and frightened baby blues. They bore into my soul, ripping pieces from it until I was no longer mad but desperate for her touch. A touch I know I cannot take from her without breaking her spirit. I know how she feels about me, and it would destroy her if she let me have her. It would riddle her with so much guilt and burden. Her good conscience and innocence would be vilified and stained with my dirty hands.
Knowing all that, though, does not stop me wanting her, does not stop me hoping that one day I will be deserving of her. At my very core, I’m not a good man and know, eventually, I will succumb to my temptation, and there’s a part of me that doesn’t care. A rotten part of me that will take her, ruin her, and be damned with the consequences.
THE GRAVEL CRUNCHES under my shoes as I make my way up to Liam's front entrance. Clearly, he is stupid and didn’t think I would find out about his contract on me. Otherwise, he would have advised his security to deny me entrance at the gate.
Liam has done very well for himself. He has an impressive home, a beautiful wife, and three children who adore him. So why the hell isn’t that enough? Why the hell is he jealous of me?
The front door opens, and a sweet little princess looks up at me, complete with baby pink fairy wings and a tutu.
“Uncle Roe.” Emily squeals as she hugs my leg.
“Hey, little fairy princess.” I give her a smile. “Is your daddy home?”
“He’s at Grandpa’s,” she says, her sweet little face glaring up at me. “Mommy is in the kitchen, but...”
“Don’t worry about getting Mommy, sweetheart. I came to see your Daddy. I’ll go see him at Grandpa’s,” I reply, starting to leave.
“Oh, you're not staying?” Emily frowns, and if I had a heart, that frown would break it. I don’t spend time with Liam’s kids. I don’t particularly like kids, and I definitely don’t like Liam. So, there’re only family events that I see them at. Guilt should be gnawing at me, but Liam’s kids want for nothing, they don’t need an uncle to spoil them.
“I’ve got to go, princess. I’ll see you again soon.”
I rush out the door and back to my car. Liam's wife Evelyn stands in the doorway with her hands in the air like she’s questioning me as Emily stands at her feet. I don’t bother stopping to explain myself as I start my car and skid off down the driveway, heading to my father's house. No time wasted by stopping at red lights, my foot hits the pedal with a determination, with a resolution so sharp that I fear I might kill my own brother with my rage.
As soon as I enter my father's doorway, I can hear my brother's voice coming from the living room. Each stride I take fills me with more and more aggravation, more and more bitterness.
“Roman,” my father addresses me surprisingly as I enter the room.
“You!” I point at Liam as I stride toward him, ignoring my father's presence completely. Liam's face pales when he sees the fire in my eyes. The raging, burn of them as I grab him by his collar and slam his back against the wall. “You fucking crossed a line.”
“I didn’t touch her!” he cries out almost desperate. “Don’t believe a fucking word she tells you.”
What the fuck is he talking about? Didn’t touch who? What does he think I’m really here for if not the contract? But just as I open my mouth to question him, he says the worst thing he could have said to me. “She’s just an assistant, for fuck’s sake, Roman. She’ll be gone in a month or so, just like the rest of them.”
Red. All I see is fucking red. He’s talking about Indie, and then it all makes sense. Her mood today; her puffy tear-stained eyes.
“What did you fucking do?” I yell back at him, my anger vibrating through my entire being. “Did you fucking hurt her?”
“I didn’t touch her. I swear. I didn’t touch her!”
I can hear in the distance my father getting to his feet, the gasp of air as my fist connects with Liam's face, and then the panic etched in his every word as he yells at me to stop as my fist pounds into Liam's face uncontrollably. I feel his hands on my shoulders, pulling me away, but my elbow connects with his jaw and sends him flying back.
The accidental assault on him is the only thing that stops my rage because the despair on my father’s face as he holds the side of it has my fist frozen mid-strike to Liam. Breathing heavily, I let go of Liam and step back, watching him pathetically slide down the wall and sit on the floor, hugging his knees like a frightened child. His face is beginning to swell, blood oozes from his nose, and the redness around his eyes is getting deeper and deeper by the second.
“I’m sorry.” I turn towards my father. “I would never intentionally hit you.” My chest heaves with my rage and my exertion. I’m too enraged to be disgusted with myself. Too fucking consumed by Liam’s deception and the question that still remains. What did he do to Indie?
“No, but you would your own brother.” He looks at me with such disappointment. “What the hell is this all about, Roman? I demand you tell me right now why the hell you barged into my home and attacked your brother.”
“He is no brother of mine,” l reply.
“I told you I never touched her.”
“Touched who?” my father chimes in.
“His stupid lying assistant,” Liam answers him, grunting. “Why the hell is she so important to you anyway? Why do you care?”
I stride back over to Liam. “You are the stupid one. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about your Mexican?”
Liam's face drops as his eyes widen, and the realization hits him harder than I ever did.
