Page 28 of Roman

I blinked. “You mean my diner?”

“Ah,” she said around a mouthful. “That explains it. I wondered why he cared about a bakery.”

“Who is he?” I blurted.

She grinned, not missing a beat. “If I were a betting woman, I’d say your future.”

Then she went back to eating her omelet, leaving me more perplexed than ever.

We finished breakfast. I ate as much as I could. My throat was sore and my appetite off, but I did my best. Vi didn’t look happy, then shrugged and made a call. Not long after, someone came and cleared the dishes and handed her a tall to-go cup. She thrust it at me.

“What is that?”

“A smoothie. That’ll make up for what you didn’t eat, and I won’t have to lie to Roman.”

“Have you known him long?”

She lifted one shoulder. “Not a long time. I was hired as a waitress in the casino restaurant. Roman wasn’t part of the interview process, but I did meet him on my first day. He and Aldo meet every new employee. I would see Aldo on occasion and I heard about him from other employees, though I didn’t really know him. But we were attracted to each other, and eventually, we gave in. We had an affair, but I expected nothing from it. Then one day, a customer hassled me really hard, and Aldo stepped in. Threw him out. The asshole didn’t like that very much, and he came back another time and attacked me.”

“How awful.”

She nodded, but she had a smile on her face. “Aldo stopped him. He carried me inside and took care of me. He started checking on me, walking me to my car, dropping by the restaurant to make sure I was okay. We grew closer, and I realized I’d fallen. So had he. The rest, as they say, is history. We got married really fast. In fact, we just got back from our honeymoon.”

I had a feeling I was hearing a very toned-down version of their story, but I didn’t pry. I licked my lips, leaning forward. “Is he dangerous? Like Roman?”

She was quiet. “Aldo is lethal. They both are. To other people. To the people they love, they are the best. I realized Aldo was only dangerous to me because of the fact that he held my heart in his hands. But I learned very quickly those hands were perfect for such a delicate job. My heart has never been safer.” She smiled softly. “We got married last month. Roman sent us to Fiji for our honeymoon. We came back the day you were kidnapped.”

“I’m sorry, I⁠—”

She waved her hand. “I love Aldo, but I also know him. He was done with the beach and the drinks and lazing around. It was time to come home, and when I suggested it, he couldn’t pack his bag fast enough. He’ll take me away again soon. I think I would rather have lots of short trips with a happy husband than long ones where all he wants to do is pick a fight or shoot someone to relieve his tension.” She winked. “A girl can only do so much with her magical holes, you know.”

I blushed and she laughed. “Oh, I like you. I’m glad the Warrior has crumbled. This is gonna be fun.”

I had no idea what she meant, and I was too tired to figure it out. I drank some more smoothie, humming at the flavor. Mango, pineapple, and strawberry. It was a rich, tasty treat. I set down the container and yawned.

“You need to go back to bed.”

“No, I’m fine. I really need to make some calls.”

“Once Roman is here.”

“Which will be?”

She shrugged. “When he arrives.”

And that was all she said.

I woke slowly, voices drifting in and out. I only caught the occasional sentence or word.

“Perfectly good bed.”

“I told you to look after her.”

“Pretzel.”

“…how you talk to my wife.”

“Stop it, boys.”