Page 72 of Heartbreaker

“Dude, you looked like you were going to hit her,” Noah says, voice low, unexpected, sticking up for me and, in a way, Rome.

“Lana, move behind me,” Rome says, but I stay frozen. “Lana, get the fuck behind me.” The second time is less a request and more a demand. Terrified of making things worse, I do as he asks, watching this shit show unravel over his shoulder.

“Now, you’re going to turn around and say you’re sorry to my girlfriend. Okay?”

“Fuck you,” Levi says, but Rome pushes him into the wall once more with a thud. “Fuck. Fine, just get the fuck off me.” Rome pushes him once more before stepping back. Levi turns, shaking out his wrist, then to me.

“I’m sorry your boyfriend is a loser and that you have to find that out the hard way,” he says, a smirk on his lips. I open my mouth to argue, to give him a cutting remark, but Rome just smiles, his eyes dancing in a way I don’t know if I’ve ever seen. Taunting, but not in the fun way we do. Taunting like he wants Levi to start something so he can end it. It’s similar to what he looked like when Levi came to Monster Smash. Worse, maybe.

“I’m glad you feel like you can get one up on a woman, just because she turned you down. Real big man shit, you know? Hopefully, it helps soothe the ache of knowing that even when I’m not on the track, you still can’t get a win.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Levi asks, stepping forward. Rome reaches a hand behind him, and in a touch so gentle it feels out of place in the moment, pushes me back away from him. Even now, he’s trying to keep me safe. A small appeasement, I suppose.

“Hit me,” Rome says under his breath, grinning wide. “Hit me, Levi. Please. Show everyone who you are.”

“Why would I do that, Rome, when you’re doing such a bang-up job of showing off who you are?” Levi asks, smiling, voice low. My gut churns when it’s filled with something like victory. And when I look over, I see what he saw, what Rome doesn’t: the board members whispering to themselves. “This is why you’ll never be welcome here again. Because you’re a fucking loaded cannon, ready to blow at the smallest moment. A little bit of teasing from a teammate, and you’re threatening to break my wrist. At any moment, you’re ready to lose it, and that’s a fucking liability. That’s why they’ll never take you back. Why you’ll always be a nobody.”

Before he can lunge, I wrap both hands around one of Rome’s biceps, stopping him from making things worse. Levi smiles wider as if this is all going to plan.

“He’s not worth it, Rome,” I say. “Remember the plan.” To anyone listening, they’d think I meant the plan of lying low, but Rome knows I mean more. Thankfully, before Levi can push him beyond what I’d be able to rein in, a new voice enters the fray.

“What the hell is happening here?” Kevin asks, and my stomach drops to the floor.

“You saw that, right? He attacked me,” Levi says, putting on that mask I know all too well, the good guy who did nothing wrong.

“I saw you lunge for a woman,” Kevin says, and relief fills me. It’s not a great win, not with the entire board watching the scuffle, but it’s something. “And I saw Roman get you away from his girlfriend.”

“That wasn’t—” Levi starts, but Kevin shakes his head, tipping his head to the exit.

“I think you should head out now. Go home.” Levi’s jaw tightens, but he nods then starts to move. He shoulder-checks Rome as he walks by, and I tighten my grip on his arm.

“You. Follow me,” Kevin says, tipping his head toward a room that I think is a staff kitchen. Without another word, Rome grabs my hand, and we move that way.

“Thanks, Dad—” he starts, but Kevin lifts his hand, and once the door closes behind us, his face looks a mix of furious and exasperated.

“What the fuck was that? You need to be smarter, Roman,” he says. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing out there, but you may have just set yourself back another few months.” Rome opens his mouth to argue, but Kevin barrels through. “I’m doing my fucking best to get you back here as soon as I can, but you keep pulling shit like this.”

“That’s not fair! I—” Rome starts, but Kevin’s face goes red, throwing his hands in the air.

“Life isn’t fucking fair, Roman. And not everything can be easy fucking peasy for you. The sooner you figure that shit out, the faster you get on with your life.” He lets out a deep sigh.

“Get out of here,” he says. “Go back to Monster Smash. I’ll try to smooth things out. Sounds like Noah might be willing to vouch for you, say that your girlfriend was in danger, but it doesn’t look good, Rome.” He runs a hand through his hair, looking older and exhausted.

“I have a meeting with the board at the end of the month. Stay out of trouble, and we’ll be good. Stay out of the headlines. Play it safe.” Rome sighs and opens his mouth. I expect an argument, but instead he just nods.

“Okay,” Rome says, and Kevin seems to relax with his acquiescence.

“It was nice to see you, Lana. Wish it were under better circumstances,” he says to me. I give him a polite nod, even though I’m not sure how to feel about the man. Part of me understands the tight corner he’s backed into, balancing love for his son and for his business, but another part of me hates that my instinct isn’t to believe in and stick up for him wholeheartedly.

I don’t say that, of course.

“You too, Kevin,” I say with a polite nod before Rome twines his fingers with mine and leads us out of the party.

“What was that?” Rome asks when we step into the cool night air. He leads us toward his car, but I keep my arms crossed over my chest.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” I reply.

“He was all up in your space, Lana.”