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“He tried,” I managed to say. “But I escaped him and now I’ve come for sanctuary.”
“Of course you are safe here, right Uncle?” Tyler aimed at my father. He’d always been so trusting of my father, Tyler was the son he never had.
“Yes, she is,” he said, strained. “Of course if he hurt her, then he must pay.”
I tried not to scoff at the remark. Of everyone in this city, Edward had hurt me the most but I needed them to buy my story. Tyler would, without hesitation, but Edward was going to be harder to win over.
“He’s back in the city?” Tyler asked me.
I nodded. “I’m not sure where or for how long, I ran from him when we got to the marina.”
I’d made sure that after that last look at Roman, I had run to make sure CCTV cameras picked it up to cover my side of the story. The fact that Roman didn’t run after me may go against me but from what I knew about Roman he’d never run after a woman in his life. His playboy lifestyle was probably making it easier for everyone to believe me when I said he didn’t care about me anymore.
It hurt to say it, because there was a tiny morsel of fear that he may get tired of how hard it was to be together. Maybe he would go back to Rose, someone who didn’t have prospects. Someone who my father would gladly be rid of.
“I’ll kill that fucker,” Tyler said. I had to ball up my fists to stop myself from going with him. I could see Tyler was packed with guns and knives on his holsters. “He’d surely be at the beach if he’s back.”
Tyler was gone before I could react and give up my true reason for being here. There was a feeling I had overwhelming my senses as I watched him walk out. A feeling that this was bad. Something bad was about to happen.
Roman was tough. He was good with his gun. He didn’t need me to help him. I turned back to my father who seemed to have softened a little. Maybe he was buying my story after all.
“You must be exhausted,” he said. “Go and have a shower. I’ll have Natasha attend to you.”
I nodded and headed out of his office and down to my old room. It was mere minutes I was there, alone, before I heard her run into my room and pull me into a tight hug.
“I was so worried for you,” she said, honestly. “What did that horrible Roman do to you?”
“Nothing, I just…wasn’t cut out for the kind of man to order me about.”
Ha. Roman couldn’t order me around unless we were in the throes of passion and he knew it. I think that’s why he was so invested in me. He’d never met a woman who could keep him on his toes like I did.
“Never mind him,” she said. “He’s in your past now. We’ve all had a past lover we regret.”
I so desperately wanted to know who hers was but I knew she’d never tell me. Natasha never told me anything I didn’t need to know. I’d never noticed it before, but I didn’t know a lot about Natasha. It had always been one-sided.
I moved out of her grasp and into the bathroom with a smile, but it didn’t meet my eyes. I was finding it harder and harder to pretend around her.
She’d raised me.
She knew me better than anyone did here.
If anyone were to figure me out, she’d be the one to destroy my plan.
??
I sat at the table with my parents, my bruised and battered mother was silent as she carefully cut up her salad so it didn’t hurt her when she ate. I waited for my father to speak but he didn’t. It was awkward and awful but I ate the dinner, and waited for him to say something to me.
“Diane, leave us,” he said suddenly, making me look up in surprise. She wanted to fight but I doubted she had much fight left in her. She stood up and threw her napkin in the middle of her food, sending salad flying onto the table. My father’s eyes were murderous as he watched her leave. I doubted she’d get out of a beating tonight once all eyes were off them.
“Now you’re back, have you come to terms with what I expect of you?” he asked. The chill in his voice had me questioning my sanity about being back here.
“Yes, of course.”
“I want you to be a bargaining chip for me. That’s what I need most but in saying that, I respect that you made the decision to return so I’ll allow you to choose who you marry.”
That was more than I expected.
“That’s generous.”
