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“You going to tell me what this asshole is doing here?” Adam asked.
“No,” Ruby said.
“We agreed,” Adam hissed, keeping his voice low. “We agreed we wouldn’t introduce Olivia to anyone unless we talked to each other first.”
“This isn’t my fault,” Ruby said. “You were supposed to take her to school.”
“And I tried calling,” Adam said. His fists were balled at his sides, and Roman remembered the way he’d rested his hand on his weapon in the alley, wondered if he was trying to keep himself from doing it here in front of his daughter. Roman suddenly wished he hadn’t left his gun in the car. Adam Bishop was dangerous, not because he was powerful or menacing, but because like all abusers, he was weak and reckless. “It’s not my fault you weretoo busyto pick up your phone.”
He turned his gaze on Roman.
Shewasbusy, you motherfucking coward. Busy coming like a freight train.
Ruby drew in a deep breath, obviously trying to keep the situation from spiraling out of control. “Listen, I’m sorry it worked out this way. This wasn’t intentional. I should have kept an eye on my phone. But it’s done now, so there’s no point rehashing it. I’ll get Olivia to school. You should get to your meeting.”
“What if Olivia had been hurt?” Adam asked.
Roman’s blood boiled. This fucker. Using the guilt card on Ruby when she was obviously a wonderful mother.
Ruby swallowed. “She wasn’t. And I’ve already apologized so just… just go, Adam.”
Roman heard the weariness in her voice, understood for the first time how exhausting this life must be for her. Not just the single-parent part, but dealing with Adam day in and day out, having him up her ass about everything all the time.
It made him want to sweep her and Olivia away, take them to his loft, station every one of his men outside to keep the ugly world and this ugly man away from them.
Adam stared Roman down for a few more seconds, as if Roman would be afraid of this puffed-up excuse for a man. When Roman didn’t flinch, Adam finally turned away.
He headed for the door and stopped to speak a couple of inches from Ruby’s face. “We’re not done talking about this.”
He was halfway out the door when Olivia’s voice sounded from the table. “Bye, Daddy.”
Adam looked back, like he’d forgotten she was there and had suddenly been reminded. “Bye, sweetheart. See you next Wednesday.”
Ruby shut the door behind him, locked it, and leaned against it with her eyes closed.
Roman waited until she opened her eyes to speak. They were far enough away from Olivia that she wouldn’t hear them if he kept his voice low. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “That was… less than ideal.”
“I’m sorry.” He wanted to go to her, shelter her from this storm and every other one that might be coming, but he was aware of Olivia sitting at the table, aware that Ruby probably hadn’t intended for them to meet so soon.
“It’s not your fault,” she said. “I should have paid attention to my phone.”
“You’re a person,” Roman said. “You’re allowed a few hours to disconnect. This was just an unfortunate fluke.”
“Aren’t you going to eat your egg-and-cheese, Mommy?” Olivia asked from the table. “You can share yours with your friend. You told me it was nice to share with friends remember?”
Ruby laughed and the heavy atmosphere in the room seemed to dissipate. “It is nice, but I’m pretty sure Roman has to leave.”
He didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want to leave now and he was pretty sure he would never want to leave.
But he understood. Navigating the waters of his relationship with Ruby — and it would be a relationship, he felt that in his bones — would be different, but he was beginning to think different was exactly the thing he needed.
He turned to look at Olivia, happily munching on her breakfast sandwich, a stuffed frog sitting on the table, facing her like they were sharing the meal. “Your mom’s right, Olivia. I do have to go, but I hope to see you again soon.”
“Okay, bye Roman!”
Roman smiled. “Bye.”
