Negotiation: A Mafia Love Story (Triple Threat Book 1) (9 page)

She moaned her relief when she saw Roman step into sight, barely holding it together until he stormed across the small cabin of the boat where they had taken her below. As soon as his arms wrapped around her, she collapsed against him with a sob of relief and allowed the maelstrom of unconsciousness that had been trying to drag her down to finally pull her under.

***

She woke to a dull throbbing, but nothing even close to as intense as she’d experienced earlier. Flashes of memory returned, and she recalled the frantic drive from the marina to the hospital in bits and pieces, held on Roman’s lap in someone’s vehicle. She briefly recalled seeing faces of medical personnel come and go, and then there were no further memories until waking. She assumed that was the point when they had put her under general anesthetic. She looked down as she lifted her arm, unsurprised to find a giant white bandage wrapped around her hand. It told her nothing about the state of her fingers underneath.

“Sarah, how are you?”

She turned her head, finding a small smile for Roman, who sat in an uncomfortable-looking hospital chair beside her hospital bed. She licked her lips, wincing when her voice emerged as a faint rasp instead of the word she’d tried to say. After he offered her a small sip of water, not allowing her more than that, she found it slightly easier to speak. “Okay. Hurt some. My fingers?”

“The doctor was able to save them. Apparently, Audra has either done this before, or she’s just a natural, because she sliced clean through and did minimal damage. The surgeon expects you’ll regain full use of your fingers, and there are treatments they can use later to minimize scarring.”

She let out a deep breath of relief. “What did you do to her?” she managed to ask in a dry voice. She was grateful when he offered another sip of water. She tried to clamp on to the straw and refused to let go, necessitating him pulling it from her a bit roughly.

“Easy. You’re only allowed a little bit at a time. You’re still recovering from general anesthetic and don’t want to vomit.”

She managed a small nod, abruptly aware of flashes of pain throughout her body, though they were dull and blunted, probably thanks to some kind of painkiller administered through her IV. “What did you do?” she asked again.

Roman hesitated. “Dominic has told me to let it rest.”

She nodded, remembering that much of the confrontation between Dominic, Audra, and Benas. “Are you going to?”

He hesitated a moment longer. “Do you want me to, Sarah? Frankly, I’m not okay with the idea of allowing Audra to hurt the woman I love and not pay for it.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest at his words, and she immediately focused on what was most important to her. She licked her dry, cracked lips before asking, “You love me, Roman?”

He grinned, though he looked faintly sheepish. “Yeah, I do. I think I have since you walked into my office with such giant brass balls and offered to play my mistress to get your brother off the hook.”

“Not play,” she said softly. “I haven’t pretended about anything.”

His expression softened, and he reached for her uninjured hand. It was the one farthest from him, so it must have been awkward for him, but he didn’t seem bothered by the way he had to turn so he could hold it. “I know that. Despite how we started, I don’t think there’s any doubt how either of us feel, is there?”

She shook her head. “I love you too, Roman. Never expected to, especially in light of what your family does, and what I thought you were going to do to my
poor, misled
brother.” She snorted softly, and then gestured for the water to soothe her raw throat. He allowed her a small sip before pulling it away like the tyrannical bastard that he was, and she savored the sensation of the cool water against her heated throat. A moment later, she said, “Do you think Audra is telling the truth? Do you think this was all Robbie’s plan?”

Roman hesitated and then shrugged. “At first, I was convinced it was simply Audra, but now I think your brother did plan most, if not all, of it—but she also knew and was part of the plan. She might not realize she would end up being his scapegoat, but she knew what was going on as well. To my way of thinking, neither of them are innocent. Has she suffered enough? To my way of thinking, no, but if I pursue vengeance, it will mean a great number of deaths on both sides. That’s why I want to leave the decision with you, Sarah. I’m not rational about this. My inclination is to destroy the Lithuanians and every part of their operation, so I’m hoping for the voice of reason here.”

For a moment, for a dark and insane moment, she hovered on the brink of throwing away reason and logic and compassion. Recalling the pain of the knife cutting through her fingers before slamming into her hand almost prompted her to tell him to forget about doing the better thing and bring her Audra’s head on a plate. After a moment, and a few deep breaths, the dark impulses mostly passed. With a reluctant, regretful sigh, she said, “I think you should probably listen to Dominic. He’s not involved emotionally in the situation and thinking more clearly than either one of us.”

His shoulders slumped, and he looked disappointed, but he nodded. “That’s my assessment too. But if you want me to, I’ll kill her for you.”

She should have been appalled by the offer, but instead she found it sweet and touching. Either her incident had scarred her more than she had imagined, or perhaps his darkness was leeching into her. Or maybe it was simply the darkness inside herself that lit up at the thought of having revenge. Whatever it was, she was touched rather than repulsed, and she squeezed his hand with her good one. “I know you would, and that means a lot to me. I think we’re going to have to do the right thing here.”

His lips twisted, and he nodded. “I guess the right thing to do would also be to end our arrangement and try to let you get back to a normal life.”

She scowled at him. “Roman, don’t—”

He pressed on as though she hadn’t spoken. “I’m afraid I’m all out of my quota for doing the right thing today, love. I’m not any good for you, but you make my life a hell of a lot better, and I can’t imagine letting you go.”

She licked her dry lips. “I don’t recall asking to be let go. Today wasn’t your fault, if that’s what you’re thinking. I had no idea that some psycho was stalking me, or I certainly wouldn’t have sent the driver home. Living the life you do, I understand there are risks, and I won’t take any unnecessary ones in future. But there’s no way in hell you’re doing the right thing, as you call it, and sending me away after you just told me you love me.”

“But if Robbie ever resurfaces, there’s a price on his head. Do you understand and accept that? There’s no second chance for him now, knowing what he really did—and that he planned to use you as his original patsy.”

She licked her lips, a pang shooting through her at the reminder of her brother’s betrayal and duplicity. She had done nothing but take care of him and look after him most of their lives. Sarah couldn’t understand how he could be so cold and calculating, unless Audra was right, and he was just a sociopath. Even if he was, that didn’t stop her from still loving her brother, but it made her realize she couldn’t keep protecting him—especially from himself and his terrible actions. “I understand.”

“Seriously, I can’t bend on this, Sar—”

She squeezed his hand tightly. “I know, and I understand. What happens with Robbie is separate from you and me. You’re stuck with me, Roman, and you’d better accept that.”

He hesitated for a moment before chuckling. He was tender when he leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek. “Can I get that in writing?”

She rolled her eyes as he turned her long-ago words back on her. “You really want it so anyone can find proof of our agreement?”

He nodded. “I think the most expeditious document would be a marriage license. You’re going to have to marry me.”

She frowned at him as she pretended to ponder the question. “You really think I should marry you, Roman?”

His arrogance was back when he gave her that smug grin of his. “I’m sorry, but I think you’re mistaken. I wasn’t asking you, love. I was simply telling you what we’re going to do.”

She rolled her eyes. “There you go being an arrogant, highhanded asshole again. It’s one of the things I love about you, though I’m not sure why.”

A moment later, his expression turned more serious. “Would you marry me, Sarah, I mean if I asked?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, if you bothered to ask.”

He snatched the straw from her cup, folding the end and sliding it into the other side. It made a slightly circular and far too large circle that he held out anyway. “Will you marry me, Sarah?”

Her eyes burned with tears she refused to shed, and she blinked them away as she nodded. When he slipped the makeshift straw/ring around her finger, where it hung loosely, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She settled for a small hiccup and a sniff. “Yes, but we’re going to have to wait until my hand heals so I can wear the ring on the correct finger.”

“I’d wait forever for you, Sarah.”

“And I have no problem making you wait,” she said with a teasing smile as she leaned closer to him, once more thankful for the strong painkillers that blunted her discomfort and let her focus on something far more important in the moment.

They sealed the negotiation with a kiss.

***

If you enjoyed Roman’s story, be sure to look for Luka and Dominic’s stories in the near future. Join my mailing list to find out about upcoming releases.

R.E. Saxton is the pen name Kit Tunstall uses when writing dark romance. It’s simply a way to separate the myriad types of stories she writes so readers know what to expect with each “author.”

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