THAT NIGHT AFTER dinner, I can feel a change in Sara. I have a feeling I know what’s coming, and I don’t know how to possibly prepare myself mentally for it. And so, when she starts talking, I find myself sitting ramrod straight in my chair, bracing myself for the impact that’s bound to hit me like a ton of bricks.
“I want to tell you about what happened to me after I was…sold,” she says, swallowing hard on the last word. Roman reaches across the table and holds her hand in his for support. Sara looks at him fondly before continuing. “I was shipped off to Russia where a very cruel man kept me for years under his control.” She stares off into the distance as if remembering some horrible memory before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. “And then, one day, five years ago, Roman rescued me. See, that’s what he does. He rescues people who have been sold to very powerful men.”
My eyes dart to Roman. That’s what he does for a living? Then how the fuck did he amass such a fortune? None of this makes sense.
“How did he know where to find you?” I find myself asking.
“He rescued our mother,” Sara says softly. “Her dying wish was for Roman to find me and save me from that monster.”
My brows furrow as I try to process her words. I think back to the obituary that Baz shared with me. Our mother died from cancer, and someone was kind enough to put her obituary in the newspaper and give her a proper burial. And I now know Roman is thatsomeone.
My gaze softens as I stare at Roman, and the fervent suspicion I had before slowly melts away. “Thank you for taking care of my mother, and thank you for saving my sister,” I tell him.
He gives me a nod in return.
“It took me a long time to heal. Some days are worse than others, but Roman showed me that love can conquer any obstacle.” She grips his hand tightly, and he raises it to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles.
I stare around the vast room. “And all of this?” I gesture with a wave of my hand before eyeing Roman.
“I’ve dealt with a great deal of families who paid me a lot of money to get their loved ones back. I needed a safe place for the people I rescued to come back to before they went back to the real world, to their families.”
So that explains all the security.
“I’ve since passed my extraction duties onto other people, my most trusted men. But I still secure information and find those who need help the most.”
“It’s dangerous work,” Sara speaks up. “I begged him to hire men to do the rescues.”
He’s practically beaming at my sister as he says, “And I can’t deny a single thing you ask of me.” He clears his throat before saying, “And, besides, I have my own family to worry about now.” His eyes dart to Arlo, who is snoozing away in his bouncer.
I watch the two of them. They appear to be really in love, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe it’s my years of living on the streets and not catching a break after my family was torn away from me that makes me so bitter and pessimistic, but I can’t help it.
However, I’m willing to give Roman the benefit of the doubt since he did help rescue my mother and sister. Until he gives me a solid reason to not like him…or want to punch him in the face, I’ll keep my cool.
Sara yawns. “I hate to say goodnight so early, but I’m absolutely exhausted.” Then she adds, “Ah, the joys of motherhood. In bed before nine every night.” She scoops Arlo out of his bouncer and says, “And it’s past this little man’s bedtime anyway.”
Coming over, she kisses my cheek. “See you tomorrow,” I tell her.
Roman stands. “You two are welcome to any of the rooms in the house. We have a gaming room, a movie theater room, a gym. If you have any questions, I’m sure you’ll find one of the staff meandering about.” He stifles a yawn. “My wife isn’t the only one who thinks nine p.m. is late anymore.”
We say our goodnights to them all, and then it’s just Victoria and me sitting in the large, silent room.
“What do you want to do?” I ask her.
With a smile, she says, “I want to check out the gaming room.”
One of the things I love most about Victoria is her competitive streak. “How did I know you were going to say that?” I ask with a big grin.
CHAPTER 30
DAMON
AFTER VICTORIA KICKS my ass at chess three times and I kick her ass at pool five times, we decide to call it a night.
I enter the opulent guest bedroom first, followed by Victoria. I can practically feel the nervousness coming off of her in waves, but I have no intention of making this arrangement difficult.
I point to the king-sized bed in the middle of the room atop a plush rug. “You take the bed. I’ll sleep on the floor.”
Before she can argue, I grab one of the blankets from the bed and a couple of the pillows and get to work setting up my space on the floor.
