I shook my head. “The key isn’t an actual key. It’s what he used to call the masterfile. It’s a list. A very long list. I’m not really sure what format he kept it in… paper, electronic. I don’t have a clue.” I glanced around the room, the enormity of the situation dawning on me.
Roman turned to me, cupping my cheek and forcing my attention onto him. “I’m not going to lie, I’m so fucking confused about everything that’s going on, Hana. I need you to make something… anything make sense. Please.”
I’d fucked up—the way I tricked him to come here, the way I’d forced him to stay—explaining to him what was going on would take too long, but I could give him something. He deserved that.
“I’m looking for a masterfile. Once I get my hands on it, I’m hoping I might be able to use it to work out who’s after me.”
“How?” he asked quietly.
I dipped my chin, swallowing hard. “I don’t know, Ro. I have no fucking idea.”
“And you think it’s hidden in one of these?” He walked over to the shelf nearest to him, pulling out a file and opening it before flicking through the hundreds of photos, typed notes, and handwritten scraps of paper inside. “Hana, that’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
My body sagged, the tension of the last few weeks depleting what little fight I had left. Roman was in front of me in a second.
“Hey,” he murmured in that dominant way I loved so much. “None of that. We’re not beaten yet. There’s too much to wade through in here, but why don’t we check the attic, and if it’s not there, I’ll get some of my team over here so we have help.”
His words hit hard; I was so used to doing things alone that the offer of help threw me. “I can’t trust anyone,” I repeated like it was my mantra.
He smiled, and the gesture spread through my bones like the sun on a frosty day. “You trust me, though, right?”
I shrugged.
“You brought me here. I mean, you did it in the most fucked up way, but you asked for my help, so on some level, you must trust me.”
“I guess?” I replied, but it sounded more like a question than a statement.
“Right then, and I trust the people I work with. You don’t have to do this alone, Hana. Not now you have me.”
Tears burned the back of my eyes. “You have no idea what I’ve done or why I’m in this trouble in the first place.”
His eyes locked on mine, his fingers anchoring in the hair at the nape of my neck. “You were mine from the minute I laid eyes on you. That won’t change, Hana. No matter what.”
“But—” He didn’t let me finish.
“But nothing. Mine. Say it… tell me who you belong to.” The timbre of his voice ran through me like a physical touch, lighting me up from the inside and soaking my underwear.
“Yours,” I whispered, realising I was his, and I had been since the moment he showed up in my life. There was something strangely addictive and comforting about this man, and I knew I wanted more… a lot more. “Yours,” I said again with more meaning.
“Right, let’s check the attic, and if you can’t find it there, then I’ll call for backup.”
49
ROMAN
We steppedinside the attic room. I’d expected low ceilings and no light, but it was the opposite of the basement, with large skylights, wood-panelled walls, and open space. It had obviously not been disturbed for a while, as the place had a musty smell to it.
That wasn’t the only difference in this room—while the basement had been stuffed full of files and paperwork, this room was empty.
“Well, I guess that answers our question,” Hana muttered, sounding as dejected as she looked.
“You don’t put that level of security on an empty room,” I said, placing my laptop on the floor out of the way and taking hold of the strap of her bag so I could lift it over her head, placing it down too.
“You think there’s something hidden in here?” she asked, her eyes darting around.
I took her hand in mine, twisting our fingers together. “I think there’s something hidden in here.” I pressed a kiss to her knuckles and pointed to the far side of the room. “Start over there. See if you can find something that feels loose or looks out of place.”
She hummed as if she thought it was a waste of time, but she went anyway, running her fingers over the wall panels as I did the same on the other side.
