Page 27 of Roman

She laughed, waving her hand. “Private joke between Aldo and me.”

“Aldo?”

“My husband. He was the other guy last night with a gun. The big one.”

“Oh.”

“You probably have to pee, don’t you? Roman said last time you woke up, it was five. That was six hours ago.”

“Oh. Ah, yes.”

She approached the bed, flinging back the blankets and extending her hands. “Come on, then. Can’t have you leaving a wet spot in Roman’s bed.” She started to laugh. “At least not yet.”

I was confused but took her proffered grip and got out of bed, barely holding in my grimace.

“Wow, you are tiny,” Vi said. “You have a lot of power for someone so compact. I always wanted to be short. But Aldo loves that I’m so tall. He says it makes us perfect for each other.” She helped me stay steady on the way to the bathroom. “I think what makes us perfect is his massive dick and my willing snatch, but there you go.” Once again, she laughed gaily. Then she glanced at me. “You want a shower while you’re up and fresh clothes? Roman had me get you some. They might be a little big. He said small, but I didn’t expect small, you know?”

“I’m five one,” I protested.

She chuckled. “I’m five ten.” She extended her leg. “Over six feet with my heels. And I love my heels.”

“Oh.” I frowned. I rarely wore heels. They made my legs ache. “Yes, I would like another shower,” I said. “I still feel dirty.”

Instantly, she was sympathetic and bustled around. “You get in the shower. I brought conditioner because Roman was worried about knots in your hair. Believe me, I howled every time I thought about him saying knots. Roman. Worried about knots.” She snickered.

I was even more confused, but I let her set the shampoo and conditioner on the bench, a fresh towel on the vanity and a hairbrush. I wondered how hard she would laugh if I told her Roman had brushed my teeth for me last night, but I decided to keep that to myself.

“I’ll get you some breakfast. I’m under strict instructions to make sure you eat.”

Then she was gone.

I sat under the spray, enjoying the heat. I used the expensive shampoo and conditioner, recognizing the name. It was one I could never afford.

I wrapped myself in the towel and began the process of detangling my hair. The conditioner had helped, but I was tired when I was done. I opened the door, and Vi sprang from the chair. “Feel better?”

“Yes.”

She walked beside me and indicated the clothes on the bed. “You change, and then we can eat.”

The loose pants and shirt were soft and in a pale blue. There were socks for my feet, which I wanted to put on, but the pain when I bent over was too much. I walked to the door, leading down a short hall and into what I assumed was Roman’s office. Vi sat on the sofa, her legs tucked under her. She indicated I should join her, and I sat down. She handed me a plate. “Eat that.”

“That” was a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs with toast. There was cheese on top of the eggs and a plate of bacon on the table. Vi was tucking into a large omelet, humming in satisfaction.

“Coffee?” I asked hopefully.

“Oh, sure.” She poured me a cup and added the cream and sugar I requested. She sat back, eating, not talking.

“Where is Roman?” I dared ask. “I want to thank him before I leave.”

She almost choked. “Honey, you ain’t going anywhere. I’m sitting with you until Roman the Warrior returns.” She shook her head, taking a sip of coffee. “I value my life, thank you very much, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make it difficult to keep it.”

“I’m sorry?” I asked.

“Don’t try to leave. If I have to call him and say I lost you…” She grimaced. “I’m not sure even Aldo could keep him from going berserk.”

I decided this woman was crazy. “Will he be back soon?”

“I suppose. He said he was making sure some bakery ran smoothly for a while. Putting men on it to watch it.”