The Perfect Stroke (Lucas Brothers #1)(127)

“Will do. Where you headed?”

“Anywhere my dick takes me, brother. Anywhere my dick takes me.”

I shake my head and let him go. I’d like to think he’s a miserable f*ck, but the truth is, I’m being led by my dick too, and at least Marcum’s will have a warm place to spend the night. Thoughts of Ana in our room covering her body from me with tears running down her face flash through my head.

Fuck.





I pull myself out of bed. I think I’m still in shock and I didn’t sleep at all last night. Mostly, I lay in bed reliving the confrontation with Roman. I thought I was prepared. I mean the DEA doesn’t send you undercover for nothing. I knew all along there was a chance that Roman did in fact have Allen, but after meeting him and the way we became with each other, it just didn’t seem to fit. How can someone be so good to you, be sweet and loving, and all the while be holding your brother to use against you—or worse, holding him to kill him? What does it say about me that I slept with this man?

God, what does it say about me that I miss him even now?

My emotions are all over the place and I can’t seem to get them in order. My mind keeps going back to the hostility between Paul and Roman. There’s more there than I know, much more than Paul will ever tell me. The man he makes Roman out to be, the man in the file the DEA has is not the man I’ve come to love—sorry, to care about.

Roman has always treated me like I mattered. Then again, how well do I know him? I jumped in head first, led by a quest to learn more about my brother—and by hormones. Definitely by hormones. I need to see Allen. If I can see him, then maybe things will seem clearer.

It takes me a few minutes to get dressed, brush my teeth, and look like I haven’t lain awake all night crying. I’m not sure I fully succeed. By the time I’ve finished, Roman still hasn’t shown. For all I know, he could still be gone. The thought of him spending the night somewhere else hurts me. Not because I think he went to another woman, it’s just… I want him with me. Even now. God, I am messed up.

I walk through to the main room. Roman is sitting on the sofa, his clothes wrinkled, his hair a mess, and there’s an afghan thrown over the sofa as if he slept there. It’s stupid, but thinking that he has, somehow makes me feel better.

He looks up at me when I stop by the sofa. There’s a look in his dark eyes… a heated look, and I fight against its pull.

“Have you decided, Ana?”

“I want to see Allen.”

“I can arrange that, after I have your word that you’ll stay.”

“This is crazy. Do you realize you’re blackmailing me into—”

“Call it what you want. Your word. I want your word.”

“Fine. I’ll stay,” I tell him, my stomach churning. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I do know I have to stay either way… for now.

“I’ll have my lawyer draw up the contract.”

“Contract?” I ask, confused.

“You don’t think I’m going to take you at your word, do you, Ana?”

“Roman, I don’t have a law degree, but I’m pretty sure contracts built on blackmail are useless.”

“You’d be surprised what money can do.”

“Money and the right crook for an attorney,” I tell him, unable to believe he’s serious about any of this.

“Whatever, it won’t be an issue, because you will stay.”

“Roman, I think maybe…”

I stop when he gets up and comes to stand in front of me. His hand goes to my neck and he pulls my face up to him.

“You gave yourself to me, Ana. I told you I claimed you. Maybe you don’t understand exactly what that means, but you should.” His fingers trail down my neck, pulling my shirt loose and smiling. I know he sees the dark bruise that he left there when he bit me last night. Just remembering it makes a shudder of need vibrate through me. I know Roman doesn’t miss it when his lips graze my ear. “You can fight it, pet, but your body knows who it belongs to. It craves me even now.”

I fight against the lure of him. It would be so easy to give in, to lose myself in him. I can’t. I need to keep my head straight. I should have been doing that a long time ago. I try to pull away, but Roman tightens his hold on me. “Roman, I want…”

“I bet if I touched you right now your * would be soaked for me.”

“Roman…”

“Am I right, Ana?”

He is. I can’t tell him that. I refuse to tell him that.

“I want to see Allen now,” I tell him, my voice monotone, and it takes everything I have to hold my body rigid and sound like I’m unaffected. I know he can tell it’s a lie, but it makes me feel marginally better. His eyes lock with mine and I see disappointment on his face as clear as day for just a split second and then it’s gone.

“Fine. Grab your coat. It’s chilly outside.”

I take a breath and step away from him. I wasn’t sure he would give in this easily. Now, if I can just make Allen listen to me without blowing my cover.





I follow Roman down the stairs to where he’s holding Allen. Each step I take, the nerves of the unknown increases. Roman and I haven’t said a word to each other since we left the apartment. I’m not sure why he’s not talking, but I have nothing to say. I’m feeling so lost. In such a short time, Roman has become this rock on which I lean. I’ve never had that in my life, not really, and Roman filled a void I didn’t know I had.