The Perfect Stroke (Lucas Brothers #1)(130)

“Allen despises me most of all for that. But I couldn’t just turn her out on the street, Roman. I hate her for what she’s done. But she can’t even go to the bathroom by herself. I can’t just turn my back…”

She can and she should, but that’s a fight for another time and if I have to pay room and board for that bitch the rest of her life, I will, but my woman will never see the woman again. I won’t allow her poison anywhere near Ana.

“I know it may not feel like it, Ana. But it will be okay. I’ll make it okay.”

“Some things even the great Roman Anthes can’t accomplish,” she half laughs, half cries.

“Watch and see, pet. For you, I can do anything,” I tell her truthfully, making a mental note to call Marcum again. There’s going to be a slight change in plans.

“Are we not fighting anymore?” Ana asks.

The question makes me go tense for a second. “Are you still mad at me?”

“No. You’ve been trying to get Allen clean. Haven’t you, Roman?”

“I would have killed him, Ana. You saved his life, but I can’t lie to you. People don’t cross me without me making an example of them. That’s who I am.”

“Can we forget about who you are outside of the time you’re with me and the same with me? Can we just be Roman and Ana when we’re together?”

“Ana, I’m keeping you. That means the outside stuff will always be there. We can’t bury our heads in the sand and expect—”

“I don’t mean forever, Roman. I mean just a few days. Please? Give me a few days to just have you.” Just have you… I love those words, and for once, Ana and I are in complete agreement.

“Then let’s go back to my house. I have some engagements coming up. We’ll spend our time there and enjoy the beach.”

“Your maid hates me, Roman.”

“She’s paid help, Ana. I’ll make sure she knows you are in charge, if she plans to keep working for me.”

“Whatever you want,” she whispers, her voice sounding very tired.

I relax back into the seat, Ana still in my lap. It’s not but just a few minutes later her breathing evens out and I know she’s sleeping. I gently maneuver to get my phone out while not waking her up—not an easy task. I punch the number in.

“Yeah?”

“Change of plans. I want the package delivered to me.”

“That’s a lot of bread. I’m not in the curbside delivery business.”

“Money…”

“Is not an object. I get it. Did I mention the fact that you’re a needy f*cker?”

“Later,” I tell him, not commenting.

“Later,” he agrees and hangs up. With that done, I hit the intercom to tell Robert to just drive me straight to my house. I have a new wardrobe there for Ana, and anything I need will be there too. I suddenly don’t want to wait one more minute to get her out of this damn car.





“Roman?” I moan, waking up. When he doesn’t answer, I look around the bed to find I’m alone. I glance at the clock and notice it’s a little after midnight. Stretching, I get up, wanting to immediately find him.

We’ve been back at his house for two days, two days that have truly been the best in my life, two days that I truly needed. Seeing Allen almost killed me. Since being undercover, I’ve been pulled into a million different directions. I feel like I’ve lost myself. And maybe going back to Roman’s house and hiding out is running away, but I don’t care. I know things will come to a head with Paul and his crew—and probably very soon. Hell, my brother will be the one to tell Roman before Paul even gets a chance. So, I’m going to take what time I have with Roman and enjoy it. Maybe I can make him so happy that when the truth comes out, he’ll not care. He’ll know I was… Jesus, what was I? In love with him, while setting him up to go to jail?

I love Roman. That revelation makes my heart physically hurt and drum erratically in my chest. I love Roman. I push the thought back before I give myself a mini heart attack. My hand goes to my stomach, resting there. I have so many secrets. So many. I just don’t know how to get out from under them.

I wrap the sheet around my naked body, taking a breath. I pad quietly down the hall, searching out Roman, but careful not to make too much noise. If there’s one dark spot on my time spent here, it would be Mayra, Roman’s maid. He made it clear to her that I am, in fact, her boss now. You would think that would change her attitude towards me. It has, but only in front of Roman. When it’s just me and her, there are waves of hate coming off of her. If I weren’t keeping a million secrets, all of which will blow up in my face soon, I’d call her on it. As it is, right now, I don’t feel I have the right.

“Roman?” I whisper again, this time at his office. I turn the knob and see him sitting there at his desk talking on his phone. His hair is rumpled and he’s wearing slacks and nothing else—and he looks sexy as hell. Roman has a tattoo on his chest. It’s the only mark he has. It says: “Strength and loyalty”. It’s beautiful and I want to lick it every time I see it, even if lately the word “loyalty” makes me feel horrible. Roman deserves my loyalty. He’s never done one thing to hurt me. He’s not the man I read about. That’s the thing. When I took this case, he was words in a file, a means to an end, a criminal. Roman is not that person to me now. Whatever happens, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I can’t continue this line of work because, if anything, it has taught me that sometimes the bad guys aren’t all that bad, and the good guys can be rotten to the core.