Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Maddie

“Who the fuck is this?” Roman barks into his phone.

The hard tone of his voice stops me first. It’s a side of Roman I haven’t seen. Should I be scared?

I hear an indistinct male voice coming through the speaker piece of the iPhone. He turns around and comes back to the bed, holding out his phone as he presses a button. “Maddie, you need to hear this.”

“What is it?” I ask, a different fear fluttering in my chest. What does this call have to do with me?

“Is this Miss Reid?” The caller asks.

“Yes.”

“I’m from the LV Veterinary School and Clinic. We’ve been asked to take over the care of your animals.”

“Yes?”

“There is a Lucia Anderson here who is demanding confirmation that you wish us to remove the animals from the premises. She’s been blocking the removal for the last forty-five minutes.”

My mouth drops open. Lucia is there? It’s a Sunday and she is usually at the clinic Monday and Thursday afternoons to help me out unless there is an emergency. “Put her on the phone, please.”

Roman mutters something under his breath but it’s blocked by the grumbling of the tech. “Now I need to hand over my phone? What a train wreck.”

Finally, Lucia’s voice rushes through my ears. “Maddie?” she asks, sounding breathless.

“You didn’t have to grab my phone like that,” the man rumbles in the background.

I swear I hear Lucia make a face at him. “Hey,” I gush, so glad to hear her voice. Much as I didn’t want the moment with Roman disturbed, it’s way better I talk with her. It grounds me and makes this whole thing seem way more…normal. “It’s me.”

“It is you!” She sounds relieved a moment before she follows up with. “What the actual fuck?”

I smile despite myself. “It was the longest, weirdest night of my life.”

“Maddie?” And this time she sounds scared.

“I’m all right,” I answer. “And I can’t wait to tell you what’s happened. You said I needed a bit of excitement, and I’ll have to remind you of that again before I tell you everything, but right now, the vet school should take the birds and squirrels, I’m not going to be home for…” I cock my head in Roman’s direction.

“A little while,” he whispers close to my ear.

“A little while.”

“You never leave your house. What the hell?”

“Like I said. It’s a long story.”

“I tried to call you like twenty times,” Lucia demands, not letting it go. “Did your phone die or something?”

I twist around, reaching for the nightstand but my phone isn’t there. All I feel is the hard wood surface. “Oh. I don’t know…I thought I had it.”

“Maddie, I was about to call the police when you didn’t pick up. That’s when I came here and found these people removing your rescues. I’ve been freaking out.”

Roman’s hand covers mine, giving them a squeeze. I swallow. “Roman,” I start. “Can you give Lucia your number so she can call your phone direct if she needs to contact me? Just until I find my phone.”

“Who is Roman?” Lucia’s voice is growing louder with every sentence.

But before I can answer, the line clicks. Roman starts to set the phone down, but I shake my head. “Don’t bother. Lucia?—”

The phone rings.

Roman just hands it to me.

I take it, squinting to see the answer button. It’s light enough, if I really try.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” he mutters and then clicks the button himself.

But I cringe. Just when I was feeling like a normal girl…

“Hey…”

“Hey yourself,” Lucia bites back. She is the most wonderful person, and an amazing friend, but laidback is not her vibe. She’s an ass-kicker.

“Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad. Just confused. And scared. And…”

“Vigo turned out to be the second biggest asshole on the planet.” I’ve got to short-circuit this conversation.

“Who’s the biggest?” she asks, her voice getting much softer, and I know she knows she messed up pushing me to go out with him.

“His brother, Vincent. Who was on the date with us.”

“Shit.”

“I can’t even begin to tell you what a nightmare it was, but the long and short of it is Vigo is a criminal and a murderer.”

“Maddie! You’re not serious.”

“I couldn’t see, but I could hear and?—”

“Wait. You’re not saying you saw him murder someone?”

“I don’t know if Luke is dead or not, but I heard the pops.”

“I’m confused. Who is Luke? Where are you now? Who are you with?”

I sigh. “Yeah. Like I said, it’s a really long story. But Roman is the guy who rescued me from Vigo.”

She’s silent on the other end of the line for a second, two, three. “Lucia?”

“I mean…” I hear her draw in a deep breath, “you’re not with Roman Kincaid are you?”

I start, my entire body jolting with the reaction as my head snaps up.

“Maddie,” Roman whispers as I drop his phone, scurrying away. How could I be so stupid?

That is why he was outside my house, he lied to me.

He wants my property and now he’s got me all but trapped in his apartment. Wherever the hell that is…

I keep sliding back, doing some reverse crab crawl as I try to escape.

But I’m not used to the contours of the bed, and I’m not really judging my surroundings. Where I think there is going to be bed, there is air, and suddenly I’m falling.

I let out a scream, even as strong arms wrap around me, pulling me against a hard chest.

“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” Roman rumbles, holding my almost-naked body against his. My instinct is to throw my arms around him as I try to anchor myself. Which is so fucked up.

“Are you okay?” Lucia cries, her voice filling the room from where I dropped the phone on the bed.

“I’m fine,” I answer, my whole voice trembling. “Roman caught me.”

“Where are you? I’ll come get you,” Lucia sounds as panicked as I feel, and I unlace my fingers from around Roman’s neck to scramble for the phone again. I want to keep her on the line. If I lose Lucia now, I don’t know, I’m somehow worried I might never find my way back.

“Lucia,” Roman calls, not moving despite my frantic searching. “Last night Vincent Vendetti shot my cousin and tried to shoot me, all while Maddie was a witness.”

“Witness? She’s fucking blind.”

“It’s not safe for her to go back to her house, nor is it safe for her to be at yours if the Vendettis know who you are.”

“Shit,” I gasp out. “Is Lucia in danger?”

“I should have never made you go out with him,” Lucia cries. “I’m so sorry, Maddie.”

“Lucia,” Roman soothes. “I need to be clear. If you think your safety is at risk, I need you to call me. I can have you stay here. We have plenty of open apartments where you would be safe.”

Some part of me unwinds. Did Roman just offer to bring Lucia here? To have her live in this building? My body stills, relaxes. It’s exactly what I needed to hear.

“Vigo doesn’t even know my last name,” Lucia huffs.

“Good,” Roman reaches for my arm then, gently pulling me toward him until my chest is against his once again. Then he wraps an arm about me, keeping me in his arms. “Stay away from Maddie’s place. Call this number whenever you need to until we find her phone. Call me if you need me to come get you.”

“Okay,” Lucia sounds as confused as I feel.

“I promise I’ll keep Maddie safe.”

“Okay,” Lucia says again, but she doesn’t sound certain. Which is weird because Lucia is always certain.

Roman hangs up the phone before I’ve even said goodbye, his arm still around me.

“You’re Roman Kincaid?” I thump his chest lightly with my hand. I’ve never been more unsure in my life. Is Roman what he seems to be or have I run from one beast straight into the arms of another?