by Edwina Fort
“Will this table be okay?” He asked Rome, tripping over himself to please him.
Rome chuckled. “Yes, this will do just fine.”
“Your waitress will be with you shortly. Can I get you and the senhora another drink?”
Rome looked at his glass that was about a quarter of the way empty. “Sure, I’ll have another…” He turned to look at me. “Would you care for anything?”
I shook my head. “No, thank you.”
The server bowed to Rome before he hurried away.
“Nossa! You’re his favorite person.” I said as I eased down in the chair he held out for me.
He chuckled as he took his seat. “It’s because I’m a good tipper.”
Hmmmm… I bet he is.
“So tell me what’s going on?”
He lifted his menu. “Let’s order food first, I’m starving.”
A beautiful young girl came over to take our order. She had to be no more than nineteen years old. Her eyes drank Rome up. In Brazil, the first thing a young girl learns how to do is spot money. She took in his watch, the diamond stud in his ear, his suit, his shoes…And to top it all off, he was drop-dead gorgeous.
She licked her lips… “How can I help you, senhor?” She purred.
I wonder if I’d get kicked out and banned if I punched her in the nose?
Without looking up from his menu, Rome held out his hand gesturing towards me… “What are you having, Minha Anjo?”
When the young twat heard what he’d called me, her insulted gaze came to me. I saw that Rome still looked at his menu and I just couldn’t help myself, holding up my menu in front of me so that he couldn’t see me, I turned to her and stuck my tongue out at her.
Take that, gold-digger.
She opened her mouth insulted and I pretended not to even notice.
“Ummm, I'll have the tuna steak salad," I said pleasantly before closing my menu and handing it to her.
“And I’ll have the double chef burger, well-done with fries.” He closed his menu and handed it to her.
However, I didn’t notice any of that. I was still stuck on the fact that Rome had just ordered a double burger.
“What the hell has happened to you? Did aliens take over your body?”
He chuckled as he took the drink from the little server that aimed to please him. The little guy had even been nice enough to bring me a water.
“Naw, nothing like that. My woman left me and I lost the will to live.”
Nossa!
He said that with a straight face. I blinked at him, waiting for him to say this is a joke. When he didn’t and continued to look at me across the table with that intense honey gaze, I grinned.
“This is a joke, right?”
He shook his head. “Nothing funny about this, baby. I’ve been dying without you. What’s the use of eating healthy when I have nothing to live for?”
“You have everything to live for. You do great work in your community. They need you?”
He exhaled. “Yeah well, I won’t be doing much of anything since I’m dead.”
“What are you talking about?”
He took out his phone and scrolled through it a bit before passing it to me. It was a news article speaking about the tragic death of the Warrens, their son, his future wife, their child that they shared…and his wife’s two brothers and mother.”
I looked up confused. “What did I miss?”
And then he began to tell me. Nossa! The sh*t had hit the fan when I left. He told me about the stuff he had found out about the Sarge, including the fact that Jo wasn’t the only child like we all thought, but one of five siblings. And not only that…a triplet to boot.
The split personality that we all thought was just an undiagnosed mental condition had been done to Jo on purpose. Rome said some crazy doctor had done it to him in some kind of facility when he was a kid.
It was at that point in his story that the waitress had brought our food. Still not believing he was eating meat, I sat with my mouth open as he lifted the burger and took a massive bite.
Oh, Dear God! I broke him!
Pushing my salad to the side I began to eat his fries. I didn’t want any of his burger because believe it or not, I haven’t eaten any junk food since I left his place. Eating healthy had made me feel close to him.
“What are you doing? Why aren’t you eating your food?” He asked with a grin on his face.
“I’m not eating that, she probably poisoned it.” I didn’t bother telling him I’d antagonized the waitress. Damn impulse control…I didn’t think till after she’d left from taking our order that I should have waited until after she brought my food to show my a**.
“Do you want me to order you something else?”
I shook my head. “I’m not really that hungry. Anyway, go on…you were saying?”
And he continued to tell me what all had happened. Journey had been shot while she was carrying Ayana, and the Oldman kicked into gear and saved her and the baby.
I shook my head. The Oldman was deadly…many people didn’t know that about him, because he came across as your typical lovable pop-pop…but he wasn’t, he was a damn weapon, plain and simple.
When Rome found out Journey had been shot, he went to D.C. and he and the Politician linked up to take down Jo’s fake parents and the company that was financing them.
“We had thought that was the end of our problems, little did we know that it was just the beginning. Jo’s oldest brother…Judah found us.” He paused for a minute shaking his head.
“Baby, I ain’t never seen nothing like this dude. You know how Jo and his other siblings can mingle with regular humans?”
I nodded. However, I’d never met Jo’s other siblings so I had no idea if they could mingle with regular human, as Rome said. But the Politician mingled just fine with people. So if they were anything like him, then yeah, I can see that.
“Yeah, well this dude can’t. I don’t know what they did to him, but he ain’t right.” He drained his drink and the little waiter that seemed to be at his beck and call had it replaced before he could even set the empty glass down.
“Anyway, he basically admonishes us for waking up a sleeping dragon that wasn’t going to stop till us and everybody that knows about it is dead. Get this…While he’s telling me this, I find out that my f***ing loft got bombed. It’s gone…everything! My f***ing computer…everything!”
I reached across the table and took his hand that was balled in a fist. I know the loss of his computer hurt him. If ever there was a man who loved his tech, Rome is he.
He continued, telling me that nobody got hurt in the bombing, but that in order to keep him and his family safe, they all had to die, but he'd left shortly after that to come to find me and had no clue what was going on now, because he'd not talked to anyone in a while.
“What’s going to happen to everything you’ve set up in Chicago? How will it run without you?”
He exhaled. “Before I flew here, I spent a few days hiding at Hitta’s place while I made arrangements. He was the only one I could trust with the knowledge that I was still alive. Everybody else in my crew thinks I’m dead.”
He squeezed my hand…this was tough for him. I wanted to get up and hug him…I had to force myself to remain sitting.
“With Hitta’s help, I drew up a living will of sorts, giving everybody instructions on how to keep it running as smoothly as possible. Thanks to you…I don’t have Saw Buck to worry about.”
I blushed as I took a sip of water. I should have known he would have figured out it was me.
"The good thing is because I'd always figured I was going to end up dying early, I’d put people in place who were capable of carrying on what we started.” He shrugged shaking his head. “I just pray they can keep it going.”
“They will…I told you, you lit a fuse that can’t be put out. The only being with the strength to put it out is God, and I doubt
he's going to do that because he's the one who caused you to light it in the first place.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”
“I—” The words I missed you too almost slipped from my lips. I cleared my throat.
“Wow!” I told him instead. “Things have gone a bit haywire, huh?”
He didn’t respond at first. The muscle ticked in his jaw as he held me prisoner in that gaze of his.
“Yeah, I guess it has.” He finally muttered.
“So, what are you going to do now?” By this time, I was beginning to panic. I didn’t know what to do. We’d reached that point in the conversation where he tells me he’s come back for me…and I’m just not ready to hear that.
Honestly, I don't know what I want to hear. In a way, I'm thrilled he found me…But at the same time, I promised myself that I will never fall for this again. When I left Chicago, I’d been lost to who I am and who I’ve come to be.
And it took me a while to get back focused. However, I had not expected to come back here and actually develop a relationship with my mom. Even though it was a fake one since she only liked me because she’d forgotten who I was…Still, for a kid that grew up starved for her mother’s affection, it was enough to draw me back in. Her death had hurt…and no matter how much I call myself a fool for caring, I cared.
And now Romeo was back…broken. And just like my mom, he was drawing me back in. I stood from the table, placing my napkin on my salad that still sat untouched. Not because I didn’t like it, but because it probably had a wad of teenager spit on top.
“I’m sorry you had to go through all this. You do so much for so many people, you’re the last person in the world that deserves this.” I put my hand on his big shoulder. “I wish you the best of luck…thanks for lunch.” And then I turned and walked away.
I could feel his honey gaze boring into my back as I headed for the door. When I got out of his view I ran for my truck. I needed to get home and I didn’t want him following me.
Yeah, I’m sure he’s going to find me, but I needed time to think about all the information he’d just given me. My emotions were not in the right place to make any decisions.
I laughed at my own bullsh*t. My emotions had never stood in the way of me making decisions before…that was a bunch of bull…
I ran because I was afraid, plain and simple.
I was afraid of what it meant now that Rome had found me. Before, I had worried that I was not going to be good for him with all the things he had going on, but now he had nothing…and he was here.
Jo and the Oldman were on the run as well; his parents weren’t his parents and they were dead. Rome’s loft had been bombed.
Nossa! He was right, everything is a mess.
As soon as I walked through the door, Giant ran up barking out his complaints. Poor fella had been at the mercy of Antonio and Pedro, the two guys that were helping me get my stable in order.
And I’m sure they didn’t cater to him as I did. When I came home from jail, I had to rush right back out to make arrangements for my mom, giving him very little attention. And now he was letting me have it.
“Oh hush, Giant! I was the one who spent three nights in jail with a pervert…”
Hmmm…speaking of which, I still owed him a little visit. I was going to do the world a favor and exterminate his a**…I’m sure there will be plenty of women who’d fallen victim to his predatory ways that will thank me if they could.
I’d just changed out of the dress I wore into a tank top and cargo pants when I heard the vehicle come to a stop in front of my house.
I grinned down at Giant. “Daddy’s home…” I whispered to him before I opened the door and walked out to the porch.
Okay…so you guys already knew I wasn’t going to be able to resist him. I didn’t have any place else to run. My mom had died, leaving me here all alone. And it’s Rome…come on.
He hurt me, so I’m not going to make this easy for him. But in the same instance, I didn’t want to die alone like my mom. And the fact that he’d tracked me down and found me meant that he cared for me, right?
I mean…My dad would have never done that for my mom. Hell, he probably wouldn’t have even called.
I exhaled as I watched his beautiful form dressed in cream linen unfold from that truck. Maybe I was being a fool…But standing there over my mom’s grave had shifted something in me. I didn't want to run from love anymore.
I thought of the words the Preacher had said. He’d said the young prince would find me, and for me to give love another try…
I smiled to myself…Yes, I was going to give it another try, but I wasn’t going to let Rome know that. There had to be some kind of repercussions for him hurting my feelings. I wanted to see what he was willing to do for love.
I put my hand on my hip as he approached my porch. “How can I help you? I lost my mother today and I’m not in the mood for company.”
He took off his hat and held it in his hands. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I wish I could have been here for you.”
“I appreciate your condolences…how can I help you?” I repeated.
Not going to make this easy at all…
“Well, seeing that I am homeless and all. I was hoping you’ll give me a job.”
I held up an eyebrow. “A job? It doesn’t look like you need a job. Plus, I doubt if a pretty boy like you can handle the workload around here. You don’t look like the type that gets your hands dirty.”
He was trying to hold back a grin. “Oh, I assure you, I can get the job done.”
“Well, I’m not hiring.”
He inhaled, that perfect mouth of his formed into a grin. “Do I look like the type that’s going to beg you?”
I opened my mouth insulted before I turned to head back in the house…but he moved then grabbing me and whipping me around so that I faced him, and then holding me hypnotized with his golden gaze, very slowly went down to his knees on my dirty porch in front of me.
Nossa!
“Please baby, don’t put me out. You are my home. I don’t know where else to go. If you say that I can’t stay here, then I will sleep outside your gate…if you say that I have to move away from your gate then I will sleep out on the road. I can’t make it without you, Minha Anjo …Please, just…let me stay with you.”
Mmm mmm mmm… Y’all don't even know what it's like to have a powerful man like this humble himself in front of me this way. I wanted to jump him and make love to him right here on my front porch. Instead, I folded my arms…
“Fine…You can sleep in the barn. Work starts at five a.m.”
Then I turned and escaped behind my door before I did something silly, like give in to him too soon.
That night I tossed and turned in the bed as my body purred for him. He was too close, just a few yards away. I squeezed my thighs together as I thought about the last time he and I made love.
I don’t know how many of you have even made love with a genius thug, but his mind doesn’t work like regular folks, so I’m more than sure some of the things he’d done to my body was extraordinary.
By the time Giant and I made our way to the barn the next morning, I was cranky because I’d gotten zero sleep…and plus I was hot and bothered. I had a young man with a nice strong back sleeping in my barn, and my pride had kept me away.
Yeah…I don’t need you guys to tell me I’m a fool…I already know.
Antonio and Pedro were cutting wood for the pen we were building on the side of the barn, their power tools were loud and annoying. I walked farther into the barn to find Romeo in one of the stalls sitting on a bundle of hay looking scrumptious in a pair of designer jeans, designer gym shoes, and no shirt busy typing away on his laptop.
I cleared my throat. “Is this your idea of hard work?”
He looked up at me with a smile on his handsome face. “Actually, it i
s.”
“Yeah, but that’s not what I hired you for.” I gestured toward Antonio and Pedro. “That’s how we work.”
Rome looked over at the workers… “Oh…yeah.” He closed his laptop and put on the t-shirt that was sitting on the hay next to him. The fact that his clothes were clean and pressed was amazing.
“Pedro…can you please show Rome here what real work looks like? I have to run into town for a few.”
With a grin on his face, Pedro nodded. “Sure thing, senhorita.”
“I’ll have you know I can do real work in my sleep. Sh*t, it ain’t rocket science.” Rome said chuckling at his own joke.
I held up an eyebrow. Goodness, I’ve missed my thug. “We’ll see…come on, Giant.”
I went to walk away, but his arm shot out wrapping around my waist pulling me up against his hot body. I inhaled sharply at the sudden contact.
“Damn girl, give me a f***ing hug and stop tripping.” He growled before he wrapped both arms around me nearly lifting me off my feet.
I couldn’t deny his request if I tried. My arms as if they had a will of their own wrapped around his neck tightly as I buried my face in his thick beard. For just a moment he blocked out the whole world and encompassed me in a safe cocoon, where nothing can get to me and harm me.
I was in no rush to leave his arms and he was in no rush to release me.
“I missed you so much, shawty.” He whispered in my ear before I felt his soft lips on my neck. The spasm that shot through my core right then stole my breath.
His kiss moved to my jaw…but before it could make its way to my lips I broke away, stepping out of his arms. If he kissed my lips it was over.
My face heated when I saw Antonio and Pedro looking at me with little smirks on their faces before turning away as if they were suddenly busy measuring wood.
My gaze went back to Rome's hungry one. "When I get back, I expect to see you hard at work," I told him trying to drive a bit of a wedge between us by reminding him that he was my employee.
A knowing grin came to his face. “You don’t have to worry, Minha Anjo, I’m going to get the job done…that’s a promise.”
But it felt like a threat… I scooped Giant up in my arms and hurried to my car. I didn't know how long I was going to be able to hold out. My goal was not to give in too easily, to make him sweat…but it didn’t look like I was going to make it. He’d almost got me with just a hug.