“From what I can tell, all three are still content with her excuse of taking a leave of absence to travel and take some time off from the stress of her job. I…Sir, I know what Andrew, Dolores, and I all discussed the night you returned from France. And yes, allowing her brothers to attend the wedding and become apart of her new life is the most effective way to keep Mac content and eager to stay in line. However, after going through seemingly every possible scenario, I have not been able to concoct a valid excuse believable enough to keep her over protective brothers from becoming suspicious. As of right now, I have to urge you to think about your course of action before making this decision. Her brother’s acceptance of the relationship between the two of you is going to require her to lie a very big lie and execute that lie very fucking well, so you need to get your girl and sit her down—“
“Sebastian. I do not recall asking you how to handle my fiancée. You step over that line ONE more time, and I’ll cut your tongue from your mouth then wrench your jaw from your face. Is that clear?”
“Understood, Sir. I just wanted to tell you the information you pay me to obtain.”
“Right, well I can do without your comments and opinions. I’ll handle Ms. Mackenzie, THAT is my job.” I slide my thumb across the screen ending the call before pulling up the emails and look over the different OBGYN specialist.
Once I choose the most experienced OBGYN and reply to Sebastian’s email, I turn the laptop off, I lean back in my chair, staring at the ceiling as my mind races with the different possible scenarios to explain not only my presence in Heather’s life but me being the father of her child.
Chapter 23
I wake the next day so groggy all I want to do is roll over and never wake up. When I crack my eye I see Roman perched on his chair next to my bed. “Good morning. I think I may have let you over do it yesterday, you’ve been asleep almost sixteen hours.”
“I guess even if I beg, you won’t let me have four more, huh?”
He chuckles and I can’t help but smile. “I would, but I need you to get up, shower and dress. A maxillofacial surgeon from Portland has flown up to assess your injuries and later, you and I also have some very important…issues to discuss.” He stands from his seat before making his way to the bedroom door and turning around. His smile remains in place, “Dr. Tessler and I will meet you on the first floor in the main sitting area. Don’t take too long or I will come up here and bath and dress you myself. Understood, mouse?”
I huff, “Yes, Roman. Understood.” Yanking back the covers, I pull myself from the bed and make my way into the bathroom.
Once I’ve showered and blown my hair dry, I dress in a strapless maxi dress and flip-flop wedges. I forgo any makeup and head downstairs.
When I’m close to the open doors I hear a heated debate ensuing on the other side of the threshold and decide to ignore it. After I make my way into the sitting room I take a seat next to Roman before slightly smiling at who I assume is Dr. Tessler.
“Roman, if you expect me to believe the mess of her face is a product of an interrupted burglary, you are mistaken. French or not, a man doesn’t beat the hell out of a woman’s face for interrupting a burglary. They shoot point blank. Period.”
“Dr. Tessler—“
Fierce protectiveness consumes me to the point of trembling. “Excuse me. Don’t speak as if I’m not in the room, Mr.?”
Once he finishes his staring contest with Roman he looks over to me, his face immediately transforms into a smile. “Mr. or Dr. Tessler, James Tessler, Ms. Mackenzie. It’s a pleasu—“
My hand flies into the air. “Mr. Tessler, I am obviously grown enough to speak for myself. And as for my fiancé, if you are implying he did this to my face, you will apologize this instant, not only to him, but me as well. Your ridiculous accusation places me in a category I am less than pleased with. Do I look weak minded? Do I sound as though I would allow a man to do this to me and let him continue without serving justice, THEN sit beside him as a loving partner?” My sinister chuckle is met by shock on Tessler’s face, as well as sheer, unadulterated pride and awe on Roman’s.
“No…I-I just. It’s usually spousal abuse when the trauma is as extensive and localized to the face as yours is. I deeply apologize, to both you and Mr. Payne. It seems my bedside manner slipped due to my dislike for men who abuse women. Please, forgive me.”
“You’re forgiven. However keep in mind, I do not forget. Now,” I look up at Roman. “Darling, are we doing the assessment in here, or somewhere else?”
Roman looks over at Tessler before Tessler answers for him. “I have my medical bag. I’ll dress the chair in a plastic covering much like the ones I use in my office. I see no reason for us to move to another room, if that is alright with you and Mr. Payne.”
I nod before standing to walk to the closest chair. Tessler leaps into action as Roman leans back in his chair smirking.
After the chair is dressed, Tessler motions me to have a seat but before I can sit, Roman leaps from where he was sitting. “Wait, Heather, do you think it will make it easier for you if you take some pain medicine before Dr. Tessler begins?”
“Already done, darling. I took one after I showered.” I smile over at him and ease back into my seat.
Dr. Tessler’s fingertips gently assess the more tender spots across my face for several minutes. When he gets to the sutures that run down the left side of my face he clears his throat before speaking, “Well, the stitches can definitely come out. They did a superb job using a type of suture and needle used during facial reconstruction as well as cosmetic surgery, so after the swelling goes down and the initial redness from the fresh injury fades, it will be difficult to tell the skin was ever injured, much less separated.” He smiles down at me before turning to his bag. When he turns around he’s drawing up something into a syringe. “I’m going to numb some of the more sensitive areas before I begin removing the stitches. You may feel the actual thread of the suture sliding out, possibly a small amount of pulling or tugging, but no actual pain. Are you ready?”
I nod and close my eyes before mentally slipping into my calm place.
I’m uncertain how much time passes before Tessler’s words pull me back to the present. “All finished. You did very well, Ms. Mackenzie. Very well. Now, if you will, try and blink your right eye, not open it, just blink it slightly and let me know how it feels.”
It takes me thirty seconds to build my courage up to even attempt it. When I do, my eyelashes flutter open and closed so effortlessly it makes me smile before turning my head to where Roman sits. Keeping both eyes open I smile at him and see a look of astonishment on his face before I whisper, “Hey, you.”
He’s instantly at my side, his eyes going back and forth between both of mine before he smiles and whispers, “Hey, my beautiful baby.”
I couldn’t hold back my tears if I tried. Roman closes his eyes and leans his head against mine sighing. I can physically feel the relief as it replaces the tension that has consumed him from the first night in France when I stepped from the bloody bathtub.
He kisses both of my eyes then settles his lips next to my ear…and then he takes everything I am, everything I’ve been, and everything I will ever become, and turns it all, turns all of me, into his and his alone. “I love you, Heather Joslyn Mackenzie. I fucking love you.”
Before I can gather my wits much less my voice, damned Tessler interrupts us after clearing his throat. “I’ll leave some cream that will help speed the final stages of the healing process along. Apply it four times daily until all the cream is gone. I would like to follow up in about two weeks. You or Mr. Payne call with a convenient time when you can.”
Roman stands before turning and extending his hand to shake Tessler’s at the same time Andrew walks into the sitting room and stands at the door.
Once Tessler has his things placed in his bag he smiles over at Roman and I before turning and following Andrew from the sitting room. Andrew closes both doors behind them
, leaving Roman and I alone.
I stand to head towards the bar but Roman is already there mixing cherry juice into a glass of Sprite, he drops a few ice cubes into the glass before handing it to me. “Have a seat, mouse.”
I do as I’m told and slowly sip the drink he made me before looking up at him.
“It’s the middle of June, after a lot of thought as well as speaking to Dr. Tessler, I think the wedding date can easily be set for July 30th. With that being said, I’ve informed Andrew to begin scheduling the wedding coordinators to arrive in two weeks. You should have most of your strength back by then, especially if we continue our daily walks and swim on the days the weather permits. However, you and I have something else, extremely more important to discuss and it will require you to keep a level head. I, myself, think you’re more than ready for this conversation. Especially after the way you not only wielded that wickedly, deviant tongue of yours, but also how well you used it and your five foot three petite stature to put Dr. Tessler in his well deserved place without blinking an eye or fidgeting a single muscle.”
His entire face lights up with pride and his eyes sparkle in delight while a smile straight from the devil slides onto his face. “I believe I owe it to you, my love, to ask…do you also think you’re ready?”
I look at him for a moment, allowing my eyes to scan over his face, trying to find any clues as to what the hell kind of curve ball he’s about to throw at me.
When I’m unable to find one, I release an exaggerated sigh. “Jesus, Roman, what is it? If you think you’re going to talk me into having an abortion to make this wedding more… acceptable? Then I am about to let you down.” My hands slide over my barely existent, but very real baby bump before I look up into his eyes just as tears spill over and stream down my face. I weakly finish in a whisper, “She’s mine, even if you don’t want her, even if keeping her means walking away from you, Roman. She. Is. Mine. My first. My last. My only priority.”
His eyes narrow on mine for what feels like forever before he finally speaks. “Your brothers lives were left untouched because of the daughter of mine you carry and continue to protect so fiercely. It is your love for her, the love that has transformed you into this astounding and ferocious woman, responsible for my outlook on life to change. Every single time I witness this beautiful miracle occur, the more I realize not only are you ready, but you will succeed in fooling them all, even me…”
His first words feel like cool aloe over a blistered sunburn. His last two…those stung like a slap against my split and already swollen cheek. “After our initial truth session, I haven’t once tried to fool you, Roman. It hurts me to think you believe differently.”
His hands sink into his hair and fist as he leans his elbows onto his knees. “Doesn’t matter either way, mouse. The bottom line is, we need a story. A very good, believable story. We need to come up with an explanation—How did you go from being a detective investigating my association with the disappearance of eleven women and the suicide of another to becoming pregnant with my child, and six weeks from marrying me—“
I cut him off, confused as hell. “Why? It’s like it always has been, Roman. What ever is, is because you say so. Why now does it all of a sudden matter?”
BAM! You know those moments in life, the ones when you’re standing face to face with an answer, so close in fact, that you can’t even see it? And when you do see it, when it finally becomes so clear, you could slap the fuck out of yourself for not seeing it? As Roman’s words flit back through my mind absolutely everything clicks into place. “Your brothers lives were left untouched because of the daughter of mine you carry and continue to protect so fiercely…” My eyes widen and both hands fly to my mouth as I gasp.
Roman smirks while nodding, then acknowledges I’ve realized exactly where the curve ball was coming from. “Ahh… Now, we’re on the same page. Good girl.”
The water works are back in full force, as tears stream down my face and I try in vain to speak. “My brothers? M-my br-br-brothers?”
“Yes, baby. Your brothers. I think it is imperative your brothers as well as my parents are involved in the making of this… little family we seem to be creating. I’ve already spoken to my parents and explained, lied, whatever you want to call it, and they completely understand what ‘happened’ and why they weren’t able to meet you in France. Now, it’s your turn, mouse. We need a story, a story your brothers will not question, and I am coming up short. So I need your help, you know your brothers, I don’t. This is something only you can do successfully. If you can give me a story I am certain they will believe, then I will allow my family and your family to bear witness to the binding of our family.” His blue eyes pierce mine. “Mouse, tell me. Are. You. Ready?”
I nod before he can even get out the first word of his repeated question. “I-I’m ready. I’m ready.”
Sadness flashes across his face before he coolly masks it with the fakest of smiles. “Then the floor is all yours.” He picks up a fountain pen and a pad from the table beside the chair he’s sitting in before looking up at me and patiently waiting.
After I mentally pull my courage and strength up around me, my perseverance clicks into place like well oiled armor and my lungs completely empty before I slowly breath in, look up, and lock my eyes on Roman's.
Fuck. Well, here goes…
“The case my father was working on when he died, the same case I threw myself into at the first chance to take you down…the case against you and your twelve was nothing more than a decoy. You were the victim. Your father’s status as both a respected general as well as your family’s elite social standing made you the perfect target, especially when anyone with half a brain connected that with your father’s less than stellar ‘business associates’ and any extracurricular activities he was involved in beginning in the late sixties and continuing into the late nineties. When I realized this, I was done. Whatever I was trying to fix by putting you behind bars because of the grief over my father’s death was never there to be fixed. Plus with Jay taking me off the case and suspending me from the department, there was no reason to continue the path I was on. So, I walked away. From everything.”
My eyes keep assessing his face for any evidence of my words being effective or worthless but all he allows is blank boredom.
“However, before I realized this, you and I had spent enough time over the two years playing our game of ‘Cat & Mouse’, creating a thin, fake yet polite ‘friendship’. Our ‘friendship’ grew over our phone conversations and brief lunch or dinner dates which occurred sporadically when you and I found ourselves in the same countries at the same time. Over several months our ‘friendship’ turned intimate and we made more of an effort to not just fall into each others company, but go out of our way to secure our time together was as frequently as possible.”
He smiles wickedly at me after jotting down my words and speaks. “And all the while you were spinning your beautiful, intrinsic web, I was falling truly, madly, and deeply in love with you…”
Chapter 24
If you had a feather in this moment, and your name was Heather… you could easily knock me on my ass. Spellbound. Mystified. Captivated. Thrilled. The woman has bewitched not only me, but my mind, my heart, hell she’s even occupied my once desolate goddamned soul.
I know you read somewhere in my earlier ramblings that I wasn’t able to love, I was superior to falling victim of any minute human, much less allow them the power Heather just seized from me with nothing more than her beauty and her words.
Her brows furrow before she smirks and speaks, “Mr. Payne… were you not? Did you just profess your love?”
I want her head wrenched back with her long hair circling the knuckles of one fist while the other clutches her neck and my nails pierce her skin. Without thinking, I have her cornered, facing the wall. My hands exactly as I envisioned them seconds ago.
The hand entangled in her hair releases its hold, reaching down and ripping the flimsy dr
ess from her body. After my hand recaptures her blond tresses I wrap the silky strands around my fist twice and yank her head back growling in her ear, “The day you think I allow my love for you to EVER control me, is the day you make your last mistake.”
My nose slides from the crook of her neck to behind her ear before my teeth sink into the flesh, “Imperium Romanum, baby. I am an empire. And you… you will never be anything more than mine. My lover, my slave, my whore, my what the fuck ever I want.”
I slide my fingers from around her throat to between her legs and smile when I feel how wet she is. “And you’re going to love every second of it.” She involuntarily pushes her ass against my erection and moans earning a rare chuckle from me before I slip two fingers inside her and circle her swollen clit with my thumb. I feel her cunt convulse around my fingers as an orgasm tears through her body; my cock swells further, aching to sink deep inside her.
My unbuttoned slacks slide to the floor as I spin her, shoving her against the wall and hoisting her up with both forearms under each of her thighs. I spread her as wide as possible and rub myself against her wetness. She soaks my cock, coating it with her cum causing any and all reservations I may have harbored to fly out the window. I slam into her to the hilt, ripping a scream from her throat. “So tight. God you’re so fucking tight.”
Her head lolls back and the sight of her long arched neck ignites my addiction, causing me to seek out the hit I’ve been starved for. I lick and kiss a path from the top swells of her breasts until my mouth reaches the tendon between her neck and shoulder. I sink my teeth into the soft flesh of her neck and shoulder, marking her as I growl, “God, I love it. Your tight little pussy is squeezing my cock, mouse.”
My assaulting thrusts quicken as I shift my hands, positioning her and making it easier to raise her up before using all her weight to slam her back down, pounding her pussy down onto my cock. With her back chaffing against the wall her hands fist in my hair tighter and tighter as her cunt begins to convulse around my shaft.
Roman: Book 1 Page 12