Roman

by Roman (retail) (epub)

  A headache threatened, and she nonchalantly rubbed her temple. “Born here?”

  “Yes. They were found in the Virginia Mountains living off the land.”

  “What do they look like? How could they be born here? Where are their parents?”

  He smiled for the first time since the meeting started. “They look just like you and me—completely human. As for the rest of your questions, it’s up to you to get the answers. They haven’t been very forthcoming with any information.”

  She nodded. Fear, excitement, and outright confusion rolled through her, and her heart thrummed erratically. She needed time to sort through her own emotions and accept her new world before she could even think about getting to work.

  As if he read her mind, he stood. “I’m sure the last few minutes have given you a lot to think about. I’ll have one of the staff show you down to your quarters.”

  She rose from the chair. “I live here?”

  His brow furrowed. “Yes. Didn’t they explain that to you?”

  “No. Not really. I guess I assumed there’d be separate living quarters available.”

  “I think you’ll find the accommodations very comfortable. We want our staff to want for nothing so they can concentrate on their work. So, if you need something, please just let me or someone else know.”

  He opened the door, and a man in fatigues stood on the other side.

  “Corporal, please show Ms. Waterhouse to her quarters on the sixth floor.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The Major turned to her. “There’ll be instructions down there on how to reach me if you need me, as well as how to get your security clearance set up. You’ll start the interviews tomorrow. I’ll show you around that floor before you begin.”

  She nodded and followed the Corporal, somewhat numb and walking on rickety legs from the shock she’d just received.

  They rode the elevator down in silence, and the panels opened on the sixth floor. He led her down a short hallway with two doors on each side, none of them having a handle or knob. When they reached the farthest on the left, he stopped, placed his hand on the pad on the wall, and the door opened.

  “When you get your security measures in place, you’ll be the only one who can open it.”

  She nodded.

  “Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”

  She waited to shut the door until she heard the elevator close.

  The place looked nice—a lot nicer than the apartment she’d just left.

  Her suitcase sat on the queen-sized bed covered in a light green comforter. Hardwood floors gleamed beneath her feet. A small wooden desk with a computer sat in the corner, and she assumed the door on the far wall led to a restroom.

  She kicked off her shoes and walked over to it. At least, this door had a knob.

  Swinging it open, she found a white marble-tiled bathroom decorated with purple towels and a vase of purple and yellow flowers. The large tub caught her eye, and she opened the drawers, hoping to find some bubble bath. She grinned when she found a bottle of it with a lilac scent.

  As the water ran, she went back into the bedroom and found a thick binder. Thumbing through it, she realized it carried all the information she needed—how to set up her security account, where to eat, and more information about the facility itself.

  She took it into the bathroom, and after sinking into the hot water almost overflowing with bubbles, she opened it and began reading about her new home and new adventure.

  Chapter 13

  As Roman came to consciousness, the putrid smell of vomit was the first thing that registered. He grimaced and gagged at the odor, then he realized it felt as if his head and body had been attacked by a jackhammer. Or, maybe, he’d been in a horrible fight.

  Shit.

  Had he tied one on last night and couldn’t remember what he’d done? When he finally had enough energy to get up, he’d have to go see Macy or Cohen.

  His eyes flew open—he didn’t lie in his own soft, cozy bed, but on a hard surface. Then everything came back to him. He’d been with Olivia … and when he’d woken, she’d been gone. The ape had beaten the shit out of him. He looked down, relieved to see that he wore a pair of stained, grey sweatpants, and wondered where they’d come from. Scowling, he considered of the number of people who had probably worn them before, and quickly pushed the thought out of his mind. He certainly didn’t want to consider what the stains could possibly be.

  Sitting up, he wondered if he’d cracked a rib. Deep breaths had become painful. His face also ached, and he gingerly touched a large lump on his cheek. Damn, the ape had really rocked his world.

  Glancing around, he realized he was in a cell.

  Oh, no.

  As he stood, he saw another cell beside his—empty. In the corner of his own, he found the offending spattering of vomit right next to the metal toilet. Had the ape actually called the cops? Did he now sit in jail?

  He moved to the front of the cell and looked up and down the poorly lit, grungy, cement hallway. He didn’t see anyone, but he heard voices.

  The metal bars didn’t give way when he pushed on them, and panic surged through him. Yes, he definitely was in jail, but he didn’t understand what he’d done to get here. Only one of two things could be possible—someone had slipped a drug in his drink at the Black Cuff and he’d hallucinated his whole night with Olivia. Where he’d woken up, he didn’t know.

  Or, he had spent the night with Olivia and there had been a huge misunderstanding with the ape.

  The more he considered the situation, he didn’t know what to believe.

  The Saviors had given those of Rescue One the basics on what to do if they would ever find themselves in this very predicament, and the lesson came back with ease.

  First, he shouldn’t be a belligerent asshole.

  He could do that. Overall, he considered himself a nice guy.

  Second, he had a right to a phone call.

  Third, he was to call the main line of the silo that would ring into the War Room and also directly into all the Saviors’ cell phones. Someone would answer. The Saviors would take it from there and hire lawyers to get him out immediately.

  So, at some point, a law enforcement official would come down the hallway and he would politely ask to make a call. Then, the Saviors would bail his ass out. He’d deal with the fallout and teasing of that later.

  Sitting back down on the bench, he stretched his neck and tried to calm to gut-wrenching panic within him. Damn, he really needed a healing. The guy had definitely gotten the jump on him, which was another indication he’d been drugged or up all night having one sexually blissful encounter after the other.

  But if he had been with Olivia, why hadn’t she said goodbye? Why hadn’t she woken him?

  Yet, if he’d been drugged, where the hell had he spent the night?

  The way he felt, he assumed he’d been drugged and he had been squatting in the ape’s apartment. But something told him that wasn’t the truth. All the happiness he’d felt with Olivia had been reality—the love of her laughter, her small groans, her pants of pleasure—it had happened.

  If that was true, then what was the ape’s deal? Why didn’t that guy know that Olivia lived in the apartment?

  He stood as he heard footsteps approaching his cell.

  The officer came into view and Roman smiled as he came near the bars. Yes, he stood about six-foot-three and weighed in at two-twenty, but he hoped he didn’t look too dominant.

  The man stopped about eight feet away from the cell.

  Roman concentrated on keeping his voice friendly and level. “Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if I might be able to make a phone call.”

  The officer’s face paled and his eyes widened as he stared at him. “What the fuck is wrong with your eye?”

  He gently pressed around his eye sockets trying to feel for any injury, but found none. Then, it hit him. His contact had been knocked out. As panic gripped him, he looked around for a clock. Had he
truly slept the whole afternoon away, and now stood with one eye lit up?

  The officer ran back the way he came, and Roman heard him yell something about a Code Black in cell eighteen.

  He slowly backed away from the bars, his heart pounding as if the damn thing may stop, and he waited to see what would happen next.

  When the sound of heavy footfalls met his ears, indicating more than one person, he backed farther into the cell and felt like a trapped animal being hunted.

  Three officers in full riot gear came into view, faceless behind their helmets and masks, their guns drawn.

  “No! Wait! I can explain!”

  He shut his eyes as they raised the weapons and fired.

  Immediately, he choked on some type of gas. Seconds later, he found it hard to breathe, and he battled to remain conscious.

  No matter how he tried to fight it, he couldn’t stop himself from sinking to his knees, then his head once again hitting the floor just as it had in the apartment.

  As he blacked out, fear and uncertainty railed through him, completely immobilizing him. What would happen to him?

  Damn, this day seemed to be getting worse and worse.

  Chapter 14

  “Olivia, you’ve been a bad, bad girl.”

  She laughed as Roman walked into her quarters while she lay on top of the bed, naked. Only for a minute did she wonder why he stood in this strange place with people that wanted her to somehow develop a connection and profile aliens, of all things. Happiness clenched her chest at the sight of him.

  “Why have I been so bad?” she teased.

  He jumped in the air and hovered for a moment, then floated down on top of her, resting on the bedspread next to her. His weight felt so comforting, yet she longed to feel his skin on hers but couldn’t because of his damn clothes.

  He grinned at her as his thumb traced her cheekbone. “Because, you left me without saying goodbye.”

  She gazed up at his dark eyes, then ran her hand through his thick hair. “I really didn’t think it mattered. I thought our night wouldn’t mean anything to you.”

  His brow furrowed. “Of course it did. I thought you felt it, too. We had something, Olivia. Was I wrong?”

  As she tried to say that their time together had been nothing but a one-night stand, the words wouldn’t come. They should have been able to part ways without any baggage.

  She’d told him so little about herself, and in some ways, she’d simply lied by omission. She wouldn’t be doing that any longer. “I did. I felt something between us, Roman. There was a connection.”

  He nodded, his smile growing. “I knew you felt it, Olivia. But see, now that you’ve admitted it, I need to punish you further.”

  As he rolled on top of her, his clothing disappeared, and she wiggled under him. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?”

  His lips seemed to be everywhere—her breasts, her neck, that sweet spot he’d found right at her hip.

  “You’ll see.”

  She gasped as his mouth found her core, and she undulated her hips. “This is my punishment?”

  He chuckled, his deep baritone voice sending vibrations through her body. “No. This is just the beginning.”

  As he continued his ministrations, her climax approached quickly. It was so good with him, and he seemed to know exactly what to do to bring her to completion.

  Suddenly, a loud noise invaded their time together, and he looked up at her. “What’s that sound?”

  She shook her head and glanced around. “I don’t know.”

  He stood and backed away from her, his gaze darting all over the room as if the noise confused him. “It’s loud, as if it’s signaling something.”

  It seemed to get more brash, almost hurting her head. “What’s it signaling? How do we turn it off?”

  As he crossed his arms over his chest, it seemed as if he figured it all out. He stared at he accusingly, like she was responsible for the noise and had ruined everything.

  After a moment, sadness washed over his features. “I need to go, and you need to wake up.”

  She jolted into an upright position and found the damn alarm that had interrupted a perfectly wonderful dream. As she slammed her fist down on the button, she sighed, then laid back down.

  Roman.

  She should have woken him and said goodbye before she left. They had shared something special that night, but she’d been so focused on leaving for this job, she hadn’t given it much thought. However, he never seemed to be very far from her conscious—or, apparently, her subconscious—mind.

  Throwing back the covers, she stood and stretched, trying to clear her mind of the remnants of the sexual dream.

  As she marched into the bathroom, she thought of her time here in this strange place, and what today would bring.

  After her bath last night, she’d tried out the room service option she’d read about in the book. Her soup and sandwich had arrived a half-hour after she’d placed her call and had tasted wonderful. She’d watched a little television, but noted that the channels didn’t contain any news sources; only movies and reality shows. Despite her anxiety and a bit of excitement at her new assignment, she fell asleep quickly.

  This morning as she stood under the shower, she took some deep breaths. This would be the first time she’d ever met an alien, and she had to admit, a bit of fear tickled her spine. Yet, the work that she would be doing once she crossed that barrier would be powerful. She may play an instrumental role in bringing two races together. What if the aliens could move into general society? What if the ones here in this very facility now knew where others lived? The work they planned on doing here could be the merging of two races living in harmony, and it excited her to think she could be a part of it.

  An hour later, she stepped into her new office and turned on her computer while she sipped some coffee, wishing the walls had some color. Whoever had decided that putting white tile all over the place obviously had no decorating experience. She had a feeling she’d be working on the computer in her quarters more than in here. Too sterile, too bright, and she could definitely see a headache coming on if she spent too much time in here as she preferred soft colors and lighting.

  She set up her login and password, then made some notes regarding her feelings before meeting the aliens in the online journal she’d been instructed to keep about her time at the facility. She noted her excitement, and hinted at her nervousness, but didn’t go into it too deeply. Her other journal entries would relate to her meetings with the aliens—the first one would take place in a few minutes.

  A light knock sounded on her door, startling her and bringing her out of her thoughts. “Come in.”

  The Major walked in and smiled. “How’s everything going today?”

  She stood. “I’m good.”

  “I assume your quarters are comfortable, and you found the dining room?”

  “Yes. It’s very nice. Thank you.”

  “Ready to meet the aliens?”

  She nodded as nerves fluttered in her stomach. She shouldn’t have had any coffee. “I guess so.”

  “Follow me.”

  She trailed him out of the office down a hallway, a small recorder in her hand so she could re-listen to the interview later to ensure her accuracy.

  Her heart pounded in her chest and a drop of sweat trailed down her cheek. She wiped it away and took a deep breath as she tried to calm her anxiety. He stopped at a door.

  “Go ahead and open it, Olivia.”

  She placed her hand on the pad next to the door, and it swung open.

  Slowly, she walked in, the Major right behind her. The door shut, causing her to jump.

  He chuckled. “It’s a little unnerving coming in here for the first time, but I’m right here.”

  She nodded and tried to swallow past the constriction in her throat.

  “Go ahead and take a look around.”

  She had expected armed guards in this area, but saw no one. “There’s no securi
ty?”

  “Yes, there is. Anytime you come in here, you will have armed personnel with you. All you have to do is pick up the phone to the left outside this door, and someone will be here within minutes to escort you.”

  She felt a bit better about meeting the aliens knowing someone with a gun had her back.

  The Major continued. “Everything here is state-of-the-art technology. We don’t have a guard stationed here all the time because of it. By using it, we cut our costs—less personnel to feed and house.”

  She nodded and walked farther into the area, feeling more secure that the Major had accompanied her.

  On each side of her stood large bedrooms with glass walls, all made of the same white tile as the rest of the facility. A small partition walled off part of the room, and she assumed that would be the bathroom facility.

  Once the next room on her right came into view, she stopped and gasped. A breath-taking, beautiful young woman sat on the bed. She wore a white linen, knee-length gown, her black hair cascading around her shoulders. As she met Olivia’s gaze, she didn’t smile. Her face showed no emotion.

  They stared at each other a moment, Olivia totally taken aback by how beautiful the girl was and the fact she gazed at an alien who looked as though she should be on the cover of fashion magazines, not in a facility such as this.

  The Major came up beside her and pointed to a button. “When you want to talk to them, you just hit the intercom.”

  She nodded, and continued walking.

  In the next room, a man came into view. When he turned to her, she realized he was a carbon copy of the woman—twins. He stared at her, his beautiful face hard and unreadable.

  “They can’t hear anything you say from out here, and we can’t hear anything in there unless we turn on the microphones that are built into the ceiling.”

  “So, do I talk to them through the intercoms, or can I go in?”

  “You can go in. They haven’t shown any aggressive behaviors. Besides, you’ll have a guard here, as well as the cameras and microphones. If they did attack you for some reason, we’d have you out of there in seconds.”