Chapter 8 - The Siege of Pilsen
Two minutes later, the screech of tires echoed down Sadi’s quiet street.
Sadi crouched behind her sofa, holding the heavy black handgun with both trembling hands, her eyes locked onto her thin wooden front door.
A muffled shout rang out from the hallway outside, followed by the sickening THUD of a heavy body being thrown brutally against the drywall. Then, two muffled gunshots rattled the glass in her window—BANG! BANG!
Sadi screamed, squeezing her eyes shut.
Silence descended over the hallway.
Footsteps approached her door—heavy, slow, deliberate.
A knock sounded on the wood. Three steady raps.
"Sadi. It's me. Open the door."
Sadi scrambled to her feet, dropping the gun onto the sofa cushions, and threw open the deadbolt.
Roman stood in the dim hallway.
He wore a dark coat over his dark suit. His hair was slightly disheveled, his pale gray eyes wild with a terrifying, primal fury. On the concrete floor behind him lay two men in dark hoodies, motionless, surrounded by pool of dark blood. Two of Roman’s heavily armed security guards were already dragging the bodies toward the back stairwell with practiced, silent efficiency.
Roman didn't look at the blood. He stepped into her apartment, slammed her front door shut, and grabbed Sadi by her waist, pulling her violently into his massive chest.
He buried his face in the side of her neck, his broad arms wrapping around her so tightly she could barely breathe. His entire frame was vibrating with raw adrenaline.
"You're safe," he rasped into her skin, his hands gripping her waist, her hips, her back, checking every inch of her body for harm. "You're safe, carina. I have you."
Sadi buried her face in his broad chest, sobbing openly, her trembling fingers clutching his wool coat as if it were the only anchor in a storm. "I was so scared, Roman... I thought they were going to kill me..."
"No one touches you," Roman growled, his lips pressing hard against her hair, her forehead, her cheeks. "No one laying a single finger on you while I breathe this air."
He pulled back slightly, cupping her cheeks with his large, warm hands. His pale gray eyes searched her face, entirely stripped of his usual emotionless mask. For the first time, Sadi saw raw, terrified love blazing in his eyes.
"They used me to get to you," Sadi whispered, her voice cracking. "Because they know I'm your weakness."
"You are not my weakness, Sadi," Roman said fiercely, his thumb wiping away her tears. "You are my reason. You are the only thing in this rotting, bloody city that makes me feel like a human being."
Sadi stared at his dark, sharp lips, her heart swelling with an emotion so immense it shattered every fear remaining in her soul.
She reached up, wrapped her arms around his thick neck, and pulled his head down to hers.
Their lips met with a desperate, explosive force.
Roman groaned deep in his throat, his hands dropping to her wide hips, pulling her bodily off the floor as he crushed her mouth beneath his. The kiss was dark, possessive, and wildly passionate—tasting of copper, salt, and absolute devotion.
Sadi opened her mouth to him, her fingers tangling in his dark hair as she gave herself completely to the sensation. Roman carried her backward toward her sofa, setting her down gently onto the cushions before pressing his heavy body over hers, kissing her until neither of them had any air left in their lungs.
When he finally pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, his ragged breath fanned across her swollen lips.
"You are moving into the Lincoln Park estate tonight," Roman stated, his voice a thick, low command that left zero room for debate. "Your apartment is no longer safe."
May you like
Sadi looked up into the face of the man who had torn through the city to save her life. She reached up, gently touching the sharp line of his jaw.
"Okay," she whispered softly. "Take me home, Roman."
