Roman-1(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(10)

By the time I hear them leave, still arguing about Paulie, I feel like I’ve aged ten years. That’s what being in the presence of pure evil will do to you, and I hate feeling this dirty and unworthy all the time.

I need to talk to my baby girl just once, just long enough to hear her voice and remind myself of why I can’t fail.

The problem with being away from her for so long without knowing that she’s still safe is that the fool woman could decide to come out of hiding and go home at any moment.

That’s bad for a lot of reasons, namely the fact that I don’t want her knowing about her father yet. Mel loved her dad, and it would kill her to find that he died so brutally.

I swore to Mel that I’d protect the chief and make sure he came out of this with a plea bargain and a suspended sentence for all the help he’s given me.

I failed her, but by God I will not fail her again. She will stay hidden no matter what happens, even if something should go wrong and I die in this terrible place.

“Dammit, Lane,” I hiss beneath my breath, sliding out from under the desk and grabbing my stuff. “You stay away from her till it’s over.”

The temptation to call her is strong right now. I hated having to dismiss her calls, and I hate it even more that she could be afraid and thinking that I no longer care enough to look out for her. I know Mel. She would already have started cursing me to hell and back and doubting my commitment to her.

Hell, she’s probably on the same train as my brothers, wondering if I’m a willing participant in this racket.

I don’t relish her thinking poorly of me, but if she hates me and stays away, she’ll stay alive. That’s all I want at the moment.

I’ll get her back after it’s all done and ensure that she never has a reason to doubt me again.





Chapter Four


Melissa

Getting off of the Lane estate was not easy by anyone’s standards, considering the million and one guards patrolling the place like cyborgs on the hunt.

I wouldn’t have even made it down the central staircase if not for Tracy, Jace’s wife. For whatever reason, the woman decided to sneak around in the middle of the freaking night and help me. I am grateful that she did. She caught me on my third foray in as many nights and did me a solid by pointing out a weakness in the perimeter. I got to of there so fast that I left marks on the grass.

The only deal I had to make with her was to promise that I had a decent plan in mind and would stay safe and keep the baby growing inside me safe as well.

I promised her without batting an eyelash, because I do have a plan—a good one that I know will work.

I have no intentions of dying anytime soon.

I intend to get to Roman so I can kick his dumb ass, and then I intend to have my kid and the white picket fence that women all secretly want but won’t admit to.

So here I am now, right where I belong and where I know those crazy-ass extremists will see me, and I feel safer now than I did locked behind the walls of the Lane estate.

I’m back at the bar I’ve been working at for three years, surrounded by some of the roughest people in the area. It’s the one place where I feel protected because I know that no one can touch me here, not with Will Sparrow and his crew of bikers keeping things safe.

Here I am one of them, and they’d kill anyone who even dared to take a step in my direction.

This place is also one of the best gossip mills in the state. I’ll find the information I’m after, especially while working the bar. I already know a shitload from just three hours of work (thanks to my old boss, Milton, letting me come back), and that’s just from dropping a few muttered hints and seeming put out because my boyfriend disappeared and left me.

For instance, I know that everyone is whispering about Ronny’s disappearance and wondering if she finally got the message that her aunt Cleo is batshit crazy.

If people only knew that the little blonde is safe and sound on the Lane lands, cuddling up with her beefy boyfriend… They’d never believe the woman capable of loving another human being.

I saw her, though, and it was disgustingly sweet.

Another thing I learned is that Will and his crew aren’t too enthused that Cleo and her people are trying to take over the town. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t give a shit that they’re running around planning attacks on the unsuspecting citizens of our fair country. Will is the kind of man who believes in free enterprise and letting the “pigs” earn their wages. But he is pissed that they set up shop in what he considers his territory. From what his VP Little Lonnie was saying earlier, they’re about ready to take out the Patriots for daring to claim territory that isn’t theirs to claim.