Roman-1(Lane Brothers, Book 5)(16)

“I have Will and his crew watching my back. Besides, I came back to prove that Roman and I are broken up and I’m here to see to Daddy’s business.”

Which is flimsy and even I know it.

“Mel…”

“Look, Miah. I love Roman and I even love you Lanes, as weird as it sounds since you boys are possessive, controlling idiots, but I never signed up for tea parties and trying on designer gear. That’s just not me. Lord love your mama, but the woman is smothering me near to death with her coddling, and your other women are killing me with the girlie crap.”

And Lord above save me, but if Judith Lane tries to give me an engagement ring one more time, I think I may lose my shit. No matter how gorgeous or big that rock may be. She’s a little on the possessive side and I’ve started suspecting that it may not be her husband that gave her boys their fair share of crazy.

Tracy is chuckling silently by this point and every Lane man is blushing a bright red that I’ve never thought to see on them before. Will starts laughing and doesn’t stop till Jared punches him and sends him a glare.

“I know we’re an overwhelming bunch.”

“Overwhelming, Jared? Try batshit crazy, the whole lot of ya. Not that I’m much better, but I woke up with your mama staring at me and that’s just creepy as hell. Now calm yourselves and quit bugging me at work. One of y’all can come fetch me at seven and I’ll even let Will put someone on the door to keep strangers out, but that’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”

“But—”

“Cut your losses, man. The last time I tried to argue with her she put dishwater in my beer. For three weeks straight. I’ll keep her safe here and I’ll even bring her home in Tank,” Will cuts in, still chuckling at my mutinous expression.

Tank is Lonnie’s pride and joy. I can’t exactly blame the guy since it’s one of the most beautiful vehicles I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s black, big, and has armor at every point. Lonnie had it customized after a rival club tried to start a war and made his poor wife drive it around town for almost six months.

No one and nothing can get through that beast, hence its name. It really is a civilian tank.

I see them all cave in the next two minutes and congratulate myself for a job well done.

What did Daddy always say? Start as you mean to go.

“Can I at least stay another hour to check out all the doors and set up a camera or two?”

“Yes, Miah, by all means, spend all your money fixing up The Traveler if y’all want, just stay out of my hair. Beer?”

“Can I tell you I love you without you getting homicidal on me, Melissa Dobson?” Jared laughs, looking boyish and happy for the first time since he walked in the door.

That gets Will roaring again and I see them all chuckle at my disgusted expression before I relent and blow him kiss.

“Dude, please tell me Roman Lane is no pussy cat or I think I may need to put that poor man out of his misery before she does.” Lonnie laughs.

Great, now they’re all freaking chummy. Just what I always wanted.

I’m smiling inside, though, because if you’d have told me that I’d have one of the richest families in my bar, rubbing elbows with Will and his crew, I would have laughed and said no way.

Will and these Lanes are two sides of the same coin. That makes me hopeful. Until now, I thought Roman and I would end up killing each other. If we ever made it past the year mark.

Maybe our differences really are a good thing.

***

Roman

I’m in the middle of a very sensitive arms deal right now and all I can think about is the way Mel was crying on the phone, though I know that she was trying to hide the fact from me.

My tough, resilient little lady with her gruff exterior was crying and hurt and I wasn’t there to comfort her and make things better. The memory makes my anger spike again and I’m forced to rein it in when Dyson nudges me and gives me a pointed look as the money changes hands and we take possession of missiles. The weapons only appear to be working but are actually duds being sold to us by one of my old buddies Fielding Jones, a CIA agent who has been deep undercover as a Russian mobster for about seven years now.

For whatever reason he agreed to help me, I’m just glad I’m not sitting with live freaking missiles in Cleo’s grubby, trigger-happy mitts.

“It’s all here, boss,” Fielding’s second says darkly and I let out a sigh when the missiles are quickly retrieved and stored away by Dyson and two of his cronies.

“Good to do the business with you, Mr. Lane. Tell your bosses that if they need anything else, I would be glad to provide it.”

My ass. The next thing Cleo’s got coming is a nice little cell with minimal sunlight and the knowledge that her life as she knows it is over.