“He left out of the bathroom window, didn’t he? That’s the exit, right?” Alex asked. “He still had to get in, so why don’t you check all the faces in the hall to the ones who left? Someone might be unaccounted for.”
“That’s still going to take time,” Lucas said.
“And my life has been in danger for months. Roman will protect me, and I know Antonio, Marlo, and Cash will protect me. Whoever it was didn’t know where I’ve been hiding all this time. The attack was desperate. Just before it, Roman’s ex-girlfriends were in there, talking.”
“Did they say anything to you?” Roman asked, stepping toward her.
Alex stood and shook her head. “They didn’t know I was in there, so whoever my attacker is, he had to have stayed close. As much as I love playing detective work, I think it’s time for me to get out of this dress and shower.”
Roman was surprised when she didn’t go to her father. She offered everyone a goodnight and made her excuses.
“I have to go,” he said. He didn’t bid anyone goodnight.
“I will handle her,” Liam said. “Your father wants to talk to you.”
Roman wanted to tell Liam that Alex was his wife, and if she needed help, he would be the one to do it. Tonight wasn’t the night to start a damn war though.
He looked toward his father and waited.
“Marlo, Cash, Antonio, leave us,” Lucas said.
One by one, they left, and Roman was left alone to deal with his father.
“I am doing everything I can to keep her safe. While she was with me, she was exactly that, safe.”
Lucas held up his hand. “I trust you, son.”
“Tell me now that you are not responsible for this,” Roman said.
“Do you have any idea who you’re talking to?”
“I know who I am talking to, and I am asking, no, I am demanding. You hinted at Alex’s death being the perfect opportunity to get out of this arrangement. I need to guarantee that you’re not the one pulling the strings.”
“Roman, I like Liam Smith. He’s a hard-working asshole. I’ve liked him for years. I watched him after his woman died. At first, I didn’t see what the big deal was since he hadn’t married her. She was just a piece of pussy, but I saw his devotion. I knew that the only way to guarantee our security and safety was to one day unite our families. He’s not mafia, he’s not family, but he is as good as any mafia and family. I would never do anything to jeopardize that. I also happen to like Alex.”
Lucas shook his head, and Roman had no choice but to believe him. It was as he suspected all along, a ruse.
“You will not go through with the adoption of those kids,” Lucas said. “I have had our lawyer cease in the pursuit.”
“No,” Roman said.
“No? Do I need to remind you that I am your fucking boss!”
“And as my boss, you have ordered me to make my wife fall in love with me, and that is exactly what I am doing. Alex is not wowed by money, power, or violence. She is wowed by feelings. By acts of kindness. You knew this when you had me marry her, and the only way to her heart is to give her what her father never could, what he refused to. Those kids are her loves, and by adopting them, I will guarantee her love for me, and when the time is right, she will have my babies.”
“They will never be Greco blood,” Lucas said.
“I don’t give a fuck whose blood they are. They are amazing and loyal kids. If you ever took the time, you would see that.”
“You are going soft.”
“Or maybe I see the bigger picture in this scenario, Dad. To win Alex, I have to put everything in. If you want to keep Smith, then this is what you’re going to have to do, regardless of if you like it or not.”
“I don’t recall agreeing to you pissing me off,” Lucas said.
Roman chuckled. “I’m your son, it’s my prerogative to piss you off. Can I go now and take care of my wife?”
“Yes.”