“Why would you want to do that?”
“Because,” he stated starkly, “your brother is a conceited, arrogant man who thinks he’s above me, and I really want to knock him down a peg or two.” He sipped his whisky. “Show him who’s really helping who in this situation.”
Oh God.
I was here because Vik had said something to piss this man off?
Ugh. Figures.
I probably should have kept my opinion to myself. “Sounds like you’re a little conceited yourself.”
He moved his glass under his nose and breathed it in. “I am.”
Okay. Unexpected admission there. “Then you can admit that neither one of you is better than the other.”
Roam blinked at me then, and when his brow lowered, I thought I might have pushed a little too hard. But then he doubled down, and I quickly realized I was not in the presence of a normal man. “No, I am unquestionably the better man.” He placed his glass down, and the move drew me in, demanding my full attention. “Firstly, I would never let my family get into the position yours is in right now. I would have fixed that shit before it even began. Nipped it in the bud before it escalated to a height I could not climb. Secondly, Viktor came to me. He came begging, and I helped. So, I think we can confirm who wields more power here, as here I am, sitting with you while your family loses their fucking minds. And do you know why, princess?”
I was scared to ask.
Roam leaned in a little. “Simply because I desired it.”
A shiver stole down my spine.
Who was this man?
Roam looked down at me, shook his head lightly, and ignored me from then on out. Over the course of the evening, I observed men come to our table. The kind of men I recognized. Men who lived in the darkness of the underworld. And they greeted Roam with reverence, offering their respect.
My anxiety grew.
Not one person spared me a glance. Not one person dared to meet my eyes. And I knew why.
It was because a man like Roam did not have to fight for a woman. It was because they knew I was his, uncontested, until the moment he was bored of me.
The thought had my stomach twisting, but I masked it as best as I could, sitting tall with grace and poise, and when Roam’s dark gaze flittered over me like a slow flame, I felt the warmth of it everywhere.
The restaurant dimmed, and the place started to be packed up around us. I checked my watch and uttered, “It’s getting late,” in the hopes that he would take the hint.
He got it. He just didn’t care. And he did not look at me when he leaned back in his chair and muttered, “Not late enough.”
I tried again. “They’re closing.”
And the hard stare that locked onto me was lethal. “They’ll remain open for me.”
Right. Of course they would.
So, we stayed. We stayed until everyone was gone and the only lit space in the restaurant was the warm light above us along with a small tealight candle flickering in a glass in the center of our table. Time went by, and I lost some of my polish, slinking down into my chair, covering my mouth with the back of my hand, and yawning lightly.
I went from anxious to bored out of my brain.
My eyes ran over the thick silver rings on each of his fingers, the small silver hoop in one ear, the thin, feminine-looking chain and silver crucifix around his neck. His perfectly styled hair, neatly trimmed beard, and his midnight gaze.
Look, I was exhausted, and I blamed what I said partly on that fact. I’d also had a couple of glasses of wine. So, I pondered out loud, “You know, if you’d have asked me out on a date, I might have said yes.”
His gaze softened mildly then, but his words did not match the sentiment. “I don’t date.”
“No.” I looked him over. “I don’t suppose you’d have to.”
And when the understanding of my loose-lipped statement reached him, a slow smile spread his lips, revealing straight white teeth and sharp pointed canines. He winked at me, and my insides did a strange little shimmy.
After what seemed like hours, Roam finally checked his watch, then conceded, “I think we’ve dawdled long enough. They should be nice and irate by now. Time to go.”
Never one to argue with a madman, when he walked around and pulled out my chair, I stood and allowed him to guide me with a hand to my lower back as he thanked the owners, slipping them a wad of bills before he walked me to his car.
The ride home was quiet and uneventful, and when we finally reached my house, I didn’t exit the car until Roam moved around to open my door. He closed it behind me, and because I knew better and didn’t want to piss him off, I waited to be dismissed.