He opened my door.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, grabbing my bag and stepping out. Fear trembled down my legs. “Is Roman okay? Did you find out something?”
Employer or not, I’ll kill Ulfric if he got Roman hurt. The savage thought stopped me cold. Roman was mine and I’d protect him as fiercely as he protected me.
“I can’t get ahold of Ulfric,” Dex explained, walking me to the front door. “And no matter how friendly our two clubs are, none of his brothers are gonna give me details about what they’re up to without Ulfric’s approval.”
That was a lot for Dex to share with me. It didn’t ease my concerns, but I appreciated him talking to me like an adult. “Roman’s never been out this late without me.”
The corners of Dex’s mouth twisted in a wry smile. “He’s an adult, Juliet.”
Heat blasted my cheeks. “I’m just worried about him.”
“Roman’s smart. He’ll be fine.”
That Dex seemed so laid back about the situation helped calm me as well. Maybe I was overreacting. Dex probably did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted and found my fussing strange. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Nah. I didn’t come here so you could wait on me.” He reached out and roughed his hand over the top of my head. “You want me to stick around until he gets home?” He lifted his chin toward the couch.
“You don’t have to do that.” I wanted him to stay but I’d never ask. “I’m sure you have other things you’d rather do tonight?”
I’d never asked Dex many questions about his personal life since Debbie died. Part of me didn’t want to know if he’d started dating. The other part of me wanted him to find someone and be happy.
He was slow to answer. “I’m going to stick around. Maybe lecture him when he walks in.”
I snort-laughed. “As long as it’s not with your fists.”
“Nah.” A slow smile spread over his face and an evil gleam that I wasn’t used to seeing shone in Dex’s eyes. “That’s only if he ever hurts or disrespects you.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” No one had ever been as gentle or kind to me as Roman.
“Go on.” Dex waved his hand toward the stairs. “Get some rest. I’ll be here. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
My heart melted and I rushed over to hug him. “Thank you,” I whispered against his chest.
He held me tight for a few seconds. “You don’t have to thank me, Juliet. I shoulda been looking out for you better all these years,” he rasped.
“You did when you could. I’ve always been happy to see you.”
“I know, peanut.” He patted my back.
I pulled away and glanced at the couch. “You don’t have to sleep there. There’s an extra bedroom upstairs.”
“I’ll be fine here.” He stepped back and his lips quirked. “I wasn’t kidding about wanting to have a word with your man when he gets in.”
A short burst of laughter escaped me. “Okay. Okay. Have your manly chat.”
Feeling reassured by Dex’s presence and his confidence that everything was fine, I hurried upstairs and got ready for bed.
Before the sun kissed the sky, my phone buzzed. I groaned and reached for my nightstand, accidentally knocking the phone on the floor.
“Damn.” Fully awake, I opened my eyes and leaned over the side of the bed and scooped it up, hurrying to answer before the call went to voicemail.
“Hello?”
A robotic voice answered. “You have a collect call from Ironworks County Jail. Will you accept the charges?”
My stomach chilled. “Yes, I’ll accept,” I said.
“Juliet?” Roman’s hoarse voice squeezed my heart.
“Roman.” My body jerked upright. “Thank God. What happened? Why are you in jail?” I couldn’t help the rising hysteria in my voice. This had to be a mistake.
Angry, rage-filled tears blurred my vision as he gave me vague details.
Fearing our time was running out, I cut him off. “I’ll gather money and post bail. Do you know how much—”
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“This is bad, Juliet. I don’t want you involved.” He paused and I strained for sounds he was still on the phone with me. “Finish school and…stay away, Juliet.”
His words eviscerated me. “Stay away? Roman—”
“I love you. But obviously, I’m no good for you.”
“No good for me? Roman, stop.”
“I don’t want to drag you down with me.”
“We take care of each—”
The line went dead.
My bleeding heart leaked out on the floor along with my will to exist.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Roman
Cocaine. A lot of it. That’s what the Wolf Knights were so desperate to retrieve from the Vipers’ clubhouse.
They got out of Ironworks with most of it. While I got left holding the one cannister.
It still contained enough to put me away for a long time.
I’d gone and fulfilled the prophecies of everyone I’d ever known. Except Juliet. For some reason she saw something good in me. She was wrong. And that’s why I told her to stay away. I wouldn’t have her put her life on hold. Visiting me in prison once a month. Hoping one day I might be free. No way. She didn’t deserve that kind of life.