The boys are on their feet within seconds.
The four of us storm toward him and the only thing holding Slade back from knocking him out is the way he holds up his hand. “Tsk, tsk. I wouldn’t, if I were you,” Roman says, looking over each of the boys and then scanning his eyes over my body. “Always a pleasure, Sky. You know it’s not too late to come over to the dark side. I caught your video. You know I’m down.”
Blake forges forward but Damian slams a hand out over his chest as Slade pushes me behind him, always keeping his hand on me. “What the fuck do you want?”
“Geez, I’d love to say that I’m here to settle the score, but I’m here to deliver a warning…”
Slade scoffs. “Warning? About what? Your boys looking to come and fuck me up? Guess what, I didn’t get no warning last time and we still kicked your ass.”
“Not that kind of warning, dickhead,” Roman snarls, clearly still dirty over the fight. “I was sent here to warn you to follow through with what was promised. If I had a fucking choice, I’d say you don’t deserve a warning. I’d just let him have you.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Roman’s sickening grin has my stomach sinking and as his eyes find mine, chills run through me. He steps forward, getting way too close for liking. Slade slams a hand against his chest, not allowing him any closer. “Your daddy dearest really is a piece of work, isn’t he? I bet he did a real good number on you.”
I step around Slade and get right into Roman’s face. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, I think you know,” he says with an amused chuckle. “He’s not too thrilled that you haven’t run your pretty ass home yet.”
My breath comes in hard, sharp gasps and Slade pulls me back. “The fuck? Who do you think you are talking to her like that? You don’t know shit.”
Roman’s eyes darken and that smile that used to blow me away just makes me feel sick. “I know she left her big mansion for this bullshit and I know you were tasked to get her back there. Lucien ain’t happy that you haven’t completed your task, but I think I see why now. You’re keeping her all to yourself. You know, why don’t you do everyone a solid and share her around before sending her ass back home?”
Knowing me far too well, Blake’s hand snakes around Slade’s back and he latches onto my wrist, keeping me from doing anything stupid, but right now, I’d dare say Slade has got this one covered.
His jaw clenches and I swear I’ve never seen anything quite so sharp before. “The only way you’ll ever touch her is if you go through me first, and we both know that you haven’t got what it takes.” Slade steps closer to Roman and as if on cue, Damian, Blake and I step with him. “You know what? Why don’t you deliver a warning right back? I’m not his fucking pawn and he’ll never touch her again. She ain’t ever going back there and if he comes for her, then I’ll be ready.”
Roman laughs. “You’re a fucking dead man.”
Slade’s fist rears back and like lightning, it cracks across Roman’s face, sending him flying back onto his ass. “No, you’re the only fucking dead man I see here. You come into my house and threaten my girl, and you’re good as done. The only reason you can still walk is because you need to go and deliver your little message. How do you think Lucien is going to react when you go back to him, telling him that you failed?”
Roman’s eyes bug out but Slade doesn’t bother to stop. “If you think Lucien is the one to be afraid of, then you’re sorely mistaken.” He steps toward him and leans down into a crouch, lowering his voice, deep and deadly. “You have three fucking seconds to get out of here. Three.”
Roman blanches, realizing that Slade won’t hesitate to fuck him up.
“Two.”
He begins scrambling to his feet, looking absolutely terrified, especially as he doesn’t have his boys at his back.
“One.”
He runs.
We watch as he bolts back through the door, leaving it swinging in his wake and we all stand in silence for a short moment, staring after him and wondering what the fuck he thought he was going to achieve. But one thing is clear, that didn’t go nearly how he thought it would.
Chapter 11
Slade
My knuckles burn as I stand at my kitchen sink with a packet of frozen peas over them. I spent the whole afternoon with Sky, making sure she was alright. Despite the fact that she told me over and over again that she was, I didn’t believe her. I saw the doubt in her eyes, the pain and embarrassment of having that video come out. It fucking sucked. I hated seeing myself flashing up on every phone in the school, but for Sky, it was worse.