Just One Look

“I’m saving you.” He grabs my arm. “This is the first time he’s let you out of his sight.” He starts to pull me from the bathroom. I try to shake him off.

“I don’t need saving. I love my husband.” I jerk harder this time, getting free. The wild look in my father’s eyes scares me. I take off to get back to Roman. I come up short when the place floods with police officers. They all go for Roman.

“Hey—!” I start to shout, but a hand covers my mouth. Seconds later my feet leave the ground as I’m being hauled away. I try to kick but get nowhere.

“Told you that you would need me,” the man holding me says to my father. I keep trying to fight him even as he carries me out the back door, putting me into a van.

“Dad. Please stop,” I beg him. “Why the cops?” I’m so confused. None of this makes sense.

“I told them he kidnapped you. I needed time to get you out.” I try to go for the door, but it won’t open. My dad starts the van as the other man gets into the front seat.

“He’ll kill you.”

“No, he’ll pay us,” the other man says.

“Shut it, Mark,” my father snaps at him.

“So you aren't here to save me. Of course not, because you’re a piece of shit father.” He turns to look at me in surprise. I’ve never talked to him that way before. I spit in his face. I don’t see the smack coming, but he strikes me across my face. I fall backwards as the van takes off, speeding down the back alley.

My heart pounds in fear.

“Keep your mouth shut, little girl,” Mark says, looking back at me. His eyes linger on my legs. I quickly pull my long, flowy skirt back over them. He smirks.

“Knock it off. She’s not for you. We get the money and then we’re done.” For once in my life, my father actually comes to my rescue. I sit back in my seat, praying that it truly is that easy.

21

Roman

Ace comes walking back toward the table without Fawn.

“Where is Fawn?” I ask him.

“The bathroom talking to some old man.” My heart sinks. That motherfucker. He dropped off the map three days ago. I never should have let her out of my sight even for a second.

“Stay here,” I tell Ace as I start to stand. Police come flooding into the restaurant, heading straight for me. What the hell is going on?

“What the hell?” I growl.

“Where is the girl?” one of the cops asks. I read his badge. Frederick.

“Are you talking about my wife?” I’m about to explode. Fawn is in danger, and these people are wasting my time.

“Wife?” Frederick looks back to another one of the cops.

“Let's talk about this outside.” Another cop tries to grab my arm.

“Touch me and I’ll have your badge.” The cop freezes. “Call the mayor.”

“What’s going on, Daddy?” Ace slips off his chair, pushing in closer to me. I finish standing as I see West coming toward me.

“Stand down!” he shouts. Everyone turns to look at him, but they do as he orders. West used to be a detective until he was promoted to the chief of police. He’d done that for a few years until I talked him into going private. It didn’t take much. He was over pushing paper and would rather be in the thick of it.

“Ace, go with West,” I tell him. West has been on his security detail taking him to and from school. Ace heads for West, and I make a beeline for the bathroom.

“Roman!” West shouts after me. I push open the bathroom door, seeing that it is empty. My heart starts to pound harder as I run to the back door and push it open. In the distance, I see a white van turning out of the alley.

I’ll fucking kill him. John is dumber than I realized. Or he’s desperate. I jog back inside.

“He took her,” I tell West. He pulls his radio off his belt. “White van.”

“Now the girl is missing, dipshits!” he shouts before he issues an order for everyone to be on the lookout for a white van.

“Where’s Mommy?” Ace asks, looking confused at all the commotion. Ace has been through enough in his life. I didn't even get to enjoy the moment when he called me daddy because of this fucker.

“She’ll be back. Stay with West until George gets here.” I hold my hand out to West. “Give me the keys.” He drove us all here. He pulls them out of his pocket and hands them over before I pull my phone out and head for the car.

“Roman. What the hell are you doing?” Everyone steps out of my way.

“Getting my wife back.” What the fuck else would I be doing? By the time I make it to the car, my phone has already pulled up her location. After the last time I lost her in the freaking house, I put a tracker on her for my own sanity.