Chapter Twelve
Roman
I look over the rim of my cup at Hollis, who’s reading the paper as she eats the eggs I made for her. She looks and catches me staring. “What?”
I lower my cup, setting it on the counter between us. She senses my mood and lowers hers as well. “We should talk.”
“I’m getting this a lot from you lately.” She casts a weary glance at me. “I take it that yesterday wasn’t just a boring day in the security business?”
“No, it wasn’t.” I shake my head regretfully.
Twenty minutes later, she’s sitting silent across from me.
She breathes heavily, letting her shoulders slump. “So the only thing we know is that my mom was who she says she was, but if that be the case, why did she give me the last name Keaton?”
“We don’t know that yet, but we will.” I reach across the island and take her small hand in mine, lacing our fingers together. “Hollis, we’ll figure this out.”
She squeezes my fingers back, her glassy eyes meeting mine as she withdraws her hand. “I know.” She tries to hide her doubt behind a weak smile. “So where do we go from here? I mean, if a government agency can’t find me, then what?” She lowers her head into her waiting hands with a loud sigh.
I watch as she struggles, and I feel guilty that I hadn’t told her everything. Cruz and I decided to keep him out of this until we can figure out what his connection is.
She slaps her hands down on the counter and stands. “You know what? I can’t do this right now, I’ve gotta go to work.”
I quickly grab her wrist, turning her back to me. “Hollis.”
Her eyes cut to mine. “It’s not you,” she quickly tries to explain.
“I never thought it was.” I pull her around to the end of the bar and wrap her in my arms. “I just don’t want you running off with your head full of shit and not know what you’re thinking.”
I feel her shake her head against my chest and her hot breath through the thin material of my shirt. “Don’t blow me off or shut me out again, I can’t take it anymore.” I take her by the shoulders and separate her from me, tilting her back so that I can see her eyes. “We’re in this together. You’re not alone, Hollis.” She ducks her head, but I lift it back up by her chin. “Talk to me.”
She leans into me, resting her forehead on my chest and takes a deep breath. I know this is hard for her, and it’s killing me to watch her go through this. I’m going to do everything in my power to help her and let her know I’ll never leave her side, regardless of what we find out.
She tilts her head back and pulls her bottom lip through her teeth. “I really don’t know how to put how I’m feeling into words, you know? Numb, I guess, would be the best way to describe it. It’s kind of like how I felt the night I found her dead. I’m not surprised or shocked. I never thought she would’ve gone to such lengths to cover it all up, though.” She gives her shoulders a slight shrug. “Do you think she was hiding me from someone?”
I smooth a loose strand of hair that’s fallen from her ponytail behind her ear. She steps back, shaking her head and holds up her hands. “You know what? Don’t answer for that. It doesn’t matter. Because,” she steps back to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “This is my life now and you’re my world. I don’t care what she did or why she did it, I just want to get this shitstorm over with and find out who I really am.”
“I know who you really are, and that’s all that matters,” I say making her smile up at me, and it’s the most beautiful sight.
“I love you.” She reaches up and kisses me like she’s never going to see me again. I take her ass in my hands and hoist her up to sit on the island and step between her spread legs. I tangle my fingers in her hair and push my tongue past her sweet lips.
We kiss until we have to separate for air, both of us panting heavily. “This is real, Hollis. You, me, us, and our family. Whatever drove your mother to this isn’t real, and like you said, it doesn’t matter. You’re the air I breathe.” I hope she knows that my last statement isn’t bullshit, and that I’m not saying it just because of her state of mind. She is everything to me, and now that I’ve had her back I can’t see me living without her by my side.
~~~~~~
“Shit, man, how did she take it?” Eno’s sitting across from me as I tell him all the shit Cruz and I had gone over the day before, and the things I’d told Hollis this morning.
I rest my elbows on the desk and run my fingers through my hair. “Just like Hollis always takes things.” I slump back in my chair with the memory of her glassy eyes in my head. “She went to work,” I reply flatly to a smirking Eno. Hollis had tried to hide her hurt from me, but I know her too well, and she isn’t that great of an actress.
“Damn.” He whistles. “Do you think keeping the whole Cruz thing from her is a good idea?”
“It is for now, or at least until we figure out the whole same hometown angle. He’s leaving this afternoon to head back.” I look at him and change the subject. “I heard Oz headed out this morning?”
Eno’s face turns grim. “He did.” He stands and begins to pace nervously. “There’s just something about this whole thing. Don’t get me wrong, I really don’t care for Oz Kellen, but man,” he stops and turns to me. “I don’t want the asshole to get himself killed.”
“Me either, but it’s out of our hands now. Oz is dealing directly with the agency and taking orders from them.” I understand where Eno’s coming from. Over the past couple of years, we’ve developed a kind of brotherhood with the Bastards, even though it started out with us almost busting them for drug trafficking. They’ve all turned out to be stand up guys, and have helped us out of a pinch on more than one occasion.
The bell over the door in the other room dings, and Cruz peeks his head into my office. “Hey.” He steps through and takes the seat to the right of Eno, giving him a chin lift in the process. Even though the two had worked things out, there’s still tension in the air between them. He tilts his head at Eno in question.
“He knows,” I say as Eno turns in his seat, smiling from ear to ear at Cruz.
“Okay. So, I made some calls last night but haven’t heard anything back, so I’m heading out this afternoon.”
“Thanks, man, I appreciate this.”
“Why the hell are you doing this?” Eno asks with an eyebrow raised skeptically at Cruz.
He shrugs his shoulders. “Ain’t got nothing else to do, and I’m fucking curious as hell too.”
~~~~~~
Four days later….
Roman
I lay on the bed, watching Hollis rush around our bedroom, trying everything she has in her closet on. Finally, she stops, dropping what she has in her hands to the floor and turns to me. “I have nothing to wear.”
I push up on my elbows, eyeing the four-foot-high pile of clothes at her feet. “Yeah, I can see that.” She huffs in frustration. “I don’t understand why you’re dressing up. Just wear blue jeans and a T-shirt. You’re just going to get your wedding dress.” She turns and looks at me like I’m a complete moron, making me shy back a little. “What?” I ask, holding up my hands in surrender and biting back laughter. I’ve been baiting her all morning long.
“I would love to, but your sister has insisted that I do. Evidently, it’s one of those fancy places that serves champagne and shit.” She waves her hand through the air as she bends to pick through the pile again with an exasperated sigh. She stands up and turns to me with a disgusted look twisting her face. “Do you think she’s going to make me eat those fish egg things on crackers?”
I give my head a shake. “Why would you think that?” I roll to my side, propping my head on my hand.
She lets her hands fall to her bare thighs. “Because I’ve always heard champagne and those fish eggs go good together.”
“It’s called caviar, and it does. Very well, actually.”
She freezes, looking at me with wide eyes. “You’ve had it before? Never mind, of course you have.”
I chuckle. “A few times.”
She heaves a heavy sigh, letting her eyes close as her head falls back. “Oh my God, it’s like Gideon Cross is marrying that girl,” she waves her hand in the air, at a loss for words. “That one from Gilligan’s Island?”
“Mary Ann?” I smile as I stand, making my way to her. Resting my hands on her hips, I lean down and guide my lips across the skin of her neck. “She was pretty fucking hot in those daisy dukes.” I tilt my head back, looking down at her. “Who the fuck is Gideon Cross?”
She smiles. “A man who can own a boardroom in an expensive tailored suit and rule the bedroom in his birthday suit.”
I feel lust burn up my body. “You sure you can’t cancel?”
Her eyes are hooded, and I know she wants it just as much as I do, but she pushes against me. “No, not today, Roman. You’re not working that baby blue magic that makes my clothes fall off of me today.”
I step back and look down, letting my eyes take in her underwear clad body. “You have no clothes on.”
She slaps at me. “Okay, fine. That leg spreading voodoo that you do so well.”
“Voodoo, huh?” I ask as I put some much-needed space between us.
“Yes, it’s devilish, Roman.”
“Well then.” I disappear into my own closet, heading for the garment bag hidden behind my suits. Retrieving it and the small shoe box, I walk back out to see her attention is once again buried in her pile. “You should try this.”
“I’ve tried everything, Roman.” She’s now throwing items of clothing, creating another pile.
“Hollis,” I say a little bit harsher, trying to break through to her.
“What?” She quickly turns to me, her panic starting to reach epic levels.
I hold out the box and bag to her. “Try this.”
She crosses her arms over her breasts. “Gucci? Where did this come from?” She runs a finger along the seam of the garment bag and looks up at me.
“It doesn’t matter. Put it on,” I tell her, once again offering her the things in my hands.
She smiles like a giddy little girl, practically jerking my hands off and running to the bathroom. I hear the hiss of the zipper and then her gasp. The sound makes me smile. It’s never been a secret I have money, but Hollis has never let me spoil her. She insisted on keeping her less than glamorous cleaning job, and refused any offer to let me help her pay for anything.
Piper had called, letting me know about the high-end bridal boutique she and the others were taking Hollis to today, and made me promise that she would have the appropriate attire.
Ten minutes later, she steps out wearing the Gucci lace cocktail dress that fits her beautiful, curvy body like it was made for her, which it was. On her feet, she has the Christian Louboutin heels that Piper insisted every woman’s closet must contain at least one pair of. The dress stops just above her knee, displaying her long, tan legs. She holds out her hands to her sides and turns. “What do you think?” Her voice a little unsure.
I reach out, pulling her to me. “I think you should blow off shopping and let me fuck you with nothing but those shoes on.” I press my hard cock into her belly and she blushes. Laying her hands on my chest, I don’t miss the slight moan as she rubs against it, creating just the right amount of friction.
I lean in, brushing my lips along the sensitive skin of her exposed ear, making her body shiver against mine. “What do you say, Hollis? Stay with me today?” I take her leg and lift it, wrapping it around my hip so I can grind my cock into her.
Her breath catches, but she stills and pushes back from me. “I would love nothing more than to let you worship at your favorite alter, but this is the third time I’ve made an appointment to get a wedding dress, and I don’t think Piper would be too happy if we cancelled another chance for her to spend your money.”
I growl, jerking her body back against mine. “It’s our money, and you spend it any fucking way you want, Hollis.” I watch as her carefully manicured guard goes back up. “I know you feel uncomfortable with it, but it’s part of your life now, so you might as well enjoy it. Just watch Piper, she’ll show you how it’s done.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “Let me spoil you, just this once, please?”
She finally relents, and I feel her soften against me. “Okay, fine. Do you have any preferences?”
“I prefer you naked, but you can’t walk down the aisle in just those shoes, can you?” I squeeze her.
“No, I really don’t think that would be appropriate attire for a church wedding, or any wedding for that matter.”
“I could find a nudist colony to marry us.”
“Roman, be serious,” she huffs.
I look down at her. “I am being serious.” I furrow my brows to get my point across, and she slaps my chest, making me laugh. “Something easy to remove, how about that?”
“You do realize I’m going wedding dress shopping, right? Delicate lace, heavy beading, and a shit ton of complicated fasteners.” I wrinkle my nose at the laundry list of items I’m going to have to fight to get to her.
“Ah, fuck.” She starts to laugh, and the doorbell interrupts us.
“Who’s that?” She checks herself in the mirror one more time, running her hand over the soft black lace of the dress. My hands itch to do the same thing, so I give her ass a smack, making her jump.
“Your girls.” I give her reflection a devilish smile.
“My girls?”
“Hollis!” Piper shouts from the foyer. “Let’s go, girl. We’ve got shit to do, money to spend, and time’s a wasting. We’ve got a fucking limo!” She whoops.
“A limo? This is all you, isn’t it?” She cocks her hip, resting her hand on it.
I shove my hands in my pockets, shrugging my shoulders. “You won’t spend my money, so I figured I would spend some for you. Piper had no objections.”
“I’m sure she didn’t,” she huffs, taking the small Louis Vuitton handbag I shove her way. She rolls her eyes, taking it from me, and placing a small tube of lipstick in it. She pulls out my Amex Black Card, holding it up. “What the fuck is this?”
I bend to the side and eye the card she’s holding. “Looks like a credit card.”
She pinches the bridge of her nose and takes a deep breath. “Roman.”
I lean in to her ear. “Not another fucking word.” I take her by the shoulders and guide her to the door and down the stairs where Piper waits for her. Her eyes go wide when she sees what Hollis is holding in her hand, making her practically drool.
I step up to Piper. “Forget it. This one is Hollis’s, and she’s the only one who can use it. Have that asshat of a boyfriend of yours get you one, or better yet, get your own.” I push her mouth closed with my index finger.
I say goodbye to the other ladies and give Hollis an extended goodbye, full of tongue and ass grabbing to the soundtrack of the other ladies’ groans.
“Come on, we do have an appointment, brother. Let her go,” Piper says from the open back door of the stretched-out Humvee limo.
“Have fun today,” I tell Hollis, before helping her into the back seat. “I mean it.”
She stops me right before I shut the door, her big brown eyes glassy. “I love you,” she mouths before she sits back into the dark, pulling the door closed with her.