CHAPTER TEN
When Roman got close to town, he began asking questions. “So how did you meet Stevie?”
“I think you know very well how we met,” Silas remarked.
Roman glanced over at him before turning his eyes back to the road. “Yeah I do, she told me you found her and cared for her when she was very sick. Can you tell me more about that?”
“That’s something you’re going to have to talk to her about. If she wants you to know, she’ll tell you.”
Roman waited for a while then told the other man, “I know Caulder beat her up pretty bad. He slammed her around so hard he ruptured her ear drum, then he let it get infected so badly, she lost her hearing, almost her life.”
“Yes he did.” Silas nodded. “That girl has had nothing but pain and disappointment from that family since she was two years old.”
“She also told me you taught her how to live on the streets and you kept her safe for four years.” He paused then added, “I want to thank you for that.”
“No thanks are necessary. That’s what people are supposed to do for one another.”
“I know but few people even bother to look out for anyone other than themselves anymore. It’s good to know there are people like you out there nowadays.”
“Can you give Miss Stevie a message for me?” Silas asked.
“Of course, I will.”
“You tell her not to come back here,” Silas insisted. “This town isn’t good for her, never was. You tell her for me, I hope she finds a place that is kind to her and Benny. Those two have been to hell and back, through no fault of their own and those who should’ve taken care of them sure as hell never did. You tell her I hope she finds somebody that will.”
“I’d like to be that somebody,” Roman admitted. “I’d like to be there for both of them.”
“That’s good because if you turned Benny away, I’d really have to hurt you. That boy means the world to Stevie.” Silas motioned to the side of the road. “You can let me off here. I just wanted to know what kind of man you are. We’ll clean up this city and when we’re done, you tell Stevie I’ll come see her.”
“I’m sure she’d like that.” Roman smiled as he pulled the car over to the side of the road.
Silas paused before he got out of the car. Staring at Roman, he said something odd, “You know the best place to hide is in plain sight. Most people don’t expect that. They look to the low ground when they should be looking at the stars. Miss Stevie always loved to look at the stars.”
Roman frowned but before he could say anything, Silas slammed the car door shut and he took off. Putting the car in gear again, Roman drove toward home.
It was late afternoon when Roman pulled into his own driveway again. He sat there in his car and stared at the house he’d built himself. At the time he was building it, he didn’t know why he put in four bedrooms, besides the master bedroom. Growing up the way he had, everyone thought he was nuts to build such a big house. But from the moment he had the idea to build his own house, this had been the plan inside his head.
Four bedrooms plus a huge master bedroom with bigger than a king sized bed. A house made of logs with a wraparound porch. He’d chosen logs because they had to be warmer than stone. Here in New Orleans, it was at least warm most of the year, whereas at home in Russia the winters were deadly cold.
When they had come here ten years ago and he picked out this place, he’d chosen to plant the trees nearby. Being so close to the water, he’d wanted the unique sizes and shapes of native trees, so he planted magnolias at the entrance of his driveway and further back on the property, he’d planted bald cypress trees.
The unique size and shape of the trees lent an almost eerie factor to his home and he secretly liked the whimsy of it. As he sat there, he saw the front door open and Yuri walked over to the car. Roman got out and the two of them leaned against the vehicle.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
“Is it done?” Yuri asked quietly.
“It is,” Roman admitted.
“And did you get your closure?”
Roman nodded. “You know I think I did.” Sighing heavily he admitted, “For most of my life, I had this picture in my head of what the boogey man really looked like. I could still see his face and it was the face that haunted my dreams for thirty years. To my mind, the man hadn’t changed in all that time but when I saw him earlier today, I realized something. He had changed, his soul had been born evil and all that evil hadn’t aged well at all. I was able to close that chapter of my life for good.”
Yuri reached out and laid his hand on Roman’s shoulder. “That my friend is a good thing.”
“Yes, it was.” He nodded.
They turned and watched as one by one the other brothers joined them. Roman looked at each of them before explaining, ‘When I was ten years old, I fell prey to a monster. This man liked to inflict pain and terror on little kids. He was a rapist and a degenerate. He lived in a big house somewhere between St. Petersburg and Moscow. But because of a kind old lady, he never got his hands on me. She warned me not with her words but with a look of kindness that warned me to beware. Because of that look, I was able to defend myself and for once the bastard didn’t get what he wanted from me. Later in life, I searched for this man to finally face him and make him pay for what he tried to do to me but I never could find him. Tonight, I faced him finally. And do you know what? I found he was only an evil old man. My child mind had built him up to be a monster and in some ways, he was but he was also just a man. Just a flesh and blood man.”
“That’s all any of us are,” Sazon told him.
Roman nodded and looked at Yuri. “Did she come back yet?”
Yuri shook his head. “No she didn’t and Benny is getting worried. He thinks she’s out there all alone.”
Barshan chuckled. “He thinks he’s going to kick your ass for hurting her.”
“He’d have that right and I might just let him,” Roman admitted. “I did hurt her. I forgot for a moment, she couldn’t hear soft sounds. I think she read it that I felt pity for her? I messed up. I know this.”
“I think this woman will be good for you,” Mikial offered his opinion. “I think we’re all damaged in some small insignificant way. We all carry our own scars.”
“She isn’t damaged,” Roman insisted hotly. “Like the rest of us she’s been hurt by life but she’s learned to adapt.”
“I didn’t mean that in a bad way,” Mikial insisted. “What I meant was that she’s strong enough to handle the hot mess that is you. None of us are easy men. Easy men in our world didn’t live very long. We’re all old enough and tough enough to be set in our ways. Our one redeeming factor is that we all found women strong enough to stand up to us and that makes us all blessed.”
Taking a deep breath, Roman looked at the four men he considered his brothers. “Now all I have to do is find her and tell her that she means the world to me and find a way to convince her to stay with me.”
They turned and headed back to the house. “So did they get the ball rolling to get Baton Rouge under control?” Yuri asked.
Roman grinned. “They did indeed. Caulder and his minions are gone. Maude Harris is taken care of and the Kings Crew is under new management. Silas told me to pass along a message to Benny and Stevie.”
“Oh, what was that?” Barshan asked.
“He wants them to stay away from the city. He told me that they didn’t deserve the pain they grew up with and it would be better if they could just forget everything and start over somewhere better.”
“So if you can find her, is he going to stay as well?” Mikial asked.
Roman shrugged. “They come as a package. He is as much her brother as you all are mine. Can’t fault her or him for that. Can’t have one without the other and that’s ok with me.” Roman grinned widely. “He can teach your children life lessons.”
“Lord help us,” Yuri commented.
Roman and his brothers laughed as they disappeared into the house.
A couple of hours later, Roman came outside and walked toward the trees in his backyard. His friends had gone home and Sazon had taken Benny with them for the night. When he found Ana was a blademaster, the boy had gotten so excited, he begged her to teach him how to hold a sword. He didn’t know where to look for Stevie. He had to just hope she was okay.
As Roman walked around his yard, he looked to the sky. It was late afternoon now almost dusk and he could see the brilliant colors of the sunset coming out. The reds, yellows and oranges blended together fading into the blues and purples.
He found the bench just inside the tree line and sat down for a moment. His mind raced with all the things he wanted to say to her and he thought he would rehearse everything he had to say. He didn’t know why but suddenly he heard Silas’ advice again, Stevie liked looking at the stars and being up so far was a great place to hide.
He gazed upward at the canopy of trees. He had a feeling Stevie was near. He hoped she could see his words. It was crazy he knew but he hoped she would. “My life has never been an easy one. I’ve had to fight for everything I ever had so why should this be any different. I’m not an easy man as it was pointed out to me earlier but I like to think I am a fair man. Or at least I’ve tried to be. I know what it’s like to be judged for what I don’t have. My mother walked out on me and my little brother when we were just kids. We had struggled for years and I guess she just couldn’t do it anymore. My brother was little more than a baby at the time and I tried to take care of him the best I could but I was only six at the time and what does a six year old know about taking care of babies? We needed food one day, so I left him alone while I went out to steal something for our supper. I was only gone for an hour and when I got back, he was gone. Someone had broken in and taken him. I went crazy for a while but I never found him again. I couldn’t go to the police about his disappearance because then they would have put me in an orphanage and living on the streets even as young as I was, was preferable to that. The orphanages in Russia were full of children dying and not living long. His name was Vladimir. I have a hole in my heart when I think of him, so I try not to do that. Except when I am lost in my memories and then I pray for his soul. I would pray he is safe and warm and has enough food to fill his belly. He was only two when he disappeared so I’ll never know if he survived or not.” He looked down at the ground under his feet.
When he looked up again he continued, “I’ve never told anyone about him, not even my brothers. I just couldn’t bring myself to say his name. I failed my brother when he needed me the most and that failure haunts me to this day.” Taking a deep breath, he continued his story, “Yuri reminded me today that we all have our demons. Well, I laid one of my biggest to rest today, along with one of yours. Mrs. Harris will never bother you or Benny again. Neither will any of her sons. You and Benny are free of them forever. You won’t ever have to look over your shoulder and imagine them lurking behind you and the world will be a better place because of it. I met your friend Silas today and he wanted me to pass along a message to you. He wanted you to stay away from Baton Rouge. He said that place was no good for either of you that the city held too many bad memories for the two of you and he hopes you find a place that will give you everything you deserve. A kind place.”
He looked around the trees and sat there for a moment. Then he again lifted his face upward to the trees.
“Stevie, when I met your eyes the first time, I felt a connection. I’ve never had that before. I never believed in real love, I’d never know it so how could I believe in something like that? My own mother didn’t love me enough to stay, so how could anyone else love me? She never told me who my father was, so I never had the chance to find out if he could have loved me either, or if he even wanted a son. But when I looked in your eyes, I saw something in them that I suddenly, wanted. I think our souls recognized each other. Then you came to my bed and for the first time in my life, I had something I’d only ever dreamed about before, something I never knew was out there. When I made love to you, you gave me all of you. We didn’t just share our bodies, we shared our souls and I found something I didn’t know I was missing.”
He exhaled heavily.
“I know I’m not saying all the words the right way but I need you. I need you the same as I need the air to breathe. I know we’ve only known each other a few days but I can’t imagine life without you and Benny in it. You are the other half of my soul, I didn’t know I was missing. I know I’m older than you are and I’ve lived a whole other lifetime but I want to spend the rest of my days with you. I want to grow old with you, I want a family with you, and I never thought I’d ever say those words to anyone. When you grow up with nothing and no one to call your own, you never imagine that someday you might find your other half, but with you, I did. When I hold you in my arms, I feel whole and complete. I need you to come back to me sweetheart. I won’t make it without you. In a very short amount of time, you have become my everything. You filled the darkness inside me that I wasn’t aware I had with light. If that isn’t love, then I don’t know what is.”
Silence greeted him.
“Please come back to me. Don’t leave me hanging all alone out here. I need you, Benny needs you. I won’t ever be the same if you leave me all alone.” He sat there for a few minutes then looked up toward the heavens again. There in the branch of the tree he was sitting under was Stevie. She was looking down at him with tears running down her cheeks.
Roman gave her a smile that lit up his eyes. “There you are. Are you coming down?” His words were slowly spoken but he did notice, she was watching his lips carefully.
Stevie swung down from the branch and walked over to the bench where he sat. Squatting down she looked at him. Tears tracked down her cheeks. “What are you trying to say? I heard most of what you said but not all.”
Roman reached out and placed his hands around her face. “I’m trying to tell you that I love you. It must be love because I’ve never felt this for anyone else before. I had a life that was empty really and never knew it, till I held you in my arms.”
Stevie leaned forward and brushed his lips with hers. “I know exactly how you feel. You fill me up like I’ve never been filled up before. I don’t know if its love either but it must be something like that. I’m sorry I ran away but I was so afraid. Afraid of what I was feeling, afraid of losing control, afraid I needed you like I’ve never needed anyone else before. I’ve only had to worry about me and Benny before but that’s not the same thing. Our worry was about survival and safety. This has nothing to with those things. This worry made my heart hurt. The first night we were together, I woke up early and watched you sleep for a few minutes. For the first time in so long, I was warm. Warm from the inside out. Do you know what I felt at that moment?”
Roman shook his head but didn’t say anything.
“I knew I was safe, I knew Benny was safe and that we didn’t have to worry anymore. We didn’t have to run anymore, we’d never have to look over our shoulder, or watch the crowds for danger. I could go to sleep and just sleep.” When she dropped her head and laid it on his thigh, her voice dropped to a whisper. “Then when you looked at me when you realized I couldn’t hear your words, that look about broke my heart. I could see in your eyes just how damaged I really was and it just hurt so bad, I couldn’t stand it.”
Roman lifted her face to his. “I don’t think you’re damaged at all. I love you just the way you are. Life wasn’t good to you that’s all, but its ok it wasn’t good to me either. Despite what life threw at us, we survived and we found each other and that’s all that matters.”
“Where is Benny?”
“My brother Sazon has him for the night. He wanted to see Ana play with her swords.”
Stevie ran her fingers up and down Roman’s chest. “Then we have the house to ourselves?”
“Da.” He smiled.
She tilted her head at him.
“Yup,” he emphasized the p in yup.
She smiled and leaned closer. “Then what are we doing still out here?” she whispered in his ear. Nibbling on his lobe, she saw his shiver. Then her world was turned upside down, as Roman lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder.
Stevie giggled as Roman marched down to the house. He entered through the back door and headed straight to his bedroom. He tossed her on the bed and followed her down. Reaching over, he turned on the lamp and took a moment to just stare at her.
She reached up, wrapped her hand around his neck and drew him to her. “Please,” she whispered. “Make love to me.”
Roman groaned and covered her body with his own. He could feel his cock lengthen and thicken as his blood rushed to fill it. Her kisses were sweeter than honey and he breathed in deeply. Yes, the scent of chocolate and cinnamon.
Roman began peeling off her clothes layer by layer. Between layers, he spread kisses all over her body. When he uncovered her breasts, he licked and sucked her tender flesh into his mouth.
She groaned when his lips closed over her nipple and he bit down gently.
When his fingers went to undo her jeans and he pulled them down her arousal hit him like a freight train. He moved down, settled himself within her thighs and licked her lower lips.
Stevie grew wetter than before and she grabbed his head and held him to her. Roman swiped her core again and again. Then he pushed two fingers deep inside her. She was tight and wet and oh, so hot.
He began pushing and pulling, imitating the sexual act he really desired but as tight as she still was he knew he had to get her ready to take him. He wanted her bad tonight which meant he didn’t think he could be gentle with her. He wanted her to be wild and he wanted her to explode in his arms. He began to nibble on her clit as Stevie grabbed his head and ground herself into his mouth. Moaning, she lifted her hips and he pushed his fingers in deeper. He felt her body tighten and then he heard her cry out.
Roman began to lick up her gushing wetness while he worked to rip his own clothes off. He pushed his jeans and underwear down to his thighs and then couldn’t wait any longer. He surged into her waiting core and at once, he could feel her heat wrap around him. He groaned and pushed himself in deeper.
His body felt alive as he pumped in and out of her. With each stroke, he felt himself go in just a bit deeper. A few strokes later, he felt her body tighten and then he felt her fall apart in his arms. It was kind of like corralling lightning, the feeling of it ignited his own climax. Then he was pouring his essence deep inside her and he groaned as he held himself stiff for a moment.
When he began to plunge in and out of her again, it only took a few strokes before he felt her ignite a second time. This time, she screamed his name and Roman couldn’t help but smile. She flooded his cock. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. Pressing kisses into his neck Roman felt a part of himself deep inside his chest warm up and come alive. He hadn’t known that part of him was so cold until now.
Moving away just enough so she could see his face, he whispered, “I love you.”
Stevie smiled. “I love you too.”
“Please don’t leave me again,” he murmured. He began nibbling and licking up and down on her neck from the base of her shoulders to the bottom of her ear as he followed the artery there. He felt her pulse quicken with his touch and he smiled. “I think we both need some rest.” He followed along her clavicle spreading tiny kisses from her shoulder to her elbow.” But first…” He rose up and went to get a warm wet washcloth.
He came back and gently cleaned her up.
Stevie laid there watching his gentle ministrations with warmth and love in her eyes.
Roman noted that her haunted look was gone. The one she had when he met her. He felt such emotion he had to keep his eyes from tearing up. He tossed the cloth to the table and took her up in his arms.
Stevie leaned into his caress and when Roman slipped over to her side, she followed and they laid on the side facing each other.
He picked up her hand and kissed each of her fingertips. Then he leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. Making his way up to her eyelids, he murmured in her right ear, “Rest. It’s been a long day and tomorrow will be here before you know it.”
Stevie wrapped her arms around him. “Let’s rest together then. I don’t want to wake up alone.”
Roman turned onto his back and held her to him. He grasped her face so she would look at him as he spoke, “You will never have to worry about that again.” Wrapping his arm around her waist, he tucked her head down on his chest. Pulling the blanket up to cover them both, he flipped off the light and settled in. Closing his eyes, he was overcome by a feeling of rightness.