My adrenaline pumped through me as I passed through his father’s office door. I pulled up when I saw the large form of Taylor’s dad flanked by two more men in black in an awkward stare down with Mr. Martinez who looked less than composed. His face was reddened under his tanned skin, and his usually perfect, movie star hair with never a strand out of place was disheveled. He was rattled, although he pulled himself together and straightened his cufflinks and said, “It’s only a minor disagreement among family, Richard, nothing to be concerned about. You know, boys will be boys, and my sons were trying to settle a dispute.”
A minor disagreement? My shock had subsided long ago at what Roman’s dad would say. He’ll get his, I thought. I glanced past the two older, stately men and saw Roman sitting on the sofa next to Antoni who had blood seeping down his mouth and his nose swollen and crooked. One eye was puffy and almost closed. Roman glared in revulsion at his father. When he shifted, he spotted me. His face softened as he shot up and strode my way. “Theodora.” He said my name in his husky baritone voice. One word. The way he said it, it meant a thousand different things, and I just wanted to fall into his arms. His words were a language I wanted to inhale and speak. I should’ve been cautious, should’ve doubted his motives, but he went after his brother to help me. His own blood.
However, I would not let his family off the hook. I held up a hand causing him to slow his steps. He stopped in front of me with a caution I’d never seen before. When Roman wanted something, he took. But now, he was a little apprehensive. He should’ve been. I should’ve been.
I turned away narrowing my gaze at Antoni. “You won’t get away with this. And Daddy can’t buy or bribe his way out of this either. I will seek justice for my mother and I. That’s the least we deserve.”
Roman’s brother glanced up at his father with blood crusted on his mouth and face void of any emotion. “She was trying to blackmail you. Ruin our family. I was only doing what you couldn’t. Didn’t have the wherewithal to do. I only wanted to right this situation. It seems I’m the only one with a clear head around here. At least I didn’t lose my mind over cheap pussy.”
“Antoni,” Mr. Martinez warned. “Don’t say another word.”
“Why? I saw what happened. I saw how her mother tried to manipulate you. I heard the conversations you had. I. Knew. Everything. She was going to tear our family apart.” He leveled his eyes on me. Cold and empty. “It’s a shame the neighbor stopped by your mother’s apartment that morning before her life ended.” He stood up and clicked his tongue. “Addiction is such a bitch, isn’t it?”
“It was you? You were there?”
He clapped slowly as he spoke with derision dripping from his voice. “How astute you are. Give this girl a prize.” He tilted his head. “That car accident did a number on her didn’t it? Back problems, losing another job, dabbling with pain medication.”
My hands closed over my mouth still stunned over what he did, the depths of his depravity although at this point I didn’t know why. “It’s over, Antoni,” Roman growled out. Tenseness radiated off his body.
“What is this Robert? What the hell are you involved in?” Taylor’s dad stared at him.
“I can explain,” he stammered.
“It’s nothing more than what you do on a daily basis, Mr. Future Lieutenant Governor. We just do it on a smaller scale,” Antoni intervened leaning one hand on his father’s desk.
“I don’t know who you think you are talking to me that way, but I would advise you to shut the hell up because you seem to be in deep shit as is. I am an honorable man, well respected in the community, in the state, I’ll—”
“Well, I beg to differ,” Antoni interjected calmly and raised a pistol twisting the handle in his hand as he examined it in fascination. “I have more to say, and you will listen.”
“Antoni, no!” Robert cried out.
“This ends tonight, so turn a blind eye, Papá. It could get messy.” With gun in hand he extended his arm, taking aim…straight at me. His finger curled around the trigger. I had no time to ponder my death because I was thrown to the floor and heard the loud explosion of two shots fired.
I shivered, as I stood squinting my eyes at the lights flickering around me outside wrapped in a blanket one of the EMTs gave me after having been examined for any more injuries. I watched two other men wheel a stretcher by us with the outline of a body well hidden under white sheets. Antoni. As soon as the shot went off one of Richard’s bodyguards aimed and fired back. One fatal shot changed a family dynamic forever.
Roman and his father were standing off to the side talking to police officers. Mr. Martinez looked like he might faint at any minute. When he finally stepped away from the two men, he was distraught coming toward me with face sagging in what. Grief? Disbelief? Fear of this ordeal leaking out?
“I’m so sorry. So sorry,” he murmured reaching tentatively out to me. “I loved your mother. When she told me she was pregnant, I was shocked. Neither one of us wanted to have another child, since we were older, and I was angry.” He shook his head. “I said some things I shouldn’t have, but I would never try to harm her. Antoni didn’t understand. He wasn’t thinking straight.” He swiped his palm over his face, and his shoulders sagged. “Oh God, Virginia tried to warn me.”
I didn’t have words for him, didn’t think I ever would. Out of my peripheral, I noticed an officer approaching, ready to hear my statement, and I walked around Mr. Martinez saying nothing. He didn’t deserve my forgiveness. This night had taken a toll on me, and I just wanted to go home and curl up in my bed. Luckily, the party was long since over when everything went down. I felt like I’d relived this in my head a thousand times already this evening.
Roman kept glancing at me as he spoke to a cop. When their conversation ended, he strode straight to me. His face paled as he stared down at the bandage peeking out midway from the bustline of my blood-stained dress. “I was so worried.” He brought out his hand; his fingers lightly traced the gauze covering my skin. “If anything would’ve happened to you.”
“I’m fine,” I murmured. “You saved my life.”
“It never should’ve come to this. I didn’t know.” He peered at me helplessly. “I told you I would protect you always.”
“You lied to me.”
“You think I wanted to?” he asked with no filter and was in my space like a grand meteor about to cause destruction. That was he. That was Roman in a nutshell. “I will never lie to you. Ever. Again.”
“He loves you, Theo. Always has,” Taylor said quietly beside me. “I’m sorry for what I did. I was jealous of your relationship. I wanted to experience love too on my terms. I swear on my life I didn’t know Antoni’s plans.”
I wanted to believe Taylor. I wanted to believe Roman. I wanted to hear the words from him.
“What the hell is going on?” Richard finally interjected looking around like he’d just woken up from a bad dream and didn’t know whether it was true or not. He took a few steps closer with his arms spread wide waiting for an explanation.