Page 40 of The Editor’s Choice

“I lost those people, yes. But I lost those people because I chose you, Jade. No one made me make that choice. I did it freely and without regret. And should it come to it, I’ll make the exact same choice a million fucking times over.” The sincerity in his voice has me breaking, walls crumbling down around me.

I had never known what it was like to truly be chosen by someone before.

I clear my throat, intent on keeping the depth of the emotions his words pulled from me to myself for the time being. “So how do we go forward from here?” I ask, hellbent on changing the subject. I’m not one to dwell on my feelings for long, especially when other people are around.

“I have a plan,” he starts. “But it’s risky as hell.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Roman

“Let’s hear it,” she says without hesitation. We’ve moved from the kitchen to the living room now, having cleared away the rest of our dinner.

Jade is curled up on one side of the couch, feet pulled up underneath her, eagerly awaiting my explanation. I opted for the opposite side, facing her so we can talk things through.

This is a really bad idea, my gut seems to be screaming. There’s no way this is going to pan out well for us.

I exhale the deep breath I had been holding, reluctant to tell her my plan but unable to come up with anything else that has even the slightest chance of getting us out of this mess.

“It’s sketchy at best, and to be entirely honest, it could put us in a worse position in the end,” I begin. “I need to check with Sara to see if she can find out where the police stand on everything right now. Whether they’re still looking or if they’re any closer to figuring out that you killed her. That’s the first step.”

She nods but stays silent, eyes remaining dry. That’s progress. She hasn’t been able to hear of Emily’s death and her part in it without breaking down until now.

“From there, we will have to make a choice. If they are closer to finding you, we only have one real option as far as I can see.” Scrubbing my hand down my face and across the stubble on my jaw, I resign myself to the facts of the situation. “I need to get in contact with a couple of the guys I worked with. James’s guys. I could probably count on them to help us out, help cover our tracks and get the police away from the evidence trail. Plant new evidence somehow.”

“They would do that for you? Even after everything today?” she asks, doubt covering her face. “And how would they plant new evidence? This case started weeks ago. Without having an inside guy, I don’t see how they would manage that.” She shifts uncomfortably.

“Those are the easy parts truly. People will do most anything for the right price. The hard part is keeping it from getting back to James. He’s ruthless when it comes to anything he feels is a betrayal. And his guys helping us after he kicked us out today? That would be the ultimate betrayal, both from us and from them. The punishment would be… brutal, to say the least.” I can see the hesitation in her eyes, shadowed across her face. Who could blame her? This is a death sentence if it goes wrong, which is likely.

The only other option is to wait it out and hope for the best. Hope the police let it go cold, which I don’t feel is likely. In a town this size, murder never happens. They’re going to be desperate to get this one solved, whether it’s now or five years from now. At some point, it’s going to lead them to her doorstep.

The devastation in her face is gut wrenching. There aren’t a whole lot of things that affect my soul anymore, but every time this woman is hurting, it sets my blood on fire.

I reach for her hand, then pull her over to me, cradling her between my legs, arms wrapped around her lightly. “We’re going to figure this out. You know that, right?” I ask gently, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

“I don’t know, Roman,” she says, leaning her head back against my shoulder. An exasperated sigh leaves her lips, releasing the feeling of defeat into the air around us. That simply gesture has my heart aching. I want to fix it all, take away all the pain that she’s gone through, along with all the pain that has yet to come from this fucked up situation. None of this is going to be easy or painless.

“I know it’s overwhelming,” I start, holding her securely against me still. “And it’s okay to be scared about. Hell, I’d be a little worried if you weren’t. This is real life with some real life consequences,” I reassure. “But I’m not going anywhere, and we’re going to figure it out. Together. Come hell or high water, I’ve got your back.”

She wiggles into me, trying to get even a millimeter closer, seeking a comfort my words can’t provide. All I can do for now is wait. Time will prove everything I’ve said to be true. Or not.

Fuck. How the fuck are we gonna get out of this? I think as her breathing slows and she starts to relax in my arms.

I press a quick kiss to the side of her head, rousing her from her sleepy state. “Sorry, sweetness. No time for naps today,” I say as she protests, doubling down on staying warm and comfortable. She’s so adorable when she’s like this that it warms my heart just a little.

Stone cold heart turned to a pile of mush, I think, mentally chastising myself. This is going to cause so much trouble.

“Let’s get some take out and watch a movie,” I suggest, butterflies going wild in my stomach when her face lights up, bringing life back into her eyes for the first time today. “Your pick.” I think she might explode from excitement at the thought.

“In pajamas?” she questions, one eyebrow raised, not daring get too excited. I nod and watch her come to life. The smile on her face could eclipse the sun, all troubles forgotten temporarily.

Shaking my head, I smile at her giddiness, content that I was able to bring this side back to light for an evening at least. As she leaps up and heads to the kitchen for the take-out menus, I pull out my phone, dread filtering back in as I pull up the contact.

I need your help. And your discretion.

I fire off the text before slipping my phone back into my pocket right as Jade comes bounding back into the room, menus in hand.

“I can’t decide,” she pouts, laying the menus out on the coffee table. “Everything sounds good.”