Page 107 of Precious Legacy

“I know,” he smirks. “But I gotta enforce some authority here.” He lets out a gentle laugh as I leave his office to head upstairs.

I realize just like downstairs that nothing’s really changed. The walls are still deep mahogany panels lining the lower half of the walls, an olive green painted above, separated by white, wooden borders. I follow the panel on my left to Lani’s room, stopping outside for a brief moment when I see the crack of light below the door.

Gathering my thoughts, I push through slowly to find her curled up on her bed. Her eyes are closed, but I know she’s awake. I don’t make a sound as I strip off my damp clothes and slide in beside her. Her warm body immediately melts into mine and I relish in the feeling.Thisis what I’ve been wanting all night, and I’ve finally got it.

“Is he…dead?” she whispers against my neck, her fingers curling around me.

My hand strokes a path down her spine. “Yeah, baby.”

Pulling away, she peers back at me.

I frown, pausing my ministrations to look down at her. Her gaze locks with mine and it’s like seeing her for the first time. Her lips curl into a delicate smile. Even though her eyes are soft, I can see the fire beneath them; the angry little minx that she is.

“Good,” she sighs, nuzzling back into me. “I’m sorry,” she croaks.

“For what?”

“For not listening to you,” she shrugs. “For thinking I could do this alone. For blaming you when I was attacked, even though it wasn’t your fault.”

Sadness laces her words, stabbing me through the chest. My brows scrunch together as my hold around her waist tightens. I want to tell her that apologizing isn’t an option. She had every right to blame me for what happened because I blame myself just as much. If I wasn’t a fucking coward and just explained everything, she wouldn’t have gotten wasted that night and wound up at the club. She wouldn’t have been attacked.

“You have every right to blame me, Presh. I was an asshole, thinking I could walk away from?—”

She presses a finger to my lips, effectively silencing me. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m just glad you were there tonight.”

“I told you, Presh.” I lift her chin with one finger and run my nose along hers. “Nobody touches you. No one. I’d kill every single fucker that ever thought they could touch you, anyone who dares to look at you.”

“That’ll be a lot of people, Ro.” She laughs, and it’s the lightest thing I’ve heard all night despite the gravelly sound.

“Believe it, Presh. I’d burn the fucking world down for you, and I can guarantee that not a single flame will lick your skin.”

FORTY-ONE

My lungs burn like a match has been lit in my chest, fire licking at the walls inside until every breath hurts.

“Such a shame… you were my best student.”

My airways constrict. I’m gasping, clawing at the edges until I shoot out of bed. Sweat clings to my skin while I chase the oxygen I’ve been deprived of. My entire body aches from Prescott’s assault. My ribs, my throat, my face. I don’t even want to look in the mirror for fear of what I might see. Roman’s reaction earlier tonight was enough.

“Presh,” Roman’s voice clears my head, gentle yet hoarse. It soothes my erratic heartbeat like a balm to the soul.

Turning, I look back at where he’s laid, arms outstretched and waiting for me. His hair is a mess, probably from our impromptu shower last night where he focused more on cleaning me and keeping me warm than he did on drying himself off. His suit is in a damp heap on the floor, meanwhile I couldn’t find the energy last night to get out of the soft beige tee and matching joggers he put me in.

I fall against his chest, the only safe space I need right now. His embrace is like a security blanket protecting me from theworld. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt like I need it. I know that doesn’t make me weak, but I’ve spent so long trying to prove to everyone around me that I can look after myself that actually needing someone feels alien.

“It’s okay, you’re safe.” His fingers comb through my hair as my mind reels back to last night. I honestly don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t arrived when he did.Nothing, because you’d be dead.I’m still in shock after everything that happened, but the one thing I wasn’t expecting was relief. Relief that Prescott is gone.

I shiver as my turbulent thoughts race around my head. Daylight is breaking, casting shadows through the unlit room. I don’t even want to think about what’s going to happen to me next week. No doubt Prescott’s death will be announced everywhere, I’ll probably be investigated since he was at my apartment, and I’ll inevitably be kicked out of the program. The latter isn’t my biggest concern, not anymore. But the thought of what this spells for me and my family is definitely what has me worried the most.

Letting Roman’s warmth wrap around me, I finally drift off back to sleep. He brings a kind of peace I never thought he could. Through our rollercoaster of a relationship, he’s somehow managed to calm me, like a silent promise of tranquility. It isn’t until I wake up again to the cold side of the bed that the panic returns.

Pushing out of the bed, I make my way to the bedroom door. I can hear voices; gentle voices that envelop around me and have me exhaling heavily. There’s several of them, all familiar, yet they feel so far away. I head downstairs, following them until I’m outside the kitchen.

“I thought all that shit was put to rest?” I hear Roman’s dad huff.

“There was no way of knowing,” my own father replies.

The floorboards creak beneath my bare feet, causing the conversation in the kitchen to pause. I peek my head out sheepishly. I should know better than to listen in, but I’m still self-conscious about my current state.

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