Page 89 of Barristers & Bones

“Ivan found out they’d told everyone those dead boys had run away. I knew we were fucked unless we got ourselves out.”

“How’d you get away?”

He put his free hand behind his head and gazed up at the sky. “We smuggled a few messages out to Xander’s little sister, but they caught him one day.”

I didn’t want to know, but I asked anyway. “What happened?”

“They mounted him on a doorframe by driving screwdrivers through his palms then whipped him until his back was a bloody mess. He still has nerve damage and nightmares.”

“What did they do to you?” I whispered.

He smiled mirthlessly. “They knew how to beat us without causing lasting damage but inflicting maximum pain, and they used deprivation and exposure regularly.” He gazed down at me. “I don’t want to give you nightmares, love. That’s all I’m going to tell you.”

Nodding, I patted his stomach. “Okay, I’ve got enough of my own. How long were you there?”

His hand spasmed against my shoulder, and Roman let out a long breath. “One year, three months, and five days. It felt like twenty years. Gideon and his agents got us out. Xander and his sister had a secret code, and Gia is the one who contacted the FBI.”

“How’d you find out who the owners were?”

“The same way Alexa did. Ivan is slowly digging them up, and we’ve methodically hunted them down over the years. They avoided prosecution because, like your father, they were in positions of power. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and we’ve taken our sweet time.” He ran his nose along my hairline and inhaled. “Drakos started going after the guards too. His mouth earned him a lot of enemies, and they seemed to target him more than the rest of us.”

“What does your tattoo mean?Veritas odium parit?” I asked as I trailed my fingers down its length.

“Truth breeds hatred.”

His words chilled me, and I slid closer to him, seeking his warmth. No wonder Roman wanted to cause my father whatever pain and anguish he could inflict. I couldn’t blame him.

“Where does Klim Hudson fit in?”

“His younger brother died there. He and Gideon helped us get some semblance of our lives back, and assisted us in getting into law school.”

It all finally clicked into place. “Klim tracked me down and offered me a partial scholarship. Then sent me to you and your firm on purpose, knowing who my father was.” He held me to him but didn’t answer. “When I asked you to release me from the internship, you refused.”

“Klim probably thought if we got to know you, it’d help us let go of our hate. But I want Montgomery Cross to pay.”

“By punishing me.” I pulled away from him and sat up.

He watched me carefully. “At first, before I knew you, and what he did to you.”

“And now? Do you still want revenge?”

“Yes.”

Pain coursed through me. His admission didn’t surprise me because his animosity and hatred were there when we first met. My subconscious had tried to warn me, but I couldn’t put the pieces together until Alexa unburied my father’s involvement in the Ranch. There was no reasonable explanation for Roman’s insistence on me being his intern–except this.

I sat up and slid off the lounger. He watched me with hooded eyes. “I’m sorry for what happened to all of you. You’ll never know how sorry.” I took a step back, despair rising in my throat. “But I won’t be a punching bag for him. He… doesn’t care about me, and I loathe him.”

Roman sat up. “You’re not leaving.”

I backed up. “I can’t be with you if you only want to hurt me. When you’re at work on Monday, I’ll come and get the rest of my things. Fenn and my cousins will watch over me until the situation with the Stracks settles down.”

He stood, and before I could get away, he snaked his hand out and grabbed my arm, pulling me into him. “I don’t want revenge from you, and Fenn won’t protect you like I will. Lionel tried to kidnap you today, and he’s desperate and wounded now.”

I struggled in his arms for a few seconds, then went limp. “You need to let me go before we get in too deep and hurt each other more than we already have.”

“No. I can’t.”

“I hate that word.”

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