Page 35 of Roman

Charlotte nearly jumped off the couch.She had been sure he was still out for the count.

He slowly lifted his head, his face surprisingly healed.When they brought him back, his eye had been sealed shut, and his face beaten to a pulp.Yet here he was, staring at her with deep blue eyes and a face covered in blood but seemingly no wounds.

“It’s okay.I won’t hurt you.My name is Declan.There are people looking for you,” he whispered, glancing around the warehouse to ensure that all the guards were preoccupied.

“How do you know this?”she asked slowly, moving to the end of the couch, trying to get closer to him.

“They sent me and others in search of these demons and to confirm they had a girl named Charlotte with them.”

“Roman,” Charlotte whispered to herself.He really is coming for me.“What are they going to do to you?”

“Shh, he’s coming,” Declan whispered, once again falling limp.

He’s been pretending this whole time,Charlotte realized.He must have been waiting for her to wake up and for Tora to leave.

The guard came back and threw a water bottle at her, then walked back over behind the pallets where some of the other guards were laughing and having a smoke, leaving her alone with Declan.

Charlotte opened the water, gulping it down.She was so thirsty she drank half of the bottle before taking a breath.She looked over at Declan, who hung there, staring at the water.He glanced at her and realized what she was thinking.

“Don’t.It’s not worth it if you get caught,” he said, shaking his head.

Charlotte ignored him.“The guards aren’t even watching us,” she said, looking around the warehouse quickly.Then, as quietly as she could, she hopped off the couch and rushed over to him, ignoring his pleas for her to stay away.

“Just shut up and drink,” she whispered, standing on her tiptoes and reaching her arm up with the water bottle, touching it to his bloodied lips.

She tilted the bottle, and he swallowed hurriedly, water running down his chin, washing some blood away and revealing tanned skin.As he watched her while he drank, she realized his deep blue eyes were the color of the ocean.He pulled his head away.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile that lit up his entire face, making Charlotte want to fan herself.

“You’re welcome.”She couldn’t help but smile back.

“Hey, what the hell’s going on?”someone yelled from across the warehouse.

Charlotte turned to flee back to the couch, but it was too late.Two guards had already made their way over to them.As Charlotte tried to sit down, one guard backhanded her so hard she spun and landed on the couch.She could feel blood pooling from the corner of her mouth, her cheek throbbing.

“Don’t touch her, you piece of shit.I made her give me the water,” Declan yelled angrily.The sound of his chains banging against the wall rang throughout the warehouse.

“Well, is that right?”one guard sneered.

Turning their attention to Declan, they started beating him relentlessly.

“Leave him alone,” Charlotte screamed, running over and trying to pull one guard off him.

The guard grabbed her by the arm painfully, punching her in the face.She fell to the ground, her head spinning as pain exploded through her face.His fist had connected with her left cheekbone, and she was pretty sure by the amount of pain she was experiencing that he’d broken it.She tried to get up off the floor; the guards were still beating Declan, who was no longer making any noise.The instant she tried to stand up, she fell back to the ground, her legs wobbly and her vision blurring.

“What the fuck?”Tora’s angry voice echoed loudly through the warehouse.

Charlotte could see Tora stalking toward them, and she was furious.The guards immediately stopped beating Declan, both now standing silently and watching the witch make her way over to them.

“You better have a good explanation for this,” she snapped, looking back and forth between them, then looking at the unconscious Declan.She turned to Charlotte, looking surprised as her eyes scanned her cheek and her bleeding mouth.Tora turned back to the guards.“What happened to her face?”she asked in a calm, deadly voice.

“I-I-I, um, hit her,” the man answered.

“Why?”Tora asked.

“We caught her giving the Lycan some water.”

Tora put her hands on her hips.“You caught her giving him water, so you took it upon yourself to hit her?The boss’s prized possession.The one thing in the world he will do anything for.And you thought to strike her and mark up her face?”

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