Page 3 of Roman

“Roman? Can I have a minute with my husband?”

“Sure thing babe. You quit being a stubborn asshole. I know it’s in your DNA but knock it off. We need a healthy pres.” I smack him on the shoulder as I walk out of the room.

“How is he?” Show asks as I round the corner into the waiting room.

“Broody.”

“What else is new?” Sage laughs.

“They are running tests now. He seems to be normal though. There’s Jordyn.” I nod to the small woman walking toward us.

“Hey guys.” She gives us a forced smile and then looks at her phone again. “Thank you for coming. I might need help getting him strapped to the bed so the doctors can actually help him.” She knows her husband all too well. And so do we.

“I’m sure it’s nothing, Jordyn. The man is always so pissy it’s probably just stress.” I try to assure her when, honestly, it could be several things. All of us are getting older and we really don’t want to admit it.

“Jordyn?”

“Yes. That’s me.” Jordyn reaches out and squeezes my arm. “I will let you know what is going on as soon as I do.” She then follows the person whom I’m guessing is the doctor back into Brood’s room.

“The look on that guy’s face was grim as fuck.” Sage shakes his head and then rubs his hand over his scalp. The man has gone completely gray now and keeps his hair cut close to his head. I cut my hair short too some years back but not because of age or gray.

“Let’s get some coffee. This is probably going to take a while,” I suggest.

“Afraid you are probably right brother.”

2

Roman

The dancing and the fucking have gotten boring. Mindless chatter and promises of pleasure have grown stale. Every woman I look at, touch, interests me no more. Even the one trying her best to get my cock hard. Her tits rub up against my chest while her hands drift between my outstretched legs. She at least knows not to speak.

Mist came here a couple of years back. She had purple hair then. Now it’s jet black, which made her more appealing when I first started fucking her. Now… I know the face that goes along with that jet black hair, and it isn’t the one I want. “Not tonight Mist.” Her pouty face peers up at me. “Go on.” I jerk my chin for her to take the hint. She does, getting up without complaint and making herself useful to one of the other brothers.

“Not up for companionship tonight Roman?” Show comes to take a seat next to me.

“Don’t you have a family to get home to?” I grumble and take another swig from the bottle in my hand. It’s nearly empty, I’ve been working on it all night. I will just blame my uninterested cock on the whiskey.

“Cam and Sarah have all the kids at our place.” I nod in understanding. No way would I want to be in the middle of that either. I like kids and all but to have that many rug rats running around hopped up on sugar is not what I would call a fun time. “Brood coming home soon?” Our President ended up needing to have a stent put in his heart because of blockage. Thankfully it wasn’t more serious than that. The whole situation has been forcing me to remember things that I have kept buried for years. Or at least I have tried not to feel them as much on the surface. Each day since I lost, no, since I let my sister die, I have felt that pain and guilt trying to force its way out.

“Yeah. Should be home any time. Got a text they were releasing him today. Don’t know why he hasn’t showed up yet.” Jordyn probably wanted him all to herself for a bit before he gets back to the club. After thinking he might die, I can’t say I blame her. I rub at my chest. I’m not too far off from Brood’s age, and nowhere near as fit as him. Sure as fuck am not healthy in any way. That shit could have been me; itshouldhave been me.

“Surreal huh? Who would have thought we would get old? Fuck, when I came to this club I was on top of the damn world. Nothing could touch me. Now when I take a punch it takes longer to heal. And hurts more than it did before.” Show is our fighter, the one who used to fight all the future prospects. Now we rely on Poe for that. He was trained by Show himself and is almost just as good. If he doesn’t have his head up his ass.

“Don’t know about you fucker but I’m still on top of the world.” I stand up from my chair and take one last swig from my bottle before handing it over to Show. He takes it and finishes off the rest. “But being on top of the world is tiresome. I need to sleep.” He waves me off as I walk over to the door leading to the apartment up above the bar. I make sure to lock it behind me in case any of the club girls decide to get bold after having too many drinks. I take the stairs as steady as I possibly can, given my drunken state. At the top the place opens up into a loft and I drop right down onto the bed, face first. Then I roll over. I haven't moved anything since the last occupant moved out. Or rather, was forced out. All of her things still remain in place. When she left, she didn’t take a thing with her. Her clothes are still in the drawers. Shampoo still in the small shower. I couldn’t throw them out. Maybe I was hoping that she would come back to get them. Come back just to bitch my ass out one more time. She never did. I made sure to keep tabs on her but somewhere along the way her trail went cold. I was always tempted to have Reek, our tracker, find her, but I forced myself to let it go. Lethergo. It was my fault she left after all.

Turning to the side I find the picture she left sitting next to the bed. It’s of her and her father when she was a kid. Maybe twelve or so. They are both smiling and have their arms slung around each other. It’s the only picture I have of her but I can remember exactly what she looked like the day she left. Long dark hair that hung down to her ass was pulled up in a messy bun on top of her head. She had a jean jacket on that covered a gray band tee shirt and a pair of tight dark jeans that lead down to a pair of boots that went up to her knees. The top of her head came to my jawline as she slapped me across the face and told me how much she hated me. Then, those beautiful eyes of hers filled with tears she didn’t dare let fall in front of the gawking crowd that watched our very public fight. She hated me. Cursed the day she ever met me. Then she left. Just like I wanted her to. Just like she had to so I never got the chance to really hurt her because I would have. It’s what I always do. No matter how much I love something it doesn’t matter what or who it is, it breaks. Breaks into a million pieces from my own doing.

She’s gone now though. Far away and safe from me.

3

Pria

The pounding in my chest is nothing compared to the pounding in my ears as I put the car in park and step out. It’s been fourteen years since I stormed out of these doors and never looked back. So many that I thought coming back would be easier. It's only that much harder. I know as soon as I step through those heavy brown doors that everything will change but everything already has and I need help. Their help.

Hishelp.

There is no other way.

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