Roman

5 - It's been eight months

Roman

“Roman?!” The pounding on my bathroom door drags me away from thoughts of Marley. “Roman, man, get out here!”

I roll my eyes, turn off the shower, and rush to dry myself off.

I wrap the towel around my waist and tear open the door. “What the fuc.k do you want, Trace?”

Trace is a complete asshole of a guy. He fuck.s anything that moves and doesn’t need an Old Lady, much like myself.

He was once engaged to Willow, our Sergeant-At-Arms, Hammer’s now wife, but he lost her through his own damn fault at not being able to keep his dic.k in his pants. What an absolute fool!

Who in their right mind would cheat on a woman like Willow?

Who the fuc.k am I to judge when I can’t keep my dic.k in my pants either?

I’m no different from Trace, not really. Except for the fact I wouldn’t cheat on any woman I’d committed to; I just wasn’t raised that way.

“You need to get out there and sort your girl, man,” I narrow my eyes at him while pulling on clean jeans and a t-shirt. “She’s going batshit out there.”

I sit on the edge of my bed, pulling my boots on. “She’s not my girl, Trace. How many fuckin’ times do I have to say it?”

“No?”

“Do you want me to knock your fuckin.g teeth out?” I yank on my cut and bare my teeth to the prick. I’m one of the biggest guys in this MC. The only guys bigger are Red and Hammer. This cunt would be like squashing a damn bug on my shoe.

“How about Marley? Is she still your girl?”

What the fuc.k is all this about?

I told every damn person here not to mention Marley’s name in my presence again. This fucke.r must have a death wish!

I take a deep breath and take a step toward him. I’m not above smacking this asshole in the head.

“Back up, Superman. I was sent in here to get you because Sasha is out there threatening Marley with death.”

“Marley is here?” My heart speeds up.

Why the hell would she come here?

It’s been months since she left, months with no word. All these months, wishing she’d come home to me, and now she’s here. Finally.

My heart starts to race, adrenaline pumping through me.

Marley is here!

“Marley asked a couple of Prospects where to find you, and they told her that you were in your room. If she’s here now, then she must want to see you. Marley was on her way here when Sasha grabbed her. Look, stand here talkin’ all fuckin’ day if you like, but Sasha’s...”

Trace doesn’t get to finish what he’s saying before I’m out the door like lightning. Marley is here, and she wants to see me. I don’t know what changed or why she wants to see me now, but it must be important if she’s willing to come out of hiding to find me.

I should be as mad as hell with Marley for the way she used me that night, for leaving me like I was nothing, and I think maybe I am a little. But all I want is to hold her in my arms and tell her everything will be okay. I want her to tell me what made her run from me.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Marley ran because she was scared of what she was feeling for me. She had been through so much, and perhaps she just needed time to work things out in her head.

I’m not mad at her; I just want to hold her. Christ, Marley fuckin.g made me soft in the fuckin.g head, but only where she’s concerned.

“... I mean it!”

What the hell is this?

I see Marley, her back to me, leaning against the wall on her left arm, kind of like a kid who’s being bullied at school and can’t face their tormentor. She’s wearing black leggings and a pair of brown ankle boots. I can see the long navy cardigan she’s wearing, but I can’t see the front of her at all. Her blond hair is braided down her back, but it’s messy.

What the fuc.k has Sasha done to her?

Speaking of Sasha. She’s being held back by Tank, but she’s hitting out at Marley, who isn’t even trying to protect her face.

What the fuc.k?

She’s doing nothing more than leaning her front toward the wall.

Why isn’t she defending herself?

“He’s mine now, bitc.h! Come back here again, and I’ll kill you!”

“What the fuc.k did you just say? You do not get to tell people whether they can come here or not! You are a club whor.e and have no right to act this way in my clubhouse!” Shi.t, the Prez. “You think you can stand here screaming like this, Sasha?”

“I’m sorry, Shepard. It’s just that this stupid bitc.h...”

“I’m not a bitc.h.” I barely heard Marley’s voice.

Why the hell is she just standing there?

She’s stronger than this; I know she is.

“I just needed to speak with Roman.” Just the sound of my name on her lips is enough to give me an instant hard-on.

“And I told you to stay away!”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. I didn’t know you were together. I’ll go now.”

“You’re not going anywhere!” I snap while making my move toward Marley.

All heads turn in my direction. My eyes lock with Sasha’s. She looks at me, her mouth hanging open slightly; I shake my head and turn away.

I reach Marley. She isn’t looking at me; her head is leaning against the wall, her arms folded around herself. “Baby, are you okay?” She looks up at me as I cup her face. “What the fuc.k?!” Her bottom lip is swollen on one side. “Did she hit you?”

Marley nods her head before turning her eyes away from me.

I don’t hit women; that’s not what this MC is about, but I swear to God, I could make an exception for Sasha right now.

“You hit her.” It wasn’t a question. “None of you fuckin’ stopped her?!”

“I stopped her, jackass!” Tank yells at me, still holding Sasha’s arm.

“I didn’t mean to hit her that hard, Roman. I was just...”

“Again, telling people that you’re with me.” I move closer and lean into her. “You are not now, and you never will be my Old Lady. Stop telling people that you are! She is my Old Lady!” I yell and point at Marley. No matter the fuc.k, she’s mine.

“She left you! She didn’t want you!” Sasha yells in retaliation. Brave girl.

Her fuckin.g job here is to take care of any free guy that needs taking care of, not act like a big bad girl who’s somebody here. She’s nobody. That’s the position she put herself in by becoming a club whor.e. No one forced her into it. It’s what she wanted.

“Eight months she’s been gone. Why the hell aren’t you over her yet? She doesn’t love you, Roman!”

“Yes, I do!” I turn my head a little. Marley is now right beside me, her hand on my arm. “I love him.” Her eyes lock with mine for a second before she turns back to Sasha. “I left for reasons I need tell no one but Roman, but I love him more than you know.”

She loves me?

Damn.