Chapter 12 - WHAT ROMAN SAW
“I followed my father.”
Roman’s voice was quiet.
We sat inside the cabin.
Nobody touched the coffee Marcus made.
Roman stared at the floor.
“I heard him arguing with Elias.”
My father nodded.
“Victor accused me of giving documents to investigators.”
“What happened?” I asked.
Roman swallowed.
“My father hit him.”
“With what?”
“A tire iron.”
My father touched the scar near his temple.
Roman continued.
“Elias fell.”
I felt sick.
“I thought he was dead.”
My father looked at me.
“I wasn’t.”
“Roman?”
He nodded.
“My father told Malcolm to handle the body.”
My hands went cold.
“And you left?”
Roman looked ashamed.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I was seventeen.”
The words sounded small.
Too small.
I stood.
“You watched my father get beaten and walked away.”
“Sadi.”
“No.”
Roman stood too.
“I came back.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Two hours later.”
My father spoke.
“He found me.”
Roman nodded.
“Malcolm hadn’t killed him. He had hidden him in a truck.”
“Why?”
“To use him against Victor.”
Roman looked at me.
“I helped Elias escape.”
My anger faltered.
“You did?”
“He drove me to a bus station,” my father said.
Roman continued.
“I gave him cash.”
“Then why didn’t you tell the police?”
“My father owned half the police department.”
“And why didn’t you tell me when we met?”
Roman’s voice broke slightly.
“Because I was ashamed.”
That answer hurt.
Not because it was cruel.
Because it was human.
“I fell in love with you before I understood who you were.”
He stepped closer.
“When I realized your father was Elias Monroe, I panicked.”
“You should have told me.”
“I know.”
“You let me marry you without knowing.”
“Yes.”
I wiped tears away.
“I don’t know how to trust you right now.”
Roman’s face went pale.
“I understand.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s true.”
My father stood.
“Sadi, Roman saved my life.”
I looked at him.
“And then both of you decided I didn’t deserve the truth.”
Neither answered.
That silence told me everything.
My phone rang.
Marcus.
I answered.
“What?”
His voice was urgent.
“Trevor woke up.”
“And?”
“He gave police Malcolm’s encrypted drive.”
“That’s good.”
“No.”
Marcus paused.
“There’s a video on it.”
“What video?”
“Your mother.”
My heart stopped.
“What about her?”
May you like
Marcus’s voice dropped.
“She knew Elias was alive.”
