really been so wrong? Was he really some monster from a fairy
tale? Nothing made sense and to make matters worse, her head was pounding and
her stomach felt like something was trying to eat its way out of her.
She threw her feet over the side of the bed at the same time that
Adele hollered, “Coffee’s ready. Cinnamon rolls in the oven. You want eggs?”
Cyn sighed then answered, “No. Coffee and rolls is good. Thanks.”
She could hear her best friend humming as she walked to the
bathroom. Looking in the mirror as she brushed her teeth, Cyn noted her pale
complexion and the dark circles under her eyes. After rinsing out her mouth,
she leaned closer to her reflection and shook her head. “Dadgummit, I need a
vacation.” Sighing, she left the bathroom and added in a mumble to herself,
“And a lobotomy to remove all traces of Roman Marinos from my brain.”
Chapter Seven
Walking away from that diner…from his Cynthia, had been the
hardest thing he’d had to do in his very long life. He wanted to rip the door
from the hinges, charge into that miserable bathroom, throw her over his
shoulder, and bring her to his home where she belonged. Every one of his
instincts screamed that she was his and he needed to claim her, but the rules
were clear…she had to come to him. It had been nearly five days and there was
still no word. When would this madness end?
Grabbing the receiver of his desk phone as it beeped for the
hundredth time, he snarled, “Marinos.”
“Mr. M-M-Marinos, s-s-sir, I was t-t-told to c-c-call with your
hourly update,” the stammering voice of the young man on the other end of the
phone sounded as if he might shake apart.
“Yes, and…” he growled through gritted teeth.
“W-W-Well, sir, it’s just th-th-that, well…”
Counting to ten as the man from Marinos Security spit and
sputtered, Roman was just about to scream when the young man finally was able
to stammer, “W-W-We’ve still been unable to locate either of the suspects.”
Seething, the King bellowed, “What do you mean you
cannot locate them? You are the most highly trained, highly paid, most
technologically advanced security force in the world and you cannot perform the
simple task of finding two people?” The windows behind him rattled as he
continued, “They have trackers for gods’ sake. How fucking hard can it be?”
“W-W-Well, Mr. M-M- M…”
“I have no time for your petty excuses.” Cutting off the man on
the phone as he pounded his clenched fist on the desk, ignoring the sound of
cracking wood, he roared, “You have twenty-four hours. Find them or you’re
fired.”
Slamming the receiver on the cradle, he actually reveled in the
sound of shattering plastic and the debris that flew through the air as his
desk phone was reduced to rubble. It resembled his heart as it continued to
crack and crumble with every passing minute he was separated from his fýlakas
tis kardiás mou.
Spinning on his heels at the sound of the door opening behind him,
Roman shouted , “I said no visitors.”
“And I said I am your Commander,” Viktor smiled as an obvious
courtesy since the humor did not reach his eyes. Looking at Roman’s desk, he
observed sarcastically, “I see you have been taking your anger out on inanimate
objects….again.” Shaking his head as he made himself a drink, he continued,
“You know they cannot call you if the phone is broken, yes?”
“Did you come here to chastise me or do you have a purpose?” Roman
turned to the window, trying to think of any place Valentina and Laurent might
be hiding.
“I will let your disrespect slide only because I know how hard it
is to be separated from the keeper of your heart.” He could hear Viktor walking
towards him and wasn’t surprised when his Commander grabbed his shoulder. “But
my patience is wearing thin and none of this is doing either one of you any
good. Finding Valentina and Laurent won’t change what has happened. You
tale? Nothing made sense and to make matters worse, her head was pounding and
her stomach felt like something was trying to eat its way out of her.
She threw her feet over the side of the bed at the same time that
Adele hollered, “Coffee’s ready. Cinnamon rolls in the oven. You want eggs?”
Cyn sighed then answered, “No. Coffee and rolls is good. Thanks.”
She could hear her best friend humming as she walked to the
bathroom. Looking in the mirror as she brushed her teeth, Cyn noted her pale
complexion and the dark circles under her eyes. After rinsing out her mouth,
she leaned closer to her reflection and shook her head. “Dadgummit, I need a
vacation.” Sighing, she left the bathroom and added in a mumble to herself,
“And a lobotomy to remove all traces of Roman Marinos from my brain.”
Chapter Seven
Walking away from that diner…from his Cynthia, had been the
hardest thing he’d had to do in his very long life. He wanted to rip the door
from the hinges, charge into that miserable bathroom, throw her over his
shoulder, and bring her to his home where she belonged. Every one of his
instincts screamed that she was his and he needed to claim her, but the rules
were clear…she had to come to him. It had been nearly five days and there was
still no word. When would this madness end?
Grabbing the receiver of his desk phone as it beeped for the
hundredth time, he snarled, “Marinos.”
“Mr. M-M-Marinos, s-s-sir, I was t-t-told to c-c-call with your
hourly update,” the stammering voice of the young man on the other end of the
phone sounded as if he might shake apart.
“Yes, and…” he growled through gritted teeth.
“W-W-Well, sir, it’s just th-th-that, well…”
Counting to ten as the man from Marinos Security spit and
sputtered, Roman was just about to scream when the young man finally was able
to stammer, “W-W-We’ve still been unable to locate either of the suspects.”
Seething, the King bellowed, “What do you mean you
cannot locate them? You are the most highly trained, highly paid, most
technologically advanced security force in the world and you cannot perform the
simple task of finding two people?” The windows behind him rattled as he
continued, “They have trackers for gods’ sake. How fucking hard can it be?”
“W-W-Well, Mr. M-M- M…”
“I have no time for your petty excuses.” Cutting off the man on
the phone as he pounded his clenched fist on the desk, ignoring the sound of
cracking wood, he roared, “You have twenty-four hours. Find them or you’re
fired.”
Slamming the receiver on the cradle, he actually reveled in the
sound of shattering plastic and the debris that flew through the air as his
desk phone was reduced to rubble. It resembled his heart as it continued to
crack and crumble with every passing minute he was separated from his fýlakas
tis kardiás mou.
Spinning on his heels at the sound of the door opening behind him,
Roman shouted , “I said no visitors.”
“And I said I am your Commander,” Viktor smiled as an obvious
courtesy since the humor did not reach his eyes. Looking at Roman’s desk, he
observed sarcastically, “I see you have been taking your anger out on inanimate
objects….again.” Shaking his head as he made himself a drink, he continued,
“You know they cannot call you if the phone is broken, yes?”
“Did you come here to chastise me or do you have a purpose?” Roman
turned to the window, trying to think of any place Valentina and Laurent might
be hiding.
“I will let your disrespect slide only because I know how hard it
is to be separated from the keeper of your heart.” He could hear Viktor walking
towards him and wasn’t surprised when his Commander grabbed his shoulder. “But
my patience is wearing thin and none of this is doing either one of you any
good. Finding Valentina and Laurent won’t change what has happened. You
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