Chapter 3 - The Lion's Shield
Evangeline felt the room spin. "The diner... my boss, Sal... he’s still there!"
She turned to sprint toward the door, but Roman’s voice barked out with absolute, terrifying authority.
"Silas! Intercept!"
"Boss, you're in no condition to—"
"I said intercept!" Roman growled, pushing himself upright against the pillows despite the blood seeping slightly through his bandages. "Take three assault squads. Burn Moretti’s men to the ground before they touch a single hair on that girl's head!"
"Understood, Capo," Silas said, bowing his head before rushing out the door.
Evangeline turned back to Roman, her hands shaking. "This is my fault. I brought your world down on innocent people."
"No," Roman said, pulling her close to the bed until she was standing inches from him. "You saved my life. Moretti is a dog who bites at shadows. You are safe here, Evangeline. I swear on my daughter’s life, no harm will come to you or anyone you care about."
For the next two hours, Evangeline sat by Roman's bedside while the storm raged outside. She watched as Roman handled business from his hospital bed—receiving encrypted satellite calls, issuing quiet, lethal commands, and managing an empire with the tactical precision of a general.
Yet, every time he finished a call, his gray eyes would immediately shift back to her, softening instantly.
At 5:00 a.m., Silas returned. His dark suit was stained with rain, but his expression was calm.
"It’s done, Boss," Silas reported. "Moretti’s strike team at the diner was neutralized. Mr. Sal, the diner owner, was unharmed—we placed him and his family on a private jet to Miami under our protection until the dust settles. And Moretti himself..." Silas paused, offering a dark smile. "...has been taken to the docks for your personal questioning."
Evangeline let out a massive sigh of relief, dropping her head into her hands. "Thank God. Thank God Sal is safe."
Roman looked at Silas. "Did you secure her apartment?"
"Yes, Boss. We paid off her landlord—in fact, we bought the entire apartment building and evicted him for his history of harassing female tenants. Her belongings are being packed and brought to the estate."
Evangeline’s head snapped up. "You bought my apartment building?"
"He was a parasite," Roman said simply, as if discussing the weather. "You will never deal with low-life extortionists again, Evangeline."
"Mr. Blackwell, you can't just buy my life!" she protested, standing up with her hands on her hips. "I have a life! I have nursing school applications! I have—"
"Paid," Roman interrupted smoothly.
"What?"
Silas pulled a thick white folder from his coat and handed it to Evangeline. "The Dean of the Columbia University School of Nursing was contacted an hour ago, Miss Hayes. Your full tuition, housing, clinical placement, and research grants have been funded in full through the Grace Hayes Memorial Foundation."
Evangeline held the folder in her hands, her fingers tracing the embossed gold letters of her sister’s name: The Grace Hayes Memorial Foundation.
Tears welled up in her eyes, hot and fast. She looked at the paper, then at the powerful, dangerous man lying in the hospital bed.
"Why?" she whispered, her voice cracking. "Why would you do all of this for a girl you met five hours ago?"
Roman looked at her, his storm-gray eyes devoid of any coldness, filled instead with a deep, consuming reverence.
"Because for five years, since my wife died, people have looked at me with fear or greed," Roman said softly. "You walked into a sea of my blood, looked past the power and the guns, and saw a human being who needed help. You fought for my life when everyone else would have let me die."
May you like
He reached out, taking her hand again, bringing it to his lips and pressing a warm, gentle kiss against her knuckles.
"You gave my daughter her father back, Evangeline," Roman murmured. "There is nothing in this world I will not give you in return."
