Roman sat on the floor at the foot of his bed, in the dark, listening to the sound of the rain platter against his window. He leaned his head down and twirled around a small jar filled with cocoa butter. He had it for over a week now and secretly kept it in his room for the hell of it. He stole it out of Zadia's room, while he was moving the small boxes from there into Lynn's truck.

After the sweepers came by and made sure the house was good to go, they were approved to move into another safe house. It would only take a week to find a new place, and for preparation Adam had everyone pack up the little things they needed from their current home and put them into storage. Everything else was to stay here and someone else would eventually do something with it.

Roman wasn't sure why he took the jar at first, whether it was to drive Zadia insane or piss her off, but he did notice that having it around made his room feel a little light. It was weird to explain but that was just how he felt.

He would eventually return the jar once they moved, but for now, it would stay in here.

Things with Zadia weren't all that awkward as he thought they would be. After their car talk, they still spoke with one another but it was strictly about Santino. That was it.
There wasn't any banter, or slickness, just bland and controlled conversations. Roman would be lying if he said he didn't miss insulting her and vice versa, but he knew it was for the best.

Everything he did was always in the interest of everyone and he would continue to do so, to keep everyone safe.

The sound of thunder rumbled through the house and Roman sighed, knowing it must've woken up his nephew. If he was up, then that meant Zadia was up too. He groaned, and stood up, but not before looking at his clock.

It was one in the morning.

Walking into his bathroom and turning on the light, Roman splashed water on his face and leaned against the sink to stare at himself. He frowned as he heard something, his head instinctively snapping towards the direction of his door. He couldn't pinpoint what the sound was, because it was low but still he heard something.

Roman's frown deepened as more thunder roared and the light in his bathroom flickered before going out. "Shit." He cursed.

The power was out.

He stayed in the bathroom a minute longer, waiting to see if the power would cut on, but when it didn't, he reached into his bathroom draw and pulled out a flashlight.

Opening the door to his room, Roman stepped out to the hallway and could feel the hair on his body raise. He clenched his jaw, frowning some more.

Something felt off.

Shutting the door to his room, he took off in the direction of the stairs, ready to investigate.

-

Eight minutes before Roman left his room. Zadia and Abel were in the middle of goofing around. Zadia put a pillow over her face, trying to muffle the sound of her laughter, so she wouldn't wake up the baby. "Abel, if there really was a Santa, I doubt he'd do something like that." She whispered, face wide with a smirk. "Santa wouldn't need to force anyone to work for him."

Abel playfully rolled his eyes, nudging her while they both sat on the bed. "Well, I think he would and I know for sure he'd get away with it too," Abel stated, bringing the spoon filled with ice cream to his mouth. He smacked his lips, gulping down the cookies and cream liquid. "Okay, next question. Do you think we're living in a simulation?"

Zadia bit her lips in thought, a half a cup of vanilla ice cream in her hand. Although she was diabetic, she could still eat some, just as long as she stuck to the portion size to stay within the limits of her carb intake. "I don't think so." She said, turning the lamp light off. "I think the human mind is so vast and way too complicated to be put in a stimulation, especially of this length."

Abel nodded. "That seems reasonable, but technology is advancing and we've got plenty of mad scientists out here, so I think it's a possibility."

Shaking her head, Zadia sat her cup of ice cream down on the nightstand. She glanced out the window, at the brewing storm and for the life of her couldn't understand how it was both raining and cold. "Nope. I refuse to believe that this right here, and everything else we've been through these past few months is a stimulation."

"You got a point there." He shrugged. "It would be hella weird if we were in stimulation anyways, like how would we even use the bathroom?"

Zadia tapped her chin. "Well... what if we're aliens and we're put into the stimulation to see what our life would be like on earth because we've just discovered it." She came up with... "And we're in pods, so that's how we use the bathroom and stuff, while other aliens take care of us."

Abel quietly thought about it for a second, before he chuckled. "That sounds way too specific, Zadia." He said and they both laughed. "No seriously, wha—" Abel's sentence got caught in his throat, because of the thunder outside.

Both he and Zadia flinched at the sound, eyes instantly snapping in Santino's direction. They waited a moment to see if he'd wake, but he didn't. Instead, he stirred in his sleep. "I'm gonna make him a bottle just in case this continues through the night," Zadia said, standing on both her feet without any support. Her cast was removed four days ago and she was taking advantage of being able to walk normally now. She still experienced some pain, and stiffness in her ankle, but it didn't bother her much. "Hopefully he doesn't wake up."

"You sure you got it?" Abel asked.

"Yeah, of course. I'll be right back. Think of some more questions while I'm gone." She told him, walking away. Everything was quiet once she made it to the hallway. Her socks muffled the sound her footsteps made as they touched the hardwood floor. She walked downstairs, grateful for the nightlights that were still plugged into the outlets. She was able to see a little because of them.

Stepping off the last step, her eyes trained on the front door, growing confused as she noticed the wet boot prints that trailed from there, to the living room. She grinned, figuring the footprints must've belonged to Adam since he liked to walk around the house at night. "Adam, is that you?" She asked as she heard a beeping sound coming from the living room. "Adam?" She said lowly, following the boot prints. "Ad—-" A rough hand clamped around her mouth and another around her neck.

Her eyes widened at the sudden position she was in, her blood instantly running cold. "Don't make a sound, or I'll cut you." A voice threatened in her ear. Zadia went still, her breathing increasing. The person began to slowly drag her out of the living room, hands still pressed firmly to her mouth, leading her towards the downstairs bathroom. Like clockwork the bathroom door opened to reveal two more other masked men inside, all dressed in black combat clothing. Pushing her into the bathroom, the door shut and they pointed their guns in her direction. "Is this her?" The one who had his hands around her asked the others.

"It's her." A familiar voice answered. Zadia watched the masked man in front of her, remove the mask from his face, glaring deeply at her. Zadia's breathing hitched, and panic began to wash over her. It was Martin. The man from her apartment, the one she nearly killed with her bat. "Surprised to see me, bitch." He sneered in her face. With his arm cocked back, he reeled it forward, sending a hard punch to her stomach. Zadia groaned, the hand around her mouth muffling her cry. She began kicking and scratching, trying to pry herself out of his hold but it didn't work. He was way too strong. "You thought I was just gonna let you fuck up my knee and get away with it." He punched her again, even harder this time and Zadia launched forward feeling the air get knocked out of her lungs.

She wheezed, her throat aching from the pressure of the man's grip.

"That's enough." The one who held her said. "Cortez wants her alive."

Zadia clenched her eyes shut, listening carefully. These men were from the Los Ánarquistas gang, which meant they were sent here by Cortez. He had finally found them, but Zadia couldn't understand how.

They were so careful, always taking the necessary precautions.

"Open your eyes bitch." Martin whispered, slapping her cheek. "Tell us how many people are upstairs and what room the baby is in."

The other one slowly began releasing his grip from her mouth. "I'm gonna remove my hand from your mouth so you can speak." He informed her. "If you scream or do anything to let them know we're here, I'm gonna bash your head into this glass." He removed his hand from her mouth and the three of them stared at her, waiting for an answer.

Looking up at them, Zadia took a deep breath. "Fuck you!" She let out and this time, the one behind her was the one to slap the taste out her mouth. She fell to the ground, disoriented. The side of her head aching.

Martin leaned down, picking her up around the collar of her oversized shirt. "If hitting isn't gonna make you talk." He touched her bruised cheek, his cold finger rubbing at her skin. "Then I can think of other creative ways to get you talking." He moved closer, his breath fanning against her as he squeezed her neck. "No one knows where, so I'd have all the time in the world with you." He pressed a sloppy kiss to her lips, forcefully grabbing her right breast through her shirt and she froze, terrified at where this would lead. Martin chuckled lowly. "Don't be scared, you'll feel good in the end." He pulled at her black shorts, hands moving forward.

"Boss." The third guy said, a tablet in his hand, his face still covered. "They're almost through with the power. Just a couple of more minutes."

"Good, have them meet us in the back when they're done. We're gonna surround them, so they won't have room to run." The man behind her said and he aimed his gun at Zadia's back. "Zadia is it?" He said. "We're running on borrowed time. I only came here for three reasons. To kill Roman and take you and the baby in. No one else will get hurt, as long as you tell me the number of people that are upstairs and what room the baby is in. The choice is yours." He told her.

Zadia blinked. "There's eight people up there in total." She lied, hoping they wouldn't catch on. "The baby included."

Martin scoffed. "Pedro, I don't trust her."

Pedro turned Zadia around to face him and she froze, looking at the huge scar on his pale face. "You wouldn't happen to be lying to us, would you, Zadia?"

She shook her head, slowly. "I'm... I'm not. I'm telling the truth."

Pedro reached into his pocket, pulling out a long switchblade. He flicked it open, pressing it below her eyes. If he moved it, she'd get cut and bleed. "You better not be, I may not be able to kill you... yet, but that doesn't mean your face can't look like mine." He slowly opened the door to the bathroom and pulled Zadia along with him, but not before placing a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be quiet.

Zadia moved as he moved, silently and steady. Her eyes glanced everywhere in the dark, trying to come up with a quick plan.

Making a run for it now would only result in her getting pinned down. She needed a distraction, one that would certainly get Roman's attention if he was up. Looking to her left, Zadia saw the console table and the lamp on top of it. If she'd bump into it hard enough, it would make the amount of noise needed. She was sure of it.

Taking in a deep breath, Zadia bit her lips as they inched closer to the staircase and even closer to the console table. Pedro halted his movement and they all stopped. Zadia took this as her chance. She tripped, purposely hitting the console table before she landed on the floor again. Guns were quickly aimed in her direction, the vase on the console table moving back and forth in a circular motion before it fell to the ground in pieces. "I... I tripped." She whispered.

"Shut up!" Martin whispered harshly, his gun to her head. He wanted to paint the walls red with her blood.

"Shhh," Pedro said to the both of them, listening carefully while the thunder roared through the house. The nightlights plugged into the outlets went out completely, all sorts of power gone.

"Lights are out." The third guy whispered, his gun shaking slightly in his hands. From the way he held onto, Zadia could tell that he was nervous. He would be the easiest to take out. Pedro held his hand up, forcing everyone to pause as footsteps could be heard from upstairs. He ducked, the others following his lead.

From Roman's view upstairs, he saw and heard nothing. He shined his flashlight down, waiting to see if the source of the sound he heard while in his room would pop up. Tiling his head, he contemplated whether or not to go downstairs. The noise he heard could've been nothing and he could be wasting his time.

"I think the powers out," Adam said, stepping out of his room dressed in his Harry Potter robe.

"Could be a fuse," Roman responded, thinking what to do next.

While on the ground, Zadia silently began planning her next move. She would have a few minutes max to get the gun off the third guy, and when she did, she knew Martin would still have the upper hand. "Think Zadia, think." She said in her mind. The outcome of whatever decision she made, would all be the same.

She'd most likely get shot.

Biting her lips, she waited patiently for Martin to back off, before quickly jumping into action. She moved back, kicking him in the same knee she had hit with her bat months ago. Martin yelped, falling to the ground, and she quickly stood up, ignoring the pain she felt in her ankle.

With all her might she pushed the third guy against the wall. "Roman!" She shouted. "Don't come down here, Cortez people are inside!" She grabbed the gun from the third guy and pointed it at Pedro, who was ready to shoot her where she stood.

"Fucking bitch!" Martin cursed.

Pedro tilted his head at her. "You're gonna regret that." He said it loud enough for everyone to hear.

Roman's hand clenched as he slowly stepped away from the stairs, moving back towards his room. Adam looked at him, shocked at what was happening. "Get my guns." He instructed Adam. He heard rustling from behind him, and Lynn hurried out of her room in a panic. He raised his hand calmly, making her stop in her place. "Zadia." He called out loud. "How many are there?"

Abel stepped out of his room, confused at what was going on. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lynn shook her head, letting him know not to. "Get the baby." She mouthed to him and he nodded, before doing as instructed.

"I've got three in front of me, two are armed. There are others outside, they're trying to box us in." Zadia sucked in a breath, eyes red. "I think we're outnumbered."

"How do you want to handle this?" Lynn asked Roman. She was dressed in her sleeping clothes, her hair braided back.

"I don't know how they got in, none of the security ringers went off," Adam said, as he brought Roman and Lynn their weapons. "This feels like it was already planned."

Roman nodded, taking his gun from him. "It does."

"Roman, you heard the bitch. You're surrounded!" Pedro shouted, angrily. "Come down here and no one else will get hurt."

Lynn's face scrunched up. "Is that?"

"Pedro." Adam finished. "It sounded like him."

"You guys need to get out of here," Zadia said from downstairs, her eyes going from all three men in front of her. "I'll be okay." She told them, but even she doubted it. "Go!"

Roman ran a hand through his hair, thinking. "Take the kids." He whispered to Adam and Lynn. "Both of you. If there's more out there it's gonna take both of you to clear them out."

Lynn shook her head. "Hell no! Adam is good on his own. Me and you, we can take them." She insisted. She didn't want to leave him behind to fend for himself.

"It's not about taking them out, it's about getting out of here alive," Roman explained. "The both of you can do that right now before they surround us. You guys could clear a path for the rest of us to go."

Lynn looked at him disapprovingly. "That isn't a good idea, Roman. We have a better chance of making it out of here alive if we all leave right now."

"What about Zadia?" Adam questioned her. "We can't just abandon her. Who knows what they'll do to her."

"What's it gonna be Roman?!" Pedro shouted, firing a shot to the roof. "I don't have all day!"

"You're right," Lynn whispered. "We can't, but you and I both know that there's only so much we can do for her now. Besides, you heard her, she said go. Therefore we need to do exactly that." Lynn said. "We need to go now, all of us."

Roman cocked his gun back and stepped forward. "I'm not leaving her behind." He said firmly. He had promised Zadia her life back, and leaving her here would be breaking that promise. "I can get her out of here, I know for sure I can. As of now, plan A evacuation is in play. You guys know what to do." He took a hold of Lynn's arm. "I'll be fine. You guys take the kids and you go as far away as you can, where you know it's safe. We'll find each other afterward."

Adam placed a hand on his shoulder, looking him into the eyes. "Be safe." He told him.

"Please." Lynn voiced, cocking her gun back. She motioned for Adam and Abel to follow her to her room. Sparing Roman a final glance, she shut the door and proceeded with the escape plan they came up with.

"Pedro," Roman called, ascending down the stairs. He peeked over the end, trying to get a better look at the situation at hand. "I forgot to ask, how's that scar I gave you? Has it finally healed?" He taunted, trying to get a rise out of him. "I sure do hope so, your old face was boring."

Pedro chuckled dryly and lightning struck, illuminating the house with its brightness for a moment. "Don't worry. We'll look the same after I'm done with you, Roman." Pedro said, unfazed by his taunting.

"Is that right?" Roman mumbled, looking over his shoulders. If his calculations were right, Lynn and everyone else would be inside the walls now, making their way to the garage. "I don't think you'll be as artistic as I was. I almost ripped your eyeball out." Roman chuckled. "Can you even see well?"

"Fuck you, Roman!" Martin and Pedro swore at the same time.

"No, fuck you guys!" He resorted. "Coming in here, in the middle of the night, while it's raining, trying to take me out. That's a bitch move." He peeked over the staircase again, this time he could see Martin's leg poking out from where he was. Roman aimed his gun at it. "Bitch moves are the worst." Squinting his eyes, Roman pulled the trigger and Martin jolted, a cry coming from his lips.

"My leg!" Martin cried, blood spurting from the wound. "My fucking leg!"

"I hate bitch moves," Roman mumbled, making it down the stairs. "Zadia." He called her name, surprisingly calm. Zadia kept her gun aimed ahead, her gaze never faltering. "Go ahead and finish him off for me."

Zadia pointed the gun in Martin's direction at the same time he did. His hands were covered in his blood, shaking. Her eyes were wide while she stared him down. She gulped. She was going to take another life. "Put the fucking gun down!" Martin shouted at her. "Now, or I'll blow your head off!"

Pedro looked towards the two, losing his shot at Roman. "Martin, don't!" He yelled. "We need her! You heard what Cortez said."

"Fuck him, I'm not about to let this Bit—"

Two shots rang through the house, Martin's words hanging in the air. His body went limp, two bullets wedged into his skull, blood dripping from his face to his chest. Zadia wanted to lean forward and empty her guts, but she couldn't. Instead, she aimed the gun at the other guy, ears ringing. "P... P... Please." He shuttered, hands raising in surrender.

"Why the fuck would you do that!" Pedro yelled, looking from her to his dead associate. Not only was he running out of time, but he was running out of patients too. If he didn't put Zadia down soon, he would lose this fight with Roman easily.

"Well, looks like it's one down, and two more to go." Roman nonchalantly said. He sighed in relief, a part of him worried that Zadia wouldn't have done it. They would've been fucked, if she hadn't. Roman gulped, ducking down so he could find a way to get to her.

"Stop being a fucking coward and get your fucking gun from her! She's just a fucking girl!" Pedro shouted at the third guy, who remained in his spot, begging Zadia to let him go. Pedro held his walkie-talkie close to his lips. "I need some backup in here, keep your eyes open for the others. They have to be here, somewhere."

Zadia lifted the gun and whacked the third guy in the head. As he fell unconscious, she pointed it at Pedro, her face held a cold glare. "You're the one that's surrounded!" She said as Roman moved to the opening, gun on Pedro. "Back off and let us go!"

Pedro scoffed. "And lose out on your bounty? Like hell, I will. One million dollars, that's how much Cortez is paying for anyone who brings your ass in alive." He confessed. "You can't keep running, Zadia and Roman here can't keep you safe. With a bounty like that, you'll end up with Cortez regardless of what I do here!"

"That won't happen," Roman said, confidently.

"Why do you think that?" Pedro questioned. "You think those government assholes will protect you? Who do you think gave us your location?!"

Roman stared at him, disbelief clouding his eyes. "What?"

Pedro smirked. "Cortez and someone from your organization cut a deal! You're as good as dead now, Roman."

They grew silent, the rain pouring harder outside.

From inside the garage, a loud bang and voices yelling could be heard, as a car sped out of there. Several shots were fired behind it, but it kept going, just like Roman instructed. The baby and everyone else were finally out of there.

Roman's sudden disbelief was all Pedro needed, to fire a shot at Zadia's hand, making her jump and drop her gun. He then turned it on Roman and the both of them fired at the same time. Roman went for the head and succeeded, his bullet penetrating Pedro's skull.

Zadia held onto her hand in pain, fragments from Pedro's bullet, stabbed into her flesh. She glanced in Roman's direction, gasping at him. "Roman." She called, tears welling in her. There he stood, inches away from her, blood trailing down his naked chest. Realization dawned on Zadia.

Roman was shot.

Blinking, everything around Roman seemed to grow distant, including his hearing. He looked to the chandelier in a daze, the wound in his shoulder numb. All of that came to an end, once he felt a forceful slap on his cheek. "Roman! Roman, snap out of it!" Zadia nudged him roughly, shooting in the direction of the other guys that were left. "Roman, come on you fucking bastard! I..." she struggled to catch her breath, nudging him some more. "I don't know how to get out of this, and you can't die! Lynn will kill me."

"Shit, Zadia." He groaned, suddenly aware that he'd been hit. He winced as she helped him move and shoved his gun back into his hand. "Why'd you hit me so hard?"

She shot some rounds ahead, executing it perfectly as some of the men dropped like flies. "Because you fucking deserve it!" She cursed and threw her gun. "I'm out of bullets."

They ducked, using Adams's desk for cover while the other guys continued to shoot at them. Touching his wound lightly, Roman bit the inside of his cheek. "We gotta get outside... to the shed." He told her. "My bike is in there."

"You want us to pedal out of here?!" Zadia exclaimed while peaking to see how many guys were left.

Roman rolled his eyes in annoyance. "No, of course not. It's not that type of bike." He paused, realizing how close he was to her. Them being close in proximity, allowed him to see the look on her face. He frowned. "Are you annoyed with me?"

Zadia turned, moving her head back to digest their closeness. "I am!" She confessed. "I told you to leave! You almost got yourself killed!"

Roman laughed and then clutched his shoulder because of how much it hurt. "I'm the leader of this group." He shouted over the gunshots. "I'm the one that calls the shots Zadia, not you!"

"Look where that's gotten you!" She shouted back.

"Better to be with you, than to let you do it on your own." He replied and Zadia fell silent, watching him lean on his side and fire a couple of rounds at the others. "I'm gonna cover you. Run to the shed, and start my bike, the keys will be on the hook. I'll meet you out there in a minute."

"Roman, I don't even know the first thing about motorcycles."

"I'll guide you through it." He took a big breath. "Just, get out there. On my mark...." He leaned over again, aiming high. "Go!" He commanded, and Zadia zoomed out the living room, hearing gunshots trail behind her. She made it to the kitchen and ducked, while she opened the back door just in case there were more guys. When the coast was clear, adrenaline coursed through her as she ran through the backyard, the cold air biting into her lungs and her bare feet pounding against the wet grass.

Pulling open the door to the shed, the first thing she saw was the keys hanging on a hook. Quickly, Zadia grabbed it and pulled off the bike cover, revealing a black 1997 Harley-Davidson. Sitting at the front of it, Zadia started it up and the engine roared. She pushed the bike into the open, eyes on the back door waiting for Roman to walk through them. "Come on Roman." She whispered, still hearing gunshots. She was surprised that the police hadn't made it here yet, although she could hear the sirens from a distance.

Roman ran outside, the rain drenching his body while he made his way over to Zadia. He speedily sat down behind her, his arms wrapping themselves around her torso. "Let's go." He grunted tiredly, barely able to keep his eyes open. "Pull the clutch lever in, engage the first gear, then gently roll the throttle releasing the clutch at the same time." He explained and Zadia did just that, getting them out of there within seconds of the house they were in blowing up to pieces.

______________

"I need a room." Zadia chimed, walking eagerly into the small motel lobby, dripping wet. She kept her damp hair in her face, hoping that the old gray-haired receptionist wouldn't recognize her. "Roman says to put it on his tab and he'll make it up to you." She said, repeating what Roman coached her to say. "He doesn't want anyone knowing that he's here."

The older man behind the counter crossed his arm and squinted. He looked Zadia up and down, before nodding. "Fine." He said, grabbing a room card and sliding it over the counter. Zadia looked down at the card and picked it up with her good hand. "Room 15. You guys better not make a mess."

"Thank you," Zadia said, rushing out of there barefooted. She walked into the rain, and over to where Roman sat on the ground, a random car holding him up. "We're in room 15." She informed him, draping his arm over her shoulder and pulling him forward. She grimaced at the pain she felt at her side and led him around the lot. "Are you sure he's good people?" She asked, referring to the guy upfront.

"He's good people," Roman whispered, eyes shut.

Zadia pushed him up against the wall, using the key card to open the room door once she found it. Flicking on the lights, Zadia glanced around, noticing that the room was clean and the bedding looked fresh. It was warm here and she loved it, compared to how cold and wet outside was. Roman walked inside by himself, shutting and locking the door.

He trudged over to the walnut table and sat down on the creaky chair, breathing heavily. "Can you grab the first aid kit?" He asked her, trembling cold. "It's under the bathroom sink." Zadia disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Roman to himself. Picking up the mini bottles of vodka at the center of the table, he opened one and gulped it down in one go.

"I thought you didn't drink," Zadia mumbled, pulling out a chair and sitting next to him.

"I don't, but I figured why not since I'm about to pull a bullet out of me," Roman answered, clenching his teeth together while he poured the white liquor on his shoulder wound. "Fucking, shit!" He cursed, his eyes getting teary.

Zadia watched in discomfort, a weight on her chest witnessing him in this much pain. "I can do it." She piped up, but Roman shook his head, wiping a set of tweezers with an alcohol pad.

"I've got it. This isn't my first rodeo." He stubbornly admitted, wiping his hand clean. Counting to three in his head, Roman pushed the tweezers into his wound, and he began trying to pry the bullet out of his flesh. "Mhh." He cried, picking the bullet out some more. He stopped midway, giving himself a chance to catch his breath. Blood gushed all over him. "Fuck." Breathing heavily, he started the whole process again, nearly losing consciousness because of the pain.

"Roman, just let me help!" Zadia fumed, standing up to grab herself a towel. She tied it around her hair, so water would stop dripping onto her face.

"I fucking got it Zadia!" He groaned, successfully pulling the bullet out after a couple more tries. More blood spurted from the wound. "Get those fragments out of your hand, before you get an infection." He told her, pouring more liquor over his shoulder. He began patching it up with the rest of the stuff in the first aid kit, making sure to leave enough for Zadia.

Zadia rolled her eyes, focusing on her hand. "Whatever." She mumbled. There were only five fragments in her hands, and they weren't deep so it was easy to get them out. She'd be lying if she said it didn't hurt, taking them out felt like someone was tearing pieces of her skin.

Roman drank another bottle of mini liquor, disgusted with the taste but loving how it heated his insides and sorta numbed the pain. He stared up at Zadia, spotting the purple bruise forming on her cheek. "They did that to you?" He asked her, also noticing some bruises on her neck. She nodded, wrapping her hand with the gauze. "They do anything else?"

Zadia shut her eyes and sighed, her head tilting up. "It doesn't matter Roman."

He sulked. "Of course it matters." He said, worriedly. "What else did they do?"

She shrugged and then winced. "They just ruffed me up a bit and said some stupid shit."

"Like?"

Zadia slammed her hand down on the table, annoyed with him. "Why does it feel like you're interrogating me?!"

"I'm not." His voice softened. "I'm just... I'm just trying to make sure you're okay."

"Well, I'm not." She admitted, tears sliding from her red eyes. "In just under two hours, I was forced in the bathroom with three idiots, one who kissed me and made it clear that he'd rape me for the fun of it!" She told him. "Then I fucking killed the same idiot and I feel nothing... I'm— I'm so fucking numb inside." She cried. "I almost lost my hand and... and—"

Roman leaned forward, surprising them both when he pulled her into a hug. "It's gonna be okay." He muttered and Zadia sighed heavily, letting her head drop so a sob could escape her lips. Her body trembled while she cried some more, their wet skin cold against one another. "Hey, it's gonna be okay." He assured her.

"I don't think it will." She cried harder, her throat tightening.

"Yes, it will," Roman said confidently, patting her back gently. This was new to him. Besides the baby and his siblings, he'd never held someone while they cried before. "Sometimes, things have to get worse, for them to get better." He pulled her in closer, her face in the crook of his neck. "It'll be alright." He gently cupped her face, their forehead pressed against one another. "You're gonna be alright, Zadia."

Zadia nodded and Roman began using the back of his hand to wipe away her tears. When he was done, she took both his hands and held them together while she stared at them. "I—I think I broke my rib." She told him.

There was a worried expression on Roman's face. A broken rib could lead to many complications. "Stand up, let me check it out."

Zadia took a moment to compose herself before she stood up in front of him, her fingers gripping the hem of her shirt. She grimaced as she raised the shirt above her head and threw it to the ground. Her braless breast slapped against her chest, exposed for Roman to see. She stared into his brown eyes and watched him gulp, sitting up straighter than he had before. "Sorry." She apologized, her nails nervously digging into her thigh. Only one person had seen her display this level of nudity and now, Roman had too. "I forgot I didn't have on a —-"

"It's... it's okay." He stuttered and cleared his throat. In all his years, he'd never been this close up to a half-naked woman before.
"Closer." He beckoned her with his finger and when she did in fact move closer, Roman's eyes fell on her face, before they stopped at her collar bone, and then to her breasts again. "Umm." He licked his lips, hesitantly removing his eyes from there, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "There's a lot of bruising here." He touched her side lightly, her body slowly coming alive at the feeling of his wandering fingers. "Does that hurt?"

"Y—yeah," Zadia whispered in a short intake of breath. She shut her eyes, trying to rid her mind of the forbidden thoughts that kept popping up.

Roman nodded, his fingers stopping where her heart was. "Does it hurt when you breathe?"

"A little, yeah."

Sparing her a second glance, Roman moved his hand away. "It's fractured, we're gonna have to get you some ice and some painkillers." He frowned. "Shit, you need your insulin. When was your last injection?"

"Seven in the afternoon." She told him and backed away to grab another towel. She wrapped it around herself, shielding her breast. "It's fine. I can go a day without it, our main concern should be everyone else. We need to find them."

"They're all right. Lynn is taking them somewhere safe. We'll find them eventually, right now we need to lay low. I've gotta figure out a lot of things." He ran a hand through his head, looking at her. "You should get some rest, it'll help with the pain. The beds yours."

Zadia shook her head. "It's yours, you're more banged up than I am. I don't mind sleeping on the floor." She scratched her head. "Or we can just... share." She said, then quickly looked away. "I mean if you're okay with it. I'm not a crazy sleeper or anything like that."

Roman stood up, stumbling a bit. "We'll share then." He whispered and nodded at the bathroom. "You're wet." He stated and Zadia felt heat rise to her face. Roman noticed the look she made and he cleared his throat, embarrassed at his wording. "I mean, the rain... it's made you wet and you should probably shower, so you won't get... sick."

"The same for you too." She passed him a towel. "I'll be fine. You can go ahead, I'll just go in after you."

"The water system in this place sucks and you've gotta wait at least five hours till there's hot water again." He nodded at the bathroom. "You should go in first. I don't mind having to use the cold water, I think I may need it tonight of all night." He blinked, his embarrassment becoming worse. "To relax my muscles." He quickly added.

Zadia nodded slowly and took a step back. She'd laugh if it were under different circumstances. "Okay, I'm just gonna go ahead then." She turned around, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Roman sighed deeply. "Get it together, Roman." He muttered to himself.

_____________

The rain had finally stopped, an hour later.

Zadia laid on her stomach, her side facing Roman who stared up at the dark ceiling. The both of them were quiet, their breathing soft while time flew by. Zadia held onto the dry towel that was wrapped around her, hoping that it wouldn't come apart when she fell asleep. Their clothes, mainly hers, were hanging on the shower rod, left to dry.

Because they had nothing else to wear, they decided that the towels would have to do. It was awkward, to say the least, but it didn't bother them. Well, it didn't bother her. Zadia swallowed, the strawberry flavored toothpaste still in her mouth. She hated the taste, something about it felt way too chemical.

Pulling the sheet closer, worriedness settled at the pit of her stomach. Although Roman told her the others were alright, she still wasn't convinced. Them separating like this, made her nauseous. She hoped they were alright.

Roman's finger softly drummed against his naked stomach, his other arm propping him up. He hated this motel, and only visited when there was an emergency. He and Ben, the owner of this place knew each other for a long while so Roman knew he was safe here. He sighed, hating how rigid and small this mattress was. His feet were dangling at the end, his body cold because the sheet was thinner than the ones he was used to.

He tilted his head, his gaze averting to Zadia's back. He could only imagine how weird and awkward all of this was for her. He saw her tighten her hold on her towel and he felt guilty for eyeing her breast the way he did earlier. Making her uncomfortable was the last thing he wanted to do, which was why he was waiting till she fell asleep for him to move to the floor.

"Roman?" He heard her whisper his name. He ignored the pain that he felt in his shoulder and turned around some more to see her.

"Yeah?" He whispered back.

She took a glimpse of him. "How come you always have trouble sleeping?"

"I don't know. It... it started after my mother died." He explained. "I'd sleep, but it would be extremely hard to stay asleep." He paused. "I guess over time, it got worse and now I'm running on only a few minutes of rest."

"Have you ever tried getting checked out by a doctor?"

Roman nodded. "Once, when I was younger. They think it's a... psychological thing." He admitted. "My way of dealing with the trauma in my life."

"Is it?"

He chuckled lightly. "I don't know, Zadia. Maybe."

"Wanna know what I th—"

"Yes." He replied before she could even finish her sentence. "I do."

Zadia cleared her throat. "I think you not sleeping, is your way of
punishing yourself for whatever traumatic incident happened in the past." She summed it up. "Don't get mad." She told him, watching the way his face scrunched up.

"I'm not." He whispered and swallowed hard. "I think you're right." He shut his eyes and then opened them again. "I think you're right about a lot of things."

Zadia prompted her head on the pillow. "Is that why you hate me so much?"

Roman grew quiet at her question. His look never faded. "I could write down a whole list of the names of people that I hate, Zadia... your name will never come close to being on that list."

Zadia could feel her pulse rise, she sent him a small smile. "Although, that does feel good to know. I think you should know that I do happen to have a list of people that I do hate, and you sir are on that list."

Roman let out a boisterous laugh that vibrated through his chest. Zadia's smile widened, loving how natural his laughter sounded. It always felt good to hear it, although it was rare. "I'm sorry." He apologized, still laughing. "It's just, that was a good one." He laughed harder and Zadia chuckled, watching him trying to control himself.

Roman paused, suddenly realizing something.

"You make me laugh."

"Can you hold me?"

They both said at the same time, all eight words hanging in the air as they both stared at one another with unreadable expressions.
Silently, Roman moved his hand, using it to raise the sheet. Ignoring the voice at the back of his head that told him not to, he whispered, "Come here."

Zadia inched closer to him, her right arm wrapping around him carefully. With her face on his chest, she could hear the quickened pace of his heart. "Thank you." She whispered, snuggling into him some more.

Roman held onto her, not for a second wanting to let her go. "Don't mention it." Although she had showered, he could still vaguely smell cocoa butter on her. There was no way he was going to sleep on the floor now. Not when Zadia clearly wanted him here, on the bed. "Damn it." He whispered to himself, unaware of what the fuck she was doing to him. He shut his eyes, the warmth of her body giving him chills.

Never in his life had he done this before, and he'd be a fool if he ever said it didn't feel good.

Embraced in each other's arms, the both of them finally fell asleep. Their problems a matter for them to face in the morning.

Lightly edited. Point any errors out.

Insane chapter, Ikr. Any thoughts?

Happy holidays ❤️✨