Page 15 of Blood, Roses, and Ruin

They both jumped to their feet, and Karl stepped forward, pulling a gun from under his coat. He must have forgotten that guns don't work as well on vampires as they do on his human victims. Finnian stepped back, ready to let Karl do all the heavy lifting.

"Your whore got in the way, Roman. It's nothing personal, you know that." He said with a grin.

"Alex is my beloved Karl," Roman responded with an unnatural calm. He saw the realization in Karl's expression. The power of a beloved is unmatched in the vampire world, and he knew there was nothing Roman wouldn't do to protect him. Karl would not survive this day; he understood that in an instant.

Roman saw Finnian reaching for something, probably an alarm, and Roman threw his dagger, slicing his hand off. Finnian fell to his knees, grasping his wrist, and Karl did the only thing he could and started shooting. With certain death looming over his head and his boss on the ground screaming, it was no wonder that his aim was a little off.

The bullet grazed Roman's right shoulder. He was aiming for his head in hopes of it being fatal. He had a fifty-fifty chance, but it was unlikely, and it was not the move he should have taken.

Roman pulled a grenade from his pocket, one that detonated upon impact, and tossed it between them and ran for the door, the only door in the decorative glass house. He cleared the open space and dove behind a half wall when the blast reached him.

Smoke and chaos erupted while Roman stood and exited the property, no one giving him notice as all eyes were on the point of destruction. They would eventually figure it out, and there would be retribution, but such was life.

He made his way back to where he parked the stolen truck and headed home, eager to see his beloved and to bask in his beauty.

****

Alex sat in the leather chair, not moving, his mind consumed with thoughts of Roman and fear for his safety. He understood that Roman was a vampire warrior, and he was not unfamiliar with the more base and violent aspects of society. With that said, he still would not rest or relax until he was back with him, where he could see him and hold him.

Roman Sidorov, that fucking amazing man, had wormed his way into Alex's heart and soul. He would never be whole again without him, and he would do whatever he had to in order to keep that man by his side.

He could feel the single-minded determination of the warrior within, but he still worried, still stared at the wall, and waited. All those thoughts filled his mind as the minutes ticked by, and he waited and waited, and the silence of the room bore down on him.

Then it happened, the door opened and life started again. Roman stood there looking a complete mess, but in Alex's heart, he was the most gorgeous creature on this earth. Alex launched himself into his arms, and Roman caught him effortlessly.

He buried his face in the crook of his neck and just breathed, his heart beating wildly and tears filling his eyes. "Ilove you, Roman, I love every inch of you.” He said his voice was hoarse and rough with emotion.

Roman held him tight in arms that locked and held and would hold him for an eternity. "I love you, Alex. I've loved you from the moment I caught your scent and saw your beautiful face. Every hour since has made me love you more. You are my beloved, and I will be at your side forever."

Alex shifted and looked at his lover, noticing the state of his clothing. "Are you hurt?" He asked, suddenly on edge. Roman smiled and shook his head.

"I'm fine, most of this blood is not mine." He kissed Alex, sweeping his tongue inside to taste, and set Alex's heart stirring. "You're safe now. I will always keep you safe." He said and kissed him again before setting him back on his feet.

Alex took the opportunity to fully survey the condition of his lover. "I'm fine, Alex." He persisted as Alex removed his shirt and tossed it aside. Seeing the healing scar on his shoulder and side had him investigating thoroughly. Roman smiled and let him do what he needed to do. Alex released a long breath that he’d been holding and looked up at Roman.

"It's going to take me a while to get used to this part of your life." He admitted and then looked away for a moment before capturing his gaze once again. "I can't lose you, Roman, I can’t ever lose you.”

"You'll never lose me, baby, never." He pulled him in for a kiss that promised and pledged it was a kiss that said everything that words could not. This was his beloved, and he loved this man to the absolute depths of his soul.

EPILOGUE

Alex did not return to his job at the bank. Roman found him a position with Master Rose's accountant, recognizing Alex's natural talent with money and numbers. He settled in perfectly as everyone knew he would.

The issue with the Castile Coven quieted for some time, but that was due to their master being out of the country. He was coming back in a few weeks, so that would dictate the direction of their future involvement.

In the meantime, Master Rose had made several moves to take over Castile holdings within Chicago. All had been successful so far, along with the takeover of the First National Bank.

Master Cormac Castile was a man to be reckoned with, so war was definitely on the horizon when he returned. War would sort out the weaknesses and settle the landscape, hopefully in favor of the Rose Coven. Time would tell.

THE END