"How are you feeling?" My voice was a low whisper as Roman slowly opened his eyes. I ran my hands over his face and threw his hair. I smiled lightly when he let out a groan of pleasure from the action, and pulled my hand away when he moved to kiss me.

I had come back to the hospital room a few hours earlier to find him in a deep sleep. Not wanting to disturb the resting man, I only sat in the bed next to him and read a book. I paid attention to him as he slept, helping shift his pillows and blankets whenever he seemed uncomfortable.

The doctor had advised him to try and not lay on the side that had gotten shot, and so, to help Roman with this they had placed something on that side of him to prevent him from rolling over. I imagined that he must have felt very stiff when he woke up. Sleeping on his back wedged between things the entire night could not have been a very pleasant experience.

"A lot better now that you’re here," he said.

Smiling at his somewhat seemingly better mood, I planted a kiss on his hands and gave him a few moments of peace as he ate his food and drank the water that was placed by his side by the nurses.

Once he was finished, Roman asked me a question I wasn’t expecting.

"Do you really think that?" I heard Roman’s voice from above me later in the day.

After Marcus had left, I said a quick goodbye to Roman, much to both our dislike, to go home and shower as well as change my clothes.

At Roman’s request, I brought both his office laptop and some documents from the office as a way for him to keep busy while I wasn’t there to help entertain the growing boredom he seemed to have. Staying in a hospital bed all day alone could not be fun.

I had made it a point to come back before closing hours and spend the last few hours with him before I was forced to go back home. Currently, I was lying on one side of the hospital bed with Roman’s arms wrapped around me.

"Think what?" I mumbled into his neck as I placed soft kisses up and down his face and neck. It had become a habit of mine in recent days to give him as much affection as I could and as he allowed.

"That we’ll catch Bernard."

I blinked once as I pulled away. It was something I had said in the spur of the moment at the discouraged aura in the room. I wanted them to believe that they would catch Bernard as much as I believed they had the capabilities to do so.

When I looked at Roman fully, the look on his face caused my heart to drop. I knew that face well. I knew he had been over-analyzing the situation in his head.

I didn’t know everything there was to know about Roman Thaddeus, but if there was anything I knew, it was that he was going over each and every event that had taken place that night. He had probably thought over the exact way he had made his entrance into the establishment over a hundred times.

"Stop blaming yourself for what happened," I told him sternly.

By the way he turned to look at me with his mouth already open in protest, I knew my guess was right.

Roman was blaming himself not only for what had happened at the raid earlier in the week, which was completely insane, but also for Bernard managing to make bail.

Before he could utter a word of disagreement, I spoke up. "You were betrayed by someone, Roman, and the Auction House set a trap for you. Getting out with your life should be considered a successful mission. And not only did you get out relatively safe, but you also managed to save all those girls who were being held there and put away even more of those scummy men."

I took his face in my hands and angled it to face me when he turned away. "What’s more is that not only did you save Marcus’ and Ed’s lives, but also the futures of all those girls. Roman, are you listening?" I asked him sternly. "You saved lives, sweet boy, you don’t get to feel guilty about that."

Something flew across his eye for a moment, but it was too quick for me to notice. Roman only pulled me closer to him by my waist and planted his lips onto my own in a heated kiss.

"Call me that again," he muttered into my neck as he tried to pull me on top of him.

I only laughed at his antics, wondering if he knew he was still an injured man who got shot in the stomach. Still, unable to resist his request, I leaned forward to whisper into his ear.

"Sweet boy, darling." I bit onto his ear lightly and a shock wave went through me as I heard the groan that left him. Then in a softer voice, I whispered, "Lover."

"I like that." He was breathing heavily now, and the tight hold he had on my waist only increased. "Say it again."

Laughing lightly at him, I sat up and away from his neck. My eyes went wide at the pouting look on his face as I moved away from him slowly and took his arm from around my waist to rest where it had been earlier.

"You’re injured, Roman," I told him sternly and put an end to whatever tension had been growing between us.

"So?" Roman replied. A soft grunt left him as he turned on his side and put me under him slightly. The bed was small and uncomfortable, not to mention the plastic sides of the handles that restricted our movement even more.

Shaking my head, I managed to push him back onto his back, something that was only allowed due to his weakened state, and got off the bed with a laugh.

I swatted his hands away as they reached for me but leaned down to give him a proper long kiss on his lips. A gasp escaped me when he pushed his way into my mouth and sucked on my tongue. Biting his lip, I pulled myself away from him.

I knew the image of his desire-filled eyes was reflected in my own, but he was still hurt and recovering. One of us needed to put a stop to this before we tore open his stitching.

"Get some rest," I whispered to him, still leaning down. "I’ll see you tomorrow and the day after." Pushing his hair out from his eyes, I ran my hand through them as Roman’s eyes closed shut in delight. I was only prolonging my departure to the satisfaction of us both.

"And the day after that, and the day after that," Roman told me. For some reason, my heart fluttered. It sounded like an oath and a promise more than a statement.

Smiling lightly down at the man who had stolen my heart, I gave his lips one final kiss before I left the room.

I wasn’t surprised when I noticed a few guards standing directly outside of his door and near the seating area. The hospital was littered with them as I made my way down to the front entrance and into the parking lot with my guards following me.

Marcus and the rest of the team working on the case had assured us that nothing bad would happen so soon after the raid and that the enemy needed some time to recuperate from the incessant attacks the FBI was dealing out.

I hoped they were right. It wouldn’t be the first time the Auction House and that entire organization would take a risk and have it turn out exactly in their favor. So I just tried to keep playing calm in front of Roman so as to not worry him.

I knew he could see right through me, though, just like I saw right through him—but we managed to keep each other sane in that way.

Marcus had also said that the boss had gone deep underground. They weren’t sure whether it was into hiding or to plan another greater scheme. No plans of retaliation seemed to be in motion for the time being, but I was still anxious.

A part of me wanted to enjoy the somewhat peaceful moments I had with Roman now while the other refused to become too comfortable with the silence that had wrapped around us. Yes, Roman and I were safe, but for now and for how long?

I shook my head and tried to rid myself of the negative thoughts.

Sighing deeply, I got into my car and started it up before making my way back to the mansion and to Lori and Lauren, who were anxiously waiting for news about Roman’s situation.