Chapter Fifty-One
Roman stood by Blair’s bedside, watching as she spoke quietly with her sisters. She was still pale, exhaustion clear in the soft lines of her face, but there was a fire in her eyes that reassured him. She was strong, but even the strongest needed protection. And he would make damn sure she had it.
He needed to make some calls, so with one last glance at her, he squeezed her hand and murmured, “I’ll be back soon. I just need to make a few calls. Try to get some rest.”
Blair gave him a small smile. “You don’t have to hover, you know. My sisters are here to do enough of that for you.”
Keira smirked from her chair. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll keep her entertained. You go do your brooding billionaire thing.”
Roman rolled his eyes but smirked. He actually liked Blair’s sisters, even Keira, who had a sharp tongue and a wicked sense of humor. She was the kind of woman who would be a handful for any man. Sutton, on the other hand, had a quiet intensity that reminded him of himself. She took responsibility seriously, and he respected that.
With a nod toward Ethan, who was stationed by the door, Roman stepped out into the hallway. He needed answers. Now.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed Peters. His head of security answered on the second ring. “Sir.”
Roman didn’t waste time. “Could these attacks have anything to do with looking into Blair’s parents’ deaths? Could someone have found out we were digging? Did a trail lead back to her?”
Peters was silent for a moment before responding, “Highly unlikely. We’ve been extremely discreet. There’s no way anyone would know we’re looking into it yet. The records we accessed were all private. If someone is targeting her, it’s not because of that.”
Roman exhaled slowly, his hand tightening around his phone. That was both a relief and a frustration. If it wasn’t connected to her parents’ deaths, then who the hell was behind this?
“I want every possibility considered,” he said, his voice low and controlled. “Look into Jessica. And Dan.”
Peters didn’t hesitate. “You think one of them could be involved?”
Roman paced a few steps down the hallway, his mind racing. “I don’t know. But we need to rule them out. Jessica’s desperate and unpredictable. She’s trying to sell a story about me, but what if she’s decided to take things further? What if she sees Blair as an obstacle? It’s insane…there’s no way I would ever want her back in my life. But Jessica believes that no man can resist her. She has an ego as big as Mount Everest.”
“And Dan?” Peters prompted.
Roman’s jaw clenched. “He hates that Blair moved on. That she chose me. He’s the type to let that fester. Maybe he thinks if he scares her enough, she’ll run back to him. Or maybe he just doesn’t want her to be happy. I don’t know. The fact that he got Laura, Blair’s cousin, pregnant… I don’t think he would be stupid enough to think Blair would go back to him.”
Peters was quiet for a beat before saying, “I’ll start digging. If either of them has anything to do with this, we’ll find out.”
“Good,” Roman said. “I want answers. Fast.”
Ending the call, he leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair. This wasn’t just about protecting Blair—it was about stopping whoever the hell thought they could come after her. Because Roman would make damn sure, they regretted it.
Needing a distraction, he dialed another number. His mother answered on the first ring, her voice warm. “Roman! It’s late. Is everything alright?”
Roman exhaled. “There was another incident. Blair’s fine, but she’s in the hospital overnight for observation.”
His mother gasped. “Oh my God. What happened?”
His sister, Rose, must have been nearby because he heard her voice in the background. “Wait… Blair’s in the hospital? What happened?”
Roman kept his voice even. “Someone’s targeting her. We don’t know who yet, but we will.”
“Do you want us to come to the hospital?” his mother asked immediately. “We can be there…”
“No,” Roman cut in. “She’ll be released tomorrow. She just needs rest.”
His mother hesitated before saying, “Then bring her to dinner soon.”
Roman smirked slightly. “I will. I promise.”
“Make sure you do,” his mother said, as if it were obvious. “I’m so sorry this is happening, Roman. It must be terrifying for you both.”
“It is.” Roman sighed because his mom wasn’t wrong. He was really scared for Blair’s safety. He couldn’t lose her, not now, not when he finally had her. “I’ll talk to Blair about dinner soon.”
Rose laughed. “Yeah, I’d like to see this in person. Big, scary Roman, completely smitten? I need to witness it for myself.”
Roman rolled his eyes. “Like I said, I’ll talk to Blair and get back to you.”
“You do that,” his mother said. “And Roman… keep her safe.”
His grip tightened on the phone. “I will.”
Ending the call, Roman stood in the quiet hallway, his mind racing. He had a target to find, a woman to protect, and feelings he still hadn’t put into words.
The thought of losing her was something he couldn’t stomach. Roman had always been able to control things, his business, his life, his emotions. But Blair? She was truly the one thing that could bring him down, make his world fall apart. Beautiful, stubborn. And he was falling for her harder than he had ever fallen for anything in his life.
And yet, he hadn’t told her. Not yet. Not when her world had been turned upside down so suddenly. She’d just gotten out of a mess with Dan. He didn’t want her to feel like she was just jumping from one man to another. No, when he told her how he felt, it would be because she was ready to hear it. And he had no doubt in his mind he would tell her. Soon.
Roman straightened, his expression hardening as his thoughts returned to the present. First, he had to handle this threat. Whoever was coming after Blair had made a serious mistake.
Because Roman Kingston never let his enemies walk away unscathed.
He turned to head back to Blair’s room to find Sutton standing in the hallway, arms folded across her chest, watching him.