Chapter 88 FAR FROM OVER
••Roman••
When I got to the end of the dark hallway, there were three doors on the left and three on the right. My eyes moved from one to the other.
Where the hell could he have taken Luci?
My chest was rising and falling fast now, anger and fear mixing together in a way that made my hands itch. I didn’t waste another second. I moved straight to the first door and pushed it open.
Empty.
I stepped in briefly, scanned the corners, then walked out immediately.
Next door.
Nothing.
By the time I got to the third, my patience was already thinning out dangerously. I pushed it open harder this time, stepping inside with my jaw clenched tight.
Still nothing.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath.
I stepped back into the hallway, my mind racing. Then I heard a muffled voice. Faint, but clear enough.
“Let me go, you nuisance.”
My heart skipped.
That's Luci. No doubt about it.
Every nerve in my body snapped into attention. I hurried out of the room immediately and moved toward the next door, my steps faster now, sharper, driven.
I opened one, it is empty.
Another. Nothing.
Then I stopped in front of the last door. My hand hovered over the handle, and then I heard a sharp sound. Like flesh hitting flesh.
A smack
My blood ran cold.
Did he just slap her? Oh no!
A dangerous calm settled over me, before violence took over. I pushed the door open hard, and there they were.
The sight in front of me made something inside me snap completely. Marco had his hand wrapped tightly around Luci’s neck, forcing her down against the chair she sat on. Her face was flushed red, her eyes slightly swollen, and the faint lines of dried tears streaked down her cheeks.
That image alone was enough to ignite a fire in my chest.
Marco turned to look at me, and instead of fear, he laughed.
“Ready to save your little princess, huh?”
I didn’t think. I just moved. In two quick steps, I closed the distance between us and landed a hard punch straight to his face.
The impact echoed in the room.
Marco stumbled backward from the force, losing his grip on Luci. That was all I needed.
I immediately pulled her up and into my arms, holding her tightly against me.
“Are you okay, Luci?” I asked quickly, my voice softer now, filled with concern.
I cupped her face in my hands, wiping away the tear stains gently.
“I’m sorry, baby… I’m really sorry,” I murmured, searching her eyes, but something felt off.
Her expression. It wasn’t just fear. It was… distant, and that only made my anger grow stronger.
“Roman, watch out!” she suddenly shouted.
I turned slightly, but I was too late. Something hard crashed against my head. The force made my vision blur for a second.
Marco broke a glass on my head.
I staggered back slightly, touching the side of my head where the impact landed. When I looked at my hand, there was a smear of blood.
My eyes darkened. I slowly lifted my gaze to him.
I am going to kill him.
We clashed immediately.
I launched at him first, my punches fast and heavy, each one driven by pure rage. My fist connected with his jaw, then his ribs, then his face again.
“You don’t touch her,” I growled as I hit him again.
Marco staggered, trying to block, but I didn’t give him space. I grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall before landing another punch across his face.
He grunted, but then he laughed. That same twisted laugh.
Then he struck back.
His fist connected with my cheek, snapping my head slightly to the side. Before I could recover, another punch followed, this time to my stomach. I stepped back, catching my breath.
Then we went at it again.
The room filled with the sound of fists landing, bodies colliding, heavy breathing and sharp grunts. We moved around the space like two wild animals, neither willing to back down.
At first, I had the upper hand. My anger fueled me.
Every time I looked at Luci’s face, at the tears on her cheeks, it pushed me harder. I hit him again and again, not holding back, but Marco is not weak. He recovered quickly, and then he started hitting back harder.
A punch landed on my jaw. Another on my ribs. Then one straight to my face that made me stagger.
I wiped the blood from my lip and looked up at him. My breathing was heavier now. Then my eyes shifted briefly to Luci.
She was standing there, watching. That same distant look in her eyes. Something about that look snapped something back into place inside me.
I straightened, rolled my shoulders. Then I went at him again. This time harder.
I grabbed his arm, twisted it, and drove my fist into his stomach. He doubled slightly, and I followed with a punch to his face that sent him crashing against the table.
He tried to stand again, but I didn’t let him. I hit him again, and again, and again. Until he was barely able to stay on his feet. I wanted to end him right there. Every part of me screamed for it, but I knew I couldn’t.
Not here, or like this. It would only make things worse.
I stepped back, breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling.
Marco lay there, half conscious, blood staining his face, yet still managing a weak, twisted smile.
Crazy bastard.
I turned away from him.
“Come,” I said softly, reaching for Luci’s hand.
She didn’t resist. She just let me take her hand, and we left. Leaving Marco lying there in his own mess.
The drive home was quiet. Luci didn’t say a word. She just sat there, staring ahead, her expression blank. I glanced at her a few times, my brows furrowing.
She must be in shock. That was the only explanation.
When we got home, I guided her inside gently.
“Come on,” I said softly.
I took her straight to the bathroom and ran a hot bath for her.
“You need to relax,” I told her.
She nodded slightly.
When she was done, I handed her a towel and helped her settle back into the room.
Then I brought out sleeping pills and a glass of water.
“Have this,” I said, handing them to her. “It’ll help you relax.”
She took them without hesitation and swallowed them. I placed the glass on the bedside table and sat beside her.
“Baby,” I began, my voice calm now. “I’m sorry for the way I reacted about the whole Maya incident.”
I sighed. “I was just trying to protect you.”
She looked at me. Then she managed a small smile.
“It’s fine.”
That was enough to ease me. I smiled slightly too, leaning forward to kiss her forehead.
“You should get some sleep,” I said gently.
“Night, baby.”
I stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind me, but something still didn’t sit right.
That look in her eyes.
It lingered in my mind long after I left. Like a question I didn’t have the answer to.
And somehow… I had a feeling this night was far from over.