Chapter 3

Roman

The first thing that came up as I rose into consciousness was pain. A dull ache that seemed to weigh in on my entire body. 

I wasn't unfamiliar with that kind of pain. It had cycled through every mission. I'd trained and joined myself to bear through it.

I couldn't, for the life of me, remember why I was feeling it NOW.

My eyes cracked open to find the blindingly painful view. I persisted, blinking until my vision adjusted and the brightness cleared to find a ceiling.

It was brown, wooden and polished carrying a glow that seemed to emanate from the sun.

And it was DEFINITELY not mine.

Where was I? How…

My own thinking trailed off as memories hit me all at once. The gunshots, running and getting shot. 

And then…HER. The last thing I'd seen before falling unconscious.

Alarm bells rang in my mind and I quickly tried to sit up only for a dull ache to pulse through my left arm. I groaned from the pain and looked to the side to find my left arm covered in bandages. 

A bloodied spot stained the white gauze, no doubt where the main wound was, but  the rest was blissfully clean. I wasn't bleeding out. 

It was her, I realised. She'd treated me. 

Perhaps my senses at this moment were completely shit at this moment. The sound of footsteps followed by a loud curse barely filtered through my mind before I was suddenly shoved back down on the bed.

“For fuck’s sake, lie down. You've given me more than a heart attack, the least you can do is stay put.”

I froze at the sight of the woman above me as she shifted the sheets.

She wasn't looking directly at me, but her expression was somewhere between irritation and exhaustion.

And for one completely inappropriate moment, I could only stare.

The last time I'd seen her was right before I passed out. I'd barely been able to make out her face across the dim lights and my own issues. Now, I saw everything.

Dark skin that seemed to glow golden against the lighting. Glasses framed her face alongside the loose curls slipping out of her bun.

She looked up, eyes narrowing beneath the glasses, before stepping back and sidling onto a chair beside the bed I hadn't noticed.

“Hello to you stranger.” She said, “fancy seeing you awake. Now, be careful before you speak or move. I've had far too much excitement for one night thanks to you.”

I swallowed thickly and averted my gaze. An admittedly beautiful woman wasn't strange to me. I'd seen many.  

“You saved my life.” The words scratched at my throat. 

“Well I couldn't let you die inside my building.” she huffed. My brows furrowed, but I didn't think much. This time, I looked around properly, processing my surroundings.

We were in a bedroom, hers by the look of it. It was spacious enough with light filling the whole room alongside furniture that actually looked lived in.

This was, without a doubt, her home. But last time I was in her shop, which only meant…

My jaw tightened and I immediately attempted to sit up.

“Careful.” she warned, but didn't make a move. I was more careful this time, balancing on my uninjured hand before turning to her.

“How did I get here?” I asked, gut tightening.

“What?” She asked, incredulous, but I couldn't think.

“How did you get me here? Who saw you bring me here? Did anyone follow you?” the question spilled out harshly. 

“I…What are you talking about?” Her expression changed slightly into something akin to annoyance..

“Answer me.” I demanded, “if anyone saw you, a landlord, a random passerby or someone helped, that leaves a trail. It's already bad enough that you saw, and to deal with you —”

“Deal with— are you THREATENING me?” she bursted out, forcing me to still. 

“You fucker. After intruding on my shop, bleeding and having me cover for you and keeping you alive, YOU'RE the one interrogating me? You're a goddamn piece of work. If you were so keen on not being caught, maybe you could have considered not entering MY place and not  BLEEDING out.”

The impact of her words left me thoroughly speechless. She let out a breath, shaking her head as she left the chair before pointing at me.

“Let me break it down for you to understand. The bookshop you lockpicked— don't even fucking argue against that. I know for a FACT thai I locked it— and intruded on is MINE and it's on the other side of this room which I ALSO own because I own the entire BUILDING.” She huffed indignantly. 

“I didn't need to ‘take’ you anywhere and nobody saw you, you paranoid shit. I DID need to lug your heavy ass up my stairs by MYSELF though. I did need to spend last night taking the bullet out of you MYSELF and treating your wound with the help of every fucking video I could find on the internet without being profiled as a serial killer, and nearly lost my joints and sanity all doing that, so you're welcome asshole.”

Her words hit like a slap to the face. Staring at her indignant expression only one thought cemented.

She'd cursed a lot. Far too much for me to keep track of, but only one thing remained the same.

I’d messed up. Badly.

I looked down, feeling thoroughly chastised in a way I never expected to feel from a woman half my size.

If there was anything I'd learned by experience, it was to understand when to admit faults.

“I sincerely apologise for my error in judgement.” I conceded. “I was wrong in what I said and I'm grateful for you saving me. I wouldn't have survived without you.”

It was foreign, apologizing to a stranger, much less a woman I'd just met. This was perhaps the longest if spoken to a stranger.

Still, she didn't budge, glaring daggers into me, as if waiting for something. 

Very well, I could at least offer some level of honesty.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly.” I offered my right hand to her, ignoring the ache from the strain of the awkward posture. “I am Roman Ricci. Thank you for saving my life.”

She looked at it for a few seconds and I half expected her to either slap it away or keep glaring until it grew holes. She did neither.

She didn't take it, instead signalling me to put it down.

“Eva Johnson.” she replied, “I won't say it's my pleasure, because it's not. But it's… good that you're fine.”

Her eyes shifted away from my face downwards, before suddenly averting. My brows furrowed in confusion when I looked down.

Oh.

My shirt was gone and underneath the duvet I knew I wasn't wearing any pants. I was completely bare.

Before I knew it, she'd moved away and onto the doorway where a large grocery bag sat.

“Your clothes were beyond saving with all the blood and…stuff,” she gestures wildly whilst pulling out some clothes and throwing them onto the chair beside it. “I'll be burning it first thing I can. I got some clothes from the thrift store that should be your size. Don't think of wearing them yet though. You're supposed to rest.”

When she turned back, her gaze bounced from corner to corner, trying not to look at me. A twinge of amusement filled me when she finally focused on my face. If not for her dark skin, I knew she would be flushed all over.

I snapped myself back to reality. Why on earth would I think of her skin?

“Thank you.” I said, forcing those traitorous thoughts away.

She nodded, when suddenly her face took a more serious turn.

“Do you have anywhere to go?” she asked. Confusion filled me, but I nodded.

“Good.” She smiled. “then as soon as you're able enough, contact whoever it is so can leave.”

I blinked in surprise. 

“Don't get me wrong, It's not everyday you see a shirtless random man in your room. I did enjoy the view.” She rushed out and shrugged, “but you're CLEARLY dangerous and whatever you're involved in, I want no part of it. It's already bad enough, having you in my home when I don't know who you are or what kind of crooked things you're into, but this is the extent of my kindness. I already have enough problems than to worry about a crooked criminal.”

Crooked criminal. That was one thing I hadn't heard.

“I understand.” I said. “I'll be out of your hair as soon as I'm able, Miss Johnson.”

“Then we'll have no problems.” She nodded victoriously.  “In that case, I'll leave you alone to recuperate. Your phone is beside you, fully charged. You must've received a few calls but I didn't check. your G- the gun. I'll tell you where it is right BEFORE you leave.” 

Her eyes held a cautious glint that told me everything I needed to know. Of course she wasn't going to hand a dangerous weapon to a stranger.

She looked like she expected me to be offended, but far from it. 

I nodded at her and that was all she needed. In a flash , she turned away, heaving the bag before leaving the room. The door slammed shut. Taking a deep breath, I let the feeling wash over me.

My day had turned out to be beyond eventful.