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Twenty-Three

Roman

“I s that really necessary ?” I asked, standing in the living room with my arms folded.

Mike shifted the coffee table in front of the door and stepped back to look at his work.

“If anyone tries to get in, I want to make sure that we hear them.”

“It’s late. Can we just wrap this up so I can get Rosie to bed?” Quinn asked with her hands on her hips. “It’s been a long day, and she has school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute. Go ahead and get her situated, you won’t even hear me come in.”

“Why are you coming to the bedroom?” Her brows pulled together tightly.

“I’m sleeping on the floor.”

I rolled my head back on my neck and waited for the fight I knew was coming.

“Look,” she said sternly, holding her hand up in front of her. “I know you want to be here to watch over Rosie and keep her safe, but I don’t think that entails you sleeping on the floor. I’ll be in there with her, and if anyone gets into the apartment, you guys will hear them before we do.”

“Unless they come in through the window,” he countered.

“What in the world makes you think someone is going to climb four flights of rickety stairs on the fire escape to get in through the window?”

“It happens all the time.” He spread his feet, widening his stance as they continued their stare-off.

“When?” I asked, pulling my head back in surprise.

He tilted his head and looked at me. “Max said that Hannah’s friend—”

“Was thrown from a window,” I corrected, feeling satisfied when I saw the embarrassment flash across his face.

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. There was a lot going on, and I didn’t hear the full story.”

I didn’t bother to go into the details of how she was murdered by some psychopath that also kidnapped Max’s sister before taking Hannah. Quinn had enough on her plate to worry about without the gruesome details of someone else’s tragedy.

“You don’t need to sleep on the floor,” Quinn insisted.

“Why not? It’s not like there’s room out here.”

“You can sleep in that chair,” she said, nodding to the one beside the couch where I would be sleeping.

“I’m six-two, Quinn. How the hell do you think I’m going to fit in that thing to sleep?”

“Maybe you can curl up on the couch with Roman?”

I watched the sparkle that danced in her eyes when she cautiously glanced at me.

“Yeah—like hell he is.”

“Why not?” Mike asked with a decent amount of hurt in his tone.

“Because I don’t cuddle men, and even if I considered it to keep you from having to sleep in the chair, your snoring is enough to make me reconsider.”

Quinn covered her mouth and snorted as a laugh escaped.

Mike’s head whipped toward her before he pointed a finger between us.

“That’s the real reason you don’t want me in there—isn’t it?”

Quinn’s head fell back, showing off her long neck as her hair tickled her back and the beautiful sound of laughter floated through the air.

“It’s sooo loud!”

“You know what—screw both of you,” Mike said playfully, pretending to be angry without letting his laughter slip through.

After a few minutes, the laughter subsided and Quinn yawned. It was late, and I didn’t want to spend the entire night trying to figure out sleeping arrangements with all of my new roommates. As long as we kept Rosie safe, that was all that mattered.

“You can take the couch tonight,” I offered. “I’ll sleep in the chair.”

“That chair will hurt your back,” Quinn protested.

“I’ll be fine. Trust me, I’ve slept on worse.”

“You’re welcome to sleep in the room with us,” she offered quietly, almost afraid to let Mike hear her.

He clutched a hand to his heart and acted wounded.

“You’ll let him sleep in the room with you, but not your own brother? I’m appalled!”

“He doesn’t snore like a freight train,” she laughed. “We all need sleep, and that’s the best way for us to get it.”

“Fine,” Mike grumbled and ran his hands through his hair. “But don’t you try anything funny with her....”

He grabbed his duffle bag from the floor and headed to the bathroom, leaving Quinn and me in awkward silence.

Once he was gone and we heard the door close, we both relaxed.

“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” she said softly. “I’m sure there’s plenty of room for all three of us in the bed.”

“Na, that’s okay. I’ll sleep better if I’m by the door. If anyone comes in through the window they’ll have to break it first, and we’ll hear it.”

She nodded her head and started blinking rapidly to keep her tears away.

I stepped forward and pulled her into me, holding her tightly.

“It’s going to be okay,” I assured her. “Nothing is going to happen to her with all of us here tonight. It’s best to get as much rest as possible so you’re ready to go tomorrow. She can’t afford for you to be exhausted.”

“I know,” she said, her words muffled against my chest. “I’m so scared.”

I didn’t say anything because anything that I would have said would have been a lie.

I could’ve told her that there was nothing to be scared of or that we could handle anything that was thrown at us, but that wasn’t something that I could guarantee.

While I hoped we would be prepared for whatever happened, uncertainty gnawed at me, making me question everything I thought I knew.