Page 106 of Blood Stone

“For calling you?” Garrett shrugged again. “Truth, Roman? It was instinctive.”

“Was following Kate instinctive?”

“Mary-Anne tipped me off. And I had already seen Kate’s face lose all its colour so I knew something bad was going down. Kate doesn’t scare easily. So I called you and followed her. You arrived just as I did, just in time to see her take one in the stomach.”

Roman turned to lean on the railing. He pummelled the edge. “So. She’s not going to let you go. She thinks you’re a lucky charm.”

“I know.”

Roman shook his head. “Nope, I can’t discuss this like a civilized man. It churns my gut. I can keep it inside when I’m around her, but you I just want to kill. I know how your mind works, Calum. I know you. I know you’re not in this for the fun.” He turned to face him. “Tell me you’re not falling in love with her and I’ll call you a liar.”

Garrett took in Roman’s clenched fists and the tendons straining in his neck. “I’m as much of a liar as you.”

Roman drew in a shuddering breath.

“Have you told her yet?” Garrett asked.

Roman let out a shaky laugh. “I think she knows. I keep making a fucking idiot of myself. Especially about you.”

Garrett shook his head. “I’m not talking about telling her you love her. Does she know what you are? Have you told her who you really are?”

Roman’s laugh this time was firmer. “Have you?”

“It’s not my place. Not yet.” Garrett caught at Roman’s shoulder. “Listen to me. Roman. Listen.”

Roman turned his gaze to meet Garrett’s.

“Soon, all need for this grand lie we live will be gone. Kate and every other human will know what and who we are and we will be free to walk among them as ourselves. The time is coming when that truth will emerge and burst upon humans as news. You don’t want to be with Kate and have to reveal yourselfafterthat happens.” He shook Roman a little. “Think. Think about how she would feel, knowing you lied to her all along. This time it’s different. For the first time in your long life, you don’t get to parade as a human anymore. You have to be yourself.”

“That’s what Nathanial’s liberators are doing, isn’t it?” Roman said. “That’s why the Pro Libertatis are so frothed up about him.”

“You didn’t know?”

“I knew they were gunning for him. That why they…” He stopped and refocused on Garrett. “They tried to recruit me.”

“Tried and failed? Or succeeded?”

“Jury is out on that. I sent them away with a flea in their ear. Assholes.” He frowned. “I don’t know if I can tell Kate. It’s been a long time since I did this.”

“Did what? You’ve been married three times that I know about since we last met, so don’t give me that bullshit,” Garrett shot back.

“But you were the last one I fell in love with.”

Garrett actually took a step back. It felt like he had been kicked in the chest by a horse. It was as well he didn’t really need to breathe, because he couldn’t unlock his lungs.

Roman looked uncomfortable. “Don’t look so fucking shocked. You knew that.”

“No,” Garrett wheezed. “How could I know that? You kicked me out of your life, had a breakdown and went off to join a monastery or whatever the hell it was you did—”

“The Templar Knights,” Roman amended. “In Malta.”

“Same difference!” Garrett clenched the railing, for stability and sanity. “Imournedyou, you…recalcitrant prick! And you couldn’t even pick up the goddam phone!”

“Didn’t have ‘em then.”

“You stayed away for two hundred fucking years and now you tell me you love me? You’ve got the nerve of a rabid hyena, Roman.”

Roman grinned. “I always love it when you get pissed enough to start using the thesaurus. It just slays me.”