Page 104 of Dance of Defiance

“What are you doing here, Roman,” I grunt.

His smile falters and drops. “I…I drove my sister.”

Yeah, not the answer I was looking for.

“Cool,” I say dryly.

“And…I was worried about you.”

My pulse skips a beat as my eyes snap to his.

Did he for real just say that out loud?

“Why,” I growl. “Why were you worried about me.”

He looks away, rubbing the back of his head. “I… I dunno. Because I’m a human being? With empathy?”

I smirk. “That empathy stop you from killing people or beating them up?”

“Not really.”

My brow lifts. “Then I’m touched.”

He grins a goofy, adorable smile, then blushes when I wink at him.

“How do you feel?” he asks, turning serious.

“Like I got ridden hard and put away wet, and not in the fun way.”

Roman smiles. “What happened?”

“Some fucker cut me off. I swerved, skidded out, and slammed into a crosswalk post at the corner of Broadway and Houston.”

“Christ,” he growls. “Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah…”

I trail off, and the room goes silent.

“Look, I’m…”

“Don’t.”

Roman frowns. “I want to apologize for?—”

“For attacking me? Forhittingme?”

“I…” He sighs, looking at the floor. “That was fucked up.”

“No shit.”

His eyes snap to mine. “You got some pretty good hits in yourself.”

“Eh, you can take it.”

My lips pull into a grin, and his do the same.

“You throw a pretty fucking good punch,” he murmurs quietly.