Page 127 of Uprising

Koen tilts his head, his eyes flashing bloody murder. “You think I would hurt her?” He growls. “You think after everything I’ve witnessed that I would do that?”

“She’s twenty one.” I say, though I don’t know why. I’m not even sure what difference it makes.

He looks at me and I swear it feels like a bucket of ice has been poured on me.

“You have no idea what you are talking about. Either of you.” He says. “But if it makes you happier, if you both will sleep easier then I’ll stay away from your precious sister. But you can’t stop me protecting her. You can’t stop me from making sure she’s safe.”

Roman opens his mouth to say something but I cut across him. “That’s all we want. All any of us want. Sofia safe and happy too.”

He narrows his eyes and then stalks off.

And I think my bravery leaves me then. I sink onto the bench seeing my hands trembling and feeling my throat constrict the same way it keeps doing when I feel like I’m spiralling out of control.

“Rose?” Roman murmurs.

I run my hand over my chest, taking slow breaths. “I…” My face heats with shame. “I’m not strong.” I whisper it. “Not anymore.”

He shakes his head, taking my hand, and I hate the way I flinch at his touch.

“Yes you are.” He says like he can’t feel it, like he hasn’t noticed it.

My heart is hammering. I feel dizzy.

“Do you need a doctor?” He asks.

I shake my head. “No. I just, I just need a moment. I need to calm myself.”

He gives me such a look of concern that it seems to reset whatever is going on in my head. I blink, focusing on his pain in this moment.

“Why did you let Lara go with Ben?” I ask.

“You’d rather she stayed?” He replies.

“I don’t like her being out of my sight.” I admit.

He sighs. “I should have realised that. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I say and then I deliberately change the subject. I don’t want to dwell on it. I don’t want him to overthink it. “So my mother?”

He narrows his eyes. “We tried to capture her but she got away.”

“Carter had someone watching her.” I state. “They were under orders to kill her if you tried to take her.”

His eyes widen at that revelation.

“She knows something Roman.” I say. “She knows something about Darius.”

“Do you know what?”

I shake my head. “No, but it’s clearly something big if he feels the need to kill her.”

“Maybe your father will know.”

I bite back the grin. I’d forgotten that. That Roman had him. “Please tell me he’s still alive then?”

He grins back at me. “I’ve been having some fun with him Rose.” He says. “But I thought you had more right than I did to kill him.”

I don’t know how to react to that. Yes I want him dead. Yes I have now killed people. Murdered two men. And yet both of them I did in blind rage. In response to my environment.