“I brought you here so you could recover somewhere comfortable and safe. The doctor advised that you not be left alone. Master Conall Rose owns this hotel and this penthouse apartment. He offered it to me so you wouldn’t wake up in the back room of the club.” Roman observed his processing of what he was being told and noticed his head nod throughout.
Alex shifted his gaze to stare at their clasped hands. He flexed his grip but did not let go. “It’s a lot more than I would have ever expected from strangers. I appreciate not being left in the alley.” Roman was struck briefly by the fact that they had nearly done just that.
He and the others had no desire to insert themselves in the human’s drama. Thankfully, Nolan was a better man than all of them and took matters into his own hands by moving Alex inside. "Our bartender, Nolan, found you by the dumpster and brought you inside." He had to give credit where it was due.
“I’ll have to thank him for that.” Alex ducked his head and took a sip of his juice. “And I want to thank you for watching over me. I feel okay, not perfect, just sore and stiff. It could have been much worse, I suppose." He smiled and finished his juice. The growing bond and Roman's nearness were the reasons for his rapid recovery, but he would come to understand that soon.
Alex was careful with his words and made no assumptions. He was taking everything at face value but not committing. He was smart. Roman was fashioning some kind of further explanation for bringing him to the penthouse when his phone rang. He checked it and then excused himself to the other room.
“How’s it going?” Drakon inquired.
“Slow, very slow.” He heard a low chuckle.
“Things will speed up once the awareness fully kicks in. You won’t want to be too far away when it does. Your beloved will need you desperately.” Drakon spoke from experience, but Roman wasn’t sure how he was going to convince Alex to stay much longer.
“He’s wary and a little suspicious, I think," Roman commented.
“That’ll all change.” Drakon was very confident. “The awareness hits them like a freight train.” That visual made Roman smile.
“I look forward to it.” He said, and then added. "He remembered parts of his attack, and he identified his friend Jackson, but he didn't have anything to say about the other two."
"Yes, I hear that young man was discovered in the alley this morning near the dumpsters, rather worse for wear." He laughed this time. "I'm surprised he still lives."
"So am I," Roman admitted. “I tend to give humans undeserved second chances. It’s a weakness I will work to eliminate.”
"We're always honing our skills and sharpening our attacks; it's natural growth." Drakon justified. “You’re a fine guard and an excellent assassin, so don't be too hard on yourself. Your beloved is well, and it is unlikely this man will ever bother him again.”
"If he does, it will be the last thing he ever does."
“Exactly.” He enunciated. They spoke a while longer regarding coven business, but he didn’t keep him long. When he closed the call, he saw that Alex had cleared the table and was now sitting in the living room with a cup of hot coffee and one for Roman. That was nice.
He sat down and picked up the cup, taking a long sip. "Thanks." He says, and Alex nods with that same little smile that Roman was starting to love because it was honest and true and made his eyes sparkle.
"You said that you're a guard for Conall Rose. That sounds exciting. That guy is a very influential man in this town. He doesn't do business at my bank, First National, but there are a lot of people there who wish he did." Alex wanted information about him, and Roman had no qualms giving him information.
There's a reason Master Rose does not do business at First National, and that is because it is owned by a rival coven. He can't tell Alex that, not yet anyway, so he couches his reasoning in terms of business relationships. "Master Rose has done business with several banking institutions over the years that have served him well, so he tends to go with whom he knows and trusts."
“Makes sense.” He pauses and then asks, “Why do you call him master?”
“That’s his title.”
“What’s your title?”
“Guard.”
“Do you like your job?”
"Very much." He watched Alex mindlessly nod his head. He was digging, but he was not satisfied.
“Do you like your job?” Roman returned, casting a side eye and arching his brow. Alex did not answer right away; he had to think, and that spoke volumes.
"It pays well, but I probably won't stay there."
“Why not?”
"One of my coworkers beat the shit out of me in the alley behind a downtown club. I don't think I need to say any more than that." He laughed, but it was a hollow sound.
“Good point.” Roman smiled and slowly released Alex’s hand and slipped his arm around Alex’s shoulders. It was forward and necessary.