I jerked awake with one name on my lips.

"Chloe! Shit!" My voice cracked as I shot upright, dragging a shaky hand across my face. My chest heaved, sweat clinging to my temples.The sudden bright light had me squinting my eyes to get used to it.

"I'm jealous."

The voice came from my left. I twisted around, Roman sat in the chair beside the bed, fully dressed, his damp hair clinging to his forehead in unruly strands. He must've just gotten out of the shower. His green eyes glinted,sharp with amusement.

"Shit! I'm so stupid." My hands flewto my head,tugging at my own hair. "I fell asleep waiting for Chloe to get back."

He leaned back casually, crossing one leg over the other, watching me as though I were the morning's entertainment. He didn't say a word.

I snapped my gaze to him. "Why didn't you wake me up. Roman?You were working all night, weren't you?"

He shrugged lazily, lips curving into a smirk. "I was trying to get back at you."

"For what?"

"You didn't let me get in your pants." His tone was dry, but the wicked gleam in his eyes made my jaw drop. "Yes. So as petty as that would sound, I watched you sleep all night as revenge."

"Are you-are you serious right now?" My voice pitched higher,

disbelief choking me.

He tilted his head, eyes never leaving mine. "Did I mince words? I didn't stutter, did I? I'm vindictive, Sav."

I groaned, half tempted to throw the pillow at his smug face. Half tempted to stick a dagger in his chest. "Unbelievable."

The next moment he moved-swift, effortless. The chair scraped back,and suddenly the mattress dipped as he slid onto the bed beside me. close enough that I felt the warmth radiating off his damp skin. His voice softened, teasing less now, heavier somehow.

"So we're even now, love. Besides..." His gaze searched mine."Your sister didn't get back until a few hours ago. There was a little commotion downstairs to confirm my suspicion." He tilted his head in the direction of the door.

My head snapped up. "What? Really?"

"Yeah."

My pulse stuttered. "So where was she all night?"

He arched a brow. "How the fuck am I supposed to know, Sav?"

Before I could fire back, he reached under his pillow.His hand lingered there a moment, green eyes locked on mine, then he pulled something out.

A phone. It was oddly heavy.

He placed it on my lap like I was supposed to know what it was for."This is for you."

I stared at it, ice dripping down my spine. "What is this?"

"Turn it on. Savannah." His voice lost its playfulness. His expression hardened into something unreadable.

My palms grew slick. With a gulp, I picked it up, the weight of it heavier than it should have been. The screen blinked to life, revealing an old. scratched phone that looked familiar. Too familiar.

I looked up at him.'′′sthis...yours?"

Roman's jaw tightened. "It's Dean's."

The words punched the air from my lungs. My stomach dropped as everything clicked into place. My fingers flew, pulling up the video app,and there it was. The video. Waiting.

"Dean, you bastard," I whispered, my vision blurring.

I tapped play.

Roman's gaze flickered to the phone, then back to me. His jaw locked,the muscles in his forearm tightening as if holding himself back from ripping it out of my hands. I saw his nostrils flare once, a vein ticking in his neck.

The screen lit up with movement. I caught a glimpse, just enough, but it was too much. My body went rigid, shame scorching my skin. My throat closed.I couldn't-God, not in front of Roman. With trembling fingers,I slammed the screen dark before it could go on any further.

Tears spilled hot and fast, the first one splattering against the glass in my hand. My voice cracked when I spoke. "I... I don't know what to say."

Roman didn't look away. He didn't flinch at my brokenness. His guze was steady, firm, as though grounding me.

"How did you get this?" My words were barely a whisper.

Roman's eyes never left me. He wasn't smirking now. He wasn't

mocking. His gaze burned, fierce and unyielding, but underneath it was something startlingly raw-like watching me hurt carved him open in ways he didn't want me to see. His fists clenched on the bedsheet.knuckles bone-white.

"I have my ways." His tone was clipped, his jaw still iron-tight. "We came to a compromise."

Dread crawled up my spine. My head snapped toward him."Roman-what did he ask from you in exchange for this?"

He didn't blink. "That's not important now."

′′Itis to me," Ipressed, desperation leaking into mny tone. "Don't you dare brush this off-"

"What matters," he cut in, voice like steel, "is that it's out of his hands now."

I swallowed, chest heaving. "And if he has other copies?"

His eyes sharpened,dangerous. "Then I'll find them. I'll destroy them too. He says this is the only one. But if he lied... if he has more. I'll make him pay."

Something in the way he said it made me shiver. Like he meant blood.

I nodded.

My grip on the phone trembled. "Thank you, Roman. Truly.Thank you."

His eyes softened then, just enough to steal the breath from my lungs."You don't need to thank me, Savannah. I'd do anything for you."

The words wrapped around me, warm and suffocating all at once. My heart swelled, betraying me, even as the shame from that cursed video clung to my skin like poison.

And still-Roman stayed. He didn't look away: He bore my shame as though it were his own, and that made it both easier and infinitely harder to breathe.

"What do I do with this?" I asked slowly,raising the phone.My hands still trembled under the weight of it.

"Whatever you wish to do with it." He paused, his gaze sweeping over my form. "Do you have anything in mind?"