Flame within the Grey

Chapter 38

CHAPTER 38

Scarlett twirled in the mirror of her bedroom in her strappy heels. Her cherry red dress flowed out at the knees. The spaghetti bolognaise simmered gently on the stove in the kitchen. She dabbed light red lipstick on her lips and combed her hair for second time in ten minutes.

She was nervous as she bit her bottom lips. Inviting Roman for dinner and on her birthday was a huge step that she was unsure to take. But he did so much for her. She felt the need to show him some gratitude, and she was okay to do it. But did she have to prove her appreciation? Her thoughts turned dull again. She basically sold her body many nights for it, cringing at the ugly truth. Although, she felt gratification all those nights. The lines blurring between money and desire. Her inner feelings constantly in battle. Why did she feel the desire to say thank you?

She walked down the steps. Tyler was watching his cartoons, and her mother was working late at the nursing home. Scarlett was happy. Her mother would not have approved. She bounced into the kitchen and checked the clock. It was 6pm. Scarlett let out a breath. Butterflies flickering in her stomach once again.

Twenty minutes later, and Scarlett peeked out the living room window curtains. Her left knee bounced, and she fiddled her fingers.

Roman was running late. She expected him to come. Hoping he would. She bit her inner cheek... thinking. This dinner would be a boundary broken between Scarlett and Roman. She didn't want to be a reckless woman, but finally shook her head. Accepting that he would still make it for dinner. Just a few more minutes. Give him some more time, she thought.

Scarlett sat on the sofa and continued to wait at the window.

Where was he?

***

A whistling vibration from the engine.

Whooshing sounds of fire!

The silver top of the Hellcat blown off!

Glass everywhere...

Yet Roman didn't panic. The five seconds before the explosion was all he needed. He knew the sound of the Dodge well and it as fuck didn't whistle. He realized someone had tampered with it. The bastards didn't know that there was a metal plate beneath the car that bought him time to escape before it exploded.

Roman slipped out of the vehicle in the nick of time and was thrown a few feet away from the explosion. The taste of metal and blood tainted his mouth. The smell of fuel stung his nostrils. He laid on the floor, holding the side of his ribs. Knowing he sustained injury. Burns seared across his chest and back under his torn up black shirt.

Bright orange and yellow clothed men with helmets came running towards him. In a daze, he recognized them as the construction workers coming to help as his mind re-focused.

Roman cursed out loud and scowled. His favorite car blown into shit. A bomb was planted beneath his vehicle. An attempt on his fucking life was made, yet again. The bastards were going to pay!

His thoughts turned to his enemies that wanted him dead... only one name came to mind. 

Joey Morello!

"Fuck!" Roman breathed out. Touching his burns. He found himself in a doctor's room, thirty minutes later. He refused to go in a fucking ambulance and instead let one of his men drive him to the hospital.

The smell of disinfected replaced the fuel and smoke that stuck to him. Roman sat on a steel chair. His grey eyes scanned the sterilized white room. An examining table sat against the wall and the doctor's desk at a corner. Charts of anatomy and medical shit hung on the white walls.