The Giuoco Piano

Chapter 41 - Resplandecer en la Oscuridad

"The female heart is a labyrinth of subtleties, too challenging for the uncouth mind of the male racketeer. If you really want to possess a woman, you must think like her, and the first thing to do is to win over her soul. The rest, that sweet, soft wrapping that steals away your senses and your virtue, is a bonus."

~ Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

Marlena feels exhausted as she rides the elevator to the fifth floor. Her feet are sore, her head is swimming a little and her shoulders are tense. She just wants to crawl into bed and shut the world out for a few hours.

But she realizes as soon as she steps out of the elevator that's not going to be possible.

Roman sits against the door to her suite, his head rolling to the side as he hears the ding, and the elevator doors slide open. Pointedly, he looks at his watch and then back at her.

"Where have you been?" he demands.

"Out," she says curtly, reaching into her purse for her key card.

Roman sighs. "Doc, can we not do this?"

"Do what?" she stands in front of him. "Jo-..." she pauses and closes her eyes momentarily. "I'm sorry. Roman. I'm tired. I just want to sit down. Could you let me get into my room please?"

Roman takes a deep breath and eases himself onto his knees, cringing as he feels the telltale grind of his fractured rib. "Ah, fuck." He places his hands flat on the blue and gold carpet and breathes noisily.

"Honey?" Marlena's tiredness and irritation fade away in the face of Roman's obvious pain.

"It's okay," he exhales slowly and eases himself up from the floor. But Marlena can tell he is struggling, and she grabs his arm to help him stand. When she looks closely at his face, she can see his eyes are red-rimmed and bloodshot and she feels a stab of guilt once again.

"Is it your ribs?" she asks softly, lifting his face so she can see the bruising better in the light. There doesn't appear to be any new bruises but the one above his eye has darkened and looks painful.

"Johnson got a bit free and easy with his hands," Roman tries to grin but Marlena can tell it's forced.

"Johnson did?" she asks, lifting her eyebrows. She's pretty sure anything that was initiated here this evening was not started by the dour northerner. Not given the mood Roman is so clearly in.

"Does it really matter who started it?" Roman asks.

Marlena shrugs and sighs. "Not really. But Roman, you shouldn't provoke him. You're already injured, and you should be seen in a hospital. All he has to do is hit you a little too hard and that rib could go straight through your lung. And then where would you be? In hospital? Dead?" She leans her head to one side, trying to capture his gaze, and her long blonde hair tumbles from her shoulders, falling in a curtain of gold that makes him long for the days when he could just bury his face in her hair and the worst they had to worry about was whether the twins would wake up. "Honey, you can't protect me, you can't be there for me if you're dead."

He looks up at her, his bright blue eyes shining with remorse.

"You're right, I know you're right. I just... he pisses me off and winds me up."

"Don't let him wind you up," she slides her card into the slot in the door handle and pushes the door open. "Come in and I'll find you some painkillers. I probably need to take a look at that hand again too." She motions to the bandage on his hand which is saturated with dark red dried blood. Hitting Johnson hadn't just caused damage when Johnson retaliated.