Roman Moreau's crazy fun filled life

4

Franc didn't live that far away from the Inn but yet to Roman it felt like it was hundreds upon hundreds of miles that night. His lungs began to ache as he had bolted at a full on sprint to his brother's house, not even caring as a few random people stared at him in confusion. All that mattered to him was making it there as soon as he possibly could.
The house came into his view and Roman pushed on despite his muscles burning and his bindings clearly becoming disheveled. Not even bothering to prepare himself, Roman burst in through the door. It was unlocked, which made him even more paranoid.
"Franc! Elise!" He called out, rushing into the home. He saw the fireplace in the living room was lit, and a shadow cast a silhouette of a person from it. Rushing over to them, Roman saw from the size and hair that it was his brother. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words shriveled up as he saw his brother fully in the light.
Franc's head was tilted back slightly, leaving room for Roman to see the clean cut across his throat. His shirt was dark and stained from fresh blood that was all over his brother. With eyes wide and mouth slightly drawn back in fear, he looked like he was in mid sentence. Blood splattered papers that had been scattered across the floor. For a moment, Roman didn't believe the scene in front of him. There wasn't anyway that his brother, the only brother he had, was lying dead in front of him.
His throats began to hurt as Roman felt the grief starting to well up, about to take over his head when he heard a cry of fear come from the house, right around where Thomas' room was. It sounded like Elise. Feeling himself stumble toward the sound Roman's muscles pushed him forward to help her, but his mind stayed back at the sight of his brother, replaying it over and over again as the cut seemed to grow bigger as every second passed by.
Roman jutted to a halt as he saw Elise standing with her back against the wall, putting up a fight with the figure sent to kill them. His arms moved as quickly as possible as he pulled out the pistol from his belt and shot the man down. He didn't have enough time to react to Roman shooting and fell down, giving out a last spasm before he fell still. But Roman knew he had been too slow.
The hit man had managed to stab Elise repeatedly through the chest, and now she fell down along side the man who tried to kill her. Roman rushed to her side and tried to calm her in hushed tones while her chest contracted in a fit of coughs. Blood spilled from her mouth, gurgling her words as she tried to call out for anyone to help her. When he heard his own voice telling her to be calm, the strain in it was clear as day.
Elise held tightly onto Roman's shirt for what seemed like lifetimes as she coughed up all the blood that slowly suffocated her. Roman could do nothing else but hold her tightly as she finally went limp.
Everything went silent. Roman could barely hear his own breathing as he held his sister in law in his hands, and it seemed like he was holding it in.
Taking a deep breath out, Roman slowly let go of Elise, laying her down gently. It was then when he heard a muffled cry from inside the room Elise had died beside.
Thomas.
Roman felt as if someone had stabbed him rather than Elise, and all he could do was stare at the door in horror. What was he going to do?
"Momma?" A pitiful voice came from beyond the door along with a rattling as Thomas tried to open the door.
"Thomas, stay in there! It's...It's uncle Roman." He rushed out, trying to stop Thomas from walking in on this scene.
"Uncle? W-what are you doing here? What happened?" Thomas' voice was trembling. Damn it, the gunshot must've scared the living daylight out of him. As he thought of that, Roman realized that it wouldn't be long until the police came after that gunshot as well.
"Thomas...I'll tell you everything later. But for now, I need you to be brave for me and close your eyes until I tell you to open them." That was the best idea Roman could think of.
"But how will I find mom and dad that way?"
"Shh, you'll find them later. Right now, they want me to get you somewhere else."
"Am I going to spend the night with you?!" Thomas' voice chimed, and Roman felt his heart twist. Lying this much to him already hurt enough, and knowing at some point he'd have to explain made it even harder to keep a straight face.
"For a little while. Now, are your eyes closed?" Roman asked, and Thomas replied with a Yep!
Roman wiped off his hands as best as he could on his clothes and opened the door. Sure enough, there Thomas was in his sleeping wear with both of his eyes closed tightly shut. Roman took him by the hand and the two of them started to walk away.
"Uncle, why isn't Momma coming to say goodbye?" Thomas asked as Roman led him down the hall. Roman but his cheek, trying to keep a steady voice.
"She...she wants to surprise you later on."
"There's a surprise?"
"Yes," Roman began to think quickly. "You're going to your grandparents. They've already left and are going to meet you there."
Roman knew Elise's parents lived in the country and spoiled Thomas more than he did. As they passed the living room, Roman grabbed a piece of paper and pencil from the table, trying his best not to look at Franc's body. There was nothing he could do right now. Everything that happened now was to keep Thomas safe. No matter what happened he would let nothing harm his brother's son. He'd walk through the pits of hell before seeing Thomas get hurt by his lack of protection, not after Marianne.
"Uncle, why did we stop? Can I open my eyes?"
"No! No, I just...need to write something down." Roman said to Thomas as he began to desperately scribble down the situation. Already a plan was forming in his head, was it the best? Probably not. But for now it was all Roman could do.
Folding the paper, Roman started to lead Thomas again.
"So, how does a horseback ride sound?"
Roman managed Thomas out of the house and managed to sneak away a horse from its stable in the dark of the night. Thomas never suspected anything and fell asleep in Roman's grasp as he rode the horse quickly to the country side. It was about an hour long trip in total. By the end of it, Roman didn't even realize he had cried most of the way, but he felt the ache in his eyes and his throats as the country house of his Franc's in-laws came into view.
Roman stopped the horse and lifted the tired Thomas off as he got to the ground.
"Thomas, I want you to give this letter to your grandparents. Once they read it they'll...they'll explain things a lot better than I have." Roman sighed and put the letter in his hand, letting Thomas look at it with a puzzled face.
"You're not coming with us?" He asked. "I thought we were going to stay together..."
Roman glanced up at the country house. A few lights were turned on and he could see the silhouettes of a couple looking out at them through a window. They both knew that Franc didn't have a brother, and in that letter it told him how Roman really was family. But he couldn't stay here, as much as he wanted.
"I've got a lot of things to do back in London. You stay here, ok? I'll come here to check on you." Roman's voice came out hoarsely as he patted Thomas on the head. The little boy wrapped his arms around his uncle tightly. Biting on his cheek, Roman fought to keep it together as Thomas pulled away slowly. He ran off to the house with the letter in his hand, and Roman allowed himself to watch him go for just a split second. Then he was on the horse and gone before anyone could say otherwise.
____
The ride back home was unbearable for Roman. Being alone made him want to clutch on to somebody, anybody, who'd give him the slightest bit of comfort. All he could do for the time being was hug the horse tightly before he returned it.
It was like walking through mud to get back to the Inn. What else could he do? He did pass by Franc's house on his way back and noted it was now swarming with officials. Well, now the word would spread like wildfire that Franc and his wife were dead, along with a missing child.
Roman entered the back of the Inn quietly. No one would be up at this hour, he figured. However, as he made his way to head upstairs, Roman caught a glimpse of a few people gathered in the pub.
Han, Sabelle, and a few other members all talked in hushed tones around one specific figure.
Gregor.
He could hear various snippets of what each person had to say. What the hell happened? Do you know who did it? How long had it been? When would Gregor take control?
Gregor hushed the people around them and put on a frown.
"Franc is definitely dead, and Roman is nowhere to be found. There was blood in his room, though." A few gasps and murmurs followed after he spoke. "But, my plan is-"
"Shut up." Roman couldn't even begin to hold back his rage the longer he held himself back. Gregor looked up at Roman in confusion. But soon that confusion turned to fear as he realized what Roman must know.
"You're covered in blood! What-" Han began to speak, but Roman interrupted him with a shout.
"You killed them, Gregor! You're the one who sent out those god damn hitmans!" He spat out the truth and raised up his pistol to Gregor, making everyone go silent. A few people turned to him and began to back away, save for a few who stood by his side.
"What? Why the hell would Gregor do that?" Sabelle argued back. She stepped in between Roman and Gregor, looking at them as she sought to figure this out herself.
"Get out of the way." Roman hissed through clenched teeth, finger squeezing the trigger eagerly.
"Roman, how do we know it wasn't you who? After all, you would've gotten the role as leader of the guild."
Roman stared at Sabelle with pure disgust in his eyes. How could she accuse something like that?
"I just had to hold my dying sister in law in my ARMS because I was too late! Now, get out of the fucking way!" Roman shouted as he fired a bullet into Sabelle, hitting her in the shoulder. She let out a scream as she fell down. But for Roman, this only allowed a perfect shot on Gregor.
He let his finger pull the trigger again, and Gregor's head snapped back as blood splattered the wall behind him. Chaos and shouting surrounded the Inn as Roman suddenly felt a body slam into him. Based on the voice shouting at him, it was Han, clearly pissed over him shooting Sabelle.
The whole world was a blur as Roman felt himself get punched repeatedly over and over again, his vision starting to turn black. Before he fully went out, Roman caught a glimpse of the fight that ensued because of him. Well, at least some people believed he was telling the truth and fought for him. With that last thought in mind, Roman felt himself finally give out as a final slam from Han's fist sent him into pitch darkness.