Rescue - Roman Godfrey

Chapter 51

"Elsie, open the door."

I continue to sit on the edge of the bathtub. I had been sitting here for hours in shock, still not being able to process what happened. After Roman killed Destiny, I locked myself in the bathroom. Roman sat outside the door, crying and pleading for me to let him. After a few hours, his voice was gone and I heard him hauling something outside and driving away and I knew he was going to bury the body. I was still in the bathroom when he returned.

"Elsie, please," he cries. "Talk to me, please, baby."

Slowly, I stand up and unlock the door with shaky hands. Roman was leaning against the door frame, his eyes puffy and red. When he sees me, relief washes over his face. He reaches for my body, but I step away. After what I saw last night, I was scared of him.

"Don't," Roman wept. "Please don't be afraid. It's only me, Elsie. Please."

"I-I don't know who you are anymore," I whisper, my voice cracking. Each breath I took hurt as my chest moved up and down.

"I'm not a murderer," Roman cries. "You saw what happened. She came in here shrieking at me after I was almost gunned down. Then she hit me, and I shouldn't have hit her back, but no way did I mean for-"

"What about after that?" I shriek. "We could have taken her to the hospital."

"She was dying! If Peter saw her like that, it wouldn't have mattered if it was an accident or not. He would have come after me, until one of us was dead," Roman explains, pacing back and forth now. "And he wouldn't have stopped with just me, you were there too."

"Roman-"

"I didn't have a choice," he continues, grabbing onto my hands. "You have to understand that."

I don't know what to say as Roman waits for a reply. Suddenly, the door bell rings and both of our heads snap. I can see from the camera in the front entryway that it is Peter. My heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach.

"Elsie, please don't say anything," Roman pleads, his eyes glassy. "Please."

The door opens and I quickly try to wipe away my tears. Roman looks at me uneasily before greeting him by the front entryway.

"Destiny didn't come home last night," Peter said, his voice laced with worry. "Is she here?"

"I haven't seen her since the funeral," Roman replies casually.

"What about you?" Peter turns toward me. "Wait, why are you crying?"

Roman shoots me a look as I struggle to speak. "Uh, I just found out that I'm pregnant!"

Peter smiles before giving me a large hug. "Ah, congratulations you two," he pulls away and pats Roman on the shoulder. "I know this should be a time to celebrate, but I really can't do that until I know Destiny is alright."

"She probably just needs some space after all this," Roman tells him and I feel absolutely horrible as we both continue to lie to Peter. "She'll turn up. Come on, I got something to show you."

Roman motions for Peter to follow him into the kitchen. They sit at the dining room table as I go into the fridge and grab some water. I lean against the counter and listen. It scared me how easily Roman could lie, especially about something as big as this. He slides an image across the table and begins explaining how someone from the White Tower shot up a board meeting. Dr. Pryce and Roman were able to determine that it was Spivak inside a worker's head, mind controlling him. Luckily, Dr. Pryce was able to get a clear picture inside his head and find a cabin in a remote area.

Peter leans back in his chair. "This is big."

"We're so close," Roman replies. "We should head over to the White Tower and keep the pressure on them to find this place."