Page 116 of Bound By Blood and Lies

“Robyn—” he barks.

“She murdered your mum!” she screams and the words tear out of her, raw and hysterical, filling the space in a way that makes it impossible to breathe around them. My body jolts like I’ve been hit.

She’s only saying what I think though, right?

“No, the fuck she didn’t.” Roman sneers, stepping closer to Robyn. “My father did.”

“Your mum would be ashamed.” She steps to him and he tilts his head back and lets out a laugh that lacks any humour.

“You only knew my mum for months,” he growls. “I had her for fucking years. Don’t you ever—” he points at her with a tight jaw, “don’t you ever use her death to justify your shitty behaviour to the only person in this room who never gave up on you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, do you want me to be grateful?” she fires back, stepping forward again. “Because from where I’m standing, your fiancée and my best friend just got your mum killed.”

I move between them and my hands lift towards Roman like I can physically hold this together and keep any more words we won’t be able to take back from slipping out.

“Robyn—” I say as my voice breaks.

“Don’t,” she snaps at me, her eyes blazing. “Don’t stand there and act like this isn’t on you.”

“Shut the fuck up!” Roman steps around me, closing the distance again.

“Roman, stop—” I reach for him, but he shrugs me off like I’m nothing, his focus locked entirely on her.

“You don’t like being married to a murderer?”

“I said shut your mouth, what the fuck is wrong with you!” he screams in her face.

“Or what?” Robyn throws back and lifts her chin. “Are you going to hurt me? You’re not the first man to do that, Roman, so news flash, I’m not fucking scared of you.”

“Enough.”

Felix’s voice cuts through the room like a blade. I turn as he steps fully into the space, his gaze flicking once to me before locking onto Roman. There’s nothing soft in it. Nothing brotherly. Just a cold, hard warning.

“Don’t step up to a woman, Roman,” Felix barks, moving forward without hesitation. “I don’t care how fucking hurt you are, she’s half your size. Now back the fuck off.”

Roman lets out a sharp, humourless laugh, dragging a hand down his face before looking back at him.

“Fuck you,” he sneers.

“Yeah?” Felix steps closer, squaring up to him. “Fuck you too.”

“You’re really going to stand there,” Roman gestures toward Robyn, “and let your woman talk shit about your sister?”

“I’m not letting anyone do anything,” Felix shoots back as his own voice rises to match Roman’s. “I’m just trying to stop you from acting like a fucking animal.”

“Felix—” I try with him this time, stepping between them as my hands push weakly at his chest.

“No,” he replies, not even looking at me as he moves me aside. “I’m not letting a man tower over a woman like that. Back. The. Fuck. Up.”

Roman’s eyes darken as something snaps clean behind them.

“Make me.”

The words hit the room and everything goes still. Then Felix shoves him.

Hard.

Roman staggers back a step before launching forward, his fist connecting with Felix’s jaw with a crack that echoes through the room. The sound rips a scream out of me as I stumble out of the way, watching them crash into each other. Their hands grab at one another and their fists swing. Pure chaos explodes where I stand as I watch them fall into the coffee table.