Page 42 of Whispers of Fire

We stay like this for a while before a noise takes our attention away.

Her parents must have woken up.

Damn it.

I help her get up carefully and I squeeze her hand before letting it go.

“Wait a sec, got somethin’ for ya,” and walk to the kitchen, opening a drawer where I keep burner phones. Can come in handy when you're on the run.

You never know when you might need one.

Comin’ back to her, I take her hand, open her palm and put the phone in it. Nothin’ fancy, just a classic burner phone. I chosen an easy one for her, knowin’ that she probably never got the chance to use one.

“All you gotta do is turn it on. My number is already in the contact. Just hide it well and always keep it on mute.” She furrows her brows.

“You ever need me, you text me, and I'll find you,” I say, still surprised by my words, but that's the truth. I won't let anythin’ happen to her anymore. Can't fuckin' stand the idea of her gettin’ hurt.

Careful, Vox.

I don't tell her that this specific phone has a tracking app connected to my phone. No need to scare her away, but at least I'll know where she is at all times. Perhaps I'll be able to relax a bit by tracking her down.

Nothin’ wrong with a little bit of stalking.

Her lower lips tremble a bit at my words, her eyes looking over the phone in disbelief. I hate that she doesn't get to know about the world and that seeing this phone in her hand is like a strange device from another galaxy.

Closing her palm, she hides the small phone in her hand and steps back, turning toward the bay window of the garden. I hold my breath, watching her silhouette leave my home. Right before disappearing from my sight, she turns her head to me, locking her blue eyes in mine for a few seconds.

Goodbye, Angel.

Then she goes away, takin’ with her another brick from my already crumbling walls.

Chapter 9

Rose

As I sneak back into my room, I sit on my bed and stare at the phone Vox gave me. My hands are still shaking.

So much just happened, I don't even know how to process it. Between him carrying me to his bed, waking up to his hand stroking my face, showering in his house, then arguing with him and then the phone. God, I never even thought I would be able to argue with him given my inability to speak but Vox doesn't seem to care about that. He actually doesn't treat me like a disabled girl, this is just normal to him. Like we have our own language and he doesn't care about it. And when he signed to me, god, those words.

You are beautiful.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

He finds me beautiful.

And knowing it makes everything ever more confusing. Learning about what he does at the club, I understand better why he told me he wasn't a good man.

He deals with guns, Rose.

A part of myself is repulsed at this idea, but another part can't forget the care he keeps giving me, treating me with more respect than I’ve ever experienced.

How can this man be also a ruthless gun dealer?

By the way he avoided my gaze when he mentioned the guns, I guess there's a lot of other things going on at this club. And when I think of what he's accusing our leader of doing… The man I've known and looked up at all my life cannot be a criminal. He's our holy leader, the voice of reason, the one who will guide us to the highest point of consciousness, the Ascension. Vox must have mistaken him for another man.

Does Vox look like someone who would make that kind of mistake?How could this be true?

If it was, then all I ever believed in would be a lie. Our community, our customs and traditions, our goals and roles.

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