Page 59 of Whispers of Fire

Acting like I didn't hear him, I jog to the door, push it and run to the nearest room to hide. My heart pounds faster in my chest, and I just know that I am having a panic attack.

I need to find a safe place and I need it now.

A library.

Thank god.

I never go to this floor, it’s forbidden to the young members, so I’m lucky to have found a refuge like this one. I don't hear footsteps outside the door where my back is resting, my chest heaving like I just ran a marathon.

Good, he didn't follow me.

There's no one here, so I find a place to hide between two shelves of books in a corner and take out Vox’s phone, holding it with my two hands like a little treasure. I don't know if he expects me to write to him, but I don't even think twice about it. He's all I need right now.

Angel : Are you free right now?

My fingers are shaking while I tap each letter.

Vox : Everything okay Angel?

He answers right away, as if he had his eyes on this conversation before I even sent my text.

Angel : I only have two minutes but… could I call you? I just want to hear your voice.

I know I need to get down as fast as possible, but I’ll take the risk of calling him if I can. Waiting for his answer, my phone vibrates in my hand with Vox’s incoming call.

Thank god.

“Hi Angel,” his raspy voice echoes. I wish I could answer back but I can't, so I text him instead.

“I don't want to bother you,” I write, blush rising on my cheeks.

“None of that, Angel, told ya, you need me anytime, I'll be there,” he shushes me right away in his protective tone that I'm growing to really like.

“Thank you,” I text him.

“Can't really talk right now, I'm not alone, sweetheart.” He sounds almost disappointed with a hint of… worry? “I'm gonna stay on the line, and you hang up when you want, okay, Angel?”

My heart is hammering in my chest as I think of how much he cares for me, and how he manages to make it all better even if I can't talk and he is busy. Quite the opposite of the man I met with a few minutes before.

“Fuck, I can hear your breathin’ from here, Angel, just breathe. I’m here with ya, I got ya,” he says before letting the noise of men's voices and metal in the background fill the space of our call, like a white noise surrounding us, leaving us in our own bubble, on this silent call.

We stay like this for a minute, my breathing getting back to normal, hearing his inhale and exhale like the most additive sounds I'll ever want to listen to.

“Good girl,” he says, making my stomach churn in a foreign way.

“Listen to me, sweetheart. Go back home, rest, and then come to my place and I'll take care of you. Now I want you to hang up and get out of the building.”

How does he know where I am? Is he following me? Why does this idea do nothing but make me burn even harder for him?

My dark knight, keeping an eye on me.

Well, I don't hate it.

Far from it actually.

Vox

“Sweetheart? Guys, Vox finally has a chick!” Steele fake-punches my shoulder with a large fuckin’ grin on his face. Ignorin’ the amused glances and chuckles from the others, I clear my throat and steer the conversation back to the matter at hand, feeling Ares’s disapprovin’ gaze on me.

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