Chapter 7: The Bullet
940 Words
"Sir!"
The terrified shout echoed through the night.
For one horrifying second, Vesper couldn't breathe.
Zephyr's body had gone completely rigid around her.
His arms were still wrapped tightly around her.
Still shielding her.
Still refusing to let go.
Fear exploded inside her chest.
"Zephyr?"
No answer.
Panic immediately followed.
"Zephyr!"
Slowly, he looked down at her.
A deep frown appeared on his face.
"What?"
Vesper blinked.
"What?"
"You shouted."
The realization hit instantly.
He wasn't injured.
He wasn't dying.
He wasn't bleeding.
He was perfectly fine.
Relief flooded her so quickly it almost made her dizzy.
Then irritation followed.
Immediately.
"You scared me!"
His eyebrow rose.
"I scared you?"
"Yes!"
Another gunshot rang out.
Both of them instinctively ducked.
The moment ruined.
Completely.
Zephyr sighed.
"You should probably stay down."
"Great advice."
The sarcasm went right over his head.
Nearby, security agents rushed between vehicles.
Several guards surrounded Celeste.
Cassian appeared from behind one of the SUVs.
His suit was dirty.
His hair was a mess.
And somehow he still looked annoyingly handsome.
"Everyone okay?"
"I'm fine," Vesper replied.
Cassian's eyes immediately swept over her.
Checking for injuries.
Checking for blood.
Checking for anything wrong.
The concern warmed her heart.
Unfortunately, it also darkened Zephyr's mood.
Again.
Honestly, the man became jealous faster than most people breathed.
A moment later, one of the guards approached.
"The shooters are gone."
Zephyr's expression hardened.
"How many?"
"We believe two."
The guard hesitated.
"They weren't trying to hit us."
Silence.
Vesper frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The guard exchanged a glance with Zephyr.
Then answered.
"They were trying to stop the meeting."
Everyone turned toward Celeste.
The woman looked shaken.
Pale.
Terrified.
But alive.
That alone felt like a miracle.
Zephyr's voice became sharp.
"What were you going to tell us?"
Celeste swallowed.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Vesper noticed.
Whatever secret she carried, it genuinely frightened her.
"They know the truth is getting close."
"The truth about what?" Vesper asked.
Celeste looked directly at her.
"About your family."
Vesper rubbed her forehead.
She was getting tired of hearing that phrase.
Her family.
Her mother.
Her past.
Every answer seemed to create ten more questions.
"Can somebody just explain things normally?"
To her surprise, Cassian laughed.
Even Zephyr looked mildly amused.
Celeste smiled sadly.
"You sound exactly like your mother."
The comment made Vesper pause.
For some reason, hearing that felt important.
Special.
Like receiving a tiny piece of someone she'd lost years ago.
"What was she like?"
The question escaped before she could stop it.
Celeste's expression softened immediately.
"Stubborn."
Cassian snorted.
Zephyr's lips twitched.
Vesper glared at both men.
"What?"
"You are stubborn," Cassian said.
"Extremely stubborn," Zephyr added.
"Oh, that's rich coming from you."
A surprised laugh escaped Celeste.
The sound eased some of the tension.
Only some.
Because reality returned quickly.
The road wasn't safe.
The attackers were still out there.
And standing in the middle of nowhere was becoming a terrible idea.
"We need to leave," Zephyr said.
This time nobody argued.
Not even Vesper.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Zephyr's estate.
Vesper stared through the window.
The mansion looked even larger at night.
Lights glowed from every corner.
Security guards patrolled the grounds.
The entire property looked less like a home and more like a fortress.
"Do you own a house or a small country?"
Cassian laughed.
Zephyr looked almost offended.
"It's a house."
"It's bigger than my entire neighborhood."
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
The sight caught her off guard.
Again.
She hated when he smiled.
Mostly because it looked unfairly attractive.
The moment they entered, staff members appeared.
Some carried luggage.
Others brought refreshments.
Everyone moved efficiently.
Like a well-trained army.
Vesper suddenly became very aware of how out of place she was.
Her apartment could probably fit inside one wing of this mansion.
Twice.
A woman in her sixties approached.
Warm eyes.
Kind smile.
"Welcome home, sir."
Then she looked at Vesper.
Her smile widened.
"And this must be Miss Vale."
Vesper smiled politely.
Before she could answer, Zephyr spoke.
"Prepare the room beside mine."
The woman froze.
So did several employees.
Even Cassian looked surprised.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Vesper noticed all of it.
"The room beside yours?"
Zephyr looked at her.
"Yes."
"Why?"
His answer came instantly.
"So I know you're safe."
The words settled heavily between them.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Cassian's jaw tightened.
Vesper noticed that too.
The look on his face wasn't jealousy exactly.
But it was close.
Very close.
A strange feeling settled in her chest.
Because for the first time, she realized something.
Both brothers cared about her.
Maybe for different reasons.
Maybe in different ways.
But they cared.
And that made everything far more complicated.
Especially when Zephyr's gaze remained fixed on her.
Intense.
Protective.
Possessive.
As if he'd already decided she belonged here.
Belonged with him.
The thought made her pulse quicken.
Then a maid hurried into the entrance hall.
Panic covered her face.
"Sir!"
Every conversation stopped.
Zephyr turned immediately.
"What happened?"
The woman swallowed hard.
"We found something in Miss Vale's room."
Vesper frowned.
"My room?"
"The room prepared for you."
A cold feeling settled in her stomach.
"What did you find?"
The maid's face turned pale.
Very pale.
Then she answered.
"A bouquet of white roses."
Silence.
Vesper blinked.
"That's it?"
The maid shook her head.
"No."
Fear flashed across her expression.
"There was a note attached."
Every person in the room became still.
Zephyr's face darkened instantly.
"What note?"
The maid's trembling voice barely carried across the hall.
"It said..."
She swallowed hard.
"'I found her first.'"
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