Under His Protection
889 Words
The room fell into a heavy silence.
"They finally knew exactly where she was."
Vesper stared at Zephyr.
His words echoed in her head.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The people who had been looking for her.
The people connected to her mother.
The people who somehow knew where she was.
It all sounded insane.
Like something from a movie.
Not her life.
Never her life.
"There has to be some mistake."
No one answered.
The silence itself was an answer.
Vesper felt her stomach twist.
For twenty-two years, she had been nobody special.
A girl from an ordinary family.
A woman struggling to pay rent.
A woman whose biggest concern last week had been avoiding eviction.
Now suddenly everyone was acting as if she was some kind of treasure people were hunting.
It made no sense.
"I don't understand."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"What do they want from me?"
Cassian moved closer.
Concern filled his expression.
"We'll figure it out."
"We?"
Cassian offered a small smile.
"You think I'm leaving now?"
For the first time that night, Vesper smiled back.
The familiar comfort settled inside her.
It reminded her of childhood.
Of scraped knees.
Ice cream stains.
And a boy who always swore he'd protect her.
Unfortunately, the moment lasted exactly three seconds.
Because Zephyr noticed.
And he didn't look pleased.
At all.
His jaw tightened.
His eyes darkened.
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
Vesper almost laughed.
Almost.
Was he jealous?
Again?
The possibility was ridiculous.
Yet somehow believable.
"Security will escort Miss Vale to the car."
The command broke the moment.
Vesper blinked.
"What?"
Zephyr's gaze moved to her.
"You aren't staying here."
"Excuse me?"
"Your apartment is compromised."
The word sounded oddly dramatic.
"It's an apartment, not a government building."
"It doesn't matter."
"It matters to me."
Zephyr took a step forward.
The movement alone commanded attention.
"You aren't spending another night there."
His tone left little room for argument.
Naturally, Vesper argued anyway.
"I'm not moving in with you."
"Good."
She blinked.
"What?"
For the first time all evening, Zephyr looked genuinely irritated.
"I said you're not moving in with me."
Confusion filled her.
"Then where am I going?"
"My penthouse."
Vesper stared.
Then stared harder.
Cassian burst out laughing.
"You realize that's basically the same thing, right?"
"It isn't."
"It absolutely is."
The brothers glared at each other.
Again.
At this point, Vesper was convinced they communicated primarily through staring contests.
"I can stay at a hotel."
"No."
She pointed at Zephyr.
"See? That. That's exactly what I'm talking about."
"What?"
"You keep deciding things for me."
His eyes narrowed.
"Because someone is looking for you."
"And?"
"And I prefer you alive."
The simple statement stole the air from her lungs.
No arrogance.
No sarcasm.
No teasing.
Just honesty.
Raw honesty.
For a second, she forgot how frustrating he was.
For a second, she only saw a man who looked genuinely worried.
The realization unsettled her.
Because nobody had looked worried about her in a very long time.
Then Zephyr's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
The conversation lasted less than thirty seconds.
By the time he ended the call, his expression had darkened considerably.
"What now?" Cassian asked.
"The woman."
Everyone became alert.
"What about her?" Vesper asked.
"We found her."
Hope surged through her.
"Really?"
Zephyr nodded once.
"She's willing to meet."
"When?"
"Tonight."
Vesper's heart started racing.
Finally.
Answers.
Real answers.
Not half-truths.
Not theories.
Answers.
"Then let's go."
Zephyr looked surprised.
The reaction annoyed her.
"What?"
"I thought you'd argue."
"I usually do."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Usually."
The smile transformed his face.
For a split second, Vesper forgot about everything else.
The scars.
The rumors.
The mask.
The contract.
All she saw was a ridiculously attractive man.
A ridiculously attractive man staring directly at her.
Heat rushed into her cheeks.
Embarrassing.
Very embarrassing.
Thankfully, Cassian interrupted.
"Okay, that's enough eye contact for both of you."
The spell shattered immediately.
Vesper looked away.
Zephyr looked annoyed.
Cassian looked pleased with himself.
Typical.
An hour later, three black SUVs sped through the city.
Vesper sat beside Zephyr in the back seat.
The silence between them felt strangely intimate.
Dangerously intimate.
Outside, the city lights blurred together.
Inside, she became increasingly aware of every tiny detail.
The expensive scent he wore.
The warmth radiating from his body.
The way his hand rested near hers.
Close.
But not touching.
Her pulse betrayed her.
Again.
This was getting ridiculous.
Then the car suddenly slowed.
Zephyr straightened instantly.
Every muscle in his body tensed.
"What is it?" Vesper asked.
His eyes focused on the road ahead.
Sharp.
Alert.
Dangerous.
The driver spoke through the intercom.
"Sir."
Zephyr's voice turned cold.
"What happened?"
The answer came immediately.
"We have a problem."
The convoy stopped.
Every vehicle.
Every guard.
Every movement.
Stopped.
Vesper's heartbeat accelerated.
"What kind of problem?"
Nobody answered her.
Outside, security agents rushed from their vehicles.
Weapons drawn.
Scanning the darkness.
Fear crawled down her spine.
Then Zephyr did something completely unexpected.
He grabbed her hand.
Firmly.
Protectively.
Possessively.
His gaze never left the window.
But his grip tightened.
And for the first time since meeting him, Vesper realized something terrifying.
Zephyr Draven wasn't afraid for himself.
He was afraid for her.
And whatever was waiting outside had him worried enough to show it.
- Writer
