Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Biba wrapped my arms around my neck as I gently placed her down. She tilted her head up and kissed me sweetly, still trying to catch her breath.
“You always blow me away, Zephyr,” she murmured.
I smiled against her lips, feeling happier than I had felt in a long time. This was the piece that had been missing from my life. It felt good to have it back in place.
“I could say the same about you,” I replied as I rested my forehead against hers, taking a moment to come down.
Biba stroked my hair gently, basking in a moment of comfortable silence with me. She finally looked up at me, our eyes locking.
“Don’t leave me again,” she told me.
I gently cupped her chin and shook my head.
“Never,” I promised her. “I love you too much to do that.”
A relieved look crossed Biba’s face. She pressed another passionate kiss against my lips before whispering to me.
“I’ve loved you for a while now,” she admitted.
Now, I was the one who was relieved. Ever since I figured out how I felt for her, I worried that she didn’t feel the same way. There was nothing worse than unreciprocated feelings. My expression turned serious. There were still things that I needed to tell her that were important.
“I promise I’ll protect you. I’ll never hurt you again,” I promised her.
Biba’s face softened in awe.
“I’ll always be right by your side watching your back, Zephyr,” she swore to me. “We’re part of a team.”
I didn’t want us to be enemies again. That was the worst time of my life, and I didn’t care to return to the shell of a person I was then. I just didn’t realize how miserable and lonely I was at the time.
“I’ll let you finish your shower,” I said, figuring she wanted to spend some time washing and taking a moment for herself. She had been through a traumatic experience, and the last thing that I wanted to do was add unneeded pressure on her.
Biba grabbed my hand and shook her head. She gave me a sheepish look.
“I feel safe with you here,” she told me.
That was all she had to say to get me to stay. She had feared for her life for days, worrying if she was going to die with each day that passed. I wanted to remind her that she was safe and protected. Plus, she also had Sol and Theo, who proved that they would also die for her. It made me feel more relaxed to know that she had a group of people watching over her.
Biba washed herself off, sighing in relief and bliss.
“This still doesn’t feel real,” she admitted to me.
I didn’t doubt that. She went from hell to paradise in the blink of an eye. It would take her a while to process everything, but she had a whole support system to turn to. I didn’t want her to bottle everything up and fall into a dark state of mind.
“It’s real,” I promised her, sliding my hands up her back in a comforting manner. “Feel me?”
Biba smiled as she peered over her shoulder at me.
“Now, you need to get out. The others will probably be back soon, and I don’t have time to jump your bones again,” she laughed softly.
Damn, I missed hearing her laugh. I kissed her on the temple before stepping out of the shower and drying myself off. I already longed to be next to her again, but now that she was back, we had all the time in the world to be together.
We just had to take care of Arvo first, which would be a challenge unlike anything we had ever faced before.
CHAPTER 15
BIBA
After Sol was stitched up and given pain medicine for his wound by the village’s doctor, Zephyr arranged a cottage for us to stay in that was near campus. It was discreet and unknown to Arvo, so we didn’t have to worry about being ambushed. We could make a plan and rest for the night before making a move on Arvo, which was a relief. I needed to unwind after everything that had happened.
Before we left, I returned to the room at the inn that I initially stayed in before getting kidnapped. I’d hidden something important under the entertainment stand that I would need for tonight, and I had to make a call while the others got us transportation to the cottage. I hadn’t mentioned what I had in the works with Schmidt before I got kidnapped, but I wanted to confirm my plan before telling them. I grabbed the phone supplied in the room and dialed Buffy’s number.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Buffy, it’s Biba,” I said.
“There you are! What happened to you?” Buffy asked me.
Before I got kidnapped, I called Buffy, convincing her to do a favor for me. Since she was still at Stormcloud, I needed her to discreetly set up a meeting for me with Schmidt. That meeting was incredibly important now that I knew how antsy Arvo was getting for the money.