Page 94 of Touched

Fuck!

Son of a bitch!

“Who is it?” Aeris asks, flying up beside me.

“My lieutenant!” I retort.

I need to calm my racing heart before I answer. It’s hammering against my fucking chest from the adrenaline coursing through my body after what we just did back there. I need a second to collect myself. Staring directly at Aeris as we fly high above the city, I take a few deep breaths. My heart calms and my mind clears. She nods and I swipe my finger across the screen.

“LeBlanc,” I bark.

Not skipping a beat, the lieutenant’s voice comes booming through the phone, “LeBlanc! The damn port is in flames, and I just got word that the fucking Trahans are dead… I need your ass at the fucking station!Now!”

Not giving me a chance to respond, the phone goes dead.

Well, hell. I can’t not show up.

I’ve been MIA and I know I’m just one more fuck-up away from having my ass handed to me on a silver platter.

Not just by Lieutenant Antoine. If I don’t get my shit together and get down to the station, I’m done for.

The Trahan brothers were my case.

I hate leaving Aeris right now. She’s rattled.

What we just did sets an even bigger target on our backs.

Shit!

I also have my real life outside of this Sylph and fairy shit!

It’s all fucking connected…

More so than I even realized.

I feel like I’m being pulled apart. My old life and this new life are tearing me into two different directions.

I’m in my own personal fucking war.

Aeris takes my hand.“I understand, Callum. You need to go.”

This communicating telepathically, or whatever it’s called, is pretty handy.

I nod.“I need to go to the station. They know that the Trahan brothers were killed. They got there before the fire consumed the bodies. Besides… even a fire can’t alter the fact that two of them no longer had their heads attached to their bodies when they died!”I groan aloud.

“Go to the cabin. I’ll meet back up with y’all there as soon as I’m finished up here!” I shout toward Devyn and Cyrus. I clearly see fear in Aeris’s eyes as I tell her I’m leaving her. But I have to go. She has to know I’ll return to her as soon as I can. “I’m going to come back, little fairy. Nothing can keep me away.”

Fluttering my wings to meet her, I pull Aeris into my arms and glide.“You’re safe. You also have your brother and Devyn. The cabin is warded. You’ll all be safe. I’ll go meet with the lieutenant, and hopefully, cover my own ass, but as soon as I’m able, I’ll come back to you. I’ll always come back to you.”

Her lips crash into mine. She kisses me with so much love and passion, making it even harder for me to leave her at this moment. She sighs as she breaks the kiss.“I love you.”Wind howls around us as I feel her hair whipping in the breeze. I smell the smoke in it as it brushes against my arms and face.

“I love you, too. Stay safe, Callum. I’ll be waiting for you.”Her voice is faint, even in my head. I hear the emotion in it.

Breaking free of my arms, she flies up to meet Cyrus and Devyn.

I watch for a moment as they fly away, their silhouettes accentuated by the moonlight, before shifting directions and heading toward my destroyed apartment. Hopefully, I still have some clothes there that are salvageable. I need to quickly shower and change before I head into the station.

I also need to stash these damn weapons.

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