Then I made a second call—one that wasn’t easy for me to make—to Vani. First, I apologized for the fuckery I had donewith her. I meant it from my heart, too, because since Ophelia came into our lives, I’ve seen things very differently. Then, I asked her if she’d meet us at the college.
“Sure. At the cafeteria?”
“That sounds great,” I said then hung up.
“I’m almost ready,” Ophelia calls down, dragging me back to the moment.
I fire off a text to Camile, asking her to meet us as well. I figure Ophelia is going to be like a cat on a hot roof while Cain and Mal are away, so friends to distract her will be a good thing.
When Ophelia comes downstairs, I stare at her. She’s wearing jeans that hug her ass and flare out at the bottom in pale, worn denim. Her top is a thin knit, with a high neck, and a cute red cardigan Her pretty blonde hair is pulled back in a high ponytail, and she’s wearing a touch of makeup. She looks fucking adorable.
Her smile is shy. “Do I look okay?”
“You look beautiful,” I say truthfully. “I figured you might want to meet with some friends. Vani and Camile are going to hang out in the cafeteria with us for a bit.”
She crosses over and throws her arms around my neck. I bury my nose against her neck.
“Thank you, Roman. It isn’t going to stop me from worrying about them, but it will help.”
It’s not been long since they left. I check my watch and mentally calculate how much longer it’ll be until they reach the cabin. Should be only be another twenty minutes or so. Will Cain’s father already be there, waiting for him? Or will Cain get there first?
I hate that I can’t be there with them, to back Cain up, but I also know that Ophelia can’t be left alone. Even with all the security the college has, there are simply too many threats. Wehave so many fucking enemies, it’s exhausting. Some we created ourselves, but others are just due to bad luck and shitty genetics.
I picture us finding an island somewhere and living wild and free, just the four of us. I picture us finding our peace.
“Come on.” I take her hand, and we head out the door.
Our guard, a man called Lewis, nods at me. The Sig Sauer MCX in his arms certainly gives me a level of comfort. I have my own weapons—a concealed Glock and two knives. A drone whirs overhead, and I glance up, never more grateful for the insane levels of security this college has available.
In the cafeteria, we will be surrounded by students. Safety in numbers. It’s another reason I decided to head there. I’m also banking on the fact that if Vani and Camile are with us, the Vipers won’t be far behind. They might be assholes, but they’d be good to have on our side in a fight.
We’re placing Ophelia right at the heart of the college and making it almost impossible for Cain’s father to do anything to her.
Not that I think he will. The risk of him not meeting his son and, instead, driving here to try to grab Ophelia is low. I won’t say non-existent because really bad shit seems to keep happening to us, but it’s unlikely.
He’s got to know something serious is up with Cain, and he’s either going to the meeting to confront Cain and justify his actions, or he’s going to try to take Cain out of the equation. I don’t believe it’s the latter, and I pray I’m right.
Men like Cain’s father, and mine, can be unpredictable. Hell, look at what Ophelia’s father did to me, the fucker. I’d like to get my own back, but I might have to figure out how to forgive him for Ophelia’s sake.
Leaves crunch underfoot, and the day is crisp and bright. It’s odd walking through all this peaceful, fall beauty and, rightbehind us, is a man carrying a goddamn carbine. We’ve got our own personal military escort.
Ophelia slips her hand into mine, and I turn to look at her, smiling as the sun glints off her pale hair. She really is so beautiful. At that moment, a tiny bird lands on the path in front of us and hops ahead a few times. Then it stops, its little head cocked, its sharp black eyes seeming to regard us, before flying off again.
“Do you think it was trying to tell us something?” Ophelia asks, a smile on her lips, but grief and worry behind her dual-colored eyes.
I squeeze her hand. “Definitely. It was telling us everything is going to be all right.”
It jolts me and makes me aware of how caught up in all the craziness I’ve become recently. My faith is heavily based in nature, and I haven’t taken the time to appreciate her at all lately. I make a vow to change that as soon as I can.
As we near the college, it looms up ahead, and I marvel at the fact that I never get tired of seeing that gothic façade.
Camile and Vani spot us as soon as we walk into the cafeteria and rush up to Ophelia.
“Oh, my God, girl. Are you all right?” Camile pulls Ophelia into a hug.
Camile releases her, and Vani hugs her as well. She keeps hold of Ophelia’s shoulders, studying her face. The two women are physically so different—pale to dark, slim to curves—but the worry and understanding on both their faces is identical. Vani knows how Ophelia feels because she’s been in similar situations when worrying about the Vipers.
I cast my gaze around, wondering if they’re here.
