The Fighter (Book 1)

Chapter 21

After wandering around Rome and dodging loose Elders for hours, it was decided to be party-time. We went back to Heaven, deciding it would be safer and get a bigger crowd. Taylor and Eros had been hanging on each other the entire day, and I didn’t doubt the party would be much different.

Zack dug around in my bags of new clothes that he bought me on our spree a few weeks ago, “This!”

Short, tight, and low-cut. Just like he said earlier. He beamed as I rolled my eyes and pulled it out of his hands. Lionel came into my room–I left the door open for anyone in the group that wanted to come in–with tears streaming down his cheeks. He must’ve just said his goodbye to his sister.

I handed Zack the dress, embracing the dragon-blood in a tight hug. He sobbed into my shoulder, “Hey,” I rubbed his back, “you’ll see her again. I swear.”

“You don’t know that,” he said between sobs. “I’m gonna die…in the first five seconds.”

“You can’t die if I’m protecting you,” I shrugged my shoulders. “As Savior, that’s kinda my only role.”

He nodded as his sobs quieted and he trembled like Zack was threatening him. “Thank you,” he said softly.

“Welcome,” I patted his shoulder as he stepped back. “Where’s Av?”

“Getting ready,” he sniffled. “She’s gonna look amazing…As usual.”

Zack cleared his throat behind us, “Speaking of getting ready…”

“Right. See you tonight,” the dragon-blood left with bloodshot eyes and a smile on his face.

“You don’t have to wear this if you don’t want to,” Zack said.

But it was my last night. I sure as hell wasn’t gonna waste it! “Of course I’m wearing it! Plus, you like it, and if that doesn’t get us to make out until the sun rises, I don’t know what will.”

“You wanna make out on our last night?” he raised an eyebrow. I shook my head hastily, taking the dress from him.

I pecked his cheek before hurrying down the hallway to change. Eros let me keep my new jacket, and I thought wearing that over it would be a good idea. And get Zack’s head spinning. Zack knocked on the door in the middle of my changing.

“You have another visitor, Madam Savior,” he said quietly. “Unfortunately for you, it’s Apollo.”

Apollo? What the hell did he want to see me for? We hadn’t spoken since the incident when Fifteen was in his head. The one where he tried to poison me and then resolved to choking me.

I scrambled to get dressed, huffing loudly when I couldn’t get the dress zipped. “Zack?” I sighed.

“Yes, baby?”

“Will you zip my dress?”

“The only zipping of your dress I’m doing is unzipping,” I could hear the smirk on his lips through the door.

“Zack,” I whined, “Please, General?”

He sighed, slipping into the bathroom and zipping my dress, “I have good taste in dresses.”

“Sure,” I rolled my eyes. His eyes caught mine in the mirror, and they were solid black. His lips melted against my neck , but his eyes stayed on mine. “I love you.”

“I love you more,” his eyes fell shut. “Apollo’s waiting.”

“Right,” I stayed put. Zack didn’t let up on my waist, and he moaned against my neck. “Zack, baby,” I chuckled.