Echo of an Earth Angel (The Earth Angel Trilogy: #1)

by Sarah M. Ross

  “Me,” David stated, stopping in front of her so he had her full attention. “He wants me. And if he gets me, I’ll be punished for saving you and healing the thousands I’ve helped over the last few decades.”

  David’s fingers itched to touch her, to comfort her in some way. He could see the battling emotions in her eyes and he took a step closer.

  Tessa warred with herself. The heat radiating through her body when he came close made her want to lean in and take the comfort he was obviously offering, but her logic and head made her momentarily considered turning David in herself when he continued. “And if they find me, they’ll find out about you. That’ll be the end of your life as you know it. The other Healer Angels will have two choices on how to deal with you. First, they could simply end your life, righting the wrong I created. Or they could force you to join them, not allowing you to return to earth for many years. Either way, you’ll lose the life you know.”

  Tessa didn’t know what to say. David’s expression was pained and he swallowed hard. It was if he told her she was dying, which he kind of did. She closed her eyes and leaned back into the couch. She allowed herself a few minutes of self pity and anger, and then stood up and resumed pacing.

  “We have to get her back on our own—without anyone finding out. We’ll find out where he took her and rescue her.” Tessa was more determined than ever, but David was doubtful. He knew what Nico was capable of and he didn’t like their chances.

  “We need to search for clues. Maybe that’ll help us know where to look.” Tessa stood and started for Morgan’s room.

  “I already looked everywhere, and found nothing helpful. But you know her and the house better than me, so maybe you’ll find something.”

  “It’s worth a try.” Tessa took the stairs two at a time and tore her room apart. When the search yielded no results, she tried Morgan’s bathroom. Nothing.

  “Is there anyone you know who could help us? Any other Angels who won’t turn us in?” Tessa queried. They could really use a few more people on their team.

  “One or two, but I don’t know how much help they’ll be. Nico makes it his mission to be as elusive as possible. He doesn’t share his personal life with anyone, so no one knows much about him. He works alone and doesn’t have a lot of friends. But maybe there’s someone who can help—”

  Tessa cut him off before he could continue. “Wait! Didn’t you say he took Morgan’s Land Rover?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “Because it has a GPS built in it! And that means the car company can use its satellites to locate it!”

  “But don’t cars need to be reported stolen for them to do that?”

  “I’ll ask Vinny to help grease the wheels and tell him that I lent it to a friend to be a DD after a party, but didn’t know their name. He’ll just be glad I didn’t let anyone drive home drunk and I’m sure he’ll help.”

  “Genius!” David exclaimed, wrapping Tessa in a excited hug and twirling her around. Pleasure fizzed through him like an overflowing bottle of Coke. He lost track of time as he held her, enjoying her scent, her warmth in his arms, and loving emotions coming from her.

  Tessa was so excited she possibly found a way to get Morgan back she didn’t even realize David was still hugging her. But as soon as she did, it was a feeling she didn’t want to end. The way he held her caused her to melt like butter on a hot day. Every stress slipped away, and it was as if nothing existed but this moment. She leaned into him, allowing him to wrap her tighter in his arms as he traced his fingers slowly along her spine. The sensation was inviting, exciting, and comforting at the same time. It had been so long since she felt cherished. For the past year, everything felt muddled—except for when she was with him. She felt alive when they were together. She could feel him thinking he would do anything to protect her. She smiled against his shoulder. I know I might be crazy for contemplating my love life at a time like this, but this—me and him—feels so right, unlike every other thing I have to grapple with day in and day out.

  After a few lingering seconds, she reluctantly pulled away and took out her phone. She called Vinny, who helped her coordinate with the car’s OnStar program. The lies rolled off her tongue, but the bitter aftertaste of guilt never followed. She’d do anything necessary to get Morgan back. After asking a few security questions, which Tessa—pretending to be Morgan—easily answered, they agreed to turn on the locator.

  “Ma’am, the car is located at 530 William Penn Ave in downtown Pittsburgh. Do you need me to alert the authorities?” the operator asked.

  “No, thank you. I’ll drive out there and check it out. If anything’s wrong, I’ll call them myself. Thank you so much for your help.”

  “We’re happy to aid you, Ms. Makowski. Please let us know if there’s anything else we can assist you with.”

  “I’ll do that. Thank you for your help.” Tessa hung up the phone. She wrote the address down and grabbed her keys and purse. “I have the address, let’s go!” she announced victoriously and didn’t wait to see if David was with her before she headed for the door.

  “Okay, but we’re not going in until we have a plan. We can drive by and confirm the car is there. Then, we need to formulate a plan to get her out without getting caught.”

  Sliding into the driver’s seat, she put the keys in the ignition and paused. “You’re right. We can’t go in guns blazing. We need to be smart about this. We can figure it out as we drive.”

  She plugged in the address in the GPS and stopped cold when she recognized where it was and the new obstacle they faced.

  “That’s the Omni hotel. I’ve been there for tons of my friends Bat Mitzvahs. There must be at least 600 rooms. How are we going to find her?” Tessa punched the steering wheel in frustration.

  David struggled not to comfort her. He wanted nothing more than to have her in his arms and take the pain away, but he could feel her dogged determination and knew she would resist. “Let’s take things one step at a time. First, we need to make sure the car is still there. Maybe he valeted and they have his room number on record.”

  “Fine, but I’m driving. Let’s roll.”

  Thirty minutes later they arrived at the hotel, parking a block away. They got out and went into the parking garage hunting for the car. After searching through six levels, they finally found it with a valet tag on the dash. David wrote down the ticket number and they headed off toward the hotel lobby.

  “How did the valet guys not see an unconscious girl with him?” Tessa asked.

  “I don’t know. My guess is that he either dropped her off elsewhere or hid her in a suitcase or something.”

  “Oh my God!”

  “Don’t worry, he won’t hurt her. She’s his only leverage.”

  The statement didn’t stop Tessa’s hands from shaking. “So now what do we do?”

  “We try to see what we can learn from the hotel.”

  “Do you think I could pretend to be Morgan again?”

  David tugged on her hand and led Tessa toward the entrance. He didn’t think Nico would hurt Morgan, but he didn’t want to waste time just in case. “I don’t think that’ll work. You’re a teenager. They’re going to assume a nice car like that doesn’t belong to you without producing ID and you don’t look anything like Morgan.”

  Tessa sighed knowing he was right. She needed to come up with a plan B. “What are we supposed to do? Knock on every door?”

  “I have an idea, but I’m going to need you to play along no matter what. Okay?” David asked, holding out his hand.

  Looking around the lobby, Tessa second guessed the whole plan. Maybe it would be better to try the cops. “Trust me,” he said, leaning into her to whisper the words.

  Tessa placed her hand in his, entwining their fingers while she ignored the ease in which they fit together so well. “You better know what you’re doing.”

  “I think we’ll pull it off.” David smiled and gave her fingers the briefest of kisses across the knuckles. He want
ed to explain everything to her, but couldn’t afford to waste valuable time. It was a simple enough plan and he knew she’d pick up on it right away.

  Inside the lobby, David walked with confidence to the concierge desk and waited to be helped. While several employees milled around the lobby, no one rushed over to help. “What do we have to do to get some service around here?” Tessa’s eyes darted around impatiently.

  David pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “They think we’re just a couple of kids, but don’t worry. I have a plan. You need to act confident and snobby right now. If you keep acting nervous, they’ll never buy our story. Sit next to me and let me do the talking. You have to trust me here, Tessa.”

  She reluctantly sat down, and David placed an arm around her. She sighed happily, not having to act at all. After a moment, an older man in a dark three piece suit approached them and took a seat behind the mahogany desk.

  “May I help you?” the concierge asked. It was obvious from his tone he didn’t believe they belonged there and was annoyed they were wasting his time. Tessa glanced down at herself; she didn’t make much of an impression with faded Lucky jeans and fitted tee from The Gap. She needed to subtly let him know she had money. She made a mental checklist of the items in her purse when an idea struck that was sure to make this guy take them seriously. She plucked out her black AmEx card. She didn’t say anything, but tapped it impatiently on the desk to ensure he saw it. David smiled when he caught on to what she was doing, realizing it would play directly into the story he was going to feed this guy.

  “Yes, thank you. My girlfriend and I were supposed to meet friends here. We just drove in from the airport, but our friend isn’t answering his cell. We know he’s checked in here, so we hoped you could ring his room and let him know we’re here.” David oozed confidence and swagger, and Tessa liked this side of him. The closeness between them made her stomach do flip-flops and she hoped she wasn’t blushing. “Sweetie, did you want to check out any of the boutiques at the hotel while we’re waiting?”

  “Oh, I suppose, although I hoped to have dinner first. You wouldn’t be able to recommend anywhere nice would you, sir?” Tessa ‘s tone was so sweet she was sure she’d have cavities.

  The concierge tried hard not to give away the smile growing on his face, but failed miserably. He’d get a kickback if they racked up a big bill. “I could recommend a few places and arrange a reservation; however, most places have a dress code.”

  The implication was obvious, and Tessa widened her smile until her cheeks hurt. The man wanted her to buy something in the boutique, again earning him a kickback. “Oh of course. Why don’t I pop into the shop here at the hotel and pick up a new outfit for dinner. And I’ll be sure to tell them you sent me,” she added with a wink.

  “You do that and I’ll find out about Nico, Sweetie. Have fun shopping.” David cooed and kissed her cheek before she bounded off. He turned back to the man and smiled broadly, “Now, about my friend…”

  ***

  Tessa didn’t like the outfit the saleswoman picked out. The sleeveless blouse had a deep V that made Tessa squirm knowing the girls would be so exposed, but it was expensive, and she needed to spend money to make their story believable. She just hoped the concierge had information about where Morgan could be. After adding some black leggings, a pair of high heels that made her feet scream just looking at them, and a synthetic ruby drop necklace to accompany the deep red blouse, she paid and headed back to the lobby dressed in her new outfit. David sat at the bar with a soda, chatting it up with the bartender. Rolling her eyes at the scene, she bounced over and snuggled up next to him.

  “Are we all set?” she asked, hoping he had good news.

  ***

  David blinked repeatedly to make sure his eyes hadn’t fallen out of his head from staring so intensely. Tessa was ravishing. He never saw anyone more beautiful in his entire life, and he unabashedly told her so. She blushed, and he shook his head before remembering to play his role. “I think so. We have a great reservation, and then we can go see the movie about those dogs who rescue the boy by finding him when the bad guys were out and not paying attention.”

  “I’ve been wanting to see that movie; I hear it’s fantastic!” Tessa smiled, happy to hear his disguised good news.

  The bartender shook his head at the crazy teens and went back to washing stemware while keeping one eye on Tessa. From his emotions, David sensed lust drifting off the man toward Tessa, and he gripped the chair to keep from punching the guy in the face.

  “The movie played once already, so we’ll have to wait a while for the next showing,” David continued, hoping Tessa would pick up on the hidden meaning in his words.

  “That’s a shame. I hope there will be another showing soon.”

  “Well, we may have to wait a little bit longer, but I promise it’ll be worth it.” David took the opportunity to play up the boyfriend role and put his arms around her while he kissed her temple. He whispered in her ear, “You look amazing.” Nervous excitement poured out of her, and his own heart warmed knowing she felt the same way. If they could get Morgan back, maybe he’d have a shot with her after all. He ordered Tessa a drink, and they sat in the bar, waiting for their opportunity.

  While Tessa was at the boutique, he learned quite a bit of information from of the concierge. Nico booked one of their most expensive penthouse suites, not surprising to David. Nico always liked the finer things in life, and he most likely used a stolen credit card so he didn’t have to pay for it. He also learned Nico went out for about forty-five minutes before they arrived, and came back with several drug store bags. He placed the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door. He and Tessa would have to wait for Nico to make another move. The concierge wanted to make them a dinner reservation up on Mount Washington, David explained they’d heard such lovely things about the hotel restaurant they wanted to try it instead as an excuse to stay close by. He wasn’t sure if Nico kept Morgan at the hotel or not, and since no one saw him arrive with a girl, he assumed he had her stashed somewhere. With confronting him out of the question, they’d have to stealthily follow him to wherever he had Morgan.

  Now, it was a waiting game.

  Nico cursed as he dug through the drug store purchases for more gauze. Ever since she woke up, his Maggie viciously fought him. At first, he was mildly irritated by her antics, but her repeated bites, scratches, and attempted kicks forced him to restrain her. This led to quite the tussle, with several injuries on both sides. As she was just a petite little thing, hers were far worse, but she had no one to blame but herself. She fought against the arm and leg restraints, resulting in several deep lacerations. He tried to soothe her by doing all the things she used to love. He played her favorite aria from Giuseppe Verdi, but she just screamed over the music. He ordered truffle risotto and tried to feed her, but she spit it back in his face. Nothing pleased her. He feared hotel security being called, so duct taped her mouth shut. You’d think the girl would have some sense and stay still and not fight, he thought, but even as he stroked her face now she growled from behind the tape.

  It amused him to watch her huff and puff, but she thwarted all of his advances. In due time, he thought to himself. She’ll come around and remember the special bond we had. I just need to remind her of how good we were together.

  Until that time, he was stuck attempting to mend her wounds. The bandages were soaked with blood and her hair clung to her face that was dripping with sweat. He brushed it back and dabbed her forehead with a cold cloth.

  “My dear Maggie, why do you fight me? Can you not feel it? Our bond, our connection? It runs deeper than our mortal bodies. Look, I brought you the society pages. The format has changed, it’s called People now, but we can still go through and laugh at the classless swine. Like anorexia could ever be beautiful. It’s like they try to look like poor peasants on purpose, which is ridiculous. Their egotism and vanity make me want to smack them. Remember Lydia, our milkmaid? The girl was filthy and coul
dn’t rub two pennies together to save her life, and she still looked better than these morons. And last week, I discovered the most amazing thing, even better than this. This century has amazing technology. There is a website to view and belittle the scum of the earth. It’s called People of Wal-Mart dot com. I promise, one view will have you howling for hours.”

  Morgan couldn’t help but snicker. Obviously this guy was the king of the Fruit Loops, but he did make her laugh. Maybe she could use his lack of knowledge about technology to help her escape. Or maybe she could trick him into thinking she liked him, and escape. She made a few noises to let him know she wanted to speak. While he sighed in exasperation, he leaned over and grabbed a corner of the duct tape.

  “No screaming!”

  Morgan shook her head promising not to and braced herself for the pain when he ripped it off. He did so quickly, which she was thankful for, but she wouldn’t be volunteering for a waxing again anytime soon. That hurt like a mofo.

  “Listen, mister. I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you. What did you say your name is?”

  “Nico.”

  “Okay, Nico. I’m Morgan. I think we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s start over. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Morgan wanted to slide her hands around her waist to keep them from shaking, but the restraints were too tight. If he didn’t buy this, things could turn ugly.

  “No! Your name is not Morgan. It’s Margaret. You are the reincarnation of my Maggie. I lost you once; I won’t have it happen again.” The man stood and paced the room.

  Morgan tucked her head down by her knees, and hoped he didn’t take a swing at her. Reincarnation? Was this joker serious? He was even crazier than she thought. And crazy could lead to violent. “Umm, okay. Sure. Why don’t you tell me about it over dinner? There’s a great restaurant downstairs. We can… get to know each other again.” She smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes and trying to hold down the bile rising in her throat.