“How’s the kid from the train? Is he going to make it?”
“I asked you a question.”
“I asked you one.”
He stared at her like a murder suspect or something. The intensity made Tessa squirm. “What’s your name?”
“What’s yours?”
“Do you ever answer anything?”
“I could ask you the same thing, buddy.”
The man pivoted and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Tessa shrugged. She was going to ask again, but decided staying silent might work more in her favor right now. Inspecting him a little more closely, she noticed he wasn’t as old as she first thought. He was probably in his mid-twenties with sun kissed blond hair cut in a classic military style. His tan skin highlighted his rock hard arms and shoulders. She suppressed a shiver of nervousness and bit her lip not to say something stupid. As she continued her examination, she noticed the emblem on his uniform was from nearby Mt. Lebanon. She wondered if Morgan knew him since she’d grown up there. Oh she’d love this tall glass of water, Tessa mused.
“This is getting us nowhere.” He took a deep breath. “I’m Nathan. I’m a volunteer firefighter from Mt. Lebanon. And you are?”
“I’m Tessa. I like to help out where I can.”
“And who do you work for Tessa?”
“I’m what you might call ‘self employed’. I heard about the accident and knew I could help.”
“And how exactly were you able to do that? You snuck into a very hazardous crash site where you could’ve been crushed or even worse, harmed others. You stole an official jacket and lied about it. Can you give me one good reason I shouldn’t have you arrested?”
“Well, I was the one who found that kid. And since he couldn’t talk due to his injury, he never would’ve been able to call for help and he wouldn’t have been found in time. So I don’t exactly see what your issue is.” Tessa crossed her arms over her chest, almost daring him. She enjoyed watching his nostrils flare and his dark blue eyes go wide at her not cowering to him. She was confident in her abilities and was proud of the work she’d done so far. While he might be frustrated, she didn’t think he’d really get her arrested.
“You need to leave. Now. You’ve done enough. Go back home before I call your parents and tell them what you’ve been up to.”
“My parents are dead.”
“Oh, well, I’m sorry.” Nathan paused for a minute, avoiding eye contact. Tessa stared at him and watched him squirm. “But you still need to leave. It isn’t safe for you here. You’re in the way, and we need to get these people free. I can’t have pretty girls sauntering around causing trouble. You’d be a distraction.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
Nathan rolled his eyes. “That’s really all you got out of that?”
Tessa smirked, enjoying the banter. She wasn’t sure what possessed her to be so cheeky. With the seriousness of the accident, the tragedy of death around them, and the heaviness of her recent thoughts, it felt good to be lighthearted for a moment. “Alright, I’ll leave. But it’s only because I’ve done all I can.” She had no intention of leaving. There was more to do. “I’ll head back to my car in a minute. Just let me return this jacket.”
She started walking away from him, but he caught up with her. “I’ll see you out. Wouldn’t want you to trip over debris and hurt yourself, now would we?”
“Worried about me?”
“Worried you’re lying through your teeth and you have no intention of keeping your word.”
“I’m hurt, Nathan. Do I look deceptive to you?” She batted her eyelashes a few times for good measure.
He grabbed a hold of her hand and stopped her for a minute. “Give me the jacket, Tessa.”
She scowled, annoyed he saw through her. She didn’t reply, but shrugged out of the jacket and held it up to him with one finger. “All yours.”
“Thank you.”
Tessa didn’t reply, just turned on her heal and strutted away. She swayed her hips a bit too just to get a rise out of him. She planned to circle around the block and come back in when he wasn’t paying attention. She kept a change of clothes for the gym in her car, so she’d switch out her shirt and throw on a baseball hat. No one would be the wiser.
“He’s going to live.”
Tessa stopped at Nathan’s words and turned back to face him. “The boy?”
“Yes. We got him freed and he’s been life-flighted already. I wanted to let you know.”
“Thank you,” Tessa said quietly, no longer in the mood to be playful. “Did you get his name? I want to check on him later.”
“His school ID said his name was Ajay Patel.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he cringed knowing he’d said too much.
Tessa smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears. Nathan smiled back and turned to leave, returning to duty no doubt. “You did a great job, kid. He was lucky you found him, but go home. I don’t want to see you get hurt too.”
He left and Tessa was torn. Sure, she’d helped several people today and probably saved Ajay’s life, but she felt like she could do so much more. On the other hand, if Nathan found out she was still there he actually might try to have her arrested. No matter what she decided, she knew she was going to need to go to her car. Jogging the few blocks over to it, she popped the SUV’s hatch and sat inside, feet dangling down while she weighed her options. She knew exactly what she needed to do. Getting out her phone, she tapped the number one on her favorites list and waited for Morgan to answer.
“Tessa, I’m tryin to get a sponge bath from Nurse McHotty over here. Why are you ruinin’ my game?”
“You’re feeling better I presume?”
“I might not be. Might need a few more days in here if he’s going to be my ‘special helper’.”
“You’re terrible! Don’t you have a boyfriend?”
Morgan sighed. “Yeah, but he hasn’t visited me once and only texted one time to say he was sorry I was hurt and he would be out of town for a few days. It’s total bunk. Whatev, I might have a replacement for him soon anyway. So what’s up? Everything okay on the home front?”
“Have you seen the news today?”
“No, why?”
“There was a train accident not too far from the house. A lot of people are hurt.”
“And you want to know if I think you should use your magic juju and “injurno reparo” a la Harry Potter?”
“This is why you’re my best friend.”
“I know!” Tessa could imagine her smiling through the phone. “So what’s the problem? You have this awesome power. You saved my life for crying out loud. Go. Heal. Be an awesome superhero!”
“Well, the thing is, I’m already here. I’ve been helping, but some fireman, who was really cute by the way, called me out and told me to go home or he’d have me arrested.”
“So you get arrested. You have bail money, and it’s not like you’re going to get yelled at by your parents. I know that was harsh, but it’s true. So really, what do you have to lose?”
A wide grin spread across Tessa’s face. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I’m going back there to finish what I started. Enjoy your sponge bath, Morg!”
“You know I will. And T, you and I need to have a sit down later. I need details about what went down and what’s going on. The docs say I should get out of here tomorrow.”
“First thing tomorrow when you get home we’ll order a pizza, and I’ll tell you everything. Your dad’s not going to make you stay with him?”
“He has practice, so he said I can stay with you, but he or my aunt or gram will be coming by a couple of times a day for the next few to check on us.”
“As long as Gram keeps making us yummy food, I’m totally cool with that.”
“Oh, you know it! I’ll see you tomorrow. And hey, don’t forget to get the cutie fireman’s number for me. A girl needs options. Tootles!”
Tessa hung up the phone and slid it back into her
pocket. She threw her hair up into the baseball hat and put on the tee shirt from her gym bag. It wasn’t the greatest disguise, but Morgan was right. She needed to help without fear of consequences. She jogged back to the scene of the accident.
Tessa had no trouble sneaking back in. Her disguise even fooled Mr. Overprotective, Nathan, because he walked right by her while escorting a patient to a waiting ambulance and never turned her way before heading back to the wreckage. She made a beeline for the area holding the ambulances. Just to be on the safe side, I’ll stick with patients already on gurneys, she thought as she scanned the area. She spotted a man inside the ambulance and hopped up to get a closer look. He appeared to be resting, so she did a quick assessment of his injuries. His entire leg, from ankle to hip, was wedged between large, foam splints to stabilize it. He must have broken it pretty badly.
“Let’s see if we can’t take care of that, shall we?” Tessa rubbed her hands together expectantly. The man didn’t stir, but Tessa continued to talk to him anyway in her most soothing tone. “You’re going to be fine. Just sit back and relax.”
She glanced out the door quickly to ensure there were no prying eyes around. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, she got down to business. The glow came and warmed her from the inside out, as always. She focused on the bloodiest area, near his ankle. She’d only been at it for a minute or so when someone grabbed her arm and spun her around.
“Are you crazy?” the boy asked. It wasn’t Nathan like she feared, but instead a boy around her age with light mocha skin that set off his clear, grey eyes. She hid her hands behind her back like a child caught reaching into the cookie jar.
“Who the hell are you?” Tessa retorted, hoping to draw his attention away from her hands.
“You’re healing? In public? With cameras everywhere? Are you trying to get caught? Do you want the Hunters after you?”
He berated her with questions, but only the important one stuck with her: healing. He knew what she was. What was she supposed to do with this information? Was he a good guy? Should she talk with him about what she could do? She contemplated him for several long moments while she assessed her options. The man stared at her with mesmerizing, wide set eyes. The pale, swirling gray stood out against his soft, milk chocolate skin. Tessa didn’t see anger or danger in them, just a quiet confidence that made him seem wise beyond his years. A slouchy, black beanie covered his thick dreadlocks and his torn, faded jeans and snug plaid button down shirt hugged his body. She smiled in amusement at his graffitied Chuck Taylors, a favorite of the guys at her school since they were the only thing not mandated with the uniform policy. He didn’t appear to be evil, and if she was wrong and he didn’t know about her healing abilities, she could always deny it later. It was her word against his. She took a chance and addressed him.
“You still haven’t told me who you are.”
“I’m the one going to save your sorry angelic ass from publicly exposing us and getting the whole Ducibus sent after us, that’s who!”
“I’m not doing anything wrong.”
The boy scoffed and grabbed her hand, the orange glow was still fading in her fingertips. “You call this nothing?” he sneered before dropping her hand again and letting it fall to her side. “Who trained you? Ezekiel? That moron was probably too busy staring at the Sirens. Rule number one, sweetheart: don’t heal with cameras around. The last thing we need is you going viral.”
“I looked first. No one even noticed me.”
“Oh really? Then how did I know where to find you? I saw you on the news twenty minutes ago and the glow emanating from behind your back. Thank the Lord you at least had enough sense to keep your back to the cameras, but the glow was unmistakable. It’s like you held up a sign that said, ‘free healing here!’ or something. When were you turned, yesterday?”
“No,” she protested. “I was turned over a year ago. I just didn’t know what I was until a few days ago.”
“Oh this just gets better and better. How could you have been an angel for a year and not know until a few days ago, hmm?” Disbelief and suspicion were thick in his voice, and Tessa ground her teeth to keep from saying something she’d regret. The need to defend David was overwhelming.
“Well, I was in a coma for almost nine months, and David just found me and told me a few days ago. So you can shove your attitude. I don’t care who you are, you shouldn’t treat people like that.”
“David turned you? David Allegri?”
“I’m not saying anything else until you tell me who you are. How do I know you’re not one of the hunters? Huh, tough guy?”
He stepped closer and stared into her eyes, trying to see if the answers were there. “Just answer my question: was the person who turned you David Allegri?”
The intimidation won and with tears in her eyes she blurted out, “Yes, okay? It was David Allegri. What does it matter anyway? How do you know about him? If you’re looking for him too, you’re too late. Nico already took him.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
“So you must be Tessa.”
Tessa threw her hands up, aggravated. “I’m so lost in this conversation. Who are you? How do you know my name and how do you know David?”
The boy backed away and sat in the ambulance. She was glad for the distance, but still wanted to wring his neck.
“Let’s start over. I’ll explain everything. I’m Andre Moore. David and I were friends.”
“Shut. The. Front. Door.”
Andre chuckled and shook his head. “I guess he mentioned me, huh?”
“I can’t believe this. Seriously? You’re Andre Moore?”
“In the ethereal flesh.”
“I’ve never been so happy and thankful I did something wrong,” she told him, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
“Huh?”
“David told me to find you. He told me you could help, but I didn’t know where or how to find you and now you’re here.”
“I was out of town until late last night. You said Nico captured David? Tell me everything, leave nothing out.”
“It’s a really long story and, well…” Tessa turned her eyes upon the unconscious man between them.
Andre sighed and stood up. “Fine. I’ll deal with this. You close the door first. That’s a better way to ensure no one can see.”
Tessa hurried to the door and by the time she closed it and turned back around, Andre finished and was already seated smugly with his fingers crossed behind his head.
“Impressive,” She remarked, giving him a tilt of the head in recognition.
“I also added a little sleeping boost to aid in the healing and giving us a little more privacy. Start at the beginning. I need to know every detail.”
***
Tessa nodded. She told him everything she could remember: from the accident to meeting David that night on the porch and even about Nico capturing and almost killing Morgan.
“Wait a minute. Your roommate’s name is Morgan?”
“Yeah, why?”
Andre shook his head. “Nah, couldn’t be. Never mind, keep going. What happened next?”
“David told Nico he’d go with him to save me and save Morgan. It was the sweetest and most selfless thing anyone ever did for me. But just before Nico took him away, he told me to find you. He said you’d help.”
Andre stood up and held his hand out for Tessa. “Alright, we need to go.”
“Go? Go where?”
“Somewhere where we can talk and formulate a plan. And somewhere where I can explain a few things David apparently left out.”
Andre opened the back of the ambulance door, grabbing Tessa and dragging her along. When they arrived at her car, he slid into the passenger side and turned to her. “How far do you live from here?”
“Wait a minute, I’m not taking you back to my house. I don’t even know you are who you say you are. You could be some nut job for all I know.”
Andre rolled his eyes and began unbu
ttoning his shirt.
“Whoa, buddy! What do you think you’re doing? You need to get out of my car before I scream.”
“Just pipe down for a minute and trust me, will ya?”
“Trust is earned, and not by stripping in my car like some pervert.” Tessa covered her eyes for what might come next while she grabbed the door handle ready to bolt at a moment’s notice. She still wasn’t sure why she hadn’t yet, but something deep in her gut told her to hold back—and it wasn’t him shirtless. While cute, he was no David. Still wary, she peeked at him from between her fingers, sliding as far away as she could. He finished unbuttoning his shirt and tugged down one corner off his shoulder. After a moment, there was a slight shimmer to his body and suddenly she could see soft, white feathers peeking out of the shirt collar. She lowered her hand and inhaled deeply.
“Believe me now?”
Not quite able to form words, she nodded and put the keys back in the ignition. They stayed quiet the entire car ride, even though it was only ten minutes. Tessa wondered if David’s markings on his back were the same since he was no longer an angel. Or if she would get them. After waiving to Vinny at the guard gate, she reached up and clicked her garage door opener when her house came into view.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. I knew the stories were similar, but I never thought this was possible. I thought for sure it was a coincidence.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Is Morgan home?”
“No, she’s not going to be released until the morning, why?”
Andre shook his head and unbuckled his seat belt. “It’s a small world, that’s all.”
“I’m not a big fan of playing twenty questions. So maybe you could be a little less cryptic and tell me what in the world you’re talking about.”
“Sounds like your blood sugar is running low. You’re awfully cranky, let’s get you some food.” And with that he slid her keys from her hands, walked right up to the front door and slipped inside.
Tessa stumbled through the door behind him, still flabbergasted he hijacked her keys and made himself at home in her house. She stepped into the living room and heard banging and the sounds of something sizzling on the stove. Making her way into the kitchen, the delicious aroma of bacon hit her and her stomach grumbled in appreciation. There was nothing in the world she loved more than the salty, savory smell of bacon sizzling. Her mouth watered from the aroma alone. She watched as Andre (now donned in her mom’s pink polka dotted cooking apron) sliced a tomato and grabbed the bag of bread from the pantry. He slathered mayo on the bread before smooshing a tomato on top and adding a piece of crisp lettuce.
Echo of an Earth Angel (The Earth Angel Trilogy: #1) Page 13
