“Are you healing him?” Nevan asked Danielle as he sat watching her.
“Just a bit.”
When she lifted her hand, the cuts had healed to look like they were days old instead of hours. She brushed a lock of hair off Grant’s forehead, then leaned down to kiss his cheek. Standing up, she gestured for Nevan to follow her.
“Let’s have something to drink. This has been a long night.”
She made her way to the kitchen before making tea. While she waited for the water to boil, she studied Nevan. The dark circles under his eyes didn’t seem so bad and there wasn’t a feel of utter exhaustion rolling off him either.
“You were able to get some sleep.”
Nevan nodded. “Enough so that I’m not in danger of killing myself if I drive a car.”
“What’s going on, Nevan?”
Nevan shifted his gaze away from hers. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid. We both know the emeralds aren’t what the fallen are looking for. You know what he has. Tell me.” She poured out the tea then handed a cup to him.
Nevan stared into the liquid. She wondered if he could read tea leaves as well. She was sure there were depths to Nevan she didn’t even know existed. Sighing, he took a sip.
“I can’t do that, Danielle. He told me believing I’d keep it a secret from you. I’m not sure why he doesn’t want you to know. If he knew what he had and what you were, it would be different, but he doesn’t realize what he has. All I can say is get close to that vault. Don’t let him keep you away.” Largent drank his tea before setting the cup on the counter. Reaching out, he surprised Danielle by hugging her. “I know he’s special to you, but be sure you know what you want when you allow him close to you. You endanger him even by being friends with him.”
Stunned, she stood in the kitchen while Nevan let himself out. Was Nevan able to see the future? Had he seen a time when Grant might love her? She shook her head. It wasn’t important at the moment. She had to get Grant to bed and let him sleep to heal.
She managed to get Grant stripped and into her bed without disturbing him too much. Climbing in with him, she prayed that he wouldn’t be hurt again. God didn’t listen to prayers for herself, but He wouldn’t be so cruel as to ignore her pleas for a mortal He loved.
Chapter Seven
“Wake up, Grant.”
Turning over, Grant groaned. “Did you get the number of the bus that hit me?”
“If you can joke, you can get up.”
Popping his eyes open, he frowned at Danielle who leaned over him. “Why are you here?”
She glanced around, then back at him. “Excuse me? This is my bedroom. Why wouldn’t I be here?”
He pushed himself up to lean against her headboard. “What happened last night? I feel like someone kicked my ass.”
Standing, she moved to the door. “Imagine that. Someone tried to do exactly that.” She disappeared down the hall.
“What? Wait a moment,” Grant called out as he scrambled to get out of bed. Ignoring the fact he was naked, he raced into the kitchen to find Danielle sipping on a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper. “Did you say someone tried to kick my ass?”
“Look at your face.” She pointed to the mirror in the hallway.
He winced as he checked his reflection.
“If it happened last night, why does it look like it was a while ago?” He got back to the kitchen to catch her shrugging.
“You must be a quick healer. You’ve still got quite a few bruises on you.”
He stared at her. “I’ve never healed that quickly. Didn’t he want to know where the emeralds were?”
“I warned you something would happen. These men play for keeps. I just hope they don’t kill anyone.”
He hunched his shoulders. “Shit, Danielle, it’s not my fault. I can’t give them what I don’t have.”
She walked over, then wrapped her arms around his waist. Leaning against him, she kissed his cheek. “I know it’s not your fault. I’m angry and I’m taking it out on you.”
He hugged her close.
“I’m mad that these psychos are targeting you when you have nothing to do with it. To think they’d try to hurt you makes me furious.”
He laughed. “How are you going to protect me? I’m worried they’ll come after you. That guy doesn’t know you don’t have the emeralds either. What’s to stop him from hurting you?”
She started giggling. He pushed her back and stared as she doubled over in laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
When she caught her breath, she said, “Grant, there’s no way they can hurt me.”
Shaking his head, anger welled up. He grabbed her arms and forced her to look at him. “This isn’t funny, Danielle.”
Cupping his cheek, she smiled. “I know and I understand the danger, but until we or they find the jewels, there’s nothing we can do except keep our eyes open.”
Their lips met in a soft kiss. Grant didn’t feel any overwhelming passion, just tender emotion. The thought he might lose her scared him in a way he’d never been scared before.
The phone rang. Sighing, she stepped back to answer it. Grant decided to take a shower, then go to his office where he had a set of clothes. He couldn’t allow all the outside problems to put him behind schedule. The artifacts from the Peruvian site needed to be cataloged, cleaned, photographed and numbered. He also had to figure out a way to put the pots back together.
* * * *
Danielle waited for Grant to get out of the shower. As much as she would have loved to stay home and have sex all day, she would send him to the museum. Brittany had called and wanted to meet. The unrepentant said she had information about what her brethren were looking for. She wasn’t sure if she believed Brittany or not, but she had to go. She had to find out the truth, since Grant didn’t seem inclined to trust her.
She was thinking about the situation when Grant came into her bedroom. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him in a towel. Before she lost control and jumped him, she waved toward a pile of clothes.
“I got the blood out of them. Get dressed and I’ll share a taxi with you.”
“Trying to get rid of me?” Winking, he dropped the towel then teased her with the sight of his firm ass as he bent over to grab his pants.
“You have no clue how much I’d love to keep you here with me, but I’ve got a meeting to get to.”
“An emergency meeting?” He tucked his shirt in then sat to put his shoes on.
“I guess you could call it that. I’ll stop by and we can grab lunch at the museum café. I’ll tell you about it then.”
She led the way out of the apartment to where the taxi she’d called was waiting. She told the driver where to take them. Settling next to her, Grant took her hand.
“This isn’t about the emeralds, is it? It’s too dangerous for you to go looking into it on your own. Let Largent take care of it.”
She was pleased he was worried about her, even though she would be perfectly safe. “No, this is about something different. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine and Nevan knows where I’ll be.”
“Why does Largent know and you won’t tell me anything until afterwards?” He frowned.
Was that jealousy in his voice? Danielle shook her head. There wasn’t any way he’d be jealous. They were becoming friends as well as lovers. He hadn’t tried to stake any kind of claim yet, but her heart was hoping he would.
“He knows because he’s the only one who can help me if something goes wrong. You wouldn’t be any help to me.”
He started to protest and she stopped him with an upraised hand. “Don’t argue with me, Grant. I know more about the person I’m meeting than you do and this is the best way. As soon as I’m done, I’ll come and tell you what I know. That’s the best you’ll get from me.”
He sighed and sat back in the seat to pout.
Lord, save me from overprotective nosy men.
“I’ll see
you when you’re done with your meeting, right?” Grant brushed a kiss over her lips when they pulled up to the curb at the museum.
“Yes, I’ll be back for lunch. Don’t worry. Nevan will be there to back me up.”
“I can’t say that fills me with confidence, but I’ll trust you to keep yourself safe.”
“Thanks. Now get out of here and go clean some artifacts.” She waited until Grant was out of the cab before she told the driver, “Take me to Cabrini-Green.”
The driver’s eyes widened and he said, “You don’t really want to go there, do you, miss?”
“Yes, I do. I have a meeting and a police officer is coming to assist me. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay, miss. You’re not expecting me to wait around, are you?”
“No. You can leave. I’ll catch a ride back with the detective.” She looked out of the window as they drove into the most notorious area of Chicago. She knew why Brittany had picked Cabrini-Green for their meeting. A lot of things happened there that got overlooked by the police. The authorities did their best to curb the crime, but there were only so many officers and so much of the city elsewhere needed them, so some things got shuffled to the side. She figured Brittany was going to use that fact to her advantage. People tended not to see things at Cabrini-Green.
“Here we are, lady. You take care.” The driver pulled to the curb and looked back at her.
Danielle could tell he really wanted to stop her, but she climbed out and handed him his money. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
He looked skeptical, but didn’t protest as she moved off. Danielle ignored the stares she received from the people sitting on the front steps of the houses and apartments. She wasn’t supposed to be in their world, and should be glad Brittany had chosen to have the meeting during the day and not at night—it was even more dangerous after dark when the predators came out to hunt.
A whimper came from the alley she was passing. Stopping to glance down the alleyway, she saw a small bundle moving. It looked like a puppy. A lot of dog fighting went on in the area, so she headed over to check the animal. Kneeling, she unwrapped the blanket from around a small brown dog. Strips had been peeled from its skin and it was bleeding from several cuts. An attack from another dog wouldn’t have caused those types of injuries. Before she could drop the dog and move away, two hands clamped down on her shoulder and she cried out at the pain.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist a helpless dog,” Brittany snarled in her ear. “Your weakness is my gain.”
Danielle tried to force words from her throat, but she felt her lungs closing. Brittany was pulling all her power from her. There was nothing she could do to counter it. The unrepentant was like a vacuum, sucking the very essence that made her not just a fallen, but an angel as well. Her body arched and she threw her head back as the pain built. It was almost as bad as when Mika’il had taken her wings.
Dear God, help me, she cried out in silent anguish.
* * * *
Mika’il looked up at the clear blue sky from where he stood at the top of the Sears Tower. “She’s trying, Father. I do believe there’s goodness in some of them. When will the testing be over and forgiveness given?”
A breeze blew over his cheeks and he felt a slight sting. Bowing his head, he acknowledged the rebuke. It wasn’t his place to question the Father. He could only do as God demanded, even if it broke his heart to do so.
Chapter Eight
“Danielle’s not going to be meeting you for lunch like she planned,” Nevan told Grant on the phone.
“Why? Did her meeting run long?” Grant finished cleaning the dirt off one of the elaborate armbands with a small brush.
“She’s not feeling good.” Nevan sounded tired.
“Is she okay? You don’t sound very good either.” Grant set the tool down then walked into his office. After shutting the door, he shrugged off the lab coat he was wearing.
“I’m fine, just tired. I’m sure after a long nap and some tender care from you, she’ll be fine.”
“I’m ready for lunch now. Maybe I’ll take a ride over and check on her.” He headed back out of the lab, waving at his students.
“She might already be sleeping, so you can find her key under the red planter on her front steps.”
“Why do you know where it is?” Grant wasn’t jealous. At least that was what he was trying to tell himself.
“I had to feed that bitch cat of hers while she was on vacation before. There’s no need to be jealous. Go check up on her and if you need me, you’ve got my number.” Nevan hung up.
Grant went outside to flag down a cab. He couldn’t help but worry that something had gone wrong at Danielle’s meeting.
* * * *
The key had been right where Nevan had told him it would be. He felt strange going into her house without her permission, but he had tried knocking. When there hadn’t been an answer or any sound of movement whatsoever, he had gotten worried and gone in. The cat met him in the hallway then led him to her bedroom.
Danielle lay sprawled across the bed, her brunette hair waved across her pillows. Her normally pale skin was sallow and she had lines of exhaustion across her forehead. He touched her cheek to see if she was sick, then tugging at the blankets, he managed to get them pulled over her without waking her up. He fought the urge to climb in bed with her—if he did, he’d end up spending the entire day curled around her. Grant’s stomach rumbled, reminding him he was on his lunch break. Might as well eat here. The doorbell rang as he was making his way to the kitchen.
He opened the door just as the woman was about to ring the bell again. They stood staring at each other for a second.
“Who the hell are you?” the redhead asked suspiciously.
“I’m Grant Carson. I work with Danielle at the museum. Who are you?” Blocking the doorway, he didn’t let her in.
“Janet. I’m Danielle’s best friend. Hell, you’re the archaeologist she’s been drooling over since you started working at the Field.” She looked over his shoulder. “Where is she?”
“She wasn’t feeling good. She’s taking a nap.” He stepped back to allow her to come inside.
“You’re kidding. Danielle’s never sick.” Janet made her way to the bedroom before peeking in on her friend. “Shit, man. She doesn’t look good. What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know. Detective Largent called me to let me know she wasn’t going to meet me for lunch.”
Grimacing, she headed to the kitchen. “Detective Hard Ass called you? I find that unbelievable. He scares me.”
Janet opened the fridge to pull out sandwich makings. After sitting at the table, he watched her and asked, “How long have you and Danielle been friends?”
“I moved here about ten years ago and I met her shortly after that. I thought she was a bitch at first.” Smiling, Janet sat across from him.
“Really? Why?” He was enjoying the chance to learn more about Danielle.
“She’s so beautiful and distant. If I didn’t know her, I’d figure she wasn’t very friendly. I know a lot of her secrets, but I still get the feeling there’s a ton of stuff she isn’t telling me. I think something happened in her past that she hasn’t forgotten and it haunts her to this day.”
He nodded. “Does she seem delusional to you?”
Frowning, Janet glared at him. “Delusional? What the hell are you talking about?”
Shifting uncomfortably, he shrugged. “Just some conversations I’ve had with her make me wonder if she’s in her right mind.”
“And what kind of sick fuck are you that you’ll sleep with her even though you think she’s crazy?” Shaking her head, she got up, then took his plate from him. “It truly takes all kinds. Tell you what, get the hell out of here and I won’t tell her anything of what we said.”
Flushing, he moved toward the door. “Who says I’m sleeping with her?”
She shot him a glance. “Danielle always gets what she wants and she’s wanted you
for a long time now.”
“I see. How do I know she didn’t make a suggestion that made me sleep with her? What am I supposed to think when she tells me she can control me with her mind? She puts her hands on me and my wounds look like the fight happened weeks ago. The detective should be rational and tell me I’m imagining things. Instead he tells me he can see spirits and I shouldn’t judge people.”
Janet stopped for a moment and considered him. “Nevan can see spirits? Well that would explain his problems. As for you, did you ever consider that maybe you should believe her? I’ve seen her do things I couldn’t explain, but I chose to accept them instead of thinking she was crazy.” After flinging open the door, she pushed him out. “Don’t worry about the crazy woman. I’ll take care of her.”
The door slammed shut in his face and he wondered what he’d said wrong. Was Janet right? Was he sick for wanting to sleep with Danielle, even if he wasn’t sure she was totally sane? Shaking his head, he checked his watch and swore. He was going to be late getting back to the lab.
* * * *
Danielle dragged her eyes open and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. She was trying to decide whether she really needed to go to the bathroom or if she should just roll over and go back to sleep. Finally the urgency made the decision easy. She groaned as she climbed out of bed. She felt like she was a hundred years old. A giggle snuck out—technically she was thousands of years old. She tried to think of the exact number and if there was even a word to describe how old she was. Ancient, her mind supplied. Nodding, she crept to the bathroom. That word pretty much summed up not only how old she was, but also how old she felt at that moment.
After using the toilet and washing her hands, she opened the door to go back to bed, and squeaked when she saw Janet leaning against the wall. She tried to remember if they were supposed to meet today. Her friend helped her back to her room. After tucking her in as if she were a child, Janet sat next to her, brushing her hair off her face.
“You look better than you did when I got here.”
“How long have I been asleep?” She snuggled into the pillows. One of them still smelled like Grant and his scent soothed her.
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