Chicago

by Tiffany Aaron

  “No, she would never have asked me that. It was her annoying archangel friend, Mika’il. When you don’t want him around, you can’t get rid of him, but when you need him, he can’t be found. Looks like he’s dumping this whole fucking mess in our ladies’ laps. Fucking bastard.”

  Grant wondered if cursing the warrior angel was a wise move. “What did you think when Celeste told you she was a fallen angel?”

  Laughing, Adam turned on a light. Waving the glass at a chair, he gestured for Grant to take a seat. “I thought she was fucking crazy. Most God damn beautiful woman I’d ever met and she’s fucking crazier than a loon.”

  “What made you change your mind?”

  “A demon, a priest and the sheer fact that I couldn’t image my life without her. I had lived a lot of my life alone. It was never easy for me to trust, but after meeting her for the first time, I couldn’t get her out of my mind. It was almost like it was meant to be.” Adam grinned at him. “You probably think I’m an ass.”

  “A soul mate.” Grant thought about the conversation he had with Meical about soul mates and Danielle.

  “Yeah, a soul mate. That’d be a great romantic line, right? I’ll have to remember that to use on Celeste. Of course, she might look at me like I’ve totally flipped. Celeste doesn’t need a lot of romance and frilly things.” Adam slugged down the rest of his drink, then yawned. “I think I’m going to head back upstairs and try to sleep.”

  After standing, Adam set his glass on the coffee table before walking out into the hallway. Grant joined him, and Adam reached out to slap him on the back.

  “Man, you’ve come this far without screaming and running away. I think you’re hooked. I know it’s hard to believe in angels when so much of the world’s screwed up, but you’ve got to open your mind to the fact that they’re out there. They exist whether you believe in them or not. Just think of how much more miraculous the world will be when you start believing in things you can’t see.” Adam headed for the stairs. “I’m going back to my wife. If you love Danielle, nothing else is important.”

  He stood there for a moment, thinking. It was true. If he loved Danielle, then it shouldn’t matter if she thought she was from Mars and looked like a little green man. It was her independence of thought and action that drew him to her. She lived her life the best she could under the circumstances and lived it on her terms. She never asked for help if she didn’t need to. She had brought him into her heart. He would never find a better place to be.

  After heading back to bed, he slid under the covers, then spooned her body with his. Wrapping his arms around her, he absorbed her warmth as he let her even breathing soothe him back to sleep.

  Chapter Ten

  Danielle was in the lab with the others when Dominic LaFontaine and William Bradford arrived with their fiancées. She gave Teresa Ryder, Dominic’s girlfriend, a hug.

  “You’re looking better than the last time I saw you.” She smiled at Teresa.

  “I wanted to thank you as well.” Teresa hugged her again.

  “You don’t have to. Both Dominic and Mika’il have thanked me enough. I did what I could to help out.”

  Dominic introduced William and Abby, then said, “Why am I here?”

  “Grant found a skeleton in Peru.” She gestured for Grant to bring out the bones.

  Dominic and William gathered around the skeleton with Celeste and Danielle. Reaching out, the fallen angels took each other’s hands and closed their eyes. A soft glow emanated from them to circle the bones. For several minutes, they stood that way then they broke apart to take seats around the lab.

  “Where’s the rest of the body?” William asked. Abby sat on his lap and he held her close.

  Grant shrugged. “The crate it’s in got lost along the way.”

  Adam spoke up. “I’ve got some associates making inquiries for me. We should find out by tonight where it is.”

  Dominic nodded. “How exactly did you find this?”

  Grant went into his office. While he was gone, Dominic looked at Danielle. “Does your lover know what you are?”

  “Yes, he does.”

  “Does he accept what you are?” Dominic asked.

  Shrugging, she glanced toward Grant’s office. “I’m not sure. He listens and reserves judgment, I think. The skeleton is the best proof to him that angels might be real.”

  “We had a talk last night. He’s beginning to grasp what and who you are, Danielle. Just give him a little more time and he’ll come around,” Adam said.

  She was surprised Adam would extend a hand to Grant, but she shouldn’t have been. If anyone would be able to help Grant adjust to the truth, it would be someone who had lived through his own discovery.

  Grant came out of his office with a couple of folders. They gathered around him as he started laying pictures out on the long table in the middle of the room.

  “When we found the skeleton, it was in this kneeling position. It was in pristine condition. There wasn’t any dirt or anything on it, which is what made me think it was a fake.” He pointed to the first three pictures. They showed the skeleton in a kneeling position with the hands together as if in prayer.

  “A fake? He was alive once just like you.” Celeste must have spotted the slight smile on Danielle’s face. “Okay, so he wasn’t like you, but he was alive.”

  “I know. I did tests on the bones while we were in the field. They’re real and very old. These armbands were found with them. I think the ancient Peruvians left them as offerings to the strange winged being.” Grant pointed to the pictures that documented where the armbands were found in relation to the skeleton. Then he slid on some cotton gloves to bring the cleaned bands over for the group to see.

  Danielle gasped as the cleaned gold revealed a winged man kneeling and pleading with another winged creature. “How did they know?”

  “What are you talking about?” Grant asked.

  “I think all of us were in this position when Mika’il came for our wings. We all pleaded with him not to take them.” Dominic’s blue eyes held sadness. Teresa rubbed his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

  “What can we do?” Danielle stared down at the skeleton. “There’s still been no answer from Mika’il and I don’t think he’ll come anyway.”

  Dominic agreed. “Mika’il stopped to see me last night. He’s been ordered away from this situation.” He held up a hand to forestall anyone asking him a question. “I don’t know. I do know it’s driving him crazy.”

  “It’s not the unrepentants that scare me. Any one of us can handle them. What if Lucifer decides to get involved? We can’t stop him, not even if all the Enforcers were here. Only Mika’il can withstand him,” she pointed out.

  “That’s not true.” Dominic studiously avoided making eye contact with anyone.

  “Lucifer was one of the highest angels, the most beloved of God before his fall. Only an archangel would be able to face his powers.”

  “There’s an Enforcer who could deal with Lucifer should the dark one decide to show his face. Christian Vosberg.”

  Celeste seemed hesitant. “Would he come, though?”

  “That’s the question, isn’t it?” Dominic frowned.

  “Why wouldn’t he come if you asked?” Grant questioned.

  Danielle sighed. “Christian’s faith was strong and when he repented, he really believed God would forgive us. Imagine his shock and pain when the Father didn’t. He’s been slipping toward the darkness for a while. He lives in New York and the attacks there pushed him straight to the edge. He’s been balancing there for years now.”

  “He’s the one you’re counting on to help you keep Lucifer from taking the skeleton? It seems to me you’re fighting evil with someone who’s just as evil,” Abby spoke up.

  “Christian isn’t evil. He’s broken,” Dominic commented.

  “Broken? How?” Grant asked.

  “He had so much faith in God that when He turned from us, Christian’s trust was broken. Once torn in h
alf, faith is very hard to repair. I think we need him here, in case Lucifer shows up.” Dominic looked each fallen in the eye. “Mika’il told me to do it. The archangel always has ulterior motives when he asks things like that, so I’ll do it and hope he isn’t wrong.”

  “Fine, but we have another problem. Not only does the missing crate contain the rest of the skeleton, it contains about ten million dollars’ worth of emeralds, if our information is correct.” Danielle knew they needed to know all the complications.

  “Wow, this is all kinds of fucked up,” William said.

  “Tell me about it. Grant’s been attacked once. The lab, his apartment and my office have all been broken into and trashed. Detective Largent, who’s handling the case, says the guy’s a professional, but that he has a temper and when he can’t find what he’s looking for, he gets mad.” There wasn’t any point in glossing over anything. The Enforcers were more than capable of taking care of themselves and their mortals.

  “Adam.” Celeste looked at her husband.

  “I’m already on it, but having me ask questions might make them panic. I have a bit of a reputation,” he said to answer Danielle’s questioning stare.

  Celeste’s laughter pealed through the room. “A bit of a reputation? When I first met him, Adam was the boss of the largest gang in Detroit. He also pretty much ran all the crime going on in the city. If the people who stole those emeralds know Adam’s in town and asking questions, they’re probably shitting bricks by now.”

  “Well, you won’t have to worry about anyone attacking you again, Grant. With all of us looking out for you, no mortal will get to you.” Dominic stood up. “I’m going to go and call Christian.”

  Grant looked at each of them. “I need to get some work done. If you’re all going to stay around, I’m going to put you to work.”

  All the fallen stood. Laughing, Danielle said, “I can take the ladies shopping, if they’d like that?”

  “Oh, I know I would. How about you, Abby?” Teresa asked Abby, William’s fiancée.

  “Sure, I haven’t been to Chicago before. I’d like to see the sights while we’re here,” Abby agreed.

  William winced. “My wallet’s getting skinnier as we speak.”

  Abby hit him as they all laughed. Danielle led the ladies out of the museum, and flagged down a cab. Adam had told them he was going to look for the men who wanted the emeralds while Dominic and William hung out at the museum.

  * * * *

  Several hours later, they met back at the museum lab. Adam, William and Dominic were helping Grant clean artifacts. The skeleton had been left out like no one could stand to hide it away again. Danielle stroked her hand over the skull as she walked by.

  “Sit down, ladies,” Adam ordered. All the women looked at him. “Please,” he added.

  “I’m working on instilling some manners in him,” Celeste joked.

  Seated, they waited for Adam to start.

  “I went to a few areas of the city where smart angels fear to tread and made some discreet inquiries.”

  “What did you find out?” Grant took Danielle’s hand.

  “It’s not good. The man doing the searching is Brad Diggston. He’s the right-hand man for Carmen Martinez. Martinez is one of the most powerful crime bosses in Chicago. Not quite as powerful as the men I know, but he’s dangerous and ruthless. Diggston has a reputation for having a temper and he’s even more dangerous than Martinez because he doesn’t think before he acts. He tends to get carried away and kill his victims before he gets what he needs from them.”

  “That isn’t encouraging news, Adam.” Dominic paced around the lab.

  “I know, but I figured we needed to know what we’re up against. Martinez contracted the theft of the emeralds. He has a buyer who’s willing to pay good money for them. These particular jewels are a matched set. A ring, bracelet, necklace and earrings. They’re natural, not created. It’s extremely rare to find that many emeralds that match in size and clarity. The jewelry store had them insured for ten million, but they’re worth twice that on the black market.” Adam looked at each of them. “The bad thing is, the buyer gave Martinez half of the payment before delivery of the goods. That means Martinez must deliver them or he has to return the money. I can guarantee you, he doesn’t have it. He owes other people, so he needs the rest of the payment.”

  “What you’re telling us is Martinez won’t give up until he gets those jewels.” Grant squeezed Danielle’s hand. “Are we going to tell Nevan?”

  “Yes, he needs to know who’s behind it. I’m not sure what he can do, but at least he’ll know what to expect. I’ll ask him to meet us at my house in an hour.” She looked at Dominic. “Did you get a hold of Christian?”

  “I left him a message. I haven’t heard back from him. We’ll know he’s coming when he gets here.” Dominic shrugged. “That’s the best I can do. No one, not even Mika’il, tells him what to do.”

  “I understand.”

  “It’s good that you do, because I don’t like being made to come to Chicago. I fail to see why I need to be here.”

  The Enforcers and Danielle jumped. A blond man came into the room. He glanced at them all, towering over the other male fallen. When the man’s dark blue gaze met Grant’s, he felt tears well up in his eyes and he had to choke back a sob.

  The stranger’s eyes were heartbreaking. He had never seen such pain and sadness. He had the scary feeling Lucifer had arrived. Surprise raced through him when Dominic held out his hand.

  “Christian.”

  “LaFontaine.” The man’s voice was low and musical.

  Grant couldn’t believe this was their only hope against the worst of the fallen angels. He could sense a darkness deep in Christian.

  “Would you like me to introduce the others?” Dominic motioned to the other fallen in the room.

  “Not really. Where’s the skeleton?”

  Grant gestured to the steel cart at the back of the lab. The Enforcer glided over before standing for a moment with his jaw clenched.

  “It’s Ferguson,” the fallen said.

  “How can you know?” Grant couldn’t believe Christian would be able to tell who the angel was by looking at the bones.

  “Where did you find him?”

  “In the mountains of Peru.”

  Christian nodded. “Mika’il and I lost Ferguson in those mountains.”

  “You and Mika’il? You took his wings with the archangel?” Danielle accused.

  Christian didn’t move. His shoulders slumped, but he was silent. Grant had the feeling the Enforcer wouldn’t ask for forgiveness.

  “Can we trust you?” Adam asked Christian as he moved to stand next to Grant.

  Christian swept his glance over the mortals in the room. A faint smile graced his face. Looking at the fallen, he nodded once. “You’ve chosen well. I’ll be around if you need me.”

  He was gone.

  “That went a little better than I thought.” Dominic’s grin was both rueful and relieved.

  “He seemed like he was in a good mood.” William shrugged.

  “If that was a good mood, I’d hate to see him when he was angry.” Adam shook his head, moving back to Celeste.

  “You don’t want to see him angry. To be honest, I’ve never seen him lose his temper. It’s almost like he knows what he’s capable of, so he won’t risk it.” Dominic glanced over at Teresa. “It’s late and we need to get some rest.”

  “You’re all welcome to stay at my house. I have more than enough room and Nevan will be meeting us there,” Danielle offered.

  * * * *

  They had been at her house for thirty minutes when Nevan arrived. The second the detective saw the others in the room, he paled and Danielle was afraid he might turn around and leave. He glared at her.

  “You didn’t tell me there would be more of you here.”

  “I’m sorry, Nevan. I forgot.” She put her hand on his arm, feeling how tense his muscles were. “If you want, Adam can take
you in the kitchen and tell you what he knows.”

  Adam started to protest, but Celeste slugged him in the chest. Danielle tried to hide her smile at the man’s indignant pout.

  “I’d appreciate it. It’s been a hell of a day and I can’t fight the feeling that something else is going to happen.” Nevan’s face was drawn and a haunted look showed in his eyes.

  “Sure. Adam Montgomery, this is Detective Nevan Largent. Adam is Celeste’s husband.” Danielle introduced them then let Grant take the two men to the kitchen.

  “What’s up with him?” Abby asked from her perch on William’s lap.

  “He’s gifted, isn’t he?” Dominic asked.

  She nodded. “Being around us would be difficult for him on a good day. When he’s as tired as he is now, he has no protection against the ghosts he sees around us.”

  “Shit. We should never have sent him with Adam.” Celeste jumped to her feet.

  “Why not?”

  “Adam has some pretty serious ghosts hanging around him. His father killed his mother in front of him when he was young.” Celeste was heading out of the room when Adam, Nevan and Grant came back.

  Nevan was pasty white, but he smiled at the others and said, “I’ll get in touch with the guys who work vice and the organized crime division. They’ll be able to tell me more about Diggston and Martinez.” He turned to shake Adam’s hand. “Thanks for the leads, Mr Montgomery.”

  Danielle walked him to the door. “I apologize again, Nevan. I didn’t know about Adam’s past.”

  Shrugging, he shook his head. “You couldn’t know. I’ll be fine.”

  After shutting the door, she turned to find Grant standing behind her. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the forehead.

  “I think we should all go to bed. It’s been a long day and like Nevan said, I think something is going to happen. We need to be ready for it.”

  She agreed then showed the others where they could sleep. She was glad when she shut her bedroom door. Grant was already in bed so she slid in beside him. He rolled over and cuddled her close to him. I could get used to this. It’s nice to feel like someone else is in charge and protecting me instead of having to protecting myself. Yet she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to protect Grant from mortals or fallen.