by J. E. Taylor
Josh stepped out of the driver’s seat. “I’m told there are hundreds of minor breaches to close.” He leaned on the door. “And no time to waste.”
“She needs rest. Like a month-at-a-spa kind of rest,” Alex said, looking between the talking dog and our resident pilot.
“We aren’t going to leave you two in a hotel room for that long,” Josh scoffed. “You’re still sixteen.”
Alex gave him a sideways glare. “I turn seventeen next month.”
“Sixteen, seventeen. Same thing,” Josh said with more than a little exasperation.
Alex’s lips thinned to an aggravated line. “My dad sent you. Didn’t he?”
Josh grinned and nodded. “We are your chaperones for the next however long it takes to do this. He needs to do some damage control before you can go home. Besides, he knows there isn’t anything this side of heaven that would separate the two of you, and this stuff needs to get done. So, here we are.” He spread his arms out.
“Mother...”
I gave Alex a look that stopped the swear from continuing. He put his hands on his hips and glanced at the sky. That familiar countdown started in his head, and I stifled a warm laugh.
Sirens wailed in the distance, coming closer, and that made up our minds.
“Fine.” He stomped toward the car, and I followed with a smirk still plastered on my lips.
“Damn teen angst,” Levi muttered and joined us in the back seat of the car, wiggling himself right between us.
“Really?” I said.
His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth as he gave me his weird canine grin. I fell back in the seat and sighed as I looked at Alex over our diligent little monster chaperone.
His blue eyes sparkled with unshed heat. I reached over the dog and clasped Alex’s hand in mine despite Levi’s warning growl.
“Oh, go eat some demons,” I said under my breath. “I’m holding my boyfriend’s hand, and if you try to stop me, I’ll blow you out of the car.”
Both Josh and Alex snorted laughter at my terse tone as we drove away from the darkness that had overshadowed our lives for far too long.
Epilogue
The jet engine whined, and I turned on my side on the bed in the back room. Thankfully, Levi hadn’t followed me in tonight, but I was sure he was guarding the door from the other side like he had been for the past two weeks.
Knowing Alex was on the other side of that door left me restless. My fingers caressed the hem of Alex’s flannel shirt, trying to get rid of this build-up of nervous energy. This was the same shirt I had worn to bed every night since I found out Lucifer had taken him. For me, because of my little jaunt through hell, that equated to a period of a little under three weeks. For Alex, here in the real world, it was a few days shy of six months.
The day we beat Lucifer was an adventure for more than one reason. Just having Alex comb his fingers through my hair while I lay on his lap on the couch in the main cabin was as near to heaven as I had been since we had made love in his basement. But that contentment ended the moment he flipped on the television and our faces were splashed all over the airways.
Apparently, Lucifer had turned on the live stream when I woke up in that godforsaken basement, and the world saw what transpired.
I’m sure it wasn’t what Lucifer had intended, but it helped our ruse of filming a movie. We executed CJ’s cleanup plan last week. Alex had been perfect. He delivered the scripting that CJ had put together with conviction and as smoothly as a seasoned actor. He had the same natural stage presence as his father once the camera turned on.
As for me, makeup still couldn’t cover the blackness surrounding my eyes, but I was the only one that seemed worse for wear. CJ had an explanation for that, too, and it was one of the reasons we didn’t get to finish making the film. Apparently, our execution of the stunt hadn’t been as crisp as when we’d practiced, and after we filmed that scene, we left to get my nose looked at. Unfortunately, we left the generator on, and it overheated, which is what they believed started the fire that burned down the building.
CJ made sure that was what made it into the fire marshal’s report.
However, with Tom, Naomi, and Gabriel looking as fresh and alive as everyone else, we couldn’t have done better with what we had at our disposal. At this point, we could still get in trouble for the fire, but at least we believed we’d addressed the televised deaths.
We just prayed it was enough.
As for me, Valerie gave me back Raphael’s grace, and the darkness inside me was again balanced. That left me to solely focus on the breaches without worry that Lucifer’s grace would somehow taint me.
So, for now, Alex and I relished the limited freedom we had together with our ever-present and insanely diligent chaperones.
Neither Levi nor Josh had let their guard down enough to let us have more than a blink of alone time.
So, when the door cracked open and Alex slid inside the bedroom and quietly locked the door behind him, I sat up and rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
He put his finger on his lips, and then he crawled across the bed and pulled me to him. He kissed me with such reverence that I sighed under it. He cupped my cheek and leaned back, staring in my eyes. He glanced at the bright light coming from the bathroom and raised an eyebrow.
“Nightmares,” I whispered.
His thumb caressed my bottom lip with a slow stroke. “I get them, too.”
I traced the stubble on his jaw. In six months, he had gone from the pristine, clean-shaven boy to a rough-edged young man. His filter had returned, which was refreshing in some cases, like his bad language filter, but I did miss the frankness of his near-soulless self.
“You want me to be more direct?”
I had not gotten used to him being able to hear my thoughts. He was growing into his powers, and anytime he stretched his mind to do something, it seemed so easy for him. I still struggled unless I was holding his hand. The only thing I was consistent with was closing the breaches with my fire.
He smiled and cocked an eyebrow, waiting for me to stop lamenting and answer his question.
“Yes. I don’t want you to hide your thoughts from me.”
He pushed me down onto my pillow. “Do I have to tell you what is on my mind right now?”
I grinned up at him and shook my head. His desire radiated in his eyes and his aura. “No, that I can read pretty clearly.”
His smile faded as he stared down at me. “When I’m with you, I think maybe neither of us survived, and this is heaven.”
I palmed his cheek. That same thought had crossed my mind a time or two over these last couple of weeks, but with the sentries we had making sure we didn’t have this kind of time together, I knew that was just my fears blooming bright. I got lost in Alex’s thoughtful gaze and the slow progression of his fingers unbuttoning my shirt.
“They don’t need planes in heaven,” I finally said as he pushed the fabric aside and traced the faded bruises traversing my abdomen.
“Do they still hurt?”
Not enough to stop whatever you have in mind.
Dimples appeared in his cheeks, followed by that smile that rivaled heaven’s light. He leaned over and pressed his lips to the first mark like he was trying to erase the damage that Lucifer had done with his fists.
My skin tingled, and a soft light spread over my stomach. The bruise faded away, along with every other blue and purple discoloring of my skin. Even the scabbed crescents over my heart turned to unblemished skin.
Alex grinned. “I guess I’ve got a little of my mother’s mojo, too.”
I ran my hand over my abdomen, and then as an after-thought, bent my knee. All the pain was gone. I lifted my leg, and the burn mark around my ankle had faded, too.
“And it works on me.” Awe filled every fiber of my being and I met his loving gaze.
“Well, you do own my heart,” he said and went back to what he had started. Each butterfly kiss sent a chill through me tha
t resulted in goose flesh, and a burning need ignited my blood.
This was not like the rushed session in his basement.
This was slow, sweet bliss.
Every glance from him was fueled with heat that sparkled in the bright blue of his eyes. Every stroke created another layer of flame between us. Every flick of his tongue brought me to the flash point.
“Ty,” I exhaled his proper name like a prayer of thanks to the gods.
His reaction was immediate and carnal but controlled in a way that he hadn’t ever been before, and his ministrations made me soar higher than the mountain peaks we were flying over.
When he finally returned to my mouth, he whispered, “I love you, Faith.” And then he delivered a kiss that transcended all of heaven.
The End
Newsletter
About J.E. Taylor
J.E. Taylor is a USA Today bestselling author, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife, a business analyst, and a Supernatural fangirl, not necessarily in that order. She first sat down to seriously write in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:
“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?”
From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back.
In addition to being co-owner of Novel Concept Publishing, Ms. Taylor also moonlights as a Senior Editor of Allegory E-zine, an online venue for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. She is also co-host of the popular podcast Spilling Ink.
She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children and during the summer months enjoys her weekends on the shore in southern Maine.
Visit her at www.jetaylor75.com and sign up for her newsletter for early previews of her upcoming books, release announcements, and special opportunities for free swag!
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You might also enjoy other books from J.E. Taylor’s backlist:
THE STEVE WILLIAMS SERIES:
From the mountains of New Hampshire to the streets of New York City, these novels take you on a journey through some of the darkest days in Steve Williams' FBI career.
The series includes these single titles:
DARK RECKONING (Book 1)
“J.E. Taylor has penned a tale of terror worthy of Lovecraft. The strong characters, edgy atmosphere, and unflinching narrative hooked me from the first and kept me riveted all the way through to its horrifying conclusion - a solid piece of storytelling!” Ty Drago, Editor of Allegory and author of PHOBOS
VENGEANCE (Book 2)
HUNTING SEASON (Book 3):
“Unstoppable, breath stealing, and terrifying all at once.” - Cat Connor, author of killerbyte, terrorbyte, and exacerbyte.
“Hunting Season goes where few venture, mixing a compelling crime thriller with supernatural forces. The action and drama is thick and fast and I guarantee you will not be able to put this book down.” - Poppet, author of Seithe and Darkroom.
GEORGIA REIGN (Book 4)
CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS (Book 5)
“Gripping, rich and magnificent - crime whodunnits don't get any better than this!” Author Poppet – Author of QUISLINGS, BLINDSIDED, DJINN and DUSAN
“CRYSTAL ILLUSIONS is a dizzying thriller with a terrifying killer, a unique detective, and some twists you will not see coming! This is Steve Williams’ most addictive adventure so far and J.E. Taylor at her very best!” Ty Drago - Author of THE UNDERTAKERS Series
“This has to be one of the best mysteries I have ever read. Move over Agatha Christie there's a new sheriff in town, and she is great.” - PRG Reviews
SAVING FACE (Book 6)
THE GAMES TRILLER SERIES
Intensely disturbing. Beautifully horrific. Indescribably intense. Gruesome and gory. You can't help but get caught up in this series.
When Ty Aris kidnaps Jessica Connor for his step-brother’s underground film network, he is not prepared for the impact this woman will have on his life. The Games Series brings Ty and Jessica from the dark days in his step-brother’s sadistic prison, to the glitz of a major motion picture premier in New York City in a powerful combination of suspense, romance, and heartache. They battle the worst in human nature, as well as a paranormal twist that nearly destroys them and all they love.
This series includes these single titles:
SURVIVAL GAMES (Book 1)
MIND GAMES (Book 2)
END GAME (Book 3)
FALLEN (Bonus Prequel)
NIGHT HAWK TRILOGY
Damian Andreas is an ancient vampire tasked with keeping the archangel bloodlines safe. Blinded by his hatred for Lucifer, he snatches Naomi Hawk from the devil to claim her as his own. The moment his teeth sink into her neck, he realizes he has just broken his own vows.
When Naomi bites him back, his blood transform her into an immortal shadow, and puts Damian on a collision path with an angry archangel.
Single titles in this series:
NIGHT HAWK (Book 1)
TIGRESS (Book 2)
TRINITY RISING (Book 3)
THE RYAN CHRONICLES
Tom and CJ Ryan harbor the power of the Gods. Refusing to stand with Lucifer puts both of them, and everyone they love, on the devil’s hit list.
There are only so many ways you can break a man before his wrath changes the status quo. Rekindled by family, by love, by home and memories, the ruthless son of Ty Ryan steps into the shoes left under the family tree by his dad, and this time he’s out of mercy.
The series includes these single titles:
CJ’s Story:
ANGEL GRACE (Book 1)
ANGEL HEART (Book 2)
ANGEL WRATH (Book 3)
Tom’s Story:
ANGEL BLOOD (Book 4)
ANGEL FIRE (Book 5)
ANGEL FURY (Book 6)
MAGICK TRILOGY
Paige Turner’s magick skills are rusty, but she needs to refine her spells or her determination to save a very special soul will prove to be disastrous.
Single titles in this series:
MAGICK (Book 1)
BLACK MAGICK (Book 2)
PRACTICAL MAGICK (Book 3)
THE DEATH CHRONICLES TRILOGY
What would you do if you found out Death was your father and you were destined to take over the family business?
Dylan Nicholas Ramsay—Nick to his friends—does not want the job, but he has no choice. The fallout of refusing to accept his fate is bleak, and when rogue reapers step in to try to overthrow the status quo, all hell breaks loose.
Single titles in this Young Adult paranormal suspense series:
DON’T FEAR THE REAPER (Book 1)
HIGHWAY TO HELL (Book 2)
KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR (Book 3)
THE PARADOX FILES
A protector. A lost soul. A siren looking for salvation.
Kylee Paradox never expected to be a protector of humankind, but when hell’s portals open and let loose the creatures of the underworld, she can’t see any other way.
Armed with an ultimatum, Kylee has no choice but to embrace her new position as bounty hunter of the damned. Sending these monsters back to purgatory becomes her life’s mission.
The only glitches in an otherwise noble pursuit are those who hold her fate in their hands. They forbid her from using her deadly siren song to lure the beasts back to the pit.
If she harms even a single innocent soul in her quest, Kylee herself will become one of the hunted.
SILENCING THE SIREN (Book 1)
WAKING THE SIREN (Book 2)
HUNTING THE SIREN (Book 3)
FIRE CURSED
Lucifer’s daughter rises.
FAITH KENNEDY’S QUIET life off the grid ends when her mother dies of cancer. Before her mother succumbs to the disease, she tells Faith who her father is.
The revelation terrifies Faith more than the thought of the state foster care system.
When Tom and Bridget Ryan step into the state home for girls, the course o
f Faith’s life changes yet again. With a new, less frightening future offered, Faith jumps at the chance to live in the light despite her newly found talents.
However, word that the devil’s daughter lives brings out dark supernatural entities, and each and every one of them either wants to control her or kill her.
FRACTURED FAIRY TALES
RED
CINDER
BRAVE
TANGLED
FROZEN
SNOW
SPINDLE
BELLE
ROBYN
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MESSIAH
SILENCE
STAR CROSSED
Short Story Compilation:
GLIMPSES
TOUCH OF FIRE
Visit Ms. Taylor’s website for more information on any of these titles!
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