First Kill (Heaven Sent Book 1)

by Mary Abshire

  Smiling, he switched off the light before he returned to his bed. He pointed the remote to the television and flipped through the channels with the volume low so he wouldn’t wake her. The variety of shows held his interest. For whatever reason, he wasn’t tired. He finished watching one movie with characters taken from a comic book. The graphics and action impressed. They’d greatly improved from the 1980s.

  A buzz from the nightstand jerked his attention to it. The phone vibrated and the screen had lit up. He quickly snatched the cell before it woke Emily. There was a message on the front, but it disappeared. He wondered if there was a way to get it back in case it was important. He pressed the button on the surface and the screen lit up with the note. He quickly read it.

  I want to kill his motherfucking ass. Glad you got the car. Call when you can. T.

  Andrew suspected the vulgar words came from her friend, Troy. He hoped the phone wouldn’t make any more noise as he returned it to the nightstand.

  Andrew glanced at Emily. She was sleeping peacefully. While she was asleep, he had the perfect opportunity to learn more about her. Yes, it was wrong to dig into her personal belongings, but he was dying to find answers to the questions he had.

  He walked around to the side of her mattress where her purse lay open along with the brown envelope. The blanket hadn’t covered them. Against his better judgment, he withdrew her wallet from the purse.

  The dark room made it difficult to see. He slowly unzipped the two compartments as he walked toward the television. He found her license and held it up. The soft glow from the TV offered a small amount of light. He squinted his eyes. The photo showed her with sandy-brown hair and blonde streaks. She looked vastly different from the woman on the bed. He read her full name, address, and the other details. She was twenty-five years old and oh so cute. He wondered why she’d changed her hair.

  He flipped through the photos and found several with her and two other people, one female with dark locks and a bald African American man. Or woman. Andrew couldn’t be sure. In some pictures he looked like a dude, but in others he dressed in women’s clothes. He removed a photo from one of the pouches and flipped it over. Emily had written ‘Libby, me, and Troy 2014’. Now Andrew had a face to go with her friend’s name.

  He returned the picture and scanned the rest of the contents of her wallet. She had a few receipts, insurance information, credit cards and a large wad of cash. Satisfied with his findings, he returned the billfold to her purse.

  Standing on the side of the bed, he stared at the brown envelope. He recalled she’d withdrawn a document from it earlier and had given the paper to Raymond. Taking another chance, he slowly lifted the envelope. He propped it against her purse. Since the room was too dark, he couldn’t see inside. He stuck his hand in it and felt several different papers. Lower, he touched a card at the bottom. He took hold of it between his fingers and pulled it from the bag.

  The card had the shape of a credit card or driver’s license. There was a picture on it, but he couldn’t see it. He moved to the TV and looked closer at the card. The photo matched the one on her other license, but the name showed Carrie Reynolds and the address was different too.

  Now he was confused. Why would she have a different ID in the envelope? He fished out two pieces of paper. Back near the television, he scanned the documents. One was the registration for the Toyota and it belonged to Carrie Reynolds. The other was a birth certificate for Carrie Reynolds.

  Emily looked like a sleeping angel on the bed, but she was far from being righteous. Her aura even indicated so. What had she done? Why did she have two identities? Why did she leave Chicago? Was she running from someone or something? She had to be trying to get away from someone to have swapped cars and hold new identification credentials. He had wondered why she had been driving on the back roads instead of the interstate. Now, he knew why, but he didn’t know her specific reasons for wanting to hide.

  In the little time he’d spent with Emily, he’d known her to be kind and charitable. Maybe she’d gotten involved with the wrong people or in a bad situation, so she had to leave. He disliked the idea that she could be a criminal, but he couldn’t rule it out.

  His thoughts swirled with questions. After he returned the documents to the envelope, he flattened it on the bed in the way he’d found it. More than ever, he wanted to know more about her. Where was she going before she’d found him? She had to have some kind of plan. He suspected she was running away because she was scared, be it from jail or from someone trying to hurt her. If he could learn more, he would find a way to help her. It was the right thing to do since she had detoured from her path to assist him.

  He had two major challenges now, three if he counted avoiding sex. First, he had to pry information from Emily without setting off her temper. Second, he had to find a way to kill the human he was going to locate. On his way back to his bed, he wondered which one would be the most difficult.

  Chapter Six

  Emily woke with a start. She opened her eyes to a dimly lit room. Light from the small gaps between the curtains revealed the sun had risen. A car’s engine chugged outside the window. Andrew let out a loud sigh as he rolled onto his side, facing her. His eyes remained closed. She lifted her head slightly to get a better view of him. He was sleeping on top of sheets without a shirt and his jeans were unzipped. He looked adorable, like the kind of man a woman would want to cuddle with. Okay, more than that. With his body, she’d want to touch his solid muscles and drag her tongue over every single one.

  Sighing, she shook the thought from her mind. She barely knew Andrew. How could she want to do such naughty things? Well, the answer was clear as she stared at him.

  She glanced at the time on the clock before she lowered her head back on the pillow. The hour was approaching ten in the morning. Her mind and body felt rested, but she didn’t want to get up yet. She was warm and cozy under the blankets. Shifting her gaze, she noticed the blankets from his bed were covering her. He must have put them on her. What a kind gesture. The man had manners too. He’d even held the door for her when they’d entered the hotel. Not many men did that anymore. He was different and he had a wild imagination about being an angel.

  She’d found his responses about heaven interesting. He’d delayed his reply about being happy. Why? Why would he have not enjoyed his time in the peaceful sky? It also seemed as if he were hiding something from her. Since he’d created such a fantastical story, what could he have to hold back? It made her wonder, but overall, he had good qualities.

  The so-called angel hadn’t attempted to steal from her. She’d dozed shortly after they’d settled into the hotel room. He’d had plenty of time grab her keys and wallet and go. But he hadn’t. No, he’d chosen to stay and cover her with his blankets. How odd, yet sweet was that? What would motivate a complete stranger to do such a thing? She couldn’t figure it out. She couldn’t figure him out.

  She rolled onto her back and watched the television. An episode of Breaking Bad was playing. She considered changing the channel until she spotted the remote on Andrew’s bed, close to his unzipped jeans. Since he was sleeping peacefully, she didn’t want to take the chance of waking him.

  Quietly, she pushed the covers away from her arms. Her purse and belongings were still on the bed next to her. Looking back on the nightstand, she located her phone. She unplugged it before checking for a message from Troy. She wasn’t surprised to find one. She smiled after she read it. His foul attitude toward Raymond came as no surprise.

  Another heavy sigh from Andrew caught her attention. He remained still with his eyes closed. She wondered when he’d dozed off since he appeared to be in a deep sleep. She didn’t want to wake him, but she also didn’t want to lie in bed doing nothing. An idea came to her. Andrew had given her details about his life in 1989. Since he was out to the world, she had the perfect opportunity to do a little research.

  After setting the phone down, she reached for her computer case. With slow movements, s
he unzipped it. She checked to make sure he was still snoozing. Seeing that he was, she withdrew her laptop. She propped the screen up. In little time, she was on the web and browsing for an Andrew who’d died in a car crash in Chicago during 1989.

  The results from her criteria had brought up more links then she’d hoped to find. She scanned down the list. None of the brief descriptions matched what she was searching for exactly. The year or the name didn’t match. She clicked on the arrow to go to the next page. Again, she looked over each detail. Finding nothing, she went to the next list and began to think he’d lied to her. One of the links caught her attention, so she clicked on it. The old article showed a family photo of a mother, father, young man, and teenage girl with puffy curly hair. The self-proclaimed angel lying in the bed next to her was the young man in the picture.

  She read the article. According to Tamera, the teenage daughter of Alfred and Elizabeth Webster, her parents had left their home in the early morning hours to pick up her brother, Andrew. He’d gone to a bar with friends from his job at Cook County Hospital. Too intoxicated to drive, he’d called his parents for a ride. Their car slid off the road, rolled, and landed upside down in a ditch. It had been several hours in the below-freezing weather before someone had found them and had called the police. They were all pronounced dead at the scene. A fund was set up to help the sixteen-year-old survivor.

  Emily looked over her shoulder at Andrew. She studied his facial features again before she turned her gaze back to the picture on the screen. The person sleeping in her room matched the photo of the man who’d died in a car crash in 1989.

  She clicked off the web page and lowered her screen. Her heart gained extra beats as she tried to rationalize everything. He couldn’t be dead if he was lying in the bed across from her. There had to have been a mistake. Maybe he woke up in the hospital and had no memories. The doctors didn’t know who he was, so they sent him to a facility. It was possible, except he remembered enough about dying to tell Emily. She supposed the memories could’ve returned to him later.

  She shook her head before she put it back on the pillow. Her logic was bullshit. He looked the same today as he did twenty-seven years ago. There’s no way possible the two could be the same person. So if he wasn’t, then he had to be using the deceased man’s name and information. Emily had taken on a new identity. Why couldn’t he have done the same? Everybody had a twin in the world. He’d found the person who looked like him and claimed to take his identity. Now that made sense.

  But why would he do such a thing? She wanted a new name because she didn’t want to go to jail for murder. Was he on the run too? Was he a criminal? If he was, why didn’t he run off with her money and car?

  She was back to square one with a new headache and a growling stomach. She wanted to question him again, but if he gave her the same angel fairytale, she would end up having an aneurism.

  Frustrated, she slid out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She locked the door before she relieved her bladder. After she washed her hands, she splashed cold water on her face. Angels didn’t exist. Heaven wasn’t real. He’d claimed he had to kill a demon and the name was on his arm. He had to be a criminal with a high IQ. He’d escaped from prison, assumed a new identity, and was out for blood. So why was she keeping him around?

  She wiped off her face and stared in the mirror. He was trouble. She was sure of it now. But he also presented an opportunity to free herself from possible murder charges. Or, he could help her go into hiding if he had good connections. She had two options. She could stop him from killing a so-called demon and take credit for preventing a murder, or work with him and find out if he could help her remain out of the hands of the law permanently. Her new identity from Troy was a start, but not an end to the means. Andrew might be able to provide her with the most security. The only way to find out was to help him.

  Refreshed and with a plan, Emily walked out of the bathroom. Andrew was sitting on the edge of his bed, shirtless. His short locks were a slight mess, but in a sexy way.

  “Morning,” she said.

  He stood and stretched his arms above his head. “Morning.”

  She tried not to stare, but each curve of his solid muscles called for her attention. His healthy physique could’ve been the result of time spent in prison. She stopped at the side of her bed and tucked her laptop back into the bag.

  “Did you sleep okay?” she asked.

  “Not really. I wasn’t tired. What about you?” He combed his fingers through his hair.

  “I slept well. I’m hungry now. Do you need to shower or anything?”

  She’d considered changing from her outfit, but decided against it. Why dirty more clothes?

  He sniffed near each of his armpits. “No, I’m good for now.”

  She had to look away so she wouldn’t laugh. “I left my supplies to clean up in the car, but that’s okay. I’m not too disgusting yet.”

  “If you start to stink, I’ll let you know,” he said as he headed to the bathroom.

  “Back at ya,” she said before he disappeared around the corner.

  She dumped the contents of the envelope Troy had given her onto the bed. As quickly as she could, she removed her current license and social security information and replaced them with the new ones for Carrie Reynolds. Hurrying, she folded the papers and shoved them in a sleeve in her wallet. When she heard the bathroom door open, she snatched the old cards and dumped them in her purse.

  “Are we stopping somewhere to eat?” he asked, heading toward the bed he’d slept on.

  “I thought we’d pick something up and hit the road. Pittsburgh is a long drive from here. I’d like to make it there before the sun goes down.”

  She balled the empty envelope before tossing it into the trash. A few feet from her, Andrew slid his shirt over his head. She watched the muscles in his chest move as he pushed his arms through the sleeves. He noticed her staring at him and smiled.

  “Sorry,” she said as she walked away from him.

  “I don’t mind.”

  She lifted the strap of her computer case over her head. “If you’re ready to go, so am I.”

  “Sure.” He walked toward her. “I can get those bags for you.”

  She gathered her purse and the plastic bags she’d brought in, leaving him with the one containing her clothes. The cards to the room sat on the dresser. She collected them before she headed for the door with Andrew close behind her.

  They walked out of the hotel and into a sunny sky. The bright light strengthened her headache. She’d have to wear shades while driving. After they stored the bags in the trunk, they stopped at the main entrance. Emily took a chance and left the car running while she dashed inside. While the receptionist took a few minutes to give her a receipt, Emily kept glancing out the glass doors to make sure Andrew didn’t take off in her car. He seemed too occupied with something on the dashboard. Once the receptionist gave her the paper, she strode out the door.

  “All the stations play country or this other rap crap,” he said as she shut the car door. “I can’t find anything halfway decent.” He hit the radio nob, turning off the music.

  Emily tossed the paper in the back. She strapped the seatbelt across her. “What are you hungry for?”

  “Anything and everything.”

  “Breakfast or lunch?” She removed her sunglasses from her purse.

  “You decide since you’re paying.”

  “Oh, right.”

  Shades hiding her eyes, she steered the car onto the main road. At the stoplight, she searched for restaurant signs. McDonalds was at the bottom of her list of food choices. Spotting a Steak-n-Shake on the other side of the interstate exit, she drove toward it.

  The wait in line took far too long, but she couldn’t complain much since they’d ordered a large amount of food. Andrew claimed he could eat twice as much as her with no problem. She’d ordered him two double burgers and a large fry. She’d kept her meal small, not knowing how her stomach would r
espond since she hadn’t eaten much the prior day. Of course, they’d each gotten shakes too.

  Sucking on the straw, she merged onto the interstate. While they’d been waiting for their food, she’d entered the address from his arm on the GPS. The one thing she couldn’t account for in her reasoning about Andrew was the tattoo. She’d found him without it. She had no clue how it could magically appear. The one detail continued to boggle her mind.

  “Mm… This is so good,” he said with his mouth full.

  She set her shake in the cup holder. “Is there food in heaven?”

  “Mm hmm, but I swear it doesn’t taste as good as this,” he mumbled.

  “So … you have to kill this demon. How do you kill him?”

  He swallowed. “I don’t know. I’m still working on that.”

  “You don’t know?” Shouldn’t he have known that detail?

  He lowered his sandwich. “The demon is in a human body. I have to kill the human and then touch the soul. Apparently my touch will destroy the demon.”

  His words stunned her. She couldn’t believe what he wanted to do. “You’re talking about murdering a human.”

  “I thought that too, but no, the human is a demon.”

  “But how do you know that? It can’t be because his name matches the one on your arm.”

  “Oh no, the demon in the human flesh will have a black aura. That’s how I’ll know if I have the right person.”

  She shook her head. His story sounded crazier now. “I’ll be honest, everything you’ve told me sounds like a load of shit.”

  “I know, but I’m not lying.”

  She glanced at him. He was staring at her. The serious expression on his face would’ve led her to believe he were telling the truth, but his story sounded too unreal. Instead of discussing what he was and had to do, she decided to take a different approach.