“I’m not kidding, Abby.”
“I know. Relax, macho man. I’ll be fine. And I want you to trust that I’m here to get a job done. I owe you and all the other Angels at least that.” My error had altered their lives significantly, after all.
“Bullshit. You don’t owe anybody anything, and if you even think about blaming yourself for the building burning down, I’ll drive over to that half-breed’s house and bring you back with me kicking and screaming. I know you, honey. Don’t let guilt be the reason why you’re doing this. It’ll only get you into trouble.”
I closed my eyes and imagined him smiling that cute half-grin. “I miss you,” I said.
He cleared his throat. “Miss you too... I, uh... Hey, are you going to make it for Lois’ memorial? It’s noon tomorrow at the GA center.”
Hot tears welled up in my eyes. “She’s really gone then?” I hadn’t wanted to fully believe it.
“Yeah, the human authorities didn’t find any bodies, but her car was still in the garage close to where a car bomb had gone off.”
“Damn. They’re fighting dirty, aren’t they?”
“They’re evil, Abby. They’ll do whatever it takes. So can you come tomorrow?”
“I’d better not. I don’t want to lead any bad guys to the GA center. But I’ll be thinking about you.”
He chuckled. “Honey, I’m always thinking about you. Be safe, okay? I’ll do my best to investigate from this end. I already sent the bug into the lab and Felix, Pauline, and I are going out to question demons who’ve worked with Simeon in the past. It would be helpful if we knew more about Malakai.”
I ignored the Pauline bit. “Look up Victor Adams. I found out this morning he’s Malakai’s courier.” Thankfully, they could access the Demon Control files from any Angel facility.
“Victor Adams. Got it. Good job, Abb. I’ll talk to you soon. And don’t forget you promised to call me if you feel the least bit threatened.”
“No problem. Oh and Judd?”
“Yeah.”
“Congrats on getting your Angel status back. You should’ve had it all along.”
“Thanks. And no shit. Talk to you soon.”
I snapped my phone shut and stuffed it back into my purse, feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
Not only was Judd talking to me, he was helping me.
Simeon held my hand as he introduced me to his family members. I’d counted three nephews, one niece, a multitude of greats and even one great-great. But his sister was who I was most curious about. She’d grown up with Simeon. They shared the same mother.
She’d possibly know something about Malakai.
I scanned the crowd who’d stopped laughing and talking to stare at me. Maybe waiting for me to do something angelic or miraculous, like cure a disease or part a body of water. Or maybe even glow with innocence and purity under a golden halo. Huh. Like that was going to happen.
“So where’s the birthday girl?” I asked, breaking the silence.
“Right behind you, Angel.” I heard a woman’s soft voice.
Simeon whirled me around and led me to the corner of the room. Sitting in a wheelchair was a tiny elderly woman. I wondered how much older than her brother she was. She couldn’t have been younger than eighty years.
“What are you doing hiding in the corner, Naomi?” Simeon asked. “That’s so unlike you.”
“Yeah, well, some of us aren’t as pushy as others,” she said. “I was simply waiting my turn to be introduced.”
“Of course. Naomi, this is Abigail.” He peered down at me with a slight grin. “Abigail, this is the birthday girl, Naomi.”
“Nice to meet you,” I reached out to shake her hand.
“Nonsense,” she said. “I’ll have a hug, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, why not.” I leaned down and awkwardly patted her back, afraid I’d hurt her delicate frame. Before I could stand, she grabbed my cheeks and squeezed.
“My, you are a beauty.” She squinted her eyes at me as if trying to get a better look although she was only inches from my face. “Are all the Angels this gorgeous?”
“Well,” I said through squished lips. I liked this human, but I was sure she was only being nice. “I’m afraid I’m at the lower end of the beauty chain. Quite different from the rest of them. But thank you for your kind words.”
She released me from the surprisingly tight grip, and I edged back to the security of Simeon’s body.
“Abigail’s very modest,” he said and took my hand again. “All the other Angels I’ve ever met nauseate me. She’s by far the most beautiful.” He brushed his fingers across my heated cheek. “Absolutely lovely.”
“Ha!” Harley’s voice boomed across the room as she strode toward us, looking more like a demon than any I’d seen before. Nose flaring. Pierced eyebrow arched in fury. Lips pursed. She stopped short in front of Simeon and gave him a shove.
He didn’t budge. “Don’t start, Harley. She’s my guest.”
“She’s your enemy, you...you dork.” She searched for a name to call her great uncle. I had a feeling she rarely disrespected him, if ever.
Her eyes met mine, and I matched her glare. I’d had a sister growing up. I knew when to give and when to fight back. When to throw punches and when to duck.
I wasn’t ducking this time. “Why don’t you back off, Harley? I’m not going to hurt―”
Naomi interrupted. “Harley, honey, I understand your worry over your Uncle Simeon, however this Angel is our guest, and you will treat her as such. Understood?”
Silent tension filled the air as Harley seemed to mull it over, still keeping one eye on me.
“Oh for God’s sake, Harley,” Simeon muttered beside me.
“Fine,” she finally said, turning to Naomi. “But only because I don’t want to spoil your birthday party.”
Simeon pressed his hand to my lower back. “Shall we eat dinner then? I’m starving.”
Dinner was amusing. Naomi told me vivid stories of Simeon’s childhood. Apparently, he’d been a little demon from the start. All through school, he’d goofed off, Naomi explained. Somehow he’d convinced his teachers to allow him to not only pass but to give him a high grade.
“It used to anger me so,” Naomi admitted. “And he was the same with Mother and Father. Simeon would break a vase after playing ball in the house, and he’d come out of the punishment with a cookie in his hand.”
Simeon cut in. “I believe you’ve given me a share of cookies yourself, Naomi.”
Everyone laughed, and I played along. Did they not realize the power a demon had over a human? How easy it was for them to persuade? When the laughter died, I turned to Simeon.
“Who was your father?” I asked.
“He was my stepfather, actually,” he said. “We called him my father because he raised me. I knew no other until later.”
“Yes.” Naomi smiled and reached for my hand on the table. “Simeon wasn’t aware of his actual parentage until he was an adult. And then, well...” Her face soured into a frown.
Simeon gripped my knee under the table. “How about a lighter subject?” He turned to a teenaged boy who was sitting to his left. “T.J., have you decided on which university you’ll attend?”
I attempted to follow the conversation, especially since the boy seemed to glow when he talked to Simeon. He was obviously a fan. But my mind was elsewhere. Just what had made Naomi so grim? Malakai coming into the picture? Had something awful happened?
Well, duh, Abby. She’d found out her beloved brother was not fully human. But there was something else. Something more painful. Hmm...I’d have to investigate that a little further. Later.
After everyone had finished their desserts and Naomi had opened her presents, the party began to die down. By the way, Simeon had bought her diamond earrings and said it was from both of us. Like I could afford costume jewelry let alone diamonds. But I got another big hug out of Naomi, so I didn’t protest. Humans were so we
ird.
The families with small children said their goodbyes and left while the adults sans children made their way to the basement, which seemed to serve as a game room/bar. One of Simeon’s nephews—darn, I’d forgotten his name already—pulled out two bottles of wine and began to pour the wine into glasses.
“Want to shoot some pool?” T.J. asked Simeon.
He’d included himself with the adults, but I guessed his age to be sixteen or seventeen. He was adorable, I noticed. His black hair—a strong family trait, it seemed—swept down his forehead and over his ears, and he had dimples on each side of his cheeks.
Simeon shrugged and grinned playfully. “I’d feel awful if I beat you. Again.”
“Ain’t gonna happen, Princess of Darkness. You’re going down this time.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Princess. That’s a good one.”
Simeon peered down at me, not amused. “You thought that was funny?”
“Hilarious, actually,” I said. “You should go defend your honor before I lose all respect for you.”
He dipped down and whispered in my ear, “I’d planned on doing that tonight when I bring you to the edge of insanity, thrusting my cock inside you until you scream my name.” He winked at me and headed to the pool table. Speaking over his shoulder, he said, “But a game of pool might work just as well.”
My inner thighs trembled from the rumble of his deep voice in my ear. MOG help me, I wanted the half-breed and couldn’t deny I looked forward to going home with him after this party ended.
Damn. Was it almost over?
Naomi wheeled her chair up to me then. She was quite good at sneaking up on people. Or maybe it was just me.
My cheeks warmed under her scrutiny.
“Hi, Naomi,” I said. “Are you enjoying your party?”
“Eh.” She shrugged. “I’m ready for a warm bed and a soft pillow.”
I smiled. “I can relate.” Boy, could I relate.
“Mmm-hmm. I bet.” She nodded and the silver curls on her head bounced up and down.
“Pardon?” I examined her expression. Surely, she hadn’t heard what Simeon had whispered to me. Had she?
“Do you mind if I steal you away for a moment?” she asked, dismissing my confused state. “I’d like to have a little chat before you leave.”
I agreed and followed her to an elevator door I hadn’t noticed before. So this was how she’d snuck up on me. Once upstairs, we sat in the cozy living room. A grand fireplace took up a large part of the wall. Above it, numerous family photos hung in a collage of wooden frames. One, I noticed, was of a teenage Simeon in a cap and gown, holding his diploma. He looked innocent and entirely human.
I sat on the love-seat where she could easily roll up next to me in her wheelchair, as she did without help. I admired her indepence.
“Simeon seems quite fond of you,” she started. “It’s wonderful to see him so happy .”
“Ah.” I didn’t know what to say.
She patted my hand and continued. “Is this odd for you? Dating a human?”
“Well...” How could I explain this to her? “Uh, it’s more the demon part that gets to me, really.”
She met my eyes square on. “I don’t like to think of Simeon as demon. He’s too good for that. And if you ask me, he’s denied himself happiness for far too long because of it.”
“Because of what?” I wasn’t following.
“Because he doesn’t have the full benefit of being human even though he’s more pure than most people I know. If a human makes a mistake, we can be forgiven. If Simeon makes a mistake, he’s sent to Hell.”
“It’s a little more complicated than that, Naomi.” I hated to be the bearer of bad news. A demon was deported to Hell if they went out of their way to corrupt a human. It had nothing to do with what a human would consider a “mistake.” Mistakes were never planned out and executed.
Demons didn’t make mistakes. They made deliberate attempts to bring evil into the world. Simeon obviously hadn’t explained this to his family. No wonder Harley hated me so much. She thought I sent innocent people to be tortured.
Naomi shrugged my response away. “Even so, I’m glad he’s finally found someone he can relate to. Someone who knows all about Simeon and can accept him anyway.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but she put up her hand to stop me.
“He’s watched patiently as I lived my life with my family,” she said. “He’s watched me get married and have children and watched as those children had children. You get the picture.”
“Not entirely.”
She continued. “I’d love nothing more than to see Simeon get married and have a family of his own.” She looked at me expectantly. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Boy, I hoped not. “We should get back to the party, don’t you think? They’re probably wondering where we are.”
“Abigail, you could give my brother such happiness. How wonderful would it be if he were to marry an Angel?”
I stood and steadied my suddenly-shaky legs. “I’m sorry. I’m just going to go get some fresh air.”
Marriage? Kids? A family?
This wasn’t what I’d expected to hear. Naomi started to say something else, but I was out the door before she could finish. It was all too much. Simeon had said he’d loved me, and now his sister wanted me to marry the guy. I’d never felt so wanted in my life. Yet I was sick with guilt over it.
I was here as a spy, for crying out loud. Not to fall in love.
How easy it could be.
I kept walking down the stone path lit by a series of solar lights. It led down to a winding creek, I could see from atop of the hill where the house sat.
I reached the edge of the creek, leaving behind the echo of laughter coming from the basement of the house. Taking its place was the trickling sound of cold water running through the creek. And...and another sound. Something familiar that brought a smile to my face.
Aerosmith.
My eyes followed the pleasant noise down the path to where it forked from the creek and wound up to a wooden building, smaller than a barn. Maybe a garage. It was barely visible from behind the trees that surrounded it. I could make out light filtering out of small curtained windows.
I grew curious. Was it yet another family member? A friend? Who would be out here missing the party?
Well, besides me, the coward.
Chapter Nineteen
I followed the path up and listened as the music grew louder. A man was singing along with “Sweet Emotion.” Nice. He was killing the lyrics, but at least he was giving it his all. I gave him credit for that.
Gravel from the driveway crunched under my feet as I turned the corner and peered through the opened garage door. A man with a long black ponytail was hunched under the hood of a car. A convertible Citroën DS to be exact. Damn.
“No way,” I said before I could stop myself.
The man dropped the wrench in his hand and jerked his head up, hitting it on the hood of the car. “Fuck!”
“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” I sprinted over and patted his back—as if that could help his head. Great job, Abby.
He was wearing a black T-shirt that stretched taut over his broad back and shoulders. And as he turned around to meet my eyes, I noticed he had a striking resemblance to Simeon. Definitely a relative. Besides the fact that this guy had dark brown eyes instead of silver and, of course, much longer hair, he could’ve been Simeon’s twin.
But there was only one thing on my mind. “Is that a Citroën DS?”
His dark eyes narrowed in on me. “1966 DS21. Who the hell are you?” he asked in a voice similar to Simeon’s deep tenor. Before I could respond, he spun around and stormed toward the radio, flipping the switch off.
My enthusiasm didn’t falter. “Do you have any idea how rare that car is? Tell me more,” I said. “Did you restore it? Is it yours?”
“Who are you? The car police?” He looked me up and down as he wipe
d the grease off his hands with a towel. “Wait a minute. Aren’t you supposed to be inside right now with the other partygoers, drinking and having a grand ole time?”
“I escaped.” I took a step closer and ran my hand over the smooth cherry-red paint and the aerodynamic body design created years before its time. “Beautiful. If this is yours, you are one lucky S.O.B.”
He chuckled and brushed past me to open the car door. “You can get in if you tell me your name.”
“Sorry. I guess I forgot to introduce myself.” I blushed. “My name’s Abigail. What’s yours?”
“Abigail?” His lip curled up to a half-grin. “Simeon’s Angel, right?”
“I came here with Simeon, if that’s what you mean. Are you going to tell me your name?”
“Kaleb.” He motioned toward the car. “Get in if you like. It has some of its original interior.”
Ooh. Could one have an orgasm from sitting in a car? I was about to find out.
I took him up on his offer and slid behind the wheel. My hands traveled eagerly over the leather upholstery and then went to the wheel. “I had a refurbished 1972 Volkswagen Super Beetle until early this morning,” I said. It was still so hard to believe I’d lost everything, and I didn’t look forward to when it all sunk in. What a mess I was going to be.
He slid into the passenger seat next to me, but I kept my sight on the car. Mainly because this man’s presence was just as air-consuming as Simeon’s was. And here I’d thought demons were gorgeous. This human put most of them to shame.
“What happened to your car?” he asked.
I shrugged and gave him a quick glance. “Sore subject. Don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Ah. I can imagine.” He slunk down into the seat and rested his hands behind his head. “I’ve been working night and day on this car. And that’s only after I’d spent years tracking down all the parts I needed. I’d go insane if something happened to it.”
I dared to meet his eyes and smiled. He sung out of key to Aerosmith. He looked like Simeon. He was a car enthusiast. And he wasn’t a demon. “What do you think about cheesecake?”
“Too many calories.”
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