Loving Angel

by JL Weil

  Angel snorted. “What? Nice?”

  “No. Not as impressive as me.”

  She nudged me in the side. “Be happy for her.” She was being serious.

  I slipped my hand around her slender waist, pulling her close to me. “I’m getting there.”

  “Good,” she said, grinning, and she placed a hand on my chest. “Now let’s go.”

  I let her haul me inside the house. No sooner had we stepped foot into the overcrowded space, did I start to feel like Bruce Banner about to go into beast mode. The hardwood floors were sticky and vibrated under my feet in beat with the bass. Loud music pumped from the back of the house.

  The few parties I had been dragged to back home were no different than this. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it didn’t really matter. High school or college, people’s reactions were still the same. They took a step back as I strolled by. They stared, wondering what dark alley I had strolled in from. It was natural to me. Angel still struggled with the unnecessary attention.

  We found a corner with a clear sight of the exit—you never know when you might need a quick getaway. Angel leaned against the wall. The dim lighting cast dark shadows along her cheeks. “Get me a drink?” she asked.

  I tilted my head to the side, deliberating. Things had been wacky lately, and I wasn’t so sure Angel and alcohol should mix.

  Sensing my internal turmoil, she assumed it was because I didn’t want to leave her alone. “I’ll be fine,” she insisted.

  I hoped so. Weaving my way toward the kitchen, I followed the stench of sweat and sour yeast. Some lightweight bozo, who obviously couldn’t hold his beer, bumped into me. I growled as he staggered, ninety-nine percent sure my eyes were glowing.

  “Watch it, asshole,” he snapped, slurring.

  Keep calm. Don’t break his nose.

  I worked my jaw, but kept walking, the less confrontation the better for all.

  “Hey!” Sloshie called.

  He wasn’t worth my time. I turned the corner into a room that might have once been a functioning kitchen. A quick perusal of the beverage selection and I was glad Angel wasn’t picky. I snatched two plastic cups from the stack and hit the tap. Goldish brew poured into the bottom, fizzing the cup with white foam.

  Itching to get back to Angel, I only filled them halfway and turned back the way I’d come. She was waiting where I’d left her, but she wasn’t alone. And from the looks of it, someone was making the moves on my girlfriend.

  He was a dead man.

  The soon to be corpse had his arm propped up on the wall above his head, leaning too close. I gave him serious boyfriend eye, but he was preoccupied, lingering on Angel’s face. When his hand reached out to brush a strand of hair away from her eyes, my vision tinted. One of the drinks splashed over the rim onto my hand.

  In a snap, my demon was craving a fight—muscles ready to engage. “Touch her again and you’ll be missing a few fingers.”

  Slowly, like this dickhead had all the time in the world, he turned his head to glance at me. “Can’t you see I’m busy here? Piss off, before I rearrange your face.”

  Oh, for the love of God.

  This turd had it coming. He really did. Peering at him through narrowed golden eyes, I curled my fists, and if it weren’t for Angel, he would not still be breathing.

  “Chase!” She gave me one of her disapproving glares, detecting the control slipping from my fingertips.

  Unable to ignore her call, my eyes sought hers. “This guy wants to rearrange my devastatingly handsome face. I can’t have that, now can I?”

  She rolled her eyes. “He is pretty partial to his face,” she said to preppy boy.

  He looked at Angel in a slow, leisurely perusal, lingering too long for my liking at certain areas. His lips curled into a lazy grin. “Please tell me this douchebag isn’t your boyfriend, beautiful?”

  My blood pressure spiked a thousand degrees. I did what any guy in my situation would do. I cocked my fist, and I punched his lights out. The feeling of my knuckles cracking against his mouth was freaking nirvana. I wanted to do it again and again, probably would have if…

  “Chase!”

  Ooops. Too late.

  Angel’s glittering, sapphire eyes pinned mine. “That was totally unnecessary.” She pushed off the wall.

  “What? He stared too long.”

  She crossed her arms.

  Mr. Smooth lifted his head, gripping his jaw and groaning like a baby. “What the hell, man?” A swarm of gawkers started to gather.

  “I didn’t even hit you that hard.” What a pussy.

  Angel stepped closer, looking at the pansy’s split lip. “He’s right. It could have been a whole lot worse. Consider yourself lucky.”

  Yep. That’s my girl. I loved her. She got me, didn’t try to change me, and appreciated my worth.

  The corners of my lips twitched.

  The poor sap wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smearing blood in the process. It wasn’t a good look. “What the hell is wrong with you two?”

  If he only knew.

  “What’s wrong with us?” Angel squeaked, eyes narrowing.

  Uh-oh.

  Suddenly, I had a bad feeling about this. Angel got a funny glint in her eyes, the one that got her and me both in trouble. She advanced, moving forward, the air thickening with static electricity. Big Mouth took a step back, glancing around to see if anyone else thought we were out of our bloody minds.

  Angel poked him in the chest. “Why does there have to be something wrong with us? Maybe it’s you.” She jabbed him again.

  So much for first impressions. Ours was going to be memorable indeed. In the distance, I heard the distinct sound of howling. Fuck. My favorite cussword rang over and over in my head. Hellhounds. Hell sure knew how to bust up a good party, especially when it was just getting interesting.

  But now the question that was on my mind: Who sent them? Hell or…Angel?

  Skater boy held up his hands. “Whoa, you crazy bitc—”

  Here we go.

  Before I realized her intent, she hauled off and kicked him right in the gonads. I watched in satisfaction as one hundred and eighty pounds hit the ground, gasping. Lexi was not going to be pleased if she got wind that tonight’s entertainment had been courtesy of Angel and me. Speaking of Lexi, I did a quick sweep of the room, trying to locate my frilly cousin.

  I caught a streak of red, but nothing else and prayed that Emma would pull through. I hated having to trust the hunter and rely on her.

  Angel stood there looking ridiculously cute. “Oh my God, that felt good.”

  I threw my head back and laughed outright. “And you said I couldn’t just go around hitting everyone,” I replied, still chuckling. Instead of being amused, I probably should have been worried. As far as I knew, those hellhounds were still out there…waiting. What else was new? “Chase,” I said in my best mocking Angel voice. “Next time, be the bigger guy, not the bigger jerk.”

  She arched a brow. “Shut up,” she grumbled and sighed. “I need some air. We better get out of here before we start a riot.”

  The strange looks we were getting increased. This was one party I was ready to blow. “Gladly,” I agreed.

  As the night’s warmth washed over me and darkness stained the air, hounds cried, ruining the peace of twilight. We needed to skedaddle. I plucked her off her feet, her breath catching as I ran blindly, skirting over the campus.

  “What the hell was that?” I heard some guy and his buddies say as I zoomed by.

  I smirked to myself.

  As I ran, I extended my hearing, listening for the pounding of hooves, the labored snorts, the whines of chaos. The last thing I wanted were four-legged, toxic creatures with blazing eyes biting my ankles.

  The moment Angel’s feet touched the carpet she opened her yap. “You think you’re hilarious, don’t you?” We were in her bedroom, a quiet, private place to be for the moment.

  About time.

  With three ot
her people living in this house, we’d had no “alone time.” My fingers rested at the small of her back, looped together. “Of course I do.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “It’s like a graveyard in here—so quiet.”

  “Are you complaining?” I asked as she snuck her arms around my neck.

  She dropped a light kiss my lips. “Nope.”

  The quiet got me wondering. “Do you think I should check on Lexi?”

  She treated me with another short, but sidetracking kiss.

  My fingers tugged on the clasp holding her hair, letting the long, dark strands tumble over her shoulders. “We left her at a frat party with a guy we barely know.”

  Angel brushed her lips across mine—tantalizing. “Yep.”

  “And you’re not worried?”

  She bit my lower lip, eyes sparkling. “Nada.”

  I gripped her hips. “Emma is there,” I said, rationalizing Lexi’s safety.

  “Uh-huh,” she agreed, sinking her fingers into my hair. “Too. Much. Talking,” she said between her lips covering mine.

  Her kisses were giving me an Angel-buzz as the blood whooshed through my body. “Your mouth has no effect on me,” I teased.

  “Want to bet?” she challenged, wetting her lips.

  She won, and we both knew that was exactly what I wanted.

  Chapter 12

  The first week of classes was positively horrendous. I had envisioned sleeping until noon (I was not a morning person), free time to do some demon tracking, and digging into the current whereabouts of the hunters (starting with whatever info I could get from my roommate). There had to be a way to carve out more time in my day.

  One of the things that sucked most about living with all females…the bathroom. Good grief. I didn’t know why they needed so many bottles, jars, and products. Crap littered all over the counter space, living hairballs grew from the sink and shower drains, and my stuff was never where I left it. The list went on and on.

  I missed sharing a bathroom with Travis.

  After a quick lukewarm shower—that was another thing; they used all the hot water—I threw on a pair of dark denim jeans and a T-shirt, staples in my wardrobe. It made it so much easier getting dressed in the morning. No thought was necessary.

  First order of business: drop a class.

  Getting up at the butt-crack of dawn made me seriously crabby. I wanted to literally tear someone’s head off, and the guy who sat diagonal from me was looking like a suitable target.

  Against my better judgment, and some heavy eye pleading from my only weakness, who happened to be a girl almost half my size, I registered for a class Angel wasn’t in. It also happened to be the only class with a tolerable teacher, mostly because he was a half-demon.

  Ah, snap.

  Finally. Someone who understood me.

  The class was demonology. I know, fitting.

  Professor Rivers was the shit. I wasn’t just saying that because we shared demon DNA. He reminded me a little of Ives—knowledgeable beyond his years. The huge difference between the two, Professor Rivers didn’t hide away. He had a profession and what appeared to be a normal life. There was even a gold wedding band on his finger.

  I stayed after class, hoping that I would get a chance to speak to him.

  He was middle-aged, tan, and had an outdoorsy rugged look like Indian Jones. His polo and khakis were pressed. “Mr. Winters, glad to have you in my class.”

  In my experience, it was never a good thing that a teacher remembered your name, especially the first week of school, but in this case, I think I stood out from his other students. “I’m looking forward to learning a few things.”

  He sat on the edge of his desk, papers and a photo of a pretty blonde pushed off to one side. “Indeed. It is nice to see someone of your heritage in my class. It’s been too long.”

  “Has it?” He was in for a real treat, having me as a student. “I think you will find that I am quiet exceptional.”

  “So I’ve heard, and I would really like to discuss that sometime when you are free.” His hands were folded in his lap as if we were talking about the Sunday news. “If you ever need any help, you let me know.”

  The message came across loud and clear. If I ever had any Divisa troubles on campus, he would be available. I nodded in understanding. “I will.”

  Hauling ass across campus, well as fast as a human would haul ass, I went to meet Angel outside her class. I checked the time on my phone, seeing I had two minutes to spare. There was a shaded tree just outside building C, the science section of the university, with clear access to the door. Leaning against the tree trunk, I quickly checked my emails, occasionally glancing up at the exit.

  As usual, I felt her before I saw her. The demon marks at my hip came alive, dancing across my skin in eagerness. A rush of impatience bombarded me, so much so that you would have thought I hadn’t seen her in days instead of just hours. What had once been just decorative swirls had grown with each bond I sealed with Angel. The marks trailed from my hip up the side just under my arm.

  The sight of her smiling face sent my heart singing. Two girls I recognized from one of our other classes, Jade and Rachael, flanked her on either side. They were friendly enough—to Angel that was—but I was past the point of expecting anything different. I would be more shocked if the hadn’t been afraid of me. Those humans were like needles in a shitstack.

  I gave them a fleeting glance before my eyes automatically went back to Angel. I didn’t do it on purpose, but next to Angel, every other girl was like muted watercolors—washed out and blurry. For me, Angel shone.

  My ears perked up, and I wasn’t ashamed that I was invading her privacy. Not. One. Bit.

  Angel’s eyes met mine in a coy glance. She tucked her hair behind her ears, knowing that I was listening. “My boyfriend is waiting for me.” She gave a slight nod in my direction.

  My brow lifted. It still made my heart skip a beat, hearing her call me her boyfriend.

  The two girl’s heads gravitated in my direction. Unable to help myself, I gave them a panty-dropping grin. Angel rolled her eyes, but I got the usual response. Jaws dropping. Eyes melting. Basic girly gooeyness. Nothing I wasn’t accustomed to.

  “That’s your boyfriend?” Rachael asked. She was the one with extremely long dark hair. So long, it flowed down the length of her back.

  A warm flush crept over Angel’s cheeks. “Yup. That’s Chase.”

  Jade, who had bouncy straw-colored hair, started to fan herself with her notebook. “Lord help me, girl, he is scrumptious.”

  I smirked, crossing a leg over the other. At least they had exceptional taste.

  Angel hugged her absurdly large textbook to her chest. “I guess he’s not an eyesore, although he doesn’t need to hear it. He already has an ego the size of Montana.”

  A snort escaped.

  “With looks like that, who could blame him?” Jade asked whimsically.

  Rachael straightened a little taller, fussing with her hair. “Does he have a brother?” she purred, sneaking another glimpse my way.

  “Fortunately no. He is one of a kind.”

  Damn straight I am. This was the kind of conversation I could handle. It was possible her new friends might not be so bad for humans.

  “How long have you guys been together?” Jade asked.

  “Almost a year.”

  Jade bit her lip. “So, you’re totally into bad boys. Nice. He looks…dangerous.”

  Duh. I’m part demon little girl.

  Angel’s gaze crawled over to me. “I guess. He’s really just a teddy bear. All bark, but no bite.”

  Like hell I was.

  She was going to pay for that later.

  I lifted my head as I waited for her to reach me. For her benefit, and as much mine, I placed my lips over hers in a kiss, spanning my hands on her waist. I twirled her around, putting her back to the tree. Her arms went limp at her sides. I totally took the kiss there, deep and past the point of reasonable thi
nking. The fact that our tongues were dancing in the middle of day and we were giving passersby’s quite a show, didn’t matter. When our lips touched, righteous things happened.

  We broke apart breathless, tangled together, canopied under green leaves. In the distance, I heard her friends sigh. Angel’s eyes were sparkling. “Good Grief,” she murmured, dazzled. “What was that for?”

  My fingers tugged at the hem of her white tank. “I missed you.”

  “You are inconceivable.”

  “Whatevs.” We started walking back toward the house. “So your friends think I’m a sex god.”

  She choked and missed a step. “A what?” Her hand sprang up, shoving me on the shoulder. “You’re delusional. And stop listening in on my conversations. It’s rude.”

  The smirk that had started to form on my lips, faded. I stopped so fast I jerked Angel back and she stumbled toward me. My hands instinctually reached to steady her, landing at her lower hips.

  “Chase,” she snapped, unlacing our fingers to rub her arm.

  “Do you feel that?” I asked on high alert, goose bumps peaking on my skin.

  “Your hands on my ass? Yeah, I feel it pretty much everywhere—”

  “No. Shh.” I put a finger to her lips. I kind of liked where her mind was headed, but it would have to wait. My demon was poised. “Something is out there.”

  She stiffened.

  That was more of the reaction I’d expected. It was midday and the sun was shining, not precisely Hell’s favorite time of day; however, that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible. Oh, it was. Creatures of Hell might prefer the night and gravitate toward mayhem, but the underworld walked among us. A chilling thought, yet nonetheless true.

  My demon senses weren’t triggering. At least I didn’t think they were, and that was the problem. I could get a good read on whatever it was. My usually foolproof abilities were all mumble-jumbled. If it wasn’t a demon or a hellhound, just what the devil was it?