by JL Weil
Lexi’s aqua eyes glistened with tears. “How did you—?”
“It’s not important now. What is imperative is that she sleeps and we let no one know where she is.”
She nodded, unable to take her eyes off the frail-looking Angel clinging to me. “We’ll protect her,” she promised fiercely.
I could always count on family. Rotating toward my car, I met my first roadblock. Barely over five feet, hair the color of autumn and cynical emerald eyes, Emma Deen was a constant thorn in my side. “You can stop pointing that thing in my face.”
She tipped her chin, nodding over my shoulder toward a door half swinging off its hinges. “Do you destroy everything in your path?”
Ugh. Her voice grated on my ears. I winced. This was one of those times having roommates sucked. “Not now. You and I will talk later.” About why my cousin was with her, among other things. “I kind of have my arms full.”
“Don’t you always?” she mumbled, lowering her weapon and walking straight up to me. She kept her expression blank. “What color are her eyes?” Her hand reached out to pull back the dark hair curtaining Angel’s face, beaded with a cold sweat.
I growled deep in my chest. “Touch her and die.” Angel nuzzled her face into the alcove between my neck and shoulder. I could have easily brushed past her, but I just didn’t have the fight inside me.
“Christ. What did you do?” she demanded.
“What I had to. Brought her back from the depths of Hell’s claws.” A part of me had hardened, turning cold forever.
“This conversation isn’t over. I want to hear everything.”
Of course the hunters would have an interest in how I’d broken the link between Angel and Hell, but I would be damned before I let them use her for a science experiment. “We’ll see.”
“Winters!” she called as I swept past her. “You owe me.”
I knew I did. It was because of Emma I’d been able to keep Angel hidden and from becoming Hell’s anchor on Earth. If we hadn’t teamed up, the outcome might have been very grim for humankind and for Angel.
Frozen for a single heartbeat, I nodded and then I was gone.
There would be a time and a place to pay that debt. I ran to my “borrowed” car, concealed under overgrown brush and the weeping branches of a willow. After carefully tucking Angel into the back seat, I hustled behind the wheel, taking one last glance over my shoulder at Angel to ensure she hadn’t pulled a disappearing act. Her eyes drifted closed, knees pressed against her chest in a fetal position.
Satisfied that she wasn’t going anywhere, I hit the gas, preparing for another short road trip. The idea of getting behind the wheel wasn’t thrilling, but as I drove, I let my mind wander. A dangerous thing.
Angel had fallen into a fitful, but deep sleep. She tossed in the back seat, occasionally letting out little moans of distress. Her body needed rest probably more than it needed anything else. Freeing her from the demon-darkness had taken its toll. I refused to let my mind drift toward how close I’d come to losing her. If I’d been a few hours later, it might have been too late. The blackness had nearly taken over her humanity. Her road to recovery wouldn’t be without challenges.
I let out a long, ragged breath, finally letting go of all the pressure building inside me the last few days. As I listened to the sweet evenness of her breathing, I knew that when she woke up, she should be around familiar surroundings, in a place that made her feel safe and secure. Somewhere that oozed tons of love and fond memories. College had been nothing but a curse, bringing angst and misery. It wasn’t home.
Pulling into the driveway of the only home I’d ever known, pressure clamped down my chest. I stopped the car beside Devin’s, staring at the two-story farmhouse. The porch light was still on as it was every evening. It brought an affectionate smile to my lips.
I sat in the car, in the balmy twilight, gazing at the vast woods beyond. They seemed to stretch endlessly in either direction, but I knew better, knowing every off beaten path. Evergreens, maples, and even poison ivy thrived in those woods along with other things.
My eyes wandered to the dark and still house next door. No life moved inside. Chloe must be at work, which I’d been counting on. The last thing I wanted to do was explain to her mom why her daughter looked like she was in a coma. I still had to deal with Dev, just not tonight.
Gathering Angel, I shot across the yard to her empty house and managed to unlock the front door one-handed. Still got it. I climbed the stairs in the dark and crossed to her bedroom, depositing a worn-out Angel on the bed.
I could only sit and stare at her. She needed rest, I told myself. We both did, but my mind was churning. Not worrying about Angel went against my nature. I didn’t know how to turn it off. Peeling back the blanket, I crawled in alongside her, lying on my side. I interlaced our fingers, needing to touch her. Her chest rose and fell in a sigh, quieting my anxious heart. Together, the outside world didn’t seem to matter. All that did was we were here.
I closed my eyes and finally allowed myself to sleep.
Chapter 11
{Chase}
Groggy, I opened my eyes and blinked multiple times. I waited for the immediate sense of panic that followed each time I woke. Today, it never came. I was filled with these dazzling tingles and a sense of tranquility I wasn’t sure I would ever feel again. It was in that moment I remembered where I was and what I’d done.
I turned toward the girl still sleeping peacefully beside me. Her head was curved on the pillow, dark hair fanning out against the silver sheets. It had only been a few weeks since she’d become demon bipolar, but it felt like a year. More than anything, I wanted to pull her into my arms. Instead, I ran my fingers over my jaw before I carefully swung my legs over the side of the bed.
My stomach let out a demon-sized growl. Besides being hungry, I was feeling optimistic. There was something about being home, with Angel tucked safely in her bed, that calmed both sides of me.
I moseyed into the kitchen with nothing but food on the brain. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one with that idea. Dev was sitting at the table, a mug of coffee and a bowl of cereal sitting in front of him. Glancing around for a few seconds, I made sure I was in the right house. Angel and I both lived in old, huge farmhouses, but that was were the similarities ended. Chloe had a much different design style. There was no way Dev would have a leopard print rug and matching dish towels hanging off the stove.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Hmm. I was going to ask you the same thing.” I took the seat across from him at the table, and Dev slid his uneaten bowl of Captain Crunch toward me. “Here, you look like you could use this.”
I never turned down a bowl of cereal. “Thanks. I can’t remember the last time I ate.” Shoveling a spoonful into my mouth, I mumbled, “What time is it?”
He took a sip of his coffee. “A little after four.”
“In the morning?” Maybe I should have asked what day it was. “Wow. I can’t believe I slept that long.” Or that Angel was still snoring logs. Over twelve hours.
“You look like crap.”
I snickered. “Thanks old man. What are you doing up, anyway? Got the munchies?”
Behind his salt and pepper beard, his lips tipped. “I forgot how funny you are. When I realized you were here, I couldn’t sleep.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, hating that I caused him stress. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I figured you’d be at home.”
“Yeah, well…”
“I got it.” He didn’t need to spell it out. Chloe and Dev had sleepovers. He probably had a key. Moving on.
He leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I know you. Is everyone okay?”
I poured myself another bowl of the Captain. “Lexi and Travis are fine. I imagine they’ll be on their way home soon.”
He uttered a sigh of relief. “And Angel?”
&
nbsp; Fumbling with the spoon, I stared into the bowl. “She’s been better.”
“Tell me what happened. The last I heard was her father was back. Are you guys in trouble?” he asked, genuine concern in his voice.
“More than usual?” I added, cynically.
He gave me one of his stern, yet dependable looks.
“He’s not going to be a problem.”
“Chase, did you…?”
Devin knew what I was capable of. That was no secret, so it didn’t bother me in the slightest that he immediately jumped to the conclusion I’d killed Chris. “No, but I wish I had. It was Angel,” I added.
He gasped.
Twirling the spoon with the milk, I mumbled, “And that was the start of a demon domino effect.”
“I think you better start from the beginning,” Dev said.
And I did, unloading all the sordid details about her father, the transformation in Angel, having to keep her hidden, and the lengths I went to get her back, all of the nitty-gritty—except for Kira. I left out her name, and luckily, he didn’t ask. The last thing I wanted to do was add an extra layer of stress and anxiety. When I finished purging myself of all the crap I’d been through, I actually felt better.
Devin tipped his head back, suddenly looking much older than I remembered. “I never should have let you guys go. Maybe then this wouldn’t have happened.”
I slammed my fist down on the table, harder than I’d meant to. The bowl clattered on the wood top. “This isn’t your fault, Uncle Dev.”
He arched his brows. “But you blame yourself. Chase, at some point you have to stop always taking the fault. This wasn’t the life you asked for. If anyone is to be blamed, it’s Hell.”
Logically, I knew he was right, but I wasn’t a logical person. “We’re going to need some more Captain Crunch,” I said, staring into the empty box.
His coffee mug was pressed to his slightly curved lips. “What’s new? I’ll go to the store and get some groceries before you clear out Chloe’s pantry.”
“What are you going to tell her?”
“I don’t want to worry her yet. You’re sure she is going to wake up?” he asked, eyes glancing toward the stairs.
I wasn’t sure of anything, but I sincerely believed Angel was a fighter. “She has to.”
He leaned forward. “You Chase, are fierce, a protector. I know that you love just as fiercely. It’s who you are. Let’s face it. I tried to do my best to keep Lexi, and Travis safe, but without you, it would have been a thousand times harder. I don’t know how I would have done any of this without you.”
Emotion clogged the back of my throat. I hadn’t expected the well of feelings to rise up and grip me. Since the moment I closed the doors on Angel’s prison, with her red eyes staring back at me, I’d been in a constant state of suppressing any type of feeling. If I hadn’t, there was no way I would have been able to withstand seeing her suffer, hearing her pleas, feeling her pain, or imagining a life without her.
Now, it was coming to the surface.
Devin stood up and laid a hand on my shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze before going to set his mug in the sink. “Oh…” He paused and turned back around. “Whose car is parked in the driveway?”
I cleared my throat. “It’s probably better you don’t know.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
~*~*~*~
Her lashes lifted. Wispy sunlight caught those strange eyes meeting mine for a brief second, and I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to the color. Violet eyes, a perfect blend of her blue human eyes and her red demon eyes. Angel had slept for nearly twenty-eight hours, waking up for only a few minutes when I laid her in the back seat of my car.
I bit the inside of my cheek as her lashes swept down. Angel was beautiful to me—flawless. An exuberant amount of relief pinged through me. She was home, no longer connected to Hell and not trying to kill me.
Her long lashes lifted again and our eyes locked, a sweet flush creeping across her cheeks. My eyes dipped and her lips parted, causing a hunger to stir inside me.
{Angel}
Chase’s handsome face came into focus. The sun was highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw through a window I knew well. It faced his bedroom.
I was home.
It was surreal. I kept blinking just to make sure this wasn’t a dream. When his fingers lightly ran under my chin, I thought I might cry. They felt very real.
There were a million things I wanted to say, but I had no idea where to start. I was lucid for the first time in…I wasn’t sure how long. I felt like myself, but I didn’t—something was different. As I gazed into his eyes, I realized one thing hadn’t altered—my feelings for Chase. They were tremendous. They were strengthening. They were overwhelming.
I might be a complete basket case, but I was certain of one thing. I’d been saved by his infinite love.
Without a word spoken between us, I leaned forward to kiss his jaw, the stubble he was sporting tickling my lips. I nipped playfully at his chin and then pressed my lips softly to his. “Thank you,” I whispered, resting my head back down on the pillow beside him so we were face-to-face.
His eyes morphed into incandescent gold slits, and a shiver skated over my skin. He let out a shuddering breath. “I was terrified the entire time you were lost. I’ve never been so scared out of my mind that I would never be able to hold you again.”
My arms tightened around him.
“And when I did see you, I was afraid it might be the last time I’d ever hear your laugh or see your smile.”
My heart tripped, dancing. “Chase…”
“Don’t you dare,” he said, putting a finger to my lips. “I know what you’re going to say and you don’t owe me an apology. None of this would have ever happened if I had just stayed away from you.” His chest heaved. “I’m scared shitless that we’ll never be the same again. That you won’t love me the way you did.”
“Stop,” I said, blinking back tears. “How can you say that?”
“Angel, I’ve taken so much from you, from your life. My world has almost killed you, taken you from me, and destroyed you. How can’t I feel responsible for altering your life so much?” His jaw locked.
“None of that matters. You saved me. You always save me.”
He cast his eyes downward. “I promised you that you would be safe. I lied. You’ll never be safe with me.”
“That’s such bullshit. I owe you my life. You brought me home. You always know what I need even when I don’t. You love me no matter what stupid thing I’ve said or done. And…I love you. That’s never going to change.” I softly rubbed the pad of my thumb over his lower lip.
He closed his eyes. “Say it again.”
I leaned forward, pressing my lips smoothly against his and whispered, “I love you more than I ever thought possible. Nothing you can say, nothing you do will ever change that. You’ll always be a part of me.”
His lips parted on a sharp inhale. “I only want you to be happy.” He slid his hands over my hips as he pulled me into his lap, eyes searching mine.
“You make me happy,” I said, tracing my fingers over the nape of his neck.
He lowered his forehead, pressing it against mine. “What I did—”
I pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him and shaking my head. “I don’t want to talk about it. Not yet.” There was a goose-sized lump in my throat, and I forced the tears that threatened to take over back down. “I don’t want you to regret the choice you made bargaining for my soul.”
His bright golden eyes twinkled as he looked down at me. “I would make the same choice a thousand times over. You’re worth every fight, every bloodshed, and I’ll never stop fighting for you.” He placed his mouth to my ear, his breath tickling the sensitive area. “I love you, Angel Eyes.”
I was breathless, and he hadn’t even kissed me yet.
It was so easy to slip into his arms, slip back into this radiant feeling he enticed inside me with just
one steaming look. We might have only been apart for a few weeks, but gazing into his dreamy eyes, it felt like a lifetime. I wanted him to make me forget everything else but him. I wanted him to hold me and never let go.
Chase seemed to be able to know what I wanted without my having to tell him. I could thank our bond for that and his deep feelings for me.
One of his hands moved to my thigh, slipping his fingers under the cotton material of my long shirt. As his hand inched up, his lips made a hot line of kisses down my throat, causing warmth to flood over my body. This was real. He was real.
And I didn’t want to think or feel anything but this moment, if only for a little bit. “Will you love me?” I whispered. The embarrassment I was feeling leaked through my voice, staining my cheeks.
“Now?” he growled, his lips reaching my jawline.
I nodded, unable to speak as I watched his irises meld from silver to gold.
“Are you sure? You’re not too tired?” There was heat in his tone.
I rolled my eyes. “I think I’ve slept long enough. Make me feel again,” I murmured.
I never saw him move, but suddenly his lips were on mine, and it was as magical as I remembered. My hand moved into the silky strands of his hair, our breath mingling as I deepened the kiss. I wanted, needed more of him. It felt like forever since he’d kissed me, and I let my eyes drift closed, my insides lighting up from the power of his kiss.
His arms dropped to my waist, and then I was lying on my back, staring up into his face. “Are you feeling anything yet?”
I wrapped my legs around his as we lay hip to hip, his weight sinking into me in the most delicious way. I traced my finger over the curve of his cheek. “Exceedingly happy,” I said, along with more emotion than I could name. Chase evoked all of it and so much more.
Chapter 12
{Chase}
