Watcher Reborn: Dark Angels Paranormal Romance (Watcher of the Gray Book 3)

by JL Madore

  “Whatever you want, cowgirl.”

  She tilted her head back and let him claim her mouth. He couldn’t believe this was his life. Part of him still expected it to disappear, and believed Austin would be taken from him.

  Thus, his panic about the baby.

  Austin pulled back from the kiss, her heavy-lidded gaze giving rise to all kinds of lascivious ideas.

  “I want to talk to you about her name too.”

  “Mhmm.” He eased her back so that he could get his hand under the blanket and gain better access to her flesh.

  “I’ve thought about it and I know what I want to call her.”

  To avoid being inconsiderate, he pulled back on the reins of his sex drive and let her know she had his full attention. “What is her name, love? If you like it, I have no doubt it’s perfect.”

  He loved the blush that flushed in her cheek and brushed the spot with his thumb. “Tell me.”

  “I want to call her Niobe Inanna Navarro.”

  His heart ached as it cracked and expanded to make room for more love than he thought possible to contain in one soul. “It’s beautiful.”

  Austin exhaled. “You really love it?”

  He kissed the tip of her nose and smiled. “What’s not to love? Niobe is part of me. Inanna to honor the Sumerian gods. And Navarro is part of you. It’s perfect.”

  She exhaled. “I worried you’d be upset with Navarro instead of Ambrose. With my brothers dying, there won’t be any more Navarros from our family. I’d like to honor my dad and thought it would be easier for schools and hospitals and stuff in the Human Realm—since you made up your last name.”

  Zander pressed a finger to her lips and laughed. “I’m not upset. Nio likes it too, don’t you, baby?”

  He laid his head on Austin’s chest and rubbed the little person squirreling around in her belly. He’d been so angry and jealous about sharing her with another—selfish bastard that he was. But he promised Austin he’d do better and—

  Someone knocked on the door.

  “Fuck off, unless there is bloodshed. And I mean a lot of it.”

  The ascending whistle meant it was Phoenix. Damn. He couldn’t even ask what was doing through the door. Zander got up and pulled on his pants.

  “Don’t kill him.” Austin gathered the blanket around herself and tucked it tight. “Phoenix wouldn’t interrupt if it weren’t important.”

  “Yeah, yeah, but when is it not important?”

  Zander opened up and glared at the warrior’s hands.

  Sorry, Z. Kang called from Atlanta. We’ve got trouble.

  He pinched the bridge of his nose and felt a headache coming on. “Yeah, so what else is fucking new.”

  Ronnie watched Danel struggle with some unseen torture, his body rigid, his jaw clenched. What was happening? What had happened? Standing in the middle of her father’s office, a shotgun in her hand, and a dead guy oozing black goo onto the hardwood, her entire body shook. Were they getting punked, or were Jared and Jensen about to join them and explain that they were shooting a flash mob episode of Supernatural?

  Danel pushed himself onto his feet and staggered back until his butt hit the wall. She appreciated the distance, but he looked green—like Grinch green.

  He winced, his hand gripping the hole in his leg, his other arm tight against his stomach. His skin glistened with sweat. “One got away. I, uh . . . oh, shit, give me a sec.”

  He launched from the room and hobbled across the hall, into a main floor powder room.

  Despite her reservations, and her mind reeling with all kinds of impossible, she went after him. “Are you all right?”

  Folded over the porcelain bowl, with his leg bleeding all over the floor, he obviously wasn’t. She ran a cloth under the faucet of the sink and rung it out. His body seized and he wretched again.

  “Here,” she said. “Let me help with your jacket.”

  She eased the heavy leather off his broad shoulders and he remained hovered over the toilet.

  “How’d you know to come?”

  “Purse was gone.” He choked and heaved. Whatever he was ejecting was as black and vile as that man’s blood. “You were exposed.”

  Not sure what the hell was happening, she placed the cloth on the back of his neck. “I’ll leave you to it. I’m just outside if you need me.”

  Closing him in, she went back to check on her father. He wasn’t in the office, so she tried the foyer. He was there, his mouth agape. She understood why. She scanned the massacre, her fractured mind unable to put together what they saw.

  Heads . . . their heads were . . ..

  “Before you freak out,” Danel said, his voice hoarse. “What Duxel said is true. They weren’t human. They were Hellspawn. Cutting their heads off is the only way to keep them from coming back. That’s how Duxel came back from the alley.”

  Her father frowned. “Bullshit.”

  Danel slumped onto the hallstand, and she wasn’t sure if he meant to or if his knees simply gave out. “It’s a lot. I know. When I told you that we were out there, keeping innocent citizens safe from all sorts of evil, that was true. It just isn’t the human evil you thought.”

  Things suddenly made so much more sense.

  “Why would demons attack me?” she asked.

  “Bad luck. Whoever hired them searched for immoral mercenary types to get a job done, and Duxel and his boys answered the call. He was right. I had no right to interfere in that alley. Now, because I did, he and his species have declared war on my kind.”

  “Your kind?” her father repeated. “You expect us to believe you’re some . . . avenging angel? That’s ludicrous.”

  Danel sat up straighter and met her gaze. “I am Nephilim. The begotten son of the Archangel Gabriel and a human woman. Bound into a life of servitude, I defend innocents from members of the Otherworld and ensure humans never discover the existence of what is truly out there.”

  She waved a hand at the bloody chaos that had infected her most sacred space. “It’s easier to let the cat out of the bag than to shove it back in.”

  His expression softened. “That’s what Austin said too. But don’t worry, I’ve called for a cleanup crew. Once they’re gone, I’ll scrub all this from your memory.”

  “You stay away from us.” Her father rushed Danel, grabbed him by his t-shirt, and dragged him toward the door. “Get out of my house—”

  Danel sighed and stared into her father’s eyes. “It’s all right, Howton. You came out of your office to see who was at the door, but Ronnie took care of it. Go back to your desk and work happily until lunch. Take no notice of what’s going on around you. All is well.”

  Her father offered him a vacant smile and turned back to the hall. When he passed her, he repeated, “All is well, kitten.”

  Ronnie watched her father go and wanted to cry. She slapped Danel’s face hard enough to leave her finger marks on his jaw. “What did you do to him?”

  “I just calmed him down before he stroked out.”

  “Don’t you dare try that on me.”

  He rubbed his goatee and glared. “Once I’m sure you’re safe, I will scrub you and leave you to your life. You will have no memory of me or my world.”

  What if she didn’t want to forget him? Could he remove himself from her mind? The docile smile on her father’s face said yes, but she’d known him a lot longer. “Wait a second. Have you stolen my memories before?”

  All emotion and expression drained from his face and she knew the answer. “You had no right to do that.”

  He brow creased in a harsh line. “I had every right to do that. It’s the only thing that saved your life.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  “It’s a fact, baby. Exposure risks are eliminated. End of.”

  “Knock-knock.” An Asian man, built and brawny, stepped over one of the bodies and surveyed the mess. He wore the same dark, brooding look that Danel and all his friends wore but was considerably shorter. He also didn’t look
at all pleased to be there. “Am I interrupting? Should we wait outside?”

  Danel sent her a warning glare and shook his head. “No. Come in, Kang. Thanks for the save.”

  The man whistled, long and low. “Damn, Persian. Nine you said, eh?”

  “Five in here, two down the hall, and one in the office.”

  “That’s only eight, my brother.”

  Danel nodded. “Duxel, son of Gregor, scurried off, like the scared little rat he is.”

  The man met Danel’s outstretched fist with a knuckle bump and waved in three others. He toed one of the bodies and rolled one of the heads over to see its face. “Leviathans, you said, eh?”

  “Yep. Gregor handed over the reins to his offspring for the next generation of fucked up.”

  Kang straightened. “Is the house empty?”

  The two turned and looked at her. “My father’s in his office and the house staff is likely in the kitchen. The groundskeepers don’t come inside. They let Aibileen know if they need to speak to someone.”

  “Okay, my crew will have things cleaned up in twenty.”

  Danel helped the men with their equipment and shook their hands. “Any of you boys Djinn?”

  The bald man with the weighty black case raised his hand.

  Danel nodded. “Only remove the energy signatures of the Leviathans. There’s a displaced spirit who belongs here. Leave her alone, please.”

  Ronnie opened her mouth to say something.

  Danel took her by the wrist and marched her toward the stairs. “Show me where I can clean up and I’ll try to explain.”

  Danel stepped out of the shower and snapped a towel from the heated rack in the guest bathroom. He’d managed to field the first barrage of questions and evade the second. What he couldn’t get away from was Ronnie’s betrayal over him scrubbing the apartment Leviathan attack from her mind. He wrapped the mile of velour perfection around his hips and stepped out into Ronnie’s childhood bedroom. Decorated in the palest rose and cream swirls, it was like stepping into the delight of a raspberry ripple ice-cream world.

  Ronnie lay on her bed, her eyes closed, her feet crossed. The deep and deliberate rhythm of her breathing, told him she wasn’t asleep. Her scent, an acrid floral laced with a smoldering fire, told him she was pissed at him. Again.

  “I’m sorry the Otherworld complicated your life, Ronnie. Seriously. I tried to look out for you. To do what’s right.”

  She sat up and pegged him with a look. Her heated gaze traced his bare chest from his shoulders down to the knot of his towel. He felt the sexual pull the moment her body became aware of his. Despite the situation, she wanted him as much as he wanted her. Which just pissed them both off more.

  “Invading my mind to clear my slate is not right. I want my memories returned, Danel. I decide what I know. Not you.”

  “But the knowing gets you put down. It’s as simple as that. I can’t allow you to put yourself in danger like that.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Either. Both.” He turned and strode to the overnight case with his change of clothes. Discarding the towel, he stomped his feet into a clean pair of jeans and grabbed a tee. “Look. Duxel is still out there. We’ll sit tight and keep you and your father safe until after the vote on his bill.”

  “And what, wait for him to take another run at us? Forget that. I’ve got a specialist appointment this afternoon and Daddy’s big Valentine’s fundraiser dinner is tomorrow night.”

  “Neither of those are more important than your lives.”

  “Neither is up for negotiation. Look. If you want to guard me, fine, but I came home for very good reasons. Reasons that are time-sensitive and matter on a scale of life and death.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to get through to you.”

  “Not my life or death, the people we’re fighting for. I can tell you right now, my father won’t curl up in a corner and forfeit everything he’s worked so hard for. He needs more votes. The fundraiser dinner is how he intends to get them.”

  Danel’s head was about to split open. He pulled his head through the t-shirt and tucked his gun at the small of his back. “Okay, I’ll remove the paranormal elements of the attack from your father’s mind and leave the fight. He needs to be on guard until after the vote on Monday. Kang and his men are likely finished, so we’ll discuss security for the two of you during the fundraiser dinner. I’ll stay here and ensure you’re both safe until then.”

  “What about my memories?”

  He glared and let out a heavy breath. “You’ll keep yours until this is over. I need you to be aware of what you’re up against, and not question me if I say something that doesn’t make sense.”

  “And I want what you already took.”

  “Why? It’s just more of the same.”

  “I want it, Danel. And if you don’t unlock it, I’ll go down and ask your friend Kang to do it.”

  Danel’s growl filled the space. The sound vibrated out of him in violent waves. “Kang gets no access to your mind. What happened between us is mine, not his.”

  Ronnie’s pupils widened as his beast rose to the fore. The rapid rate of her heart both called to him and worried him.

  “Stay here and rest. I’ll deal with Kang, then take you to your doctor’s appointment at the hospital.”

  He held up his hand to stop the argument.

  “You’ve had too much excitement for one day and I’m the only option you have to get there. End of.”

  Her hands hit her hips at the same time her mouth dropped open to argue.

  “Rest. And if you drop the fight, I’ll tell you about the ghost living in your house.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “My mother has been there all this time?” Ronnie sat back on the exam table, the thin tissue crinkling under her butt. “Daddy always said he felt her in the house, but why?”

  “Ghosts hang around for lots of reasons. Some don’t realize they’re dead. Some lives end so quickly, they didn’t get to finish something important. Some are tied to a person or object, and remain tethered until they’re set free.”

  “Which one is my mother?”

  Danel shrugged. “I only saw her briefly next to your father in the foyer. If she comes back, I’ll find out what she needs. Likely, she’s tied to the house and your father. As long as he’s there, she’ll be happy.”

  She couldn’t even wrap her mind around that. How was that possible? And how did he talk about it so matter-of-fact? Just another day in the life of Danel.

  “And Kang and his garrison are stationed in Atlanta? Are there Nephilim in every city?”

  He shook his head. “There are twenty-three doors to the Hell Realm. One on every continent, and a few extra in the cities of first-world countries. That’s where Nephilim garrisons are stationed and where we patrol. Though, occasionally, we go outside our normal boundaries, if Otherworlders have migrated and draw our attention.”

  He flipped through the pages of his magazine for the fortieth time and she almost felt bad. Almost. He had been a bully about coming, not only to the appointment with her but in with her. It seemed all this waiting around wasn’t within his skill-set.

  “What you do within your band of brothers? Is it like the U.S. military, where the squadrons are built up of men with different specialties?”

  He scrubbed his hand over his goatee and closed his eyes.

  “We’re all specialists, in all things.”

  “Okaaaay, but what are your unique contributions?”

  He tossed the magazine back on the stack and crossed his arms. “I’m the historian, legal counsel, and the linguist.”

  “The linguist. How many languages do you speak?”

  He shrugged. “All of them. At least, enough of any to figure things out and communicate.”

  That blew her mind. She’d taken Spanish and French in high school, and found foreign languages extremely challenging to learn. “And when you say all, you mean human and other?”


  He nodded. “Yep. I’m a walking, talking, Rosetta Stone. Our proclivities come from our sire. Gabriel has certain strengths as an Archangel and as his bastard offspring, I have certain gifts.”

  “I take it, by your tone, you’re not close?”

  Danel closed his eyes and left them shut. “My brothers are my family. My only family. Well . . . other than Lady Divinity. She is a loving and magnanimous female. Our sires may be dicks, but She is amazing.”

  Ronnie was thankful his eyes were closed because it took her a moment to absorb that one. The loneliness she’d always seen in his gaze. His violent edge. His inability to smile or trust. She understood now. He lived in her world but on the outside. Among humanity but not part of it. He was bred to serve a deity but had no rights to a life of his own. No matter how amazing this Lady Divinity was, Danel still lived bound in servitude.

  “You’re only confiding in me because you know you’re going to erase it all anyway, right?”

  He made no indication that she’d even spoken.

  She slid off the table to go to him when Dr. Scathardi strolled inside. “Hello, Ronnie. Welcome home. Tell me. How have you been feeling?”

  Danel thought of all the times his brothers ribbed and roasted him about having no tact or charm with women. He’d always flipped them off without caring but with Ronnie, he wanted to get it right. Problem was . . . there was no right thing to say.

  “I’m sor—”

  “Don’t.” She raised her hand and kept her focus straight ahead. “I don’t want to hear it. I didn’t want you here in the first place, so you have no say in any of this.”

  Fair enough. He’d played the hostile blow-off card enough times to bear the brunt. He’d be her punching bag for as long as she needed one. “I’d like to help.”

  They stepped into an elevator and she pushed the button.

  “Why up? Ronnie, you promised we’d be in and out. This place is a logistical nightmare. I need to get you back home to keep you safe.”