The words raged with so much venom, Liam could feel the hatred in the air sting his skin like a thousand needles piercing his flesh. His mind raced through the words of Eternal Law written in his heart, searching for a clause that would allow him to slay the Nephilim right here, right now. His hand ached for the comforting weight of his sword and the power that would course through him as he held it against this enemy’s throat.
“Would you, a servant of Almighty God, condemn me to Hell twice? Forgive me for my sins, Liam, for I know not what I do,” Haden taunted dramatically, placing his hand over his heart.
A roar of rage tore from Liam’s throat as he lashed out with lightning speed, crashing into Haden like a linebacker. The park bench toppled, Haden flew back, and they rolled, grappling for the advantage before coming to a stop at the base of a tree. Liam passed his guard, and before Haden could make a defensive move, he slammed his fist into Haden’s face with rapid fire accuracy. Once…twice…then he grabbed him by the throat and squeezed, just as that bastard had done to Olivia last night.
“You stupid fool,” Liam snarled. “Don’t you realize I could tear your heart out right now for mocking the words of my God?” He squeezed tighter, pinning Haden to the ground by his throat. “No High Court would convict me of such an act! Damn the Eternal Law you hide behind!”
***
As the warrior’s grip tightened, cutting off his air, Haden felt a moment of trepidation. He hadn’t anticipated the ferocity and strength in Liam’s attack. Last night’s brawl paled in comparison to the force being unleashed upon him right now. This angel was faster and more powerful than he’d ever realized. And apparently Haden had struck a nerve—one that ran deeper than Olivia. If he didn’t survive this, his chance at revenge would be lost forever, and Gahn would win. The thought filled him with a sudden burst of panic.
Liam’s eye’s glowed so bright with white-hot rage, Haden could hardly look at them. He knew to struggle would only further incite the warrior’s instinct to kill, a preternatural response he had no doubt Liam possessed. He could feel the power coursing through him so strong it cast an iridescent halo around the angel’s entire body. It was like nothing he’d ever experienced in battling the fallen, and it rocked him to his core.
If he had any question where Liam’s allegiance lay, there was no doubt about it now. If he believed this was about Olivia, then Haden was sorely mistaken. Olivia was just a thread woven into this cosmic battle to win the hearts of man. Liam was, without a doubt, one hundred percent Ronnin warrior—all powerful, absolutely deadly, and completely devoted to his creator.
Haden knew if he couldn’t get the warrior to release him soon, his fate would be the same as Rowen’s. He could already feel the darkness closing in around him, the anxious stirring of shadows drawing near to claim his soul.
“I may…” He tried again, struggling to speak past his crushed windpipe. “I may have overstepped my bounds.” Had the fire in Liam’s eyes lessoned a fraction? God, he hoped so, because another minute of this energy blast and he was going to be dead.
“You think?” Liam snapped. “Apologize for your insolence or I swear to God, I’ll rip your throat out right here and now!”
It grieved Haden all the way to his black soul to submit to Liam. But better this than lose his shot at Gahn—his only purpose in living. “I am truly sorry that I have offended you,” Haden rasped, swallowing his pride. It tasted like bitter acid sliding down his throat, or perhaps that was blood from his crushed trachea.
“I don’t want your damn apology! Apologize to Him, the One whose sacrifice you mock! The sacrifice that extends beyond your limited comprehension and is the only reason you’re alive right now!”
“I ask your forgiveness…Lord,” Haden grated the words out. Had he said it two seconds earlier, he wouldn’t have meant it. But now, moments from losing consciousness, his chance at vengeance slipping from his grasp as death ushered ever near, Haden realized he truly was repentant. His vision slowly faded to black as the shadows began coiling around his ankles, paralyzing him as it sluiced up his legs—everywhere it touched, the mist froze him immobile.
Panic raged inside him. He reached up, gripping Liam’s wrists, trying to break his death grip, knowing the moment the shadows touched his heart it would be all over. The force would reach inside his chest and tear out his soul, killing his immortal body and trapping him in the Abyss.
As the bone-aching cold rounded his hip, the grip on his throat abruptly released and Haden drew in a desperate gasp of air. Liam’s weight left his half-paralyzed body, and by the time his vision cleared, the angel was standing several feet away watching him with a cold, emotionless stare.
Haden rolled to his side, coughing uncontrollably as he gasped, gulping in giant breaths of air that burned all the way into his lungs. His head throbbed, dizziness washed over him, and his heart pounded as adrenaline flooded his veins. Seconds later, a rush of liquid heat entered the top of his head and flushed through his body, exiting through his feet.
The cold was gone. He could move again. Yet, something was…wrong. What happened? What in the hell had this warrior done to him? Struggling to his feet, he glowered up at Liam. “What’s happening to me?” he rasped the accusation. “What did you do?”
Liam shrugged, looking a little disappointed, but mostly like he couldn’t give a shit. “You act like you expect me to know. Whatever you’re feeling, rest assured, I didn’t do it to you. I wouldn’t expend my energy on you—but then again, I’m not God. Maybe, unlike me, He doesn’t believe you’re a total waste. ” With that parting response, Liam turned to walk away, leaving Haden alone to contemplate what the hell just happened to him.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
All day long, Mitch remained uncharacteristically quiet, his brows pulled tight in a thoughtful scowl. It wasn’t unlike him to be broody, especially lately, and with good reason, she supposed. That’s why Ashley cut him so much slack. That, and well, she felt sorry for him. The closer they got to Vegas, the harder it was to shake the nagging feeling that this wasn’t going to end well.
She’d been thoughtful to give him his space today—well, as much space as you could give someone sitting less than two feet away. He probably just needed some time to think, to prepare for seeing Olivia again. But honestly, after three hours of silence, something was gonna have to give—soon.
And it wasn’t just Mitch who was on edge, either. Seems everyone was a bit punchy today, especially Balen. The last thing she expected to see when she woke up this morning was her guardian slamming his fist into Rhen’s face—again. Holy Hanna, that angel was a grump. Clearly, between Cale, Rhen, and Mitch, those three brought out the worst in him. He wasn’t happy about any of this, and he made no effort to hide it.
Ashley had always known there was another side of Balen—a very dangerous side, and damn, if it didn’t make her want him all the more. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed he’d refused to spend the night with her. He was always so careful to place boundaries between them. But honestly, she was tempted to scale the walls of his resistance and batter his defenses. She wanted another kiss… Just a kiss…What harm could there be in that?
“Can I tell you a secret, Ash?”
It startled her when Mitch spoke, so consumed she’d been in her own thoughts. “Sure. As long as you don’t mind Balen knowing.”
Mitch scowled and looked around the car. He leaned a bit closer until their shoulders touched and whispered as if it would make any difference at all. “You think he’s in here right now?”
She smiled and leaned a little closer. Playing along, she whispered back in a spooky voice, “I don’t know. He might be.”
Apparently, Mitch didn’t find it as funny as she did, because he bumped her with his elbow and sat back in his seat. “Cute, Ash, really…”
She laughed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t making fun of you, honest. I’m just going a bit stir crazy from so many hours in this car, that’s all. I’l
l be serious now, I promise. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
He let out a troubled sigh. “I, uh… I guess I’m a little nervous to see Olivia.”
“You are?” You should be.
“Yeah, it’ll be the first time I’ve seen her since our wedding day. And then there’s Liam... Honestly, if he’s anything like Balen, I doubt we’re gonna hit it off. I’m pissed that he took her from me, and I guess I’m just worried about where her head is in all this.”
She didn’t want to give him false hope, nor did she want to be the Grim Reaper, slashing all his hopes and dreams. “Here’s the thing, Mitch. She’s probably going to be upset to see you. She wouldn’t tell you where she was because she wanted to protect you from this, and you’ve gone and thrown yourself into the middle of it. I still don’t think you get how dangerous this is.”
“I can take care of myself, Ashley. I’m not a little child that needs protecting.”
“We’re all children, Mitch. That’s the problem… This is so much bigger than just Olivia. Only you don’t see that, because you’re too close. If you think, for one minute, that Cale and Rhen aren’t going to turn on you, then you’re a fool.”
His scowl darkened another degree. She knew he didn’t want to hear this, but hoped if she kept force-feeding him the truth, eventually he’d swallow it, even though it tasted like shit. “All right. Well, on that note, thanks for the pick me up, Ash,” he grumbled, turning back to stare out the passenger window. “If I ever feel like jumping off a cliff, I’ll remember not to call you to talk me down.”
“Stop it!” She playfully punched him in the shoulder. “Listen, I just want you to be prepared, that’s all. Because I can guarantee you when we show up there, shit’s going to hit the fan. It’s not too late to change your mind, you know. We can take the next exit and go back. There’s nothing they can do to stop us. Please, Mitch, just think about it.”
He looked back at her. The expression in his ice blue, determined eyes said “Why are you wasting your breath?”
Ashley sighed heavily and muttered, “Never mind.”
***
While Liam was gone, Olivia had nothing but time on her hands, nothing but time to think and ponder, then brood and sulk. She wasn’t pleased by the “new rules” he’d placed upon their relationship. Not that she should be surprised he’d done it. He’d withdrawn from her like this before, back when they’d gotten too close, when he’d come back the first time to win her heart away from Max. How quickly she’d fallen hopelessly in love with him, how much more she loved him now. The injustice of it all broke her heart.
Back then, he’d said she wasn’t his to have, that she was his job and he couldn’t do it like this. It’d hurt like hell to hear him say that then, and it felt no better now—in fact, it was worse, because she now knew firsthand what she was missing. It didn’t matter that he spoke the truth, and knowing that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him didn’t help, either. It only made the forbidden that much more tempting.
When Liam came back, Olivia had her bags waiting by the door as she paced restlessly. He seemed sullen as he walked in, dragging a hand through his unruly hair. Pieces of grass rained down like confetti. She noticed the hem of his maroon v-neck t-shirt was torn, and there were fresh grass stains on the knees of his dark blue jeans. Other than his clothing, he didn’t appear too worse for the wear.
Still, she wanted to go to him, to throw her arms around his neck and ask if he was all right. Of course he would be, but it didn’t stop her from wanting to touch him, to comfort him, and resisting the impulse frustrated her.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked, glancing from the bags to her.
“I’m ready.” She crossed her arms over her chest to keep from reaching up and pulling a blade of dried grass from his hair.
His gaze dropped to her stubborn stance, more specifically her boosted cleavage. He tensed, the dark violet color of his eyes quickly smoldering to sapphire. Innocently, she arched her brow and asked, “Are you all right? I see you found Haden.”
Liam didn’t answer her at first. The muscle in his jaw twitched as he ground his teeth together in obvious frustration. “I found him. Not sure I’m glad I did, though,” he grumbled.
“Why is that?”
“Because there’s a chance I’ve just saved that miserable bastard’s soul.”
“What? How did you do that? Why would you do that? I thought you weren’t going to tell him.”
“I didn’t. But it was either repent or die, and unfortunately, he picked the first.”
“I see…” Really she didn’t, but he didn’t exactly look like he wanted to talk about it. “Do you need some time to shower and get changed before we go? You’ve a…still got grass in your hair.” I will not go to him. I will not cave… I am done throwing myself at this male, only to be pushed away time and time again.
Liam muttered something under his breath in a language she didn’t understand. It sounded foul, whatever it was, and he rifled his fingers through his hair one more time. More grass littered the floor at his feet. “I’m fine. I don’t need a shower. We need to get moving. I don’t think Haden’s little ‘Come to Jesus’ experience is going to change his black heart. He still wants you, or the stone—or both. I won’t know for sure until you and the stone are separated. I sure as hell would like to figure out why he wants it so bad. I doubt he will try to pursue us without Rhen and Cale, so this is a good opportunity to put some miles between us and them, especially since we need to stop at the Grotto on our way.”
She reached up and touched the stone she didn’t want to part with. She’d sacrificed so much already. When was it ever going to stop? The thought of giving up her necklace nearly brought tears to her eyes. She turned away before he could see them and walked over to the table to get her purse. Grabbing the strap, she straightened her shoulders, cleared her throat, and said, “Fine. I’m ready to go, then.” I will not cry… I will not cry…
Holding her head high, she turned around and marched toward the door. Stopping at her luggage, she pulled the strap of one duffle bag over her shoulder and picked up the handle of the other. Before she could take a step, Liam grabbed her arm, stopping her.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” she snapped, hurting so much, all she could do was lash out in a poor attempt at self-preservation. “I’m leaving. You want to go, we’ll go. You want to stay, we’ll stay. Just make up your damn mind what you want, Liam, because I’m not a yo-yo. Now, let go of me.” Or I’m going to have a breakdown right here and now, I swear to God I will!
“Let me take your bags.”
Her grip on the handles tightened. “I can do it myself. It’s not like I’m always going to have you here to carry my bags for me.”
“That’s not fair, Olivia.”
“No, it isn’t. But you know what else isn’t fair?—jerking me out of my life after I finally made peace with your absence! Even if it was nothing more than a pathetic façade of a life, it was all I had. And when you leave, guess what? I won’t even have that left anymore. You want to hear something pathetic? I hope Haden never stops hunting me, because I know the minute he does, you’ll be gone! Back to that little puff cloud in the sky—”
“Is that what you think my life is like?” he yelled. “Do you honestly think that one second of my life goes by that I don’t think of you? That I don’t ache for you? Fuck!” He spat the curse in frustration and spun away, pacing the stretch of carpet running from the kitchen to the living room.
Dragging his hands through his hair, he exhaled a growl that sounded as defeated as she felt. When he passed her on his prowl, he abruptly stopped and took her bags, setting them beside his feet. Grabbing ahold of her arms, he pulled her into his embrace. One steel-strong arm wrapped around her rigid back, locking her close as his hand threaded into her hair, cupping her head and pressing her cheek against his chest.
The sure, steady beat of his heart soothed her
raw nerves and, despite herself, she felt her body melt into his. His cheek rested against the top of her head, engulfing her small body with his.
“Olivia, believe me, if there were a way I could figure out how to stay with you and remain your guardian, I would do it. I don’t want to leave you—not again—not ever. It nearly killed me the last time, and I don’t know how I’ll find the strength to do it again. This could consume me, if I let it. And the threat here is far from over. Cale and Rhen have to be stopped. I need to stay focused, and I need you to stay strong. I can’t separate from your emotions, and I can’t afford the distraction. Too much is at risk here. After all this is over, we will sit down together and figure it out. We’ll make the decision together, all right?”
Olivia nodded and reluctantly pulled back. She’d long lost the battle to contain her tears. When Liam cupped her face and tilted it up, the pain she saw etched in his amber-hued gaze mirrored the pain wracking her heart. He hiked up his shirt and used the torn hem to dry her tears. Bending down, he kissed each of her damp cheeks and whispered, “I love you, Olivia. We’ll get through this, I promise.”
***
Haden didn’t know how he’d made it back to the House of Night. His head felt fogged, no doubt an after-effect from the hypoxia. His throat was raw and his bones ached everywhere the mist had touched him. In all his very long life, he’d never come so close to looking death in the eye. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t rattle him. Seeing the shadows coming for him, knowing where they intended to take him… He’d witnessed it too many times to count, except it had always been his victims the mist had come for. It was a completely different experience being on the receiving end of it, and he sure as hell didn’t want to ever be there again.
The warrior wanted him dead—there was zero doubt about that. He wasn’t sure what had stayed his hand, but it certainly wasn’t any desire to give Haden a second chance at life. They both knew this could prove to be a fatal error, and if Haden had his way, it most certainly would be. Payback was a bitch, and he was taking that bastard out the first chance he got.
The Redemption Series Page 57
