Hunted by the Fallen: A Fallen Angel Reverse Harem Novel (The Fallen Harem Book 2)

by Samantha Britt

  Seeing I’ve stopped stretching, Gabe releases his own stretch and motions his head toward the road. We break into a light jog. My neighborhood is built on hills and valleys, and it isn’t long before my leg muscles begin to protest the steeper inclines. I press forward, as does Gabe and Peri. My Goldendoodle loves to be outside, and she is keeping pace with me as she scans our surroundings, looking for any evidence of squirrels or birds.

  We crest the third hill before Gabe breaks our silence, “Still good?” He searches my face for any sign I am too tired to continue.

  “I’m fine,” I huff. Despite my soreness, I’m enjoying myself. The constant beat of our sneakers against the pavement and the quiet sounds of the outdoors are soothing.

  “Want me to hold Peri for a bit?”

  I glance down and see Peri is panting but maintaining constant speed. She can probably continue jogging for another fifteen minutes, and I could use the extra motion of my arms to propel myself forward. “That’d be great.”

  Gabe wraps his wrist through the pink leash, and Peri doesn’t hesitate to shift over to his side. She really is fond of the Light Fallen.

  We descend into a deep valley, and my legs enjoys the reprieve. I make sure to keep soft knees to prevent damaging my joints. I glance at Gabe. He barely looks like he’s broken a sweat, and his complexion is smooth as ever. I envy him. No doubt, my face is red and blotchy.

  “I feel bad that I’m holding you back,” I pant. “You can run ahead if you want.”

  Gabe looks at me. “I don’t mind.” He shoots me a warm grin before returning his attention to the road in front of us. I smile to myself and look back at the road, too.

  Despite Peri’s endurance, I am only able to run for another ten minutes. I lift my hand to signal defeat after we reach the top of another hill. Gabe stops immediately. “Feeling okay?”

  I wave away the concern I hear in his voice. “Just… winded.” I fold my arms over my head top open my lungs, and I continue walking to cool down. I don’t stop until we reach the bottom of the hill. Then, I walk over to a shaded curb and sit down. Gabe follows, and Peri plops down in the grass behind me, using the cool surface to help her cool off. Gabe settles next to me. I see him tilt his head up, letting the breeze ruffle his hair. I’m momentarily stunned by his attractiveness. The way his dark hair shines in the rays of sun breaking through the trees is mesmerizing, and the contrast draws attention to his structured jawline and perfect features.

  I am so taken with his appearance, I don’t immediately notice when Gabe opens his eyes and sees me staring at him. My gaze moves to his, and I inhale sharply. A smoldering look burns his blue eyes. It’s like I’m locked in a spell. I know I should look away, but my subconscious doesn’t want to risk ruining this moment. The way Gabe is looking at me sends my heart racing. My fingers twitch, longing to close the gap between us and touch his skin.

  As if he can read my thoughts, Gabe’s hand slides towards mine. The tips of his fingers brush against the back of my hand. The tingling feeling goes straight to my stomach.

  “Veronica?”

  I jerk away from Gabe. My head turns toward the source of the disrupting sound.

  Preston McKenna, my childhood crush, is standing less than ten feet away. Immediately, I assess his distance and acknowledge he isn’t in a position to have seen Gabe’s gentle caress. Still, Preston is looking between me and Gabe with nothing short of suspicion.

  I push myself to my feet. “Hey, Preston.” I wobble when my foot nearly slips off the curb, but I right myself before I make an embarrassing fall.

  “Hey.” Preston continues to eye Gabe. He is sweaty, and I deduce he’s been out for a morning run as well.

  I shift awkwardly. “Preston, you remember Gabe? From Freddy’s party.” The Light Angel had been a part of my protective team that night, and he was the one who’d warned me about demons skulking around my house. Afraid they would track me to the party, Gabe had arrived to escort me back to the safety of my magically protected home.

  Preston dips his chin. “Yeah. You’re friends with Freddy’s parents. Right?” He stares challengingly, and I hold my breath, unsure of how Gabe is going to react.

  I’m surprised when Gabe says, “That’s me.” He stands and takes a step away from me, taking Peri with him. “I’m going to walk around to continue my cool down,” he tells me. “Holler when you’re ready to head back.”

  With that, Gabe turns and walks away, leaving me and Preston alone. I stare after him. Shouldn’t he insist on staying at my side when I’m out in the open? Despite the fact all of the demons in the warehouse had been killed, each of the four Fallen are concerned I may still be in danger. Namely, from Lukas. My meeting with the mysterious Light Fallen had been interrupted when the yancor demons decided to attack. Whatever Lukas had wanted to discuss with me, he’d never had the chance. And my protectors feared he might attempt another abduction in order to rectify that fact.

  Preston clears his throat. I tear my attention from Gabe’s retreating form.

  “So…uh… are you guys together or something?”

  “What?” My voice squeaks a little. “Me and Gabe? No.” I shake my head. “Of course not. He’s a family friend.” I hold tight to the lie Gabe originally claimed at Freddy’s party.

  Preston isn’t convinced. He averts his gaze, staring at the tree branches above us. He shrugs. “I was just wondering if he’s the reason you never reached out about rescheduling our dinner last Saturday.” I can tell he tries to sound indifferent, but there is no mistaking the tension in his voice.

  Guilt twists my stomach. I don’t know what to say. I can hardly tell Preston the truth. He will think I’m insane if I try to claim demons and Fallen angels had kept my thoughts so preoccupied that I hadn’t had time to think about our date. If I’m being honest, I’d barely gathered my thoughts enough to cancel our date in the first place. I’d been a physical and emotional mess the day after the attack, barely able to function after realizing what I’d done.

  Now, standing in front of Preston, I feel terrible for my silence. Six days ago, I sent a short text telling him I could not make our date, but I hadn’t texted him since. He thinks I’m blowing him off.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve had family stuff going on.” I brush loose hair away from my face. “I should have called.”

  Preston examines my expression. Whatever he sees must be convincing. I see the tension release from his shoulders. “Is your family okay?”

  The question touches me. I nod. “Everyone’s fine now.”

  “Good.” He shifts his feet. “I’m glad.”

  “Me too.”

  Awkwardness settles as I consider what to say next. I’m debating whether or not I should make an excuse to leave or make small talk when Preston says, “Are you still interested in grabbing dinner sometime?”

  I’m taken aback. Honestly, I thought I’d ruined any chance having a date with the guy I’d been crushing on for the better part of 6 years. Before I can filter my words, I blurt, “You still want to go out with me?”

  His lips lift into a charming grin—the one I’ve spent so long admiring from afar. “Well, yeah. That is, if you still want to go out with me?”

  Am I imagining it, or does he seem unsure of himself? I’m baffled by the thought. Preston McKenna is the star of Valley Lake. All of the girls at my high school, at one point or another, had a crush on the quarterback.

  “S-sure.” My cheeks flush. “I mean… yes. I’d still like to go out… with you.”

  “Awesome.” Preston’s smile grows even wider. “When are you free?”

  I hesitate. Given the fact I cannot go anywhere without an angelic escort, I am suddenly unsure of how I will manage to go on a date. Something tells me my bodyguards will not willingly decrease their vigilance. Especially not so I can go on a date with another guy.

  Sensing my hesitation, but unaware of the cause, Preston’s smile fades. I can practically feel his disappointment in the air between us.
I prepare myself to offer some lame excuse for my reaction, but Preston beats me to it.

  “How about you just text me when you’re free?” he offers gallantly. Though, I know he doesn’t expect a text.

  I bite my bottom lip, wishing I could reveal the truth. Or, at least, part of it. The last thing I want is to hurt Preston’s feelings, but I know I cannot afford to tell anyone about the chaos my life has been the past two weeks.

  So, instead of relieving the rejection Preston, no doubt, feels, I nod and say, “Sounds good.”

  Preston doesn’t wait around after that. He waves goodbye and resumes his run. Guilt and remorse, my constant companions as of late, gnaw at me as I watch him leave.

  Three

  “Veronica Messenger, you have some explaining to do.”

  I hear the anger in my best friend’s voice. I politely finish taking the order of the couple who just sat in my section. Then, I turn around and raise my eyebrows at Annie. My best friend is glaring at me. The hands on her hips flex. I have no choice but to walk toward her. I place the couple’s order into the computer. As soon as I press “submit”, Annie grabs my wrist and pulls me into the kitchen.

  We march past the confused cooks and one nosy waitress. Laura doesn’t hide the fact she is staring at us. Ever since Zeke and Adrian visited me at work and insisted I act as their waitress, Laura has kept a close eye on me. It is like she knows the blond brothers aren’t ordinary, and she wants to learn how I came to know them.

  Annie disappoints Laura when she leads me into her father’s office and shuts the door behind us. I practically fall into the navy-blue chair positioned in front of the metal desk. “What the heck, Annie? What’s gotten into you?”

  Annie’s hands return to her hips. “Why did you cancel your date with Preston?”

  My jaw falls open. For a moment, I can only gape at my friend. “H-how did you know I had a date with Preston?” I never told her my childhood crush had asked me out. At first, I’d wanted to keep the exciting news private. I knew telling Annie would cause a stir, and I wanted the chance to cherish the fact my dream seemed to finally come true. But after my parents’ abduction and the demon attack, I didn’t see a point in telling Annie anything. The date had been cancelled and telling her about it would only have led to questions I am not free to answer.

  “I know because Preston told Freddy, and Freddy told me.” She continues to glare at me, shooting disapproval out of her chocolate-brown eyes.

  “Why would Freddy tell you?”

  “Because he wanted to know why my best friend bailed on his best friend.” Annie crosses her arms. “Imagine how shocked he was when I told him I had no idea what he was talking about. I even accused him of lying, but he showed me the texts from Preston.”

  I cringe. I’d handled the conversation with Preston poorly yesterday, and I’m pretty sure I can guess what he messaged his friend. “I’m planning to reschedule,” I offer, but even I know I don’t sound believable.

  “Really? That’s not what Preston thinks,” Annie snaps.

  And just like that, my temper spikes. “How about you be real with me, Annie? You don’t care that I cancelled a date with Preston. You’re mad I didn’t tell you about it.”

  “Of course, I’m mad,” she replies. “I’m your best friend, and you didn’t even tell me that the guy you’ve obsessed over since you were twelve asked you on a real date!”

  “I didn’t obsess,” I mutter.

  “You know what I mean,” Annie’s shoulders slump. Her angry tone is replaced with hurt. “We tell each other everything, Ronnie. We should be able to celebrate the fact Preston has finally taken off his blinders and realized you’re amazing and worth going after. Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

  I release a long breath and try to think of the best thing to say. I decide to be as honest as I can be. “It was difficult to believe,” I tell her. “Part of me thought Preston would change his mind.”

  Annie’s expression softens. “Is that why you cancelled on him? So you wouldn’t be the one who was bailed on?”

  “No. You know I was sick last weekend.” For the second time in as many weeks, I’d skipped church on Sunday, and so did my parents. Worried, Annie had texted me, and I lied about all three of us coming down with a bout of food poisoning. She hadn’t questioned the excuse, knowing as well as I did that my family rarely, if ever, skipped church just for the sake of skipping church.

  Annie frowns. “Then why didn’t you arrange another day for the date? After reading the texts Preston sent Freddy, he seems convinced you aren’t interested in him at all.”

  “I know.” I lean against the creaky chair and stare at the floor beneath my friend’s feet. The whole situation is a mess, but I don’t know how to make it better.

  “Well…” Annie shuffles her shoes. “Are you interested in Preston at all?”

  “Of course, I am,” I am quick to reply. “Everything is just… complicated,” I sigh. That might be the understatement of the century.

  “What’s complicated about it, Ronnie? You like Preston. Just go on a date with him.”

  If only Annie knew…

  “I cancelled the date, and now Preston thinks I don’t like him. I might as well let the whole thing go. You and I already talked about how I shouldn’t start a relationship before college. It’s supposed to be a fresh start, right?” The logic had worked before when Annie urged me to pursue Zeke or Adrian, after they visited me at her family’s restaurant.

  Recently, Annie had criticized my lack of experience interacting with anyone besides her and Joey, our other best friend. Annie has plans to pull me out of my shell once we move away to college, and I’m sure bringing a high school relationship with me will ruin her grand plans. Fingers crossed Annie will let the subject drop like she had the last time we had this conversation.

  Unfortunately, I’m not so fortunate.

  “Ronnie, this is Preston we’re talking about. All I want is for you to go on a date with the guy you’ve been pining over for years. Maybe you two will end up dating long term, or maybe it will be a one-time thing. Either way, I will support you.”

  “Will you support me if I decide I don’t want to go on a date with Preston at all?”

  Annie doesn’t hesitate, “Only if you can give me a good reason why.”

  “What’s a good reason to you?”

  “Ugh, Ronnie!” Annie throws her hands in the air. “Just… tell me the truth. Why don’t you want to go on a date with a guy you’ve already admitted you like?”

  Without thought, the likeness of four very imposing angels comes to mind.

  “I won’t know what to do on a date.” Again, I opt for partial truth.

  “It’s not like you don’t have to sleep with Preston or anything.”

  “Annie!” That wasn’t even close to what I meant.

  “Well, what else could you be so scared of? You talk to Preston all the time. You’re decently social. What about a date makes you so nervous?”

  I shake my head and choose to focus on the computer screens behind Mr. Lee’s desk. I straighten when I see the security footage of the area outside of the office door. Wordlessly, I point to the screen. With a huff, Annie follows my gesture. Then, she curses under her breath.

  Annie reaches the door knob and flings open the office door. Standing on the other side, eavesdropping, is Laura. She stumbles slightly, surprised to be caught.

  “Can we help you, Laura?” Annie asks, not at all deterred by the fact that the waitress is more than five years older than us. My best friend has always been the braver of the two of us.

  Laura straightens her blouse. “Your father is looking for you. I told him I’d find you.”

  “And then you decided to snoop?”

  To her credit, Laura doesn’t so much as blink. “You were loud.”

  I see Annie’s face darken. Before she can say anything, Laura turns to me and says, “My money is on the fact you are already seeing someone.”

&nbs
p; I blink. “Sorry?”

  “What did you say?” Annie asks.

  “I think Veronica already has a boyfriend. That’s why she’s standing up the jock.”

  I barely have time to wonder how Laura knows who Preston is when Annie jumps in, “What makes you think that?”

  My eyes snap up to my best friend. Why is she asking Laura and not me? Annie avoids meeting my eye.

  Laura shrugs. “I’m sure she’s dating one of those guys who came in last week.”

  “The blond guy?” Annie is thinking of Gabe.

  “No, they had black hair,” Laura corrects her.

  “Oh, yeah. Those guys.” Annie looks to be mulling the thought over. I’m mortified.

  “Excuse me?” I stand from the chair. Annie shifts back a step. The office is really small. “Do you seriously think I’m dating someone? I would tell you.”

  “Would you?” Annie’s tone is flat.

  I cringe. “Yes. I would tell you if I was dating someone.”

  Annie watches me, and I know the moment she believes me. She nods and looks back at Laura. “Tell my dad we will be out in a minute.”

  Laura looks between us, and it is obvious she wants to linger and hear what we will say next. But knowing we won’t talk until she leaves, Laura spins around and heads back to the restaurant’s dining area. I count my blessings that Annie’s parents own the restaurant. Otherwise, I doubt Laura would have been so easily dealt with.

  Annie waits to speak until the kitchen door swings closed behind Laura. “I know you’ve been attracting a lot of attention from guys lately,” she references the night of my birthday, as well as instances where Zeke, Adrian and Gabe popped up in my day to day life, “is there a chance you are remotely interested in any of them? Is that why you’re avoiding Preston?”

  I refuse to even consider the possibility of being interested in any of the Fallen Angels. My life is screwed up enough as it is. I definitely don’t need to entertain the thought of potentially choosing one of the angels to pursue romantically. I imagine the tension between the four of them as it is. With their insane ideas about who is or isn’t my soulmate, know I need to keep my feelings far away from the entire situation.