Flawed Angel (The Fall Book 1)

by J. J. Dean

  She hesitates but must decide to keep whatever it was she was going to say to herself. Before I can stop her, she's out of my lap and walking away, while I continue to sit here like a dummy. I jump out of the chair and am walking behind her in a matter of seconds thanks to my long legs.

  As we walk through the throngs of people lounging around sipping their drinks, Luna calls out across the room unabashedly, "Francis, we're off on an adventure!" I'm fairly impressed with her faux English accent, but it's quickly forgotten with her next outburst. "If you don't see me tomorrow, I'm being held hostage against my will in Switzerland. Be sure to inform the police! In a while, crocodile!"

  When I receive a few unnerving glances, I feel obligated to clear things up, "I, too, will be kidnapped and awaiting rescuing. Don't forget me!"

  With a few sniggers, and some internal face palming, I hustle Lunas ass out of the store and guide her to her car complaining, "I'm going to have to bring you back here tomorrow just to make sure anyone returning who just witnessed that knows I didn't steal you away and lock you up in Switzerland. Fucking Switzerland. Where did you even come up with that?"

  She shrugs her shoulder non-committedly and says, "Dunno. First thing that came to mind."

  I shake my head as we make our way to the car that any guy in their right mind would drool over, and we settle ourselves inside, my body infuriatingly folding into the passenger side, and not the driver's seat like it wants.

  Just as Luna pulls her keys out of her bra, I snatch them out of her hand which causes her to turn sharply and narrow her eyes at me. Cute, angry kitten.

  "Give them back, Eli. I told you you're not driving my car," she demands, holding her hand out for me to return her keys.

  I smile at her stern attempt before telling her, "I'll give them back once you tell me what it was you were going to say in the coffee shop."

  She narrows those light gray eyes at me before lunging for the keys which I pull out of the way. She doesn't get far seeing as though she already strapped herself in with the seatbelt. With a fierce growl, she falls back into her seat, crosses her arms and stares out of the front window. We sit like that for a while, with her pouting adorably as she glares daggers at whatever she's staring at and me just sitting here silently, waiting for her to say something.

  She sighs in defeat when more time passes, slowly coming to the realization that I'm probably just as stubborn as her, or more so.

  "Fine. I.." She pauses before inhaling a deep breath and then turns to face me again but looks down at her hands she's started picking at. "Don't make it a big deal, okay? But I was going to ask, can we read together again? Not necessarily with me sitting on top of you but just... together. You don't have to, but it was, I don't know, nice?"

  She braves looking at me, her face open and a vulnerability I've never seen before a shining beacon in her eyes. She's shocked me, because that's the last thing I'd expect her to ask of me. It's like she knows what to say to intrigue me more and more.

  Not sure how to proceed, I opt for my usual humor deflective tactic. My face forms a bemused smile at her confession. "You want me to read with you again? Flower, that's adorable."

  Her eyes narrow on me again, and she throws herself around to face the front one more, her cheeks tinted a soft shade of pink, embarrassment evident in her growing blush. "You're a dick. Forget I said anything. You suck balls as a reading buddy anyway."

  "Flower..." I wait for her to give me her attention, but she ignores me. Faintly, I start to hear a soft melody dancing in the air around us and I quickly come to the realization that she's started humming under her breath. Panic is a sudden emotion thrust upon me given that I partly know the kind of power that comes with her singing.

  "Luna," I try again, my voice an annoyingly higher pitch than before, betraying my sudden bout of anxiety. "Luna, look at me."

  My pleading almost falls on deaf ears until I squeak, "Please."

  The humming comes to a sudden stop, and my slightly accelerated heartbeat slows down to a somewhat normal pace. With another sigh from her, she turns her head and looks directly at me.

  "I wasn't making fun of you. It was genuinely adorable." Her features harden and the beginning of a scowl appears on her face, so I quickly press on, "Something I realize I shouldn't have described it as if the narrowed eyes are anything to go by. What I'm getting at is, yes, I'll read with you again. Just promise not to make me blow my load in the middle of a crowd, okay? Damn near shit myself with the humming alone."

  I'm a little breathless once I finish what I'd wanted to say due to how fast it all spilled out of my mouth, but I seem to appease her when she murmurs "Okay" with a smirk she poorly tries to hide.

  "Now that we've cleared that up, let's get to that adventure, shall we?" I quip, ready to get on with the day.

  "Yeah, sure. Where to?" she asks curiously as I hand her kidnapped keys back to her. She puts them in the ignition and starts the car.

  I decide the mall would be a good place to start, absolutely zero logic to my thinking but a reasonable decision seeing as though I could do with a few more pairs of jeans that won't suffocate my dick anytime I get a hard on. I declare, "To the mall, squire!"

  With a groan and huff of a laugh, she pulls away from the curb and to the mall we go.

  ***

  We arrive back at Lunas apartment loaded down with bags. Climbing five sets of stairs should be considered a different form of Hell when my arms are filled with bags from various stores we visited at the mall.

  It became glaringly obvious pretty early into our shopping spree that Luna was a walking cliché when it comes to girls and shopping. We'd found ourselves in almost every single store in the giant building that was the mall. We'd found ourselves in three different bookstores, Luna looking for a specific book she'd been in search of for a while by the sounds of things. We'd gone to every clothing store that suited Luna's taste, any snack food joint that had donuts, ice cream or stupidly sized pretzels. In short, the regret at suggesting, or rather demanding, to go to the mall was strong, but seeing Luna grin at something she found and liked made it somewhat worth it.

  We make it up the stairs, breathless and coated in a light sheen of sweat. When we reach the front door to Lunas apartment, I drop everything I'd been holding and lean against the wall while Luna searches her purse for her key.

  "I'm never going to the mall with you again. I'm fucking exhausted," I halfheartedly grumble, leaning my head back on the wall to stare at the ceiling.

  "It was your idea. I won't be held responsible for your stupid ideas when you don't know the full extent of what you've asked for," she smugly retorts.

  She's still searching her bag for the key, so I offer a suggestion, "Your bra, Flower. Check your bra."

  Low and behold, after a little fumbling and distracting boob jiggling, she pulls out her door key with a snort. I shake my head and huff out a laugh and bend to pick the discarded bags off the floor. We hobble our way into the apartment and drop everything by the door.

  "Where the shit am I going to put everything?" Luna queries after shutting the door. She stares comically at the number of bags we've abandoned on the floor, as though she's only now realizing she has to find homes for everything she bought today.

  "Beats me, but good luck with that," I tell her before abandoning the bags and her and head in search of my brother. I make it to the guest room, our room, and find him on the phone. I quietly move a step further into the room and wait by the door while he finishes his conversation.

  "…still working on it. Yeah, boss. No, it won't be an issue. Alright." And with that, I know who he was talking to and what it was regarding.

  Asher puts the phone down and scrubs his hands aggressively over his face before looking at me.

  "Don't have to tell you who that was and what he was calling for," he tells me, his mood somber. He's right. I know why Lucifer is calling, and dread forms in the pit of my stomach. He's wanting an update on Luna and her stance o
n the whole Heaven or Hell bullshit. Sadly for us, we haven't gotten anywhere with convincing the headstrong, fierce little kitten other than convincing her to let us stay with her.

  The dread slowly works up to my chest when I think about deceiving her, an unsettling feeling spreading under my skin, needling away at me. The thought of trying to pull her to our side causes an unpleasant shudder to run up my spine and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why.

  I like her.

  After partially stalking her to get a feel for her routine, our initial meeting and spending time with her today, I've come to realize that there's so much more to this Angel we were sent for. She's nothing like I'd expected to find; fierce and sassy, stubborn, quirky and a mouth that'll put any Hellspawn to shame. Yet, she's also sweet and considerate, loyal and, on the rare occasion like today, vulnerable. In the short amount of time I've known her, I've been drawn to her and witnessed her personality first hand. It's addictive.

  "We'll talk about it later, bro. Come on, come get a drink," I quietly respond to Asher, heading away from the room instead of waiting for him.

  When I reach the living room, I notice the bags have been moved, some littering the couch and floor around the coffee table, and others resting on the kitchen counters and island.

  Asher emerges from our room and comes to a sudden halt when his eyes land on the mess of plastic and paper.

  "Did you go shopping?" he asks with raised eyebrows.

  Luna is sitting on the floor in front of the television where more bags lay strewn around and mumbles distractedly, "I see you have a keen eye for obvious observations. What gave it away? The million fucking bags..." she tapers off before she agitatedly complains, "where the hell is it?"

  Asher and I look at one another before looking back at the Angel rummaging through the plethora of bags around her.

  With a triumphant, "Ah-ha! There you are, you little fucker," that has me snorting, she lifts the bag and stands, zigzagging her way to Asher and holds the offending item to him.

  "Here. For you."

  She drops the bag in Asher’s slowly extending hands, and turns to go back to rummaging through the bags. She finds the next one she was looking for quicker than the last, makes her way back to me, and holds the bad out for me to take. "And this is for you."

  The moment it's in my hands, she's twirling around and heading back to the spot on the floor that she'd vacated. Asher and I look at one another in confusion before we both look at the bags in our hands at the same time.

  She got us... gifts?

  Luna

  Doing my best to ignore the two Angels standing in my living room, feeling a little uncomfortable but not enough to regret buying them gifts, I start sorting through the rest of my purchases, pulling out books, blue rays and other assortment of items. I'm watching the two in my peripheral vision, but they do nothing but stare at the bags I handed them in nothing short of bewilderment.

  "Are you going to open them, or just stare like they're plotting your demise?" I ask without looking at them, pulling out a small, hand carved jewelry box, delicate flowers and swirls patterned into the wood.

  Eli is the first to end his staring competition with the bag, and tears into it. I've no idea why I bought them gifts, but when we arrived at one of my favorite stores and I spotted the items hidden in the bags they hold, I couldn't help myself. It was like a compulsion demanded I buy them.

  Sitting down on the couch, Eli throws the plastic bag on the floor and looks at the two boxes on his lap. I finally look up to see him opt to open the largest first. He opens it in a hurry, and inside is a small replica of my car. It's a mint condition 1968 Dodge Challenger, never opened from its box since it was made the same year as my baby. It even has a key, which I'll admit, I got a kick out of. The next box is smaller, and when he opens it, it's to find a silver guitar pick pendant attached to a long chain. He pulls the necklace out and flips it over. Inscribed on the back is 'don't fucking lose me.'

  His laughter has a grin forming on my face. While we were shopping, he'd mentioned he plays guitar as well as sings for his band. He'd commented that he's always losing his picks. Shortly after, I spotted the necklace and had it inscribed with pretty sound advice.

  Asher finally decides his gift isn't going to bite him when he moves to the other couch and slowly reveals his gifts. Inside his the bag aren't boxes like Eli's, so when he pulls them out of the bag, he sees the new leather jacket and vinyl immediately. His eyes flicker to mine once he's unfolded the black, real leather hooded jacket and slides the vinyl to the side for a moment, so I explain the gesture.

  "Your other one is looking a little worn down, so I thought you could do with one that didn't look like it was going to fall to pieces with one wrong move. I don't think I need to explain the second gift."

  His eyes hold mine a moment longer, causing me to bite into my cheek to suppress the smile I'm wanting to give into. He looks away and down at the vinyl. When he sees the signed Chris Isaak's Heart Shaped World album, one of the first ever made, he groans, facepalms and growls, "For fucks sake", immediately catching on to the reference.

  I can't hold in the laughter when he speaks into his hand, "Never going to live that shit down".

  When my laughter slowly dies down, the room goes quiet. Feeling awkward about gifting them things when I barely know them, I decide to downplay the magnitude of the gifts, keeping the sentimental value to myself.

  "Anyway, hope you like them. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

  My arms are suddenly loaded with all the bags that contain clothes and lingerie, my heart pounding a little faster than normal. I'm out of the room and up the stairs before either guy can say anything, and hide myself away in my room.

  I drop the bags onto my bed, and sit on the floor, leaning my head back onto the soft duvet that covers the mattress. Now would be the perfect time to admit that was the first time I've ever given a gift to someone. Ms. Frenchie and I have never celebrated any holidays because she simply doesn't believe in them, so we've never done the whole gift exchange thing.

  "And you just ran away like chicken shit after popping your gift giving cherry," I grumble quietly to myself, face palming with an audible smack.

  Feeling vulnerable isn't something I allow to happen often, but in a matter of a few days, I've been more vulnerable than I ever have been in my long existence, since my Fall. For some reason, I simply can't help it. Despite every warning bell blaring inside my skull, I find myself thinking about them constantly, seeing things that already remind me of them. How is that even possible when I've known them for all of three days?

  Better yet, how is it possible when I know they're only here to aid in Lucifer's quest to get me on his side? I can't afford to soften around them, to constantly display vulnerability I've gone centuries without showing anyone. And I certainly shouldn't be thinking about them enough to find gifts that remind me of them. If they're here to lure me towards Hell, what in the ever-loving fuck am I doing giving them presents?

  I've never claimed to be the sharpest tool in the box, but that simply takes the cake. I don't understand what's going on with me and why I'm doing things I quite clearly know to be a bad idea. I mean, when a kidnapper throws someone over their shoulder and carries them away to the unknown, they don't just hang there like dead weight, just going with the flow, so what am I doing?

  With an internal groan, I decide to build my walls around myself higher. I'll enjoy their company while they're here and listen to them when they decide to pitch me their speeches about Lucifer and his squad and then politely decline and send them on their merry way. Simple enough, right?

  As soon as I make my mind up, there's a soft knock at my door. Before I can invite whichever of the guys stands behind the door, Eli is popping his head in, his eyes darting low to mine seeing as I'm still sitting on the floor.

  I scurry up off the carpet until I'm standing awkwardly in front of him. I don't do awkward, so the uncomfortable feeling makes me
fidget. Something I never used to do until these two jackasses barged into my life.

  "Hey. What's up?" I ask Eli, who watches me by the door for a moment. I'm tangling my fingers together and shuffling my feet from side to side, my fidgeting getting worse the more he stares. But then he's striding into my room and doesn't stop until he's as close as he can possibly get before he throws his limber arms around me in a tight hug.

  I freeze on the spot like I did the last time he surprised me with the unexpected affection, my arms stiffly hanging at my sides. He isn't deterred at all by my statue-still form and pulls me tighter to him. I stumble a little which causes my arms to shoot up reflexively at his sides. When he squeezes his arms a little, I wrap my arms tentatively around him in return. The moment my arms are around him, I feel my entire body relax and sink into his.

  "Thank you so much, Flower," he whispers with his cheek resting on my head.

  "Hmm?" I ask, basking in the feel of him wrapped around me, relishing the feel of comfort and unusual familiarity I feel in his hold. Butterflies form in my stomach when I feel him press the softest kiss to the top of my head.

  He chuckles softly with his lips still pressed to my head, before quietly admitting, "That's the first time someone's given us something."

  I freeze for a second time. They... they've never received gifts before? Although Ms. Frenchie doesn't believe in gift giving, I've gotten enough cookies from her that I understand the feeling of receiving something new. Have they really not been given anything before now? With that little bit of information, I feel the cracks already appear in my newly constructed walls. I should really build those bastards with titanium or something.

  I must have asked the question out loud, however, when Eli answers, "Not without having to give something in return. We've never had a gift freely given to us since He gave us ours, but even then, we didn't have the capacity to appreciate them back then."