by Lisa Olsen
“The jail already had him, and they released him. I could not allow him to continue to pose a threat to others.”
To me. He meant to me.
“Well, the cops are after whoever did it now. Ben came to see me at the club tonight. He asked me for a better description of you, he thinks you’re involved.”
Sam seemed unconcerned at that. “I am involved.”
“Yes, but you don’t want to go to jail either do you? So maybe… you shoul S…width="48"d lay low for a while.” By his blank stare I could tell he was stumped by that particular phrase and I tried again. “You should keep out of sight? At least until the investigation dies down.”
Sam shrugged but remained silent. He didn’t seem to take me very seriously and I felt my temper start to rise again.
“I’m trying to keep you out of jail.”
“I do not think your jail would hold me, it did not hold your attacker.”
“Unbelievable…” I muttered, raking my hair up and away from my face in frustration. I knew what I had to do, even as I dreaded having to do it. “Adamiel?” I called out, figuring he might be the one person who could talk some sense into Sam.
Sam’s brows drew together. “Why are you calling for Adam?”
Aha, I had his attention… “Because I’m tired of talking to a brick wall,” I muttered. He blinked at me, obviously not comprehending, but I was feeling too pissy to stop and explain it to him. It was late and I was tired and it was the last thing I thought I would be dealing with in coming to warn him. “Adamiel, get your butt over here!” I called out again.
“Me and my butt are here, you can chill. It’s not like I’m a genie, you can’t rub the lamp and poof I’m here. I do have a life you know,” Adam muttered, appearing at the window. His voice was aloof but his eyes were intent on me and I knew I’d peaked his interest.
“Oh thank God. I need you to help me talk some sense into Sam.”
“God has nothing to do with it, trust me,” +0" face="Times New Roman">he smirked, easily vaulting in through the window. “Really? That’s the reason you called me over here?” Adam raised a single brow. “I think you can do better than that.”
My eyes narrowed at him, too tired and cranky to deal with his games at the moment. “Yeah well, that’s why I called, so get over it. Look, Sam killed the guy that was after me and now the cops are after him.” I trusted he would see the gravity of the situation, but instead he stared at me, as if I had more to add.
“And?” he prompted.
“And, I think he should lay low for a while, maybe change his appearance a little, at least until the investigation cools.”
Adam’s smirk grew more pronounced. “What makes you think we’re subject to human laws?”
I hadn’t expected that response and I had no ready answer for him. My mouth opened and closed again without anything to say.
“This is what I tried to explain to her,” Sam piped up and I gave him a dirty look.
“You guys live here in our world, whether you like it or not. The cops are gonna think you’re subject to human laws.”
“You’re not getting it, sweetcheeks. The police will never be able to capture one of us. Hell, most of them can’t even see us.” Adam sounded bored by the whole conversation.
“Hey newsflash, there are people who can see you guys and they’re looking for someone who fits Sam’s description. I still think it’s a good idea to keep out of sight.”
Sam’s lips quirked into a half smile at that. “I generally keep out of sight, Mercy, there are very few I reveal myself to among humans.”
“You do? So why did you reveal yourself to me?”
“I cannot hide myself from your perception any longer, the Grace has opened your eyes to our kind.”
“Oh.” That explained why Adam hadn’t been able to hide from me either. “All the same, it might be better if you wore something besides that brown coat for a while.” My eyes moved over him speculatively. “And maybe a haircut?” A makeover wasn’t a half bad idea. There were plenty of tall blonde men in the city. Without some of those distinguishing characteristics he’d be impossible to find.
“I have no other coat,” Sam observed with a little frown, his hand going to the unruly locks of hair spilling over his forehead. “I could easily cut my hair though.”
I could imagine the job he’d do of it too. “How about this? I’ll come back tomorrow and help you cut your hair.” If they weren’t going to take it seriously, that was about the extent of effort I’d put into it to keep my conscience clear.
“Okay, if you two are finished playing makeover madness, I think I’ll get back to what I was doing before this dire emergency sprang up.” Adam’s eyes flashed with sarcasm and then he was gone, out the window with a flash of dark wings, too fast for the eye to track.
I stared after him for a long moment, distracted by his abrupt departure. Maybe I was making a mountain out of a molehill, but I tried to make things right.
“I should go, it’s getting late,” I sighed tiredly.
“I will see you home,” Sam offered.
“It’s not necessary. Weatie’s gone now, I’ll be safe. It’s better if you keep out of sight,” I shook my head.
,“Very well,” he relented, and I wondered if he’d follow me anyway.
“Okay well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sam smiled happily, giving a fair approximation of my tone and I couldn’t help but smile at the effort, however small, to assimilate.
Chapter Ten
“Jesus Christ, Mercy. Where the hell have you been?” Ben was in the garage by the time I pulled in, his face drawn and worried.
I’d completely forgotten he would be waiting up for me. Even in heading to his place instead of mine, my tired brain hadn’t made the connection to call and let him know I’d stopped off somewhere on the way home. “Ben… I’m so sorry. I guess I wasn’t thinking…”
“I called your boss, he said you left work over an hour ago. You didn’t answer your cell… I didn’t know what to think. I was about to go out and start combing the streets for you.” He caught me into a crushing hug the moment I came into reach and it felt nice, having someone care enough to get so worked up over me.
His agitation pricked at my guilty conscience. I had been thoughtless, but I couldn’t explain where I’d been without compromising Sam. “I’m sorry… I’m not used to having someone waiting at home for me. I didn’t mean to make you worry. me.&nbse="Times New Roman">” I pulled back to check my phone, I hadn’t gotten any calls or I would have thought to check in with him before. “Oh crap, it looks like my phone was on silent.”
“So?” he waited, obviously expecting an explanation.
“I was… out driving.” Partially true, I had driven to and from Sam’s apartment. “I had a lot to think about…” Not a lie. “…and it’s not like there’s any danger anymore right? The guy is dead.”
Ben looked at me, really looked at me, and I could practically see the wheels turning in his head. For a moment I thought I knew what one of his suspects being interrogated felt like. Not so much by his tone but by the way he scrutinized my response, looking for chinks in my story. Or maybe that was my guilty conscience kicking into overdrive.
I got the impression he had the urge to question me further but then dropped it. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”
“I’m sorry if I made you worry.” I offered him a conciliatory smile, laying my head on his shoulder.
“No it’s… it’s okay. I’ve been under a lot of stress at work lately, I guess my mind assumes the worst. Of course you were perfectly safe,” he sighed tiredly.
“Let’s get some sleep, you look tired,” I suggested, laying a brief kiss on his lips.
“You’re really alright?”
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
Ben nodded, giving me a tired smile. “Goodnight, Mercy.” We shared a long, lingering kiss and I felt some of his fe
ar in the desperate way he held me. I tried to think if our positions were reversed, would I feel the same way? What if Ben hadn’t come home from work, and I hadn’t been able to reach him on his cell, and his boss said he’d gone off duty and hadn’t been seen or heard from. I suppose I could easily see myself climbing the walls while I waited for him to come home. Holding him tightly, I took comfort in that feeling of being cared for.
As he locked up for the night and we trudged up the stairs to our respective rooms, I couldn’t help feeling guilty for having lied to him again. But with any luck, I could keep those two facets of my life separate, and Ben would never have to know about the existence of angels among us.
After all, besides being healed and the business with Weatie, being changed by Sam’s Grace hadn’t had too much of an effect on my day to day life. So I saw people’s souls? That was more like an interesting party trick, it didn’t have to change how I lived my life. I could help Sam out and then step right back into my regular life. A life that didn’t include… the fallen angel lying on my bed.
At first I took a long blink, wondering if Adam’s appearance there was a mirage brought on by my over tired eyes, but he was still there when I opened them again. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I thought we should talk about why you really called me tonight.” He wore that sexy smile that said he had his own theories already on that score.
“I thought I told you not to show up here whenever you like?”
“In case you haven’t already noticed, I don’t exactly do what I’m told, that’s Sam’s thing.”
“Why are you here, Adam?” I pressed, setting down my purse to unbutton my coat.
“I told you, I wanted to discuss what we both already know,” he grinned, sitting up on the edge of the bed. “Ooh, Daddy likes…” His eyes lit up when he saw my work uniform.
“You’re sick, you know that?” I shook my head, but he took the accusation in stride. “I thought you had some other, more interesting plans for tonight?
“I decided this was more interesting,” he shrugged.
“What is it that you think we already know exactly?”
“That you can’t stop thinking about me.” A smug smile fixed itself on his face.
True. But I could hardly let him know that, it would give him far too much power over me. “Oh please, can you get over yourself for a minute? I have spent zero time drooling over you in the time we’ve spent apart.”
“They why did you call me?”
“I told you why, to help me talk some sense into Sam. I didn’t think you’d be even more delusional than he is,” I [Romre delsnorted.
“Oh come on, Mercy, we both know Sam doesn’t have to make himself visible if he doesn’t want to.” Adam rose from the bed and stalked towards me. “This whole concern about the cops is just a smokescreen to catch my attention. Well okay, it worked, you’ve got my attention now.”
“The cops, happen to be right next door.” I pointed to the bedroom wall. “So keep it down. You did know Ben is the one who’s looking for Sam didn’t you? So yes, I was a little concerned Sam would end up in the slammer considering he’s been following me around like a puppy dog ever since he came into my life. Can you picture Sam in jail?” I took a step backwards as he got closer to my personal space than I was comfortable with.
A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. “He wouldn’t last a week. I don’t know how he survives without me,” Adam gave a long drawn out sigh. “Can’t you just take loverboy there and steer him in the wrong direction since you’ve got such an in with him?”
“I’d rather keep the lying to a minimum, thank you,” I replied, and it was true, I hated having to lie to Ben. Especially after he’d been so nice to me. “I’d appreciate it if you could actually help me out in this, for Sam’s sake.”
“What is Sam to you exactly?”
“A friend. A friend I owe a pretty big debt to, I think you know something about that,” I pointed out, remembering his earlier words, about why he helped Sam with the money among other things.
[p wn>“I guess I do at that,” Adam admitted, thoughtful for a moment. “And what about Dudley Doright next door? What’s the deal with him? How come he’s not in here taking advantage of…” His eyes dipped to travel down my body and up again. “…the master bedroom?”
“He happens to be a gentleman, I’m sure you’ve heard of the concept before?” I quirked a brow at him.
“His loss.” His grin turned wolfish and he took another step closer to me. “Come on, Mercy. I like games, but when are you gonna admit I’ve gotten under your skin?”
“You know what? I think you’re the one who’s been obsessing about me ever since we met. I think it’s like you said, I’m a shiny new toy and you can’t stand that I won’t let you play with me,” I tossed back at him.
Something passed over his face but it was gone in an instant, his usual smirk replaced by a genuinely puzzled look. “You really don’t feel anything do you? No kind of pull towards me, like you want to kiss me maybe?” His expression turned hopeful.
“Ha, you stand a closer chance of getting a fat lip right about now,” I snorted.
Adam backed off, sinking down on the side of the bed, apparently lost in thought.
“Is that what you’re used to? Women falling at your feet? Is that an angel thing?”
“Humans tend to find us irresistible, you haven’t noticed that since the change?” He was more subdued, even a little disappointed maybe.
That explained Parker’s sudden interest and the number of times I’d been hit on at work in the past week. And what about Ben? Sudden [&nbt aly I didn’t feel quite so chipper about my relationship with him. How much of it was based on my shiny new allure courtesy of Sam’s Grace? Feeling a bit subdued myself, I sat down on the bed next to Adam, lost in my own thoughts.
“I guess I’m not really human anymore, am I?”
His lips quirked at that. “Sorry, kiddo, guess not. I won’t pretend to know what it feels like to lose that, but I know what it’s like to be apart from the rest of the world.”
I had a glimpse in that soft smile of what Adam might be like without all the bedroom eyes and ego driving him. At the depth of what loneliness must be like stretched on for millennia. My hand reached for his and gave it a light squeeze. That Adam I could get used to, wanted to get to know more about even, but then he opened his mouth.
“So, now that we got all that touchy feely crap out of the way, how about we move on to some touching and feeling?” He tugged at my hand in the same instant as he fell back on the bed, pulling me on top of him.
“Ugh, let go of me you pig!” I scowled, smacking him as hard as I could on the chest with my free hand for all of the good it did me. All I noticed was how solid his chest was beneath me and got a sore hand for my trouble.
Adam promptly let go of my hand but wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me there. “Ooh, you like it rough, huh? It’s not my usual thing but I can work with it,” he grinned playfully.
I could tell he was trying to be funny but after facing an all too similar experience with Weatie not all that long ago, it was hard to find the humor in our positions. “Let me go or I’ll show you rough,” I retorted, but I could hear my voice shaking, my eyes shiny with unshed tears despite my bravado as the feeling of helplessness grew to an almost unbearable level.
Releasing me instantly, Adam’s face registered surprise at my upset and then contrition. “Hey, I was just screwing around, Mercy. I would never…”
A knock sounded at the door then, Ben’s voice low and urgent. “Mercy? Is everything alright?”
My eyes flew to the door in a panic before returning to Adam. “Skip it, okay? Just go home. Please?” Moving to the door, I leaned against it. “Yeah, I’m fine Ben, hold on a second.” Turning back to see if Adam was still there, I found the room conspicuously empty, the window wide open.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled the door open, fixing a
smile into place. “Hey.”
“I thought I heard voices but… are you, alright?”
“No, I’m fine. I’m sorry, I was on a phone call, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” The excuse tumbled out. He stared at me with the oddest expression on his face, and I wondered if I was disheveled from my tussle with Adam. In looking down I noticed a soft glow emanating from my body, particularly noticeable in the faint light. It began to dawn on me why he’d asked if I was alright, not because he thought I might be in danger in the bedroom, but because of the way I looked.
To my relief, almost as soon as I noticed it, the glow began to fade. “I’m fine,” I repeated, since he still stared a [NewI repeatedt me. “I am kinda tired though…” Not the most subtle of hints, but I hoped he would say something, anything at that point.
“Alright. Sorry to bother you,” Ben nodded, still regarding me oddly as he stepped away from the door.
“Same here. Goodnight, Ben.” I offered him a smile and he returned it before disappearing into the next bedroom.
As if I needed more complications in my life…
* * *
A soft breeze stirred my hair, sending it tumbling down around my shoulders as I turned my face up to the sky, eyes sliding shut against the warm kiss of the sun. The park bench was warm against my back from hours spent baking in the sun on a hot summer day but I wasn’t uncomfortably warm. The gentle sounds of people playing in the park reached my ears, and I could pick out a few familiar voices. Matty, Daphne, even Parker and Alice could be heard arguing over the proper way to light the barbecue.
Opening my eyes, I saw them sprinkled across the sun dappled grass like living flowers, all dressed in white, their auras glowing like colorful petals. Everyone was there, Kara, Jilly and Walter too as well as other familiar faces. I recognized Alexei from the mini-mart, my ex boyfriend Chet (ugh, that guy is a hot mess) and Mrs. Olivera from the floor below me. I think I even saw my seventh grade math teacher Mr. Loudermilk out there, his combover suffering under the bright sunlight.