Heaven's Most Wanted

by J. A. Cipriano

  Uriel's eyes narrowed. "Do not think to speak to me. You're no—"

  "Nothing. A flea. I got it." I cut him off before I held my hands up and puffed out a sigh. "You're worse than one of those Jersey Shore guys. All you need now is a spray tan and hair gel to complete the douche bag attitude."

  Uriel disappeared and reappeared on the other side of Lucifer and Gabriel, just inches away from my face. "You will watch your tongue, or I will rip it out for you."

  "Uriel." Michael's hand clamped down on his incorporeal shoulder. "That's enough. We have things to attend to."

  "Which you would know if you weren't spending all your time on Earth with her," Uriel spat out, his gaze zipping back to me. "You are ignoring your duties every second you spend indulging in your sinful ways. All of you are." Those hateful eyes moved from me to Gabriel and Lucifer. "The traitor I understand but you, Gabriel?" He gave a disdainful shake of his head. "I thought better of you."

  Gabriel shrugged and grinned. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty woman." He shot me a wink, and I grinned back.

  "Disgraceful." Uriel made a face. "I should do you all a favor and remove the temptation." Before he could make good on his words, Michael dug his fingers into Uriel’s shoulder, making him pause.

  "Stop this, Uriel. You don't have the authority to do anything. We are not your enemy, do not make us one. Leave Jane alone."

  Michael and Uriel stared each other down for a few more moments before Uriel finally broke away from the stare down.

  "Very well, but they need to leave as well." He jerked his chin toward Gabriel and Lucifer.

  Gabriel met Michael's gaze who nodded. He grunted, "Fine." Walking over to me, Gabriel took my arms in his hands and pressed his forehead to mine. "I will be back, don't count me out."

  "Of course not." I lifted my head so I could press my lips to his mouth. Gabriel kissed me back harder, and his hands moved up my arms to tangle in my hair, deepening the kiss more. Uriel made a disgusted sound, but we ignored him and went on kissing.

  After a few moments, Gabriel released my mouth and stepped away. "Let's go. You coming?" he asked Lucifer over his shoulder.

  Lucifer smirked at Uriel and crossed his arms over his chest. "Nope."

  "Lucifer..." Michael warned, but Lucifer cut him off.

  "No, Michael. I'm a traitor, remember? And besides, I don't live in Heaven anymore. I don't have to listen to any of you. So, you can very well bugger off, mate." Lucifer flipped him the bird in a very human manner, causing Uriel to groan.

  "Just like someone as sinful as you to take on their mannerisms." Uriel sniffed and turned his back on us. "If you want to keep her safe, then you will leave with me now and never come back. Let the fallen son do what he wants, he always did."

  Gabriel gave me an apologetic look before disappearing. When he was gone, Uriel locked eyes with Michael. The blonde sighed and gave me a reassuring nod before he and Uriel disappeared together.

  When only Lucifer and I remained, I turned to him. "Has Uriel always been such a dick?"

  Lucifer chuckled as he rubbed his jaw. "Oh, you don't know the half of it."

  Chapter 9

  "WELL, THAT WAS RIVETING." I sighed and scratched my head. "Any other siblings going to make a surprise appearance with a stick up their ass?"

  Lucifer chuckled and leaned against a nearby table. "God, I hope not."

  "What about the safe?" I threw a hand toward the metal box. "What do you think happened?"

  "Eh... how should I know? Unless it can talk, I couldn't really tell you." Lucifer offered me a sideways grin. "But Michael was wrong."

  "What?"

  "It's not bolted down." Lucifer nodded towards the safe. "It might have been at one point, but it's not now."

  I knelt and bent down to look underneath the safe. After a moment’s inspection in the gap between the feet, I found one of the holes where a bolt should have secured it to the ground, but there was nothing protruding from the safe. He was right. It wasn't bolted down. At least, not anymore.

  A low groan sounded behind me, and I froze. Grinning to myself, I said over my shoulder, "Stop staring at my ass Lucifer."

  "I cannot help that my eyes wander to the perfect view in the room," Lucifer purred from behind me. "And your glorious ass is quite the view."

  I chose not to comment on that assessment and focused on work instead. "So, who do you think was strong enough to switch out the safe?"

  "Maybe they used that lift over there."

  I glanced up to see where Lucifer pointed at a dolly. "Well, let's see." I stood and walked over to it. Grabbing the handle, I brought it over to the safe. Shoving it under the bottom of it, I tried to lift it up. After a moment or two of straining, I gave up with a huff. "Nope. Not someone like me."

  "You just need a man's touch is all." Lucifer smirked as he shifted up beside me.

  "Oh? You're an angel, not a man."

  "Same difference."

  "Uriel would say different," I muttered, glancing away from him.

  "Hey." Lucifer cupped my chin and turned it back to him. "Ignore him. He doesn't know what he's talking about. He would be banished here on Earth with me as well if his nose wasn't so far up our father's butt. He makes the word brown noser sound like a compliment."

  "Hmmm." I let him hold on to my face for a moment before pulling away. "Well, brown noser or not, he has no love for humans or you for that matter. Why is that?"

  Lucifer snorted and turned his head away. "Like the douche bag said, I'm not exactly the favorite son, and they have promoted the hatred of me up there."

  I frowned. "But Michael and Gabriel..."

  "... aren't sheep following the herd,” he finished for me. “They know better and were there when I fell or, well... was banished. They know better. Just like you." He tapped me on the nose.

  "Oh, do I?" I arched a brow.

  Instead of answering me, he took the dolly from me and tried to lift the safe. When he pulled it up with barely a strain, he raised a brow. "See? Easy."

  "But would it be easy for a normal human male to do?" I countered, pointing a finger at him. "Could they do it?"

  Lucifer dropped the safe back down and then gave me a pensive look. "I'm not sure. Not any normal sized male. He'd have to be a bigger man, lots of muscle." He held his arms out to make himself seem bigger.

  I thought about it for a second and then shook my head. "I don't know anyone like that. Maybe Andre does. Come on." I started for the door, but Lucifer grabbed my hand, pulling me back to him. I giggled. "What now?"

  "You know, it's been a while since we've been alone together."

  I huffed a laugh. "What does that matter?"

  Lucifer wrapped his arm around my waist, his palm heavy on my hip. "It means that I have you all to myself and I plan to take advantage of that." He trailed his fingers up my shoulder and then brushed his thumb across my lower lip. "Savor every second I have left."

  He said it like he thought those seconds were limited. Like we weren't going to get to be together always. That might be true, but I didn't want to think about it right now.

  So what if our time was limited? I mean, I was human. They're angels. What kind of life could we really have together?

  Stealing little moments here and there, being together when work and life allowed it. The sad thing was that I could imagine us growing old together, having children, going for picnics on lazy Sunday afternoons. It was what every person wanted, to be with the ones they love.

  But that won't ever happen for us. They were angels. Eventually, the other shoe was going to drop, and they weren't going to be able to be with me. Or maybe I'll fall in love with a human. I should. That would be the smart thing to do.

  "Jane, love." Lucifer's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "What are you thinking about?"

  Turning my head toward him, I let a soft smile slid up my lips. "Nothing. I'm fine." As I twisted around, I allowed my smile to widen as I slipped my arms around his waist. I angl
ed my head back and stood up on my toes slightly to graze Lucifer's lips with my own. "As much as I'd love to get naked with you right now, I'd rather not have my client walk in on us and lose this commission."

  "Who said anything about getting naked?" Lucifer's lips curled up at the edges against mine as he held me closer, his hand moving down my back to press me hard into his arousal. "I could make us both very happy, and we wouldn't have to take anything off at all." One of his legs slid between mine, and I groaned at the friction it caused. "I just need five minutes."

  "We don't have five minutes."

  Lucifer shifted me hard against him. I gasped as I pulled my mouth away from him. He took that moment to dip his head down to my neck, kissing and licking up my throat. I grabbed at him, arching myself against him as he thrust his hips faster. On a hard thrust, my eyes jolted open, and I stared up at the ceiling.

  That was when I saw it. A break in the case.

  "Wait, wait!" I stopped moving against him and pointed over his shoulder, my eyes widening with excitement. "Is that what I think it is?"

  Lucifer growled and shifted to look where I was pointing. "It's a camera. So bloody what? I'm more worried about what's in your pants."

  I shoved at his shoulder with an eye roll. "Jeez, horny much?"

  "Always, love. Always."

  My face lit up at his words, but I ignored them. I moved away from him and crossed the room. "That camera would have caught who moved the safe on tape, right?"

  Lifting a shoulder, Lucifer stroked a hand over his chin. "I suppose it would have. Have you asked your client? Andre."

  I gave him a sideways look. "Why do you say his name like that?"

  "Come on, he wants you. It's clear." Lucifer watched me as if expecting me to say something about it.

  Instead, I shrugged. "I'm hot shit, everyone human or angel wants a piece of this ass." I winked and grinned at him before moving toward the door. "Come on, let's go check out those tapes before I make you finish what you started."

  "No complaints here." Lucifer's laughter followed me out of the office and into the main arena.

  Chapter 10

  "LOVE, YOU KNOW I WOULD follow you to the ends of the earth but where are we going?" Lucifer asked as he trailed slightly behind me. A glance over my shoulder showed him with his hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks, his eyes moving over the different booths with bemused interest.

  While Lucifer was looking around, it wasn't hard to see the not-so-subtle gawking as the women and men working the contest pointed in his direction. I hadn't seen the neurotic twins yet, but I was sure they would have hit on Lucifer within a millisecond of spotting him.

  A pang of jealousy hit my heart. I wiped it from my face and turned my gaze forward before Lucifer could see it. "I'm looking for Andre. We need to check the security cameras."

  I wasn't good at hiding my emotions, even more so with an ethereal being who could literally smell your lies. However, more and more I realized that as much as I wanted to claim these gorgeous angels as mine, I might not get to keep them, so my jealousy was a moot point. They weren't mine to keep, and I needed to distance myself from getting too emotionally attached. No matter what Gabriel said before.

  "Well, if we don't find him soon, I'm going to have to take off." Lucifer's expression narrowed. "The pheromones wafting off theses humans is giving me a headache."

  I snorted. "Can angels get headaches? Aren't you above that?"

  "Believe me, we can, and we do.” Lucifer lifted his fingertips to the sides of his forehead. “We may be higher beings, but even we have weaknesses. Mine happen to be horny humans and polyester."

  I giggled and shook my head at the wonder that was the Devil. "You know, if I told anyone that I knew the literal Devil and even explained an inch of what I know about you, they would say I was full of shit."

  "What do you mean?"

  I didn’t answer Lucifer as I caught sight of Andre's blonde curly head and held my hand up. Pushing up to my tiptoes, I cupped my hands over my mouth. "Andre!"

  Andre's head jerked up from where he was looking over some material, one of his hands in his slack pockets as well. Hmmm. I wondered if it was a suit thing. Andre lifted a hand in my direction and gave me the one-minute finger and then turned back to the person he was talking to.

  Spinning back around to the waiting devil, I smiled softly. "I don't have to tell you what the world paints you out to be."

  "Pfft. Please don't tell me you're talking about that horns on the head and a long pointy tail bit?" He rolled his eyes and pressed his lips together in disgust. "It doesn't even show off my best features."

  "And those would be?" I arched a brow.

  Lucifer's eyes widened in surprise, his hand going to his heart in mock hurt. "You mean, you don't know? My charming personality for one and my wicked good looks for two."

  "Don't forget your humbleness," I quipped.

  "I'll leave being humble to the less fortunate." Lucifer beamed and then leaned in to whisper into my ear. "I'll settle for being sinful. It's more fun."

  A shiver of desire ran through me. As I offered him a coy smile, I murmured back, "You do it very well, I have to admit."

  "Oh, darling, you haven't seen anything yet." He winked at me and then glanced over my shoulder. "Andre, I don't believe we have officially met. I'm Lucifer." He grasped Andre's hand in his, giving it a firm shake as he leaned in. "Devil extraordinaire, ready and willing to help you find what you are looking for."

  "Thank you, but I'm surprised Jane needs so much help with what she does." Andre's baby blues moved from Lucifer to me. "I would think that the psychic thing would be more of a solo act."

  I lifted a shoulder. "Sometimes, but you need a good support system, and the guys do more than just help me commune with the spirits. They also do other things."

  Andre didn't say anything as he waited for me to elaborate.

  "Like taking care of her baser needs," Lucifer helpfully supplied, making me flush bright red. "It's hard to find someone who is good with their hands, as you well know.

  Andre looked like he was trying to figure out if Lucifer was being serious or not, but based on how he found me this morning, I figured it would be an easy answer for him. Not wanting Andre to linger on my extracurricular for too long, I decided to get a jump on what I wanted.

  "Can we take a look at the security cameras?" I asked as I leaned into Andre's view to make him focus on me. "We want to see if there was anything on the tapes to indicate the safe had been moved."

  "Moved?" Andre cocked his head to the side. "But the safe is bolted down, there's no way to move it."

  "Actually..." I drew out and then glanced at Lucifer. "We discovered that wasn't exactly the case. The safe is new. Did you get a new one?" I watch his expression for any changes. Not that I thought Andre would be the one to steal his own trophy, but things were starting to point in the wrong direction.

  As he crossing his arms over his chest, Andre shook his head. "No, it's the same safe that was here when we started setting up a month ago. Are you sure it's not bolted down?" He searched my face, hope in his eyes.

  "No way, mate." Lucifer slapped a hand on his shoulder. "That safe is as new as they come, and unless angels came in overnight and replaced it, your whole safe has been stolen."

  I covered my mouth to hide a laugh that I turned into a cough when Andre gave me a peculiar look. "Um, what Lucifer means to say is: are you sure you didn't order anyone to change it? Or maybe the owners of the Civic Center did it by mistake?" I sounded optimistic, but it would be too easy for there to have been a mishap like that. I wasn't that lucky.

  "No." Andre dragged a hand through his hair. "No one ordered a new one, and as far as I know, they never messaged me about it." He caught sight of Patrice and waved her over. “Patrice, I haven't gotten any calls or emails from the owners, have I? Within the last week?"

  "Ummm..." She pushed her glasses up her nose and then ducked her head as she checked her ta
blet. She clicked on several things and then shook her head. "No, no message or calls. Why? Is there something I should have caught? I apologize in advance. I thought I was being on top of things. We have all the deliveries and caterers for the big day set up. Then the drama this morning with the zippers—"

  "Breathe." Andre placed his hands on her shoulders. The gesture made Patrice lock eyes with him and stop talking. "Remember to breathe. We don't want you to pass out on us again, alright?"

  Patrice took a few deep breaths, nodding dumbly before she frowned. "I'm not fired?"

  "Of course not." Andre let out a small chuckle. "I just wanted to check on something. You haven't missed anything. I promise. You're doing a fabulous job. Now, why don't you go take a break and then I'll see you back at Marsha’s table in ten?"

  Patrice took a few more deep breaths. "Okay, yeah. I can do that. I better get her a coffee before—"

  "No."

  Andre's sharp tone made her suck in a breath. Lucifer and I exchanged an amused look at their back and forth, a hint of a smile on both of our faces.

  "I mean," Andre softened his tone, "take a break. No fetching. Just breathing. Relaxing. Remember what I said?"

  Patrice jerked her head up and down. "I can't take care of others if I don't take care of myself." Andre finished the last line with her, giving her an encouraging nod in the process.

  "Good. Now, I'll see you in ten."

  With a curt incline of her head, Patrice hurried away, her flats tapping rapidly on the concrete floor. When she was gone, Andre turned back to us. He scratched the side of his face and smiled, causing those dimples to appear once more.

  "Sorry about that. Sometimes I'm not only the boss but a therapist too. Or so it seems. Now," he clapped his hands together and pointed them at us, "you wanted the security footage. Well, I'd love to say there's something to see because that was the first thing I checked when I found it missing, but there's no video of anyone taking the trophy, only me putting it in there the first day."