Underworld Lover (A Guardian Angel Romance #2)

by haron Hamilton

  “Fine. A lucky man.”

  “Yes, appears so. The director himself expedited him this morning.”

  “It’s been some time since I’ve done this. Tell me, how can a person be expedited?”

  “Well, the director can—”

  “I mean, how else can someone be expedited?”

  “Um, there is no other way. Only by the director’s order. I understand it is very rare. I’ve only seen it done twice in perhaps fifty years.”

  She rifled in her top drawer and brought out another piece of paper. “He filled out one of these.”

  Josh reached for the paper, and then hesitated. “May I?”

  “Sure, sure, go ahead and take it. I have more copies.”

  Josh folded the paper and secured it in his inside coat pocket. “So, where can I find Mr. Bradley then?”

  “The azure room on the very end. That’s the reception area now, since the remodel.”

  Josh thanked her, scanning the rows of file cabinets he did not know existed in the records department. In fact, he hadn’t even known there was a records department in existence.

  His black shoes made a light tapping sound as he walked down the deserted hallway. When he first opened the door to the reception area, he thought he was stepping into one of Beau’s gallery parties. Josh immediately got aroused. He’d had some of the best sex of his three hundred years at Beau’s exclusive parties. Parties that often went on for days.

  Beau’s distinctive guitar riffs blared in the background as the crowd gyrated to the music. Champagne came by on a tray, and Josh took two flutes. He delayed a short black-haired buxom cocktail waitress long enough to steal a handful of enormous jumbo shrimp—the largest he had ever seen. A white-clothed table had several varieties of caviar, cheeses, and crackers. Another table held fruit, pastries of every sort, and an enormous chocolate fountain. The chocolate had a red cast to it.

  Josh spotted Audray dressed in red, clearly her “come fuck me” color. She looked like a goddess, standing alone, reigning over the festivities. Her eyes were transfixed on a closed blue leather padded door. He came over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

  “Josh. Didn’t expect to see you here.” She looked pleased for the company.

  “Well, I thought I was coming to greet my new recruit, but I see you have lobbied to get your first notch.”

  “I don’t understand.” She frowned.

  “I came from Records. They’ve made you his sponsor. I thought perhaps you had a hand in that.” He leaned into her ear and whispered, “Or perhaps a hand on Peter?”

  Her eyes flared. “I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t ask him, if that’s what you mean.”

  “What did you ask him?”

  “None of your business.” She smiled and then got serious. “Josh, we have to talk very soon.”

  “I’m all yours.”

  “Not now. I’ve been ordered to deliver Beau to Undertown.”

  “Thought you and he…”

  Josh saw something he’d never seen on her face: a blush. He cocked his head and examined her sideways. Yes, it was indeed a blush on those flawless cheeks.

  “Audray, what’s going on?” he asked.

  Why couldn’t he have fallen for her? Powerful women made him horny. But his respect for Audray’s natural dark side eliminated her from the menu of his sexual partners. Had she gotten to the Director after all?

  Could she take Melanie’s place, perhaps?

  “Peter wants to be my first.” She frowned.

  Josh let out a guffaw heard above the music. Several of the dressed up revelers turned in their direction.

  “How can you fake being a virgin, love?”

  “My first dark angel,” she added without looking at him. “Do you remember what it was like?”

  “No,” Josh lied. He remembered every red hair on that angel’s body. He had another thought. “How about I accompany you when you deliver him? Then afterwards we can catch up.”

  She nodded.

  “Where’s he going in Undertown?”

  “Well you can help me with this. It’s a house the director knows about.” Audray consulted a small red leather notebook. “A place called Helena’s. You know it?”

  Chapter 21

  The blue padded door burst open, revealing the beaming face of Beau Bradley, who looked triumphant, as if he’d just walked out on stage at the Avalon Ballroom in 1966. Many of the lines in his face had been softened, making him look positively virile and at least twenty years younger. Instead of the bluish green pasty color of his flesh, his cheeks were rosy and pink. Even his teeth looked whiter as he bowed and got sprayed with champagne.

  He grabbed the first pair of red lips he could find and went to town, feigning as if pulling the young blond hottie behind the padded blue door. Cheers, whistles, and screams erupted from the room for the conquering hero. He didn’t just go through the portal; he embraced the other side of death and vanquished it.

  Despite his mood, Josh had to laugh. It was probably the best re-entry he had ever seen. He was glad Felix was so hard to find, or he would have missed this grand spectacle.

  “I am humbled by your presence to witness my rebirth!” Beau shouted above the din. This earned him more champagne. He opened his gaping mouth and took in as much of the spray coming from multiple directions as he could. He finally was handed a bottle and chugged it, his entourage cheering him on.

  He spotted Josh and Audray. He held a young woman under his arm, who pinched his backside. He yelped, then pulled her up and balanced her over his shoulder as he made his way to them, his arms up and out to the ceiling as if to say, “Look, no hands.” Her small ass was a beautiful thing, Josh thought. Her breaststrokes to the crowd in the air behind Beau elicited more cheers.

  “Great to see you two,” Beau said as he let the waif slowly slide down his front, not missing a single curve. “Let me introduce you to the love of my life…what’s your name, honey?”

  “Daria,” the girl said, backing into his crotch, allowing his hands to rummage her ample breasts. She was especially watching Josh.

  “Yes. Daria. My new conquest,” Beau finished.

  He leaned into Audray and gave her a wet kiss, tongue and all. Josh was disgusted As soon as she could, Audray turned her face and wiped her mouth discretely.

  “Josh, my man.” They locked hands and then gripped fingers. “You had a hell of a time convincing me I was going to be an angel. Wow! All I can say is, what a rush!”

  The crowd was starting to make demands on its star. Audray spoke first, almost drowned out by the whoopla.

  “Beau, we have to get you situated for a day or so while I’m on a special assignment.”

  Josh turned to her with a start. She returned his gaze, but continued giving instructions to Beau.

  “We’re going to have to cut short your partying. There’ll be time for that. You have forever, you know.”

  “Absol-fucking-lutely I do. And I’m going to make every minute count!” Beau shouted. Part of the crowd nearby cheered.

  “Grab a couple of things here on the table. I think we could get you a doggie bag for the treats you want to take with you. Grab a bottle or two, then we need to leave.”

  “Doggie bag? What the hell? Why can’t they serve me wherever I’m going?”

  This made even Audray smile. Josh could see how it all was going to unfold. He wondered how long Peter would allow such a public display of pure devilish good humor. But that would be Audray’s job now, since she was credited with the kill.

  Audray grabbed a silver bucket that held a chilling bottle of champagne. Removing the bottle, she handed the half-filled bucket of ice to Daria. “Honey, go fill it with good stuff. He likes the jumbo shrimp. And just take a whole bowl of caviar, okay?” Her gaze was condescending and contained not an ounce of jealousy, Josh noted.

  Daria looked to her new soon-to-be lover, who nodded his approval of the plan.

  “So I get that wherev
er we are going, I can take Daria?” Beau asked after slurping another long swig of the bubbly.

  “Yes. That will be fine. But let’s not make it too complicated. Just Daria. You will be busy for the next twenty-four hours.” Audrey shot another smirk at Josh.

  Josh thought about the scene: Helena and her luscious bedroom, Daria, devoted and determined to be the best love of Beau’s life, and Beau between them. It was a scene he’d have watched in the old days.

  But not now.

  “Audray, I need a word,” Josh said when Beau went in search of his plaything and the bucket of shrimp. Josh drew her to the corner and saw her jaw tense. Her red lips formed a thin line as she looked down at the floor.

  At last she looked up to his eyes. Josh saw her deal with the internal conflict somewhere deep in her soul. She brushed it aside and spoke to him.

  “A lot of things have changed. Are changing. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

  “Yes,” he said. “What’s this twenty-four hour thing? Thought there was urgency to get him back up top to begin work.”

  “I made a deal.” Audray’s black eyes were steely, completely cold to him.

  “Audray, what have you done?”

  “Nothing you want to know about.”

  “You have to be careful, very careful around him.” Josh said this with the tenderness he genuinely felt in his heart for the beautiful creature in front of him. He brushed a few errant hairs from her cheeks. “Promise me you will be careful, my dear.”

  At first she did nothing. Then a crooked smile formed at the edges of her lips as she tilted her head to the side. Her gaze swept from Josh’s mouth to his eyes, where he felt the heat and emotion stirring within her body. “How very sweet of you, Josh.” She planted a gentle kiss on his lips that made his ears buzz.

  “You always have been remarkable,” he said.

  Audray nodded her head. “I know what I’m doing. Honest.”

  Chapter 22

  Beau waved goodbye to his well-wishers, who would no doubt stay until all the food and booze was gone. Such was always the case at Beau’s parties. Josh thought Audray should know. She had arranged enough of them when she was human.

  Daria was giving Beau her life story. He hung on every word; each especially difficult detail from her childhood earned her a sensual kiss and embrace. On more than one occasion, Josh and Audray had to restrain him from peeling her clothes and taking her on a bench, sidewalk, or stairway. It was clear Beau was feeling the effects of his new conversion.

  “Wonder what she’ll do when she realizes he won’t remember any of this,” Josh commented to Audray.

  “Oh, he’ll remember enough to get him laid plenty, trust me. Every woman’s sad story is the same.”

  “And here I thought you considered yourself special.”

  “I am. It made me stronger. I’ll thank that sonofabitch Burt before I slice his unit off. Can’t wait to see his face.”

  Josh knew he was going to have to make good on the promise he’d made when he turned Audray. He’d promised her she could have Burt, her mother’s ex-boyfriend and the man who’d raped Audray as a plaything. He hadn’t imagined Audray would lobby for his conversion. No, it would be just a murder, allowed because it was a sponsor-created condition of her turning. These deals were always honored.

  He wondered whatever made him think he could control Audray. Even as a human woman she had been much more effective than he had, a fact he made sure to hide.

  Josh wondered what Audray had promised Peter in exchange for expediting the rocker. Part of him wondered as well if Peter had any idea who he was dealing with. Audray had a way of sneaking up on people, revealing herself after it was too late for her prey to get away.

  It certainly would be an interesting show.

  “Beau,” Josh said, running to catch up to Beau as the man described to Daria what it had been like to play with the greats from the sixties, like Jimi Hendrix and Grace Slick.

  “And then she took out this bottle of whiskey and just hit the guy over the head. Before he passed out, he grabbed her hair and—”

  “Beau, I have to show you something.” Josh was breathless from his jog. “Over here is the transport station. This is where you will take the limo to the human world.”

  Beau stopped to survey the station, adorned with twenty-foot tall sleek statues in heavy shrouds. A double row of shiny tile in blues and greens outlined the grand entrance, accentuated by the bisque colored plaster walls and brushed stainless steel doors in an art deco style. In the plaster were reliefs of mythic symbols and creatures.

  “Wow. Nice place, dude.” After an obligatory nod to Josh, Beau went right back to Daria.

  Josh shrugged, turned, and looked at Audray, who was laughing.

  “Don’t worry about it. I will make sure he has his bearings, believe me,” she said.

  Nothing seemed to dampen her spirits. Josh wondered if she knew something he did not.

  They went down the steps to Undertown. The odor from the place definitely got Beau’s attention. Josh saw him stop mid-sentence to raise his nose and give a sniff to the air. He curled up his lip and furrowed his bushy eyebrows, bringing his eyes to a squint.

  “What the hell is that smell?” he asked.

  “It gets better. And trust me, you will get used to it.” Josh tossed him a wink.

  “Whoa.” Beau stopped, both palms held out front of his body. “I’ve been in some jails in Mexico that smelled better than this. I’m not gonna get locked up, right?”

  “Beau, shut up. How smart would it be to set up this big party for you, invite all these people, and then put you in a pen somewhere? Remember, we are in the soul possession business. Locking people up is bad for business,” Audrey snapped out, irritated.

  Josh realized he couldn’t have said it better himself.

  “Everyone knows and loves you, man. We aren’t about that,” Josh offered.

  Daria added her two cents. “Don’t be such a pussy, Beau. It’s hella nice down there. Lots of things to do. It will blow your mind.”

  Beau searched all three faces for evidence of treachery but didn’t appear to find any.. He relaxed. Holding his nose, he continued down the steps as Josh howled with laughter.

  Beau forgot his nose as he was overtaken by the din of activity. A barker in a pink suit shouted out for passersby to partake of the Pussycat Go-Go, which immediately attracted Beau. It took all three dark angels to pry him loose and get him back on the cobblestone walkway. Josh watched as they passed the Blue Raven. The bartender wasn’t a regular, but he waved to Josh just the same, and Josh returned the favor.

  Pairs of practically nude working girls and their customers did the eternal sashay in and around the bars and open outside restaurants, or hung out singly near lampposts. Beau was in the constant state of pointing and laughing. He turned several times to indicate his approval to Josh and Audray, who took turns nodding back in return.

  “Almost worth it to follow him around for a day just to see what he gets himself into,” Josh said to Audray.

  “Too rich for my blood. But it would be interesting, wouldn’t it?” After a moment of silence, she added, “So this is your first big time score since the new director took over?”

  “You mean yours, don’t you?” Josh reminded her.

  “Yeah, that’s not my doing. But I can see it would be something Pet—I mean, the director would do.”

  “First name basis with a dangerous alien, Audray. You’re playing with fire.”

  “I told you I knew what I was doing, and I do.” She stopped and allowed Josh walk ahead. She called out to him. “Josh, what did you want to talk to me about?”

  “I have a rogue in my new recruit class. Felix.”

  “Felix? A rogue? Are you sure you are not losing your mind? Perhaps someone slipped you some RedEcstasy?”

  “I’ve got to find him before he does something stupid. Before he gets himself into trouble, of the permanent kind.”

  “W
hat do you think he’ll do?” she asked.

  “I think he’s going to Peter. Probably to complain about me and how I’ve treated him.”

  “Why would he think that?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I can’t help you unless I know what’s going on.”

  “Audray, I’m not looking for your help. I’m trying to save him from vaporization. And there’s another person involved, a human woman Felix is infatuated with. I forbade him to contact her.”

  “That sounds perfectly okay to me. I don’t see why that should cause a problem for the Director. It’s not like a huge offense, not taking orders from your sponsor, right?”

  “The virgin human woman he loves is the same one Peter wants.” Josh felt a little uneasy revealing the rest of the story.

  “So?” Audray asked.

  “Well, she’s no longer a virgin.” Josh tried to look stoic.

  Chapter 23

  Audray chuckled. “Talk about playing with fire, Josh. What were you thinking?”

  “I wasn’t. I couldn’t help it. It’s my nature.”

  Audray examined his face. “I think you should just wait on all this, see if the dynamics change in the next day or so.”

  “Well, dear, I can’t do that. I followed Felix here, to the Underworld. I think he is seeking audience with Peter as we speak.”

  Beau and Daria had gone up ahead, stopping at a crossroads in the path, looking for direction. Josh motioned to the left. The street was practically deserted and the smell had lifted the farther they were away from the commercial district.

  “So, I think I might be able to help. Do you want Felix eliminated? Would that make things easier?” she asked.

  “God, no. Besides, I caved and told Melanie she could talk to Felix.”

  “Good. You want to keep them together. Perhaps he can turn her, right?”

  “Something like that.” Josh felt like a complete cad.

  “Does this…Melanie…does she know about Felix’s conversion?”