“Will she be all right?”
Seth shrugged. His father had a legitimate question. “She has no idea about the Shem, or us, and as you see, she’s still leery of men she doesn’t know.”
Joseph cursed under his breath. “We might need to fill her in, especially if you plan on making her yours.”
“I never told Fiona.” His first instinct was to tell Abby, to have it all out in the open, but he trusted his parents. If they told him to keep it quiet, he would.
“Fiona wasn’t being tormented by the Shem.” His father clapped him on the shoulder. “Tell her, Seth. You know what happened between your mother and me when she found out about us.”
Marian snorted. “Or what didn’t happen for weeks. I still can’t believe you lied to me for all those years.” Joseph took hold of Marian’s hand, and she returned the embrace with a kiss to his cheek. “You are so lucky you’re cute, Joe.” She turned to Seth with a grimace. “Tell her.”
Not all Neph mates were aware of their spouse’s dual lives. It was a common belief that if the spouse didn’t know, they wouldn’t be targeted. That wasn’t always the case, but most Neph became adept at keeping their private lives separate from their Nephilim obligations, some going so far as to adopt secret identities—like superheroes.
Unfortunately for Joseph, Marian had found out what Joseph really was after Seth’s wings appeared. He was six years old, and the pain and the blood as they burst through his back had left both him and his mother traumatized. Joseph had been forced to tell his wife the truth, and the strain on their marriage had been huge. Marian had gone so far as to move out of the house, and it had taken months for Joe to win her back, longer to win her trust. He’d even gone so far as to introduce her to Gabriel, who’d explained that it was common practice to keep the spouses in the dark.
The Neph still talked about the many inventive names she’d called Gabriel for that one. She’d been so fierce and so open about how the lies had hurt their family that Gabriel had lifted the restriction, granting Neph the right to choose whether or not to tell human spouses.
In the end, Joe had sworn on his life never to lie to Marian again, and as far as Seth was aware, his father had kept that promise.
Seth stared toward the living room, wondering if Abby was all right. She’d been through so much recently. “I was planning on it.”
* * *
Abby peered around as she waited for one of her parents to pick up the phone. The Van Licht’s living room was an open area, dominated by a massive stone fireplace with a gorgeous oak mantel. The warm honey color of the walls was complemented by a burgundy sofa with Native American—inspired pillows. There was a huge, closed armoire in front of the sofa. She assumed that the television and stereo system were hidden inside, so as not to intrude on the room. The two chairs on either side of the fireplace were a warm green, with a small oak table between them for drinks. A white faux-fur rug was under the chairs, and a dream catcher, the largest one Abby had ever seen, had pride of place over the mantel. Huge windows showed off the magnificent view from the deck that surrounded the entire first floor of the house.
She’d bet anything Seth had designed it.
“Hello? Abby, is that you?” Her mother sounded frantic, filling Abby with guilt. Mrs. Van Licht was right. She should have called her mother earlier.
“Mom?”
“Abby. Thank God.” The relief in her mother’s voice was overwhelming. “We just got a call from Bill. Are you all right? Is Doug out?”
“I don’t think so. I haven’t been notified, have you?”
“No.” Carol Marcheson sighed deeply. “Your father wants to take me away and hide me.”
Abby couldn’t stop the chuckle if she wanted to. “Funny you should mention that.”
“Where are you? Bill said something about Seth van Licht taking care of you.”
“He is. We’re with his parents right now, out of state.”
“Oh. Good.” The relief in her mother’s voice eased her fears that she hadn’t made the right decision.
Joe van Licht was huge, bigger even than Detective Zucco, and the frown on his face as he’d met her hadn’t eased her fears any. Oh, logically Abby realized that the frown was one of concern, but her heart didn’t want to listen. It had raced like a rabbit facing a wolf. She’d have thought she’d get the same sense of safety from Joe that she got from his son.
Instead, she’d tried to burrow into Seth, using him as a shield.
“They’re taking care of you, right, baby? You’re safe?”
“Yes, Mom. Seth is... He’s a good man.”
“Yes, he is. You tell him to take care of you or he’ll have to answer to me.”
“I’m sure he’ll be terrified.”
“Don’t laugh at me, young lady. I still wield a mighty spoon of pain. Just ask your brother.”
Abby laughed. Bill had been whacked more than once with their mother’s wooden spoon. “Let me know where Dad’s taking you.”
“He’s thinking Alaska might be far enough away. I’m shooting for Hawaii, myself.”
“You’ll probably wind up in Hoboken.”
“No, he’ll wind up in Hoboken. I’ll just go to Hawaii without him.” Her mother paused. “Detective Zucco also called. He suggested we go to Florida, said Bill told him about the condo there.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” No one knew about it but immediate family. That Bill trusted Dante with it spoke highly of the detective.
“We should be safe enough there.” Her parents had bought the condo shortly after her mother recovered from the worst of the burns. Carol Marcheson would never again hold a pen in her left hand, or walk without a limp, but the plastic surgery she’d had done on her face hid the wounds she’d found unbearable to live with. The condo in Florida had been a godsend as she recovered in the balmy ocean breezes and warm, blue skies.
Her parents loved it so much, they talked about moving there permanently, but they’d chosen to wait until Doug’s appeals ran dry. Once they knew the bastard was never getting out, they’d move.
“Go, then. Be safe. I’ll keep in touch.”
“You’d better, or I’ll send your father to check up on you.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Be careful, baby. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Abby hung up the phone. It was a good thing her father was taking her mother someplace safe. It just sucked that it was all because of Abby again.
She went back into the kitchen with mixed feelings.
“How did your conversation go?” Seth was sitting at his parents’ kitchen table.
Abby settled into the chair with a loud sigh. “They’re thinking of going to Florida. Dante’s suggestion.”
Seth smiled ruefully. “Dante is nothing if not thorough. He must have questioned your parents and informed them of our plans to get away for a while.”
“Hmm. I would have been surprised if he hadn’t.” She eyed the sauvignon blanc his father handed her with some suspicion before thanking him with a bland smile.
Seth whispered, “Humor them. I told him you liked wine, and white is the only one they keep. When you go shopping with my mother, you can pick up some sangria.”
She took a sip of the wine. “I’m going shopping with your mother?”
“Why not? I rushed you out, the least I can do is buy you a few things to wear while you’re here.”
“Seth, how can you afford something like that? You’re an architect, not a Rockefeller.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can afford a few pairs of jeans and some sweaters for us.”
She laughed. “You think that’s all a woman needs?”
He leaned in close and brushed his lips against her earlobe. “Not at all.”
She’d let him explain to his parents why she’d squeaked.
* * *
Dinner that evening was teriyaki chicken, wild rice and a fresh garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Abby appeared im
pressed. “I’ve never gotten the knack of Asian cooking. Things just move too fast and I wind up burning everything.”
Marian smiled, pleased with the compliment. “You should try Japanese sometime. It’s one of Seth’s favorites. Has he taken you out for sushi yet?”
“No, he hasn’t. I’ve never been to eat Japanese.”
Joseph quirked a brow. “You’ve never had sushi?”
Abby shuddered delicately. “It’s slimy. And icky. And fishy.”
Seth choked on a bite of teriyaki chicken. “Icky? And liver-and-onion tacos aren’t?”
She had the grace to blush. “That was just to get even with Bill.”
He pointed his fork at her. “You ate them. If you can eat liver-and-onion tacos, you can eat sushi.”
She stared back. “I did not. That was a joke. Besides, you can’t put salsa on sushi.”
Seth put his head down on his arms and groaned. “The culinary world does not revolve around salsa.”
“It doesn’t?”
He bit back a laugh at her wide-eyed astonishment. From the sound of his parents’ muffled laughter, she was a hit, even if she did flinch whenever Joe leaned closer to her. “No, it doesn’t.”
There was silence for a moment. “Sushi is bland.”
He lifted his head and stared at her. “Try the green stuff. It’ll grow hair on your chest.”
“They’ve already done the Planet of the Apes remake.” She didn’t turn her head at the sound of choking at the other end of the table. Her gaze remained on Seth, the amusement in it plain to see.
He leaned forward, ready to dare her to try something different. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“I don’t know...”
He made clucking noises at her.
She glared at him indignantly and picked up her fork. “Fine. I’ll try it. But you—” she waved her fork at him, “—have to promise me that if I don’t like it, you get to eat something I choose. Deal?”
This time he was the one who eyed her warily. He lifted his glass in salute. “Deal.”
She lifted her glass and tapped his, sealing their bargain.
“Sucker,” Joseph coughed into his fist.
His father was probably right, but it was worth it to see Abby relaxed once more.
He just hoped whatever she chose wouldn’t be as revolting as eggs and salsa. “So. Tell us about your work.” His father was doing everything he could to appear nonthreatening. “I hear you’re a hairdresser?”
His father couldn’t have picked a better topic to get Abby to feel at home, and when his mother asked about the recipes Abby knew, she relaxed completely. By the time the meal was over, she wasn’t exactly at ease with his father, but she’d stopped flinching every time he moved.
Seth was chalking that one in the win column.
After more wine and a cherry pie that was to die for, he escorted her to her bedroom door. She turned with a wan little smile. “I like your parents. They seem nice.” She yawned behind her fist.
“They like you too.” He stroked her cheek with a delicate touch.
“I feel like I could sleep for a week.” She yawned again.
“Didn’t sleep well earlier?” He leaned against her doorjamb, taking hold of her hand. When she not only allowed it but curled her fingers around his, he felt like a king.
“Not really. I kept dreaming about that locket.”
He squeezed her hand. “I won’t let him hurt you, Abby.”
She released a long sigh. “I know you’ll try.”
He grasped her arms, tugging her gently into his embrace. He cupped the back of her head and pushed her head to his chest, stroking her hair. Some of her tension eased away, allowing him to simply enjoy holding her.
He was a goner. She felt right in his arms, like she belonged there. His wings itched beneath his skin, aching to come forth, like a peacock fanning his feathers for his potential mate.
Eventually they had to draw apart. Both of them were ready for more sleep. He wanted nothing more than to climb into bed with her and get some much needed rest.
“Seth?” She toyed with one of the buttons on his shirt.
“Hmm?” He captured her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. She glanced up at him, her face flushed, her lips moist and parted.
He smiled and turned her hand, kissing the palm. He continued to kiss up her wrist and arm, and slowly he drew her back into his embrace. Seth finally got to the side of her neck, nibbling until she was panting, tasting the salty sweet essence of her skin until she moaned. She tilted her head to grant him better access, the rough shadow of his whiskers scraping against her delicate skin. She drew in a sharp breath when he nipped her earlobe, her hands clutching at him.
When his lips finally met hers, the kiss was slow, and sweet, and drugging. There was nothing hurried in his movements. He had all the time in the world to savor her, to woo her. He forgot his weariness, forgot everything but the sensations coursing through him. She kissed him back lazily, granting him access into her mouth when he silently asked for it.
He didn’t want the kiss to end, but he had no choice. Either he took the next step, or he let her go. Exhausted as they both were, he preferred to wait.
Abby tried to hide her disappointment when the kiss finally ended, but it was all over her face. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm once more. She shivered and closed her eyes, closing her fist around his kiss.
He wished it was himself in her hand, but...no. Not tonight, anyway. Abby deserved better than that, and he was going to give it to her.
He was going to woo her. If anyone deserved to have a man show her how special she was, Abby did.
She opened her eyes, her expression still dazed by their kiss. She looked so needy, so hungry, he could barely stop himself from taking what she offered. “Good night, Abby. Sweet dreams.” He drew his hand gently down her cheek before turning and walking in the direction of his bedroom, silently cursing his own altruism.
Seth waited until she was asleep before stepping onto his balcony and spreading his wings. He doubted he would sleep tonight, hard and aching as he was. Instead, he would patrol, keep her safe and sound. Nothing would get to her here. He would see to it personally.
He’d have to be careful. The Shem hunting her was wily. Very few angel-born could hide their aura from each other. Angelus could, but only briefly. Seth had used that ability once or twice himself, but it was extremely tiring. That meant an Angelus was a possibility.
Chameleons could also hide their auras. They also tended to get obsessive over their charges, but Chameleons were so rare, he didn’t know any Neph personally who’d run into one. Some of the Neph weren’t even sure they still existed. Damien believed in them, but Dante thought they might be extinct. Seth wasn’t so sure. Gabriel included them in the training, teaching them a Chameleon’s hunting patterns, so they must still be around, even if their numbers were few.
The only other Shem who could hide their auras the way this one did...
No. He didn’t even want to think about the possibility that Abby was being hunted by a Fallen. They would need more than Dante’s fire or Piotr’s mortal defenses if that were so. Only another angel could hope to face a Fallen and win. Damn. Maybe Damien could help him figure it out. Damien was good at research, and knew the powers of the angel-born inside and out. If anyone could help him figure out what they were dealing with once and for all, it would be him.
And if it was a Fallen? Abby would be meeting Gabriel sooner than he’d planned.
He caught sight of some movement below him and swooped lower, grinning as he saw his father stalking through the night, his fists glowing with power. Seth wasn’t the only one protecting his woman that night.
They exchanged nods before heading in opposite directions. His father had trained him. If something attacked either of them, the signal would go up, and there’d be one less Shem in the world.
* * *
The next day dawned b
right and clear. He kept an eye on Abby as she wandered the cabin, chatted with his mother and managed to talk to his father without flinching.
But the strain of her ordeal was beginning to show. She jumped at the sound of a bird cry. She stared out the window when she thought no one was watching, her expression tired and sad. He had to show her she was safe here, that the whole town was a place she could relax in. Even if the Shem followed her here, it would be at least a few days before he found them.
So he took her to the local café for lunch. They both ordered a chef’s salad, vegetable soup and iced tea and dug into their food with relish once it arrived. He watched her laughing and chattering about the view from her bedroom balcony, and hated that he’d have to bring all of it to a halt. He’d done some serious thinking while patrolling his father’s grounds, and it all boiled down to one thing.
Something was missing, some detail that would let him know why she’d been targeted. It had to be bound up in the story of what happened to her five years ago. If so, she had to open up and tell him everything. It was the only way he’d be able to keep her safe.
“Abby, we need to talk when we get home.” He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his iced tea. He prayed she wouldn’t be too upset with him, but he had to know. It was taking Damien far too long to dig up anything on Finley for Seth’s peace of mind.
“What about?” She pushed the last of her salad around on her plate. The glow was abruptly gone from her face.
“I think you know what.” Seth put his glass down, and reached into his wallet. He put money on the table and helped her to her feet. “I know you don’t want to, but I need to know everything that happened five years ago.”
Abby allowed him to lead her out of the diner, her face pale. Back in the car and on the road home, she was so tense he thought she might snap. The pleasant, relaxed atmosphere of the afternoon was completely gone, and the sick apprehension was back in her expression.
He wanted to kill the one who put that expression on her face, but suicide was a sin.
“Seth?”
“Hmm?” He kept his eyes on the road, but she had his undivided attention.
All for You Page 10