My stomach grumbled again, so I grabbed Simeon’s dress shirt off the floor and wrapped it around me. His intoxicating aroma wafted up and tickled my nose. I covered my face with the lapel and inhaled.
If only things were different. Then I could love him back, give him everything I had to give. Instead, here I was taking everything I could take. He deserved more than that. But my fellow Angels deserved to have their lives back, as well. And as far as Simeon saying he’d help me find Malakai, well, I’d believe it when I saw it. I wished I could trust him. There was just too much at stake.
I shook the thought out of my head and tiptoed out to the kitchen. My priorities were set—food first, snooping later. My stomach wouldn’t have it any other way.
I opened the fridge, and my eyes veered to a Cheesecake Factory takeout box. No way. On top there was a note that said, “Enjoy, Abigail. Love, Simeon.”
So maybe I could trust him a little. He definitely knew the direct route to my heart/taste buds. How could someone who buys me cheesecake be anything but praiseworthy?
I finished off a thick slice along with a large glass of milk, fat-free, of course and headed to the office. The house was silent except for the sound of the door creaking open as I turned the handle and pushed.
I stopped short and listened closely to the silence that filled the house. Could the man hear everything in his sleep too?
Nah. I stepped inside and let the moonlight guide me to the computer, where I sat down and hit the power button. The hard drive whirred and came to life. So far, so good.
The desktop picture of his family came up, and I took a second to study it. Everyone I’d met at the birthday party was there except Kaleb. Poor guy. At least he wasn’t stuck with the whore wife. Simeon had made sure of that. And he was a good-looking human. I was certain he’d find someone else in no time. More importantly, he had a sweet convertible 1966 Citroën DS21. Who could say that? Not many. I’d say he was in pretty good shape, if you ask me. Really good shape.
Okay, focus, Abby!
I readjusted my vision and clicked on the icon that simply read Database. Like I’d imagined, it was password protected. Hmm... I typed in a few guesses but nothing worked. Darn. Too bad I wasn’t a hacker. My computer skills were intermediate, at best.
Frustrated, I sprang from the chair and paced the room. I stopped in front of the black metal wastebasket. A single piece of paper crumpled on the bottom caught my eye. I scooped in, picked it up, and straightened out the edges.
The handwriting reminded me of the calligraphy from the eighteenth century, decorative and beautifully penned across the paper. Weird. I brought it over to the computer screen to get a better look. And read,
Simeon, It pains me to realize my own son doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. Ignoring me whilst allying with a bloody Angel. What kind of fool have you become in the years past? I was willing to forgive your precious employment agency as it’s given me something to chuckle at over the years. Really, to think you could tame demons into living the sad, pathetic human existence. Oh, you are so naïve, my son.
I cannot forgive how you’ve turned your back on me. I’m your father, your leader, your maker. You know firsthand what power I can give you. And you’ve seen the devastation my band of demon brothers has done to these bitch Angels. We no longer need to be controlled by them. Imagine what the world would be like without their intrusions.
Power. Money. Sex. Everything we’ve ever dreamed. There will be no one to stop us once the Angels are out of the way.
This is your last chance, Simeon. Be rid of your little pet project and join me in this earth- changing venture.
~SSS
“Holy mother of MOG,” I whispered. My hands trembled, and I felt like I might throw up.
“Abigail. What are you doing in here?”
Chapter Twenty-One
I turned on my shaky heel to see Simeon standing at the door with his arms crossed, wearing only a pair of denim jeans.
Instead of lust filling my mind, it was anger. Wait. Make that full-on rage.
“You knew and you lied.” I slammed the letter into his bare chest and pushed past him.
I didn’t ask how long he’d known. I didn’t care. All I could think about was getting out of his house and away from him.
What was I thinking trusting him? Making love with him? I was such a fool.
He followed me to the bedroom.
“If you read this,”—he shook the paper in the air—“then you’ll realize I didn’t want anything to do with Malakai and his plan. I’ve completely washed my hands of him and all his evil. Don’t you see that? Doesn’t it mean anything to you?”
Simeon could’ve been singing a show tune for all I cared. His words meant nothing to me now. He knew his father was guilty, and he didn’t tell me. How could he not tell me? I’d lost my home because of Malakai. Angels have died at the hands of his “band of demon brothers.”
I tugged on my jeans, stuffed my chemise into the waistband, and tied his dress shirt in a knot at my waist. I scanned the floor and spotted my tennies.
“I’m getting out of here,” I said and jammed them on my feet.
“For God’s sake, Abigail. Listen to me.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him.
I yanked away from his strong grip and asked him the question that was on the tip of my tongue. “Did you know he was going to destroy Demon Control? Did you?” Heck, why didn’t I just leave? I couldn’t believe a word from his mouth anyway.
“No, that was a complete surprise.” He reached for my cheek but seemed to think better of it and slid his hands into his pockets instead. “I would’ve warned you if I’d known. And I sure as hell wouldn’t have allowed you to leave my house to run straight into danger.”
Fine. I sort of believed that. “Did you know Peter Piper had a bug on him when you helped me detain him?”
“Of course not, Abigail.”
The little voice inside my head said he was telling the truth. Okay. Good. “How long have you known your father was behind the rebellion?”
He dropped his head for a moment and then met my eyes again. “It’s not important.”
My heart sank. “It’s important to me. How long?”
“I didn’t think it would go this far. Malakai has always threatened to overtake Demon Control but it was always talk. I didn’t think―”
“How long?”
He let out a short breath and spoke the next words in almost a whisper. “I figured it out when you identified Cesar Knight as one of your attackers from my database. I knew he was in Malakai’s employ.”
Before I could control myself, I lifted my hand and slapped him across his face.
“My, my,” a strange voice came from the doorway.
Startled, I jerked my attention from Simeon to a man with familiar silver eyes. He had platinum blond hair that contrasted against his golden skin tone. A heart-shaped face. Full red lips. Tall with broad shoulders.
My breath caught in my throat when the puzzle pieces matched up together in my mind. This had to be Malakai. The very demon who’d destroyed my home, car, and all my possessions. He’d killed Lois and Christina, amputated thumbs and turned Denver Demon Control Angels’ lives upside down. And now he was going to pay. I hoped.
I glared at him and took a defensive stance, preparing to fight.
The demon’s lips curled up in an ungodly grin. Heck, every pore on his body screamed sacrilegious. Like a predator, he slowly stepped forward, staring at me as if I was his own slice of cheesecake.
He spoke to Simeon through his perfect white teeth. “I didn’t know you liked it rough, son.”
“What do you want?” Simeon edged his body in front of me, placing himself between his father and me.
I was relieved to be blocked from the pure evil the powerful demon exuded.
“You have my attention now.” Simeon’s voice was calm and cool. “Say what you need to say and then leave.”
Malakai le
t out a deep rumbling laugh, and I peeked around Simeon to see that five or six demons, including Cesar Knight and Victor Adams, had poured into the room behind their leader. This didn’t look good at all. My shoulder blades twitched uncontrollably, my wings begging to escape.
I was beginning to regret losing my temper and slapping Simeon. I could only pray he’d still be on my side. If he ever was.
“My son,” Malakai began, “I’m afraid my craving to bond with you has passed. You’ve ignored me. You’ve embarrassed me. You’ve disappointed me. And now, as your father, I must punish you.” He met my eyes. “Then perhaps the boys and I will have a little fun with your pet before we destroy her and the rest of her kind.”
Simeon stiffened in front of me. “You touch her and you’ll be violating the pact.” His voice was a husky growl. “You’ll be banished to Hell for eternity.”
I gently patted his back, glad he’d stepped up to defend me.
Malakai chuckled. “Who’s going to deport me, son? Angels have no control over me. Their MOG is powerless against finding me. Besides, the pact doesn’t rule me. I rule myself.”
“Then I’ll kill you.” Simeon hunched over then clenched and unclenched his fists. Every muscle in his body seemed to flex as he readied for battle. “You’ll die at my hands if you or any of your minions lay a finger on her. How’s that for disappointment?”
Malakai faked a yawn, and the demons behind him laughed. “This reunion has been fun but it’s time to move to the other location.” He flicked a slender, clawed finger at his underlings and nodded toward Simeon and me. “Detain them,” he said and disappeared, like a coward, into the hallway.
Simeon looked back at me. “Get in the bathroom and lock the door,” he ordered through his gritted jaw.
Yeah, right. Like I was leaving him to fight on his own. He may have deceived me, but I still couldn’t help but care about him. Besides, I was sure a wooden door wouldn’t stop these asshole demons from busting through. Before I had time to protest, he turned and dove toward the enemy, throwing his body at them in full force. Cesar Knight and two other demons went flying into the wall, the drywall cracking behind them, with shocked expressions on their faces.
Yes! I wanted to clap and cheer, but I knew I had to use that moment of surprise. I jumped onto the bed and used the bedpost to twirl my body around. My foot struck a demon who looked like a beefy Leonardo DiCaprio. He flew back and crashed through Simeon’s closet door.
One point for the Angel.
Victor Adams grabbed for my legs when I landed back on the mattress, so I leaped to avoid him. My wings burst free, and I hovered as far as the ceiling would allow. Eight feet wasn’t high enough apparently. He reached up with one hand, grabbed me by the hair, and yanked me to the bed.
“Ouch, you jerk,” I yelled, willing my wings back into my shoulders as I got to my knees. “No hair pulling.”
Victor smiled, and behind him I could see Simeon scrambling on the floor with three demons trying to pin him down. He wasn’t giving up, and neither was I.
I dodged Victor’s next attack as he lunged forward onto the mattress. Then I brought my elbow down onto his back as hard as I could. Air gushed out of his mouth, and I was certain I’d cracked one or two of his ribs.
“Take that, messenger boy,” I said, ignoring the pain shooting up my funny bone. Despite the pain, I felt quite proud of myself.
Until someone grabbed me from behind. Blond hair covered my eyes as a demon shoved me to the bed and pinned my hands down above my head.
“We meet again,” Cesar Knight’s voice growled into my ear.
I fought to push him off me, but Victor had recovered quickly and was now restraining my lower half.
“What should we do with her now, Cesar?” He gripped hold of my butt cheek and squeezed.
Cesar laughed into my hair. “Whatever the hell we want.”
I don’t think so.
I used the only body part I had that wasn’t confined to give him a good old- fashioned head butt. Jerking my head back, I made decent contact with the demon’s face. And then cursed under my breath at the amount of pain I’d caused myself. Thankfully, I knew it had done more damage to Cesar. Bones cracked, and blood trickled onto and down my neck.
“You bitch,” he yelled.
Great. Now I’d pissed him off. The two demons jerked me around until I was face up and splayed out on my back. Cesar’s nose was bleeding profusely, but it didn’t seem to stop him from wanting to kill me.
“Get her pants off,” he said through a strained gurgle to Victor. “I’m going to teach her a lesson.”
Oh crap. Didn’t he want to kill me first? I struggled against their hold, but I was completely restricted. Thick droplets of blood fell from Cesar’s broken nose onto my cheek as he straddled my waist and held my wrists down. I hated this. I hated being under their control, being helpless to fight back.
I spat at Cesar. I jerked and wiggled. My wings burst free, and I tried to hover up and away from them. But it was all futile. Victor had my jeans tugged down to my knees, and of course I wasn’t wearing any underwear. Damn it.
“It’s time to see why the half-breed is so obsessed with you,” Cesar said.
His nose was healing before my eyes, and the bulge in his pants told me he was getting his second wind.
Shit. Not this. Anything but this. I jerked around some more to let these demons know this wouldn’t be easy. I’d die before I let them have my body.
Through all the noise of bodies struggling, slaps, hits, and kicks, I heard a roar. A thunderous roar rose, echoing off the walls of the bedroom.
Simeon.
It sounded like it was coming from Simeon. I tried to look past Cesar, but he blocked my view. The next thing I knew, the two demons on top of me were swept to the ground by Simeon’s forceful blow. He tackled them to the ground and swung and punched like a maniac.
Long scratch marks and welts covered his back and arms. His hair was soaking wet with both blood and sweat. I glanced on the floor and detected the demons he’d already fought and beaten begin to stir and rise.
Simeon had saved me. Again. But this battle was far from over.
I yanked my jeans up and zipped them, preparing to help Simeon. If I could only get my thumb on a few of them to even this out.
“Enough!” Malakai stepped into the doorway. His face was drained of color, and his silver eyes were now a crimson red as he pointed toward Simeon, who continued to fight. “I said enough.”
Malakai’s voice pierced my ears with only a whisper, and I cringed. How did he do that?
He extended his arms in my direction and spread his long, clawed fingers. The air in the room grew thick with heat and the stench of sulfur. My skin felt as if it were being burned from the sun. My face flushed and my stomach turned. Whatever Malakai was doing made me weak, nauseous, and lightheaded. And tired. So very tired. I slumped to the bed and struggled to keep my eyes open.
The fighting in the corner of the room stopped abruptly, and Simeon looked back at me with wide eyes, his pupils dilated.
“Leave her alone,” he shouted and jumped to his feet. His body was bloodied and torn as he stalked toward the bed.
I sat up to meet him but a sharp, thudding pain in my head took the breath from me. I curled up in a fetal position and clenched my eyes shut.
“Abigail, stay with me,” I heard Simeon murmur into my ear before I blacked out.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Heat surrounded me, yet I was freezing as if ice water was running through my veins. I shivered and struggled to open my heavy eyelids. Too heavy. I needed more sleep. Just a couple of extra minutes, that was all.
“Abigail, are you all right?”
Simeon was close. I felt his warm breath on my cheek, and I instinctively inhaled it in.
“Mmm.” That was nice. My tongue was stuck the roof of my mouth. I worked to fill it with moisture so I could speak. “More, please. So cold.”
“I’m tryi
ng to keep you warm, sweetheart.”
Something soft and leathery shifted against my shoulder. Something that smelled a lot like Judd’s musky cologne.
“Abby, you up?” Judd’s voice was a short distance away.
Simeon and Judd. Here together? My pulse sped up. Where the heck was I? I wrenched one eye open. Simeon was staring down at me with his eyebrows knitted together in worry. His face was a mess with caked-on blood. And I suddenly remembered how it had gotten there.
Malakai and his demons.
I tried to sit up and realized I was balled up in Simeon’s lap. He encompassed me with his arms and legs. And this familiar jacket. Judd’s jacket.
“Judd?” I scanned the dim room, only lit by a weak light bulb dangling from the ceiling.
He kneeled in front of me, his face streaked with blood, sweat, and dirt. The injuries that had created that mess were mostly healed.
“I’m right here.” He shot an annoyed glance at Simeon. “He’s just keeping you warm. You were trembling.”
Simeon’s fingers caressed my thigh underneath the jacket. “How are you feeling?”
My head was splitting in two, my mouth was parched, and my entire body ached, but I figured I’d better not complain since I was the only one here not covered in blood. Well, my own blood. Cesar’s blood was dried on my neck and clumped in my hair.
“I’m fine. What happened? Where are we?”
Judd’s chilled rough hand touched my cheek. “We’re gonna get out of here. Don’t worry.”
“Out of where?” I took in the surroundings for the first time. Red brick walls enclosed the small empty room and the ground was nothing but concrete. Only a trapdoor in the ceiling.
Huh. Were we in a cellar of some sort?
Judd stood and started pacing. “The half-breed’s daddy has us locked up. I guess he’s been a bad boy.”
The memory of Malakai’s letter to Simeon popped into my head, and I tensed. How could I trust Simeon when he’d lied to me? My sight focused in on a freshly scarred wound running from his ear to his bare shoulder. How could I not trust him? He’d fought for me. And he was here with me now. Not with Malakai.
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