by Marie Harte
“You look just like him,” she whispered.
“Or perhaps, he looks just like me.”
“Oh my God.” The words flowed from her lips just as the image hit her. She’d mixed it up. “You’re his father.”
The Priest smiled at her. “See. I knew you’d figure it out.” He turned and looked around the room. “Now we just have to see if lover boy can figure it out too.” He looked back at her over his shoulder. “A fitting ending, don’t you think?”
Fallon looked around the room. She could’ve sworn she’d been there before, but it still felt wrong. She looked down beside her, her breath leaving her lungs in one quick hiss as she stared at the blood stain on the floor. “The warehouse.”
She hadn’t realised he’d heard her until his voice broke the stillness. “Right again, Angel. The very place where evil took my son from me. But not for long. Soon, he’ll be back with us.”
“No matter what happens here, it won’t bring Charlie back. Please. If you’ll just let me, I can get you the help you need.”
The Priest laughed, but it was hollow, empty. “I’m not crazy, Angel. I don’t need that kind of help.” He took a step closer. “Your power is all the help I’ll need.”
Fallon shook her head as he moved slowly towards her. “But I don’t have any power. I’m not really an angel.”
“Now, now. We both know that’s not true. Or do you think I’ve forgotten our previous meeting? Though I must say, you’re much more alluring in the flesh.” He stopped at her feet. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m only sending you home.”
Fallon tried to scoot away as he knelt down and pulled her up, holding her tight to his chest, the cool metal of the blade touching her skin. She closed her eyes, knowing her only chance was to launch an attack, when his body tensed, and he wrapped his other arm around her waist.
“I wouldn’t try anything if I were you, Angel. Besides, we’ve got company…and right on schedule.”
The Priest turned and pressed his back to the wall, holding her in front of him as he faced a doorway off to their left.
“Smile, Angel. Our moment of glory has arrived.”
* * * *
Gil stood in the doorway, his muscles tensed, his Glock pointing straight out. The Priest had Fallon tight to his chest, a knife wavering by her throat. But it didn’t matter. At least she was still alive. And nothing the bastard had done to her was going to change the way he felt. He loved her, and he’d spend a lifetime showing her just how much.
The man smiled at him, as if he’d been waiting for him to arrive. Gil shuffled forward, his eyes fixed on the knife. If the creep gave him any indication he was going to use it, he’d take the shot, even if it meant clipping Fallon’s shoulder in the process.
“Hello, Gil. How nice of you to drop by. I was starting to think you hadn’t figured it all out yet.”
“Put the gun down, James, and no one will get hurt.”
The Priest cringed at the sound of his name, a firm scowl etching across his face. “James Cutter no longer lives in this body,” he snarled, shifting Fallon in his arms, covering more of his body with hers. “I’ve been reborn.”
Gil took a step forward, his focus still locked on the knife. Fallon gasped as the point nicked her skin. “Fine. Whatever you say. Just please, don’t hurt her.” A single drop of blood welled at the wound and he felt his chest squeeze. He couldn’t lose her. Not when he’d finally gotten her back. “Tell me what you want. I’m sure we can make a deal.”
The Priest laughed, stroking the ends of Fallon’s hair with his other hand. “I don’t want anything from you. I’ve got everything I need right here.” He ran a finger down Fallon’s arm. “You’re only here to witness the miracle I have in store.” He flashed Gil a knowing smile. “I think you’ll like it.”
Gil held back the growl in his chest, as he watched the man caress his woman. He could tell the mere touch of the bastard’s hand sickened her, but he could only hope she’d hang on. James was obviously too worked-up to try anything fancy. “And what miracle is that?”
James smiled a toothy grin at him. “This is where I raise the dead,” he said, his voice cold and calm.
“Nothing you do here can bring Charlie back. Believe me. If there were a way, I’d have found it. He was more than just my partner. He was like a brother to me. But he’s gone.”
James snarled and pulled his arm back, scratching Fallon’s skin. She stiffened in his arms and it was all Gil could do not to empty his clip into the man. But he didn’t have a clear shot, and he wasn’t about to take a shot through her. “That’s where you’re wrong. Charlie’s still with us. His spirit hasn’t left yet. He wants to come back.”
“Even if that’s true, killing Fallon won’t bring him back.”
James laughed like a man with a secret. “Oh, but it will. Didn’t you know that whenever a fallen angel is returned to heaven, a single soul is released?” He gazed at Fallon’s head. “She’s so lovely. I’ve been waiting for her for a long time. I knew the moment she appeared in the church, she was the answer to my prayers. The others were a test. A show of my commitment. Now God has graced me with the power to bring back my son.”
Gil felt the heat rise in the room. There was no way he’d be able to reason with the man, but maybe he could keep him talking long enough for Wade to find them and get off a shot. “I thought angels were pure? If you know Fallon and I are lovers. How can she be an angel?”
“That’s why she’s a fallen angel.” James looked at him with confusion. “Don’t you see? I’m saving her, just like all the rest. Without me, her soul would go to Hell. But I can purify her. Send her back to Heaven where she belongs.”
“She belongs here…with me.”
The Priest sneered at him, waving the knife around before settling it back against her neck. “If you care so much for her, then you would’ve married her before taking her to your bed.”
Gil smiled, easing forward another step. “Hand her over, and I’ll marry her now.” He met the man’s glare. “You’re a man of the cloth. You could officiate for us.”
The Priest faltered, his gaze darting between Fallon and him. He knew the man could see the honesty in his eyes, and the stark truth seemed to unnerve him. “No. I need her to bring Charlie back.”
“So you’ll kill the one woman Charlie loved in order to resurrect him?” Gil shook his head. “How do you think Charlie will feel when he learns what happened? Do you really think he’ll be thankful?”
The Priest shook his head. “She’s your lover, not his!”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Charlie joined us the night before he died. I wanted to give him a gift…something to show him how much he meant to me…to us. Fallon loved him as surely as I did.”
The Priest’s eyes clouded over with doubt and his hand dropped slightly. “Is this true?” he asked, shaking Fallon.
Fallon nodded.
“Say it!” he yelled.
“Yes. Charlie and I were lovers. He stayed with us the night before he died.”
She sobbed and Gil fought the urge to go to her. The Priest snarled and shook his head. “Did you love him?”
For the first time since he’d arrived, Fallon locked her gaze on his. Gil could see the pain in her expression as she was forced to tell another secret she’d been keeping from him. He smiled back and nodded.
“Yes,” she whispered, and he knew it was the truth. He’d always known, but the jealousy he’d expected to slam into him, didn’t. Instead, he felt relief. A sense of pride at her ability to open her heart and give the greatest gift to the man he’d loved himself.
Gil took one last step closer. “Can you do it, James? Can you kill her knowing Charlie would’ve died for her? That with a single touch, she’d eased his demons and cured him in a way no one else could? In a way even you couldn’t?”
James sighed, and for a moment Gil thought he’d lower the knife. But then he smiled and raised it back to her throat.
“It wasn’t a true love. It was tainted. The three of you shared that night. Together. I know Charlie will forgive me.”
“Will he?” yelled Gil, distracting the man once again. “Not that it matters, ‘cause in the end, he’ll blame himself. And that will kill him more than any bullet could.”
James looked him, pausing just long enough Gil chanced a glance at Fallon. Her eyes were wide and glassy, her brow furrowed. He could see a slight twitch in her jaw. She forced a weak smile, her love for him evident in the curve of her lips. Gil held her stare, praying she could read his thoughts.
“This isn’t going to work, James. We both know Fallon’s not really an angel. Yes, she’s been given a gift, but nothing you do here will bring Charlie back.” He reached out his other hand to the man. “Please. Let her go. We’ll talk.”
James looked down at Fallon. “I suppose in the end, it all comes down to faith.” He met Gil’s gaze for the last time. “And I, for one, believe.”
With that the man moved, pressing the tip into her skin. Gil screamed her name, willing her to step back. Fallon moved with the man, twisting her head away, driving the knife back. Gil lined the man up just as the report of a gun echoed through the air. The Priest jerked sideways, the knife dropping from his hand as his body collapsed on the floor, covering Fallon’s. He ran to her, beating Wade to the scene by three steps. James was bleeding from the side of his chest, his breath wheezy and laboured.
Gil rolled the man over, pulling Fallon out from underneath. Blood was splattered across her shirt and a steady trickle ran down her neck. Gil’s heart stopped. He grabbed her neck, pressing the small laceration closed with his thumb as he fought to tear a piece of cloth from his shirt.
“Just hold still, darling. I need to stop the bleeding.”
Fallon moaned and reached her hand up to cover his. Her skin was cold and clammy, and just the feel of it sent his adrenaline into over drive. Gil took her hand and used it to hold the wad of fabric as he tore off his jacket and laid it across her. “She’s in shock, Wade.”
“EMT’s are already on their way. Trevor’s got a few units coming too.”
Gil nodded, his focus aimed on Fallon. Her face was pale and her breathing seemed sporadic. He longed to gather her in his arms, but knew it was more important for her to stay still, until some of the colour returned to her cheeks. He smiled at her, caressing her jaw with his fingers. “Nice move.”
She nuzzled her face into his hand. “I had a good teacher.” She nodded towards The Priest. “Is he going to make it?”
Gil looked over at James. The bullet had lodged somewhere inside his chest, but Wade had seemed to get the bleeding under control. “Looks like it.” Gil turned away, trying to ignore the patches of dried blood staining the floor. Charlie had gotten shot in that same spot before Gil had set off a smoke grenade and carried the man to safety. He jumped when Fallon touched his hand.
“Gil?”
He leant closer, not wanting her to have to strain. “Yes, darling?”
“I’m sorry. What I said about Charlie…”
Gil stopped her with a gentle finger across her lips. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Fallon. And there’s nothing to explain. I loved him too. How could I expect anything less from you?”
She smiled as the sound of sirens filled the air. Soft, then louder, until the very room seemed to vibrate with the noise. The bleeding beneath his hand had slowed and he could see a faint tinge of pink in her cheeks. “How did you know?” she asked.
“You kept insisting Charlie was the key, so I finally went back and looked into his file. I never imagined James would be behind this.” He nodded towards the man. “You were right all along.”
“So does this mean you’re a believer?”
Gil smiled. “I’ve always believed in you, darling. But we do have one problem.”
Fallon’s eyes widened slightly and he could tell she was holding in her fear. “What’s that?”
“Well, with your admirer unconscious on the floor, we don’t have anyone to officiate. I guess this means we’ll have to do it the old fashioned way, and have a real wedding.”
Fallon’s mouth fell open and the stunned look on her face made him smile. “A real…” Her voice trailed off, replaced by an impish smile. “Oh, I don’t know. We might be able to get to city hall before it closes and grab a marriage licence. But isn’t there some sort of waiting period?”
Gil pulled out a folded sheet from his pocket. “Already took care of that the other day when I went out with Wade.” He handed her the paper. “I hope you don’t mind. I took the liberty of signing your name for you.” He bent over and kissed the tip of her nose. “Just say the when, baby, and I’m all yours.”
Fallon smiled up at him, a single tear fading down her cheek. “When.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Well?” Gil stood outside the bathroom door. He’d been pacing the floor for the past five minutes and the anticipation was killing him. “What does it say?”
Fallon turned towards him, her pale eyes flashing in the early morning sunlight. “It says we’re going to need a bigger house.”
“It’s positive? Are you sure?”
She giggled and rolled her eyes. “It’s pretty easy to read, Gil. A plus sign means positive and a line means negative.” She handed him the small applicator. “What do you see?”
Gil scanned the tiny window. “It’s definitely a plus sign.” He looked back into her eyes. “You’re really pregnant.”
Her lips pulled tight and he could see the tension move through her muscles. “It’s still early, Gil. If you’re not sure about this, I can…”
Her voice carried into a delighted shriek as he picked her up and twirled her around the room. “Are you kidding? I’m just not sure I can wait another nine months for it all to happen.” He carried her over towards the bed. “How soon before you can get an ultrasound so we can see my son?”
“Or daughter,” she warned.
He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose as he laid her gently on the bed. “I’d love to have a little girl, Fallon. One that looks just like her mother.” He brushed her hair back as he watched her face. “But I suppose in the end, it doesn’t really matter. We’ll put more stock in it with our second child.”
Fallon’s eyes bulged wide as they welled up with tears. “Our second child? Just how many do you want?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Three or four.”
“Three or four?”
“We can have more if that’s not enough for you. I’m flexible.”
Fallon’s smile made his heart swell. She’d not only agreed to marry him, but had insisted they stop on the way home from the warehouse. It hadn’t mattered that only Wade and Trevor were there to witness the ceremony, or that both of them looked like they’d just been rescued off the street. All she’d wanted was to seal her love with a kiss. He was secretly planning another wedding for her. One with all her friends and her grandparents. The kind of day girls dreamt of from the time they were told their first fairy tale. It seemed the least he could do for all she’d given him without ever asking for anything in return, but his love.
“You know, just because I got pregnant so easily this time, doesn’t mean it’ll be that way every time.”
“Who cares? I just want to keep trying, darling.”
With that he followed her down on the bed, taking her lips softly in his. He kept his kiss soft and loving, teasing her just long enough she took charge and deepened the kiss, plunging her tongue into his mouth as if she needed his taste to live. He met her attack with one just as strong, jousting his tongue with hers until she finally pulled back. Her eyes sparkled as she watched him from behind a veil of lashes. He could tell she was up to something, but wanted her to have the illusion she was in control.
“I bought you something,” she said, reaching for the bedside table.
“Flavoured oil for me to lick off various parts of your body?” he guessed, raising his ey
ebrow in question.
Fallon smiled and threw him a quick glance over her shoulder. “Well, I did get some oil, but it’s not for you to lick off me. As a matter of fact, it’s for me to use on you.”
Gil narrowed his eyes as he watched her pull out a bag from the small drawer. “That sounds…dangerous.”
She laughed and his heart skipped a beat. He’d been so afraid she’d distance herself and fade into a deep depression after the warehouse, that her outward display of humour eased the worry he’d been hiding. And as he watched her remove a toy from the bag he realised she was more than okay.
Fallon held up the device, rotating it as she smiled at him. “Well, what do you think?”
“Why don’t you tell me what it is first?”
She huffed and he couldn’t help but smile. “It’s an anal plug, silly.”
“It’s not like the ones I’ve seen at the store.” He nodded towards the drawer. “Is there something wrong with the one you have?”
“No. Besides, this isn’t for me.” She met his heated stare. “It’s for you. It’s supposed to drive men wild. Something about an anal G-spot and the prostate gland.” She matched his raised eyebrow. “I got a narrow one so it won’t hurt you. Don’t tell me you’re nervous?”
Gil shook his head. Now she was trying to goad him into allowing her to fuck his ass with a plug. The girl had definitely gotten more courageous during their separation. But he had to admit. He liked the new cockiness. It made his cock stand at attention and his imagination run wild. And if this was what married life had in store for him, then he was more than up to the next fifty years.
“Careful, darling. Pregnant or not, I’ll still spank you.”
She tilted her head as if considering his threat. “Let’s see. A spanking in exchange for watching you take the plug and mounting you while it’s still deep inside you.” She sealed her eyes to his. “Sounds like a fair deal.”
Fallon moved across the bed, holding her prize in one hand, a bottle of scented oil in the other. She could see the uncertainty in Gil’s eyes as he watched her approach, his gaze flicking between her and the plug. She’d known the instant she’d spied it on the shelf, she had to buy it, but she hadn’t been sure whether Gil would let her use it on him. He’d never been one to let her lead, and just the fact he hadn’t tossed her down and ripped off her clothes spoke volumes.