Loving Angel

by JL Weil

  God, I was such a moron.

  Sliding on the heels of my feet, I stopped an inch from Emma’s SUV—the mean machine. I swung open the back door, and just as I was getting ready to lay Angel across the back seat, trouble of a different kind showed up.

  Lexi.

  She moved soundlessly, like a fairy, until she saw Angel’s lifeless body in my arms. We had doused one fire, just to start another.

  A scream pierced the darkness, echoing far into the stars. Travis flashed to his sister’s side, clasping a hand over her mouth. “Quiet,” he whispered sternly. “She’s not dead.”

  Lexi shook off her gag, looking to me for confirmation. “She’s not?”

  I gave her a sad but direct gaze. “No, she’s alive.” But she was far from all right. The less Lexi knew the better. “We don’t have time to explain. Trust us. It’s for the best.”

  She glanced from Lexi to Travis and back to me. “Are you insane?” she shrieked.

  “It’s the only way,” Emma’s voice rang out.

  Hearing that Emma was on board with this crazy scheme consoled her as much as possible under the circumstances. “I don’t understand what’s going on, but you all owe me a hell of an explanation, and it better be good.”

  “Everything will be fine,” I reassured her. “Go back inside.”

  She left the same way she had come—stealthily.

  Travis slid Dukes of Hazard style over the hood of the truck as I climbed into the backseat with Angel’s comatose body. Travis barely had time to close his door before Emma slammed her foot on the gas. “How is she doing?” he asked, throwing on his seat belt.

  “She’s out cold.”

  “C-can you still sense her?” he asked, weakly.

  “Yeah.” I exhaled.

  Emma’s emerald eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “What about the demons? Will they come looking for her?”

  “As long as the keystone is unconscious, the portal is closed. No other demons will pass through to Earth, but if she wakes up…”

  “We’re shit up a creek,” Travis filled in.

  “How far is it to this place?” I asked, concerned about our timing.

  “Too far.” And with that said, Emma punched the accelerator. Her SUV jerked into gear.

  Travis turned in his seat, looking over his shoulder. “Are you really going to go through with this?”

  I stared at the wounds on my arm, watching them heal. “What other choice to do I have?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can be there when she wakes.”

  I understood. God did I ever. “It might be best if I was there alone.”

  “This is so screwed up,” he huffed.

  None of us spoke after that, a thousand what ifs running wild in our heads. I spent the remainder of the drive memorizing every feature of her face. The fullness of her pink lips. Her peach-colored cheeks. Dark, inky lashes fanned against her skin. I seared it all into my memory, tracing the outline of her heart-shaped face, such softness it made my breath catch. I didn’t want to forget how beautiful she was like this. Tranquilized, she looked like my Angel. I could almost convince myself that this was all a bad dream. That she wasn’t partaking in a demon war and rooting for the wrong side.

  “Pinch yourself, Winters. This is very real.” Emma killed the engine and looked out the window. “Home sweet home.”

  When I had first met the slim, redheaded dancer, she drove a conservative little sedan—quiet and tasteful. She had never gone anywhere without earbuds in and a gym bag strapped over her shoulder. Now she strapped on a bow and had traded in the little sedan for a monster-sized truck.

  It was remarkable how much we all had changed.

  I glanced out the window. “There’s nothing here,” I stated, edginess leaking into my voice. If she screwed me over, taking us to the middle of nowhere, I couldn’t be responsible for my actions. For Angel, I would risk everything, including the scorn of my family, of my kind, and of anyone who got in my way.

  Irritation flared.

  Emma sighed pitifully. “Did you think this place would be in plain sight for any idiot to see or stumble upon? Just as your kind has secrets, so does mine. We protect those secrets, because if humankind where to find out you existed, that demons preyed on them, mad chaos would arise.”

  “Fine. So where is this top secret lair?”

  “Where all demons belong. In the ground.”

  Clever.

  I scoured the empty field, and it took me a few moments to find it. Without my heightened sight, I wouldn’t have seen it at all. A weathered, wooden door the same color as the wheat embedded in the ground. Seeing it brought on conflicted emotions. I wasn’t sure I could come to terms with this shithole being Angel’s salvation.

  Her head lay in my lap as I combed my fingers through her hair, needing the physically contact.

  “There’s still time to change your mind,” Travis muttered.

  I wished.

  Swallowing the rock-sized lump in my throat, I gathered her in my arms one last time. “I can’t.” A dark, somber mood settled, creeping over us.

  Travis stayed behind, and I didn’t blame him. More than once he’d voiced just how incredibly stupid this plan was. He had a soft spot for Angel. We all did. So that left me with Emma, the hardass.

  But in a job such as this, a cold, indifferent hunter was called for. She would do what needed to be done. Emma and I had an unspoken understanding. The people we loved relied on us to make the tough choices. To do what others couldn’t.

  There must have had been a look of utter desolation and hopelessness on my face, because Emma asked, “Should I put you on suicide watch?”

  Shaking the doe-eyed expression from my face, I steeled myself for what I had to do. My eyes hardened, and I let pieces of my demon emerge. I would need that asshole part of myself more than ever. “And leave Angel in your capable hands? I think we both know we will never truly trust each other.”

  Emma grabbed the ringed handle from the wooden trap door hidden in the ground. “That’s hilarious coming from you, after what the two of you did to me. You’re lucky I’m here at all—”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Save your warnings. They don’t work on me. You and I can settle our differences later, after Angel is safe.”

  She yanked the dusty door open, dirt kicking up into the air. “I will have your head for what you’ve done to my family,” Emma seethed.

  Her family? What about mine? It was because of her family that I was forced to do the things I had. If they hadn’t relentlessly tried to kill me… If they hadn’t kidnaped Angel… Glaring at her with golden eyes, I replied, “Bring it.”

  Her eyes flashed, and for a second, I thought she might try to shoot me. Then she blew out a long exhale. “Walk through this door and you’ll find what you’re looking for.” She dangled a single key on a chain. “This is as far as I go. You’re on your own.” She dropped the ruby red skeleton key into my palm.

  I looked past the deathtrap stairs that led down into the dark dungeon. Large chucks of concrete were missing from the stairs, the walls were cracked, and the air smelled stale and dusty. Gently, I pressed a kiss to Angel’s forehead, savoring the taste of her skin. With one last glance at the sun beating behind us, I took a step. And another. Remorse. Regret. Misery. They all weighed heavily on my broken heart.

  Chapter 28

  Angel clutched the iridescent, glowing bars. A whitish material made to hold a demon, keeping them from returning to the underworld. The bars shimmered in the black, dingy room. Dark blue eyes, rimmed in red were burning with deep, scornful hate. Never did I think I would have to make such a gut-wrenching decision, but those eyes…they no longer belonged to Angel.

  Her eyes were like sparkling sapphires—mesmerizing. I’d never forget the first time I encountered them. The Spring Valley sun had glinted off her inquisitive irises as she waited for Lexi. And I would never forget the way she made me feel as her eyes roamed over me. Not an ounc
e of fear, but intrigue and a flash of heat I didn’t want. There had been a surge of protectiveness that came out of nowhere. Even then, I was pulled to her, which had royally pissed me off. Me? Fascinated with a human girl? The idea appalled me and, if I had been totally honest with myself, excited me at the same time. She was a puzzle I wanted to piece together.

  Look where that had gotten me—gotten us both.

  In an underground lair used by hunters to perform twisted experiments, and I was forced to lock my possessed girlfriend in a demon-proof cage.

  Can’t get much more rockstar than this.

  A low hum of anger thrummed through my veins. Angel was throwing off buckets of it. This was a different Angel entirely. She had on her bitch-face. Once in awhile, I would catch a glimpse of the girl I fell in love with, but before I had the chance to be sure it was really Angel, she was gone again.

  All it took was a blink.

  “If you don’t let me out of here, I’m going to pull Lexi’s lungs out through her mouth.”

  I showed no emotion, because that was exactly what she wanted—to hurt me. Perhaps over the last few days, I’d grown used to her intimidation tactics. Threatening my family had become Angel’s favorite pastime. I was counting on her growing bored of it soon enough, but for now…

  “Let me out of here,” she demanded, and then came the taunts. “Or I will make you watch as I slaughter your family. Your nightmare will be a reality.”

  There were no lengths I wouldn’t go to for her. Even locking her behind bars to keep her from becoming a danger to herself. “We’ve been over this. I can’t. Not until I figure out how to fix this.” Fix you, I silently added.

  She exhaled gradually. “Okay. You’ve made your point. I screwed up. I swear I’m better. Just give me a chance and you’ll see.”

  “That’s what they all say,” I mumbled, straddling a wooden chair. It was the only piece of furniture in the room.

  And then the crazy came back. “I damn your soul,” she hissed, rattling the cage.

  Oh goody. “If I had a soul, Angel, I would sell it just to see your eyes again.”

  Her hands tightened on the bars, turning her knuckles white, but it was useless. Each bar had been sheathed in halite, commonly known as rock salt and burned like a bitch if you were a demon. I could see the searing pain reflecting in her eyes, but she held on, tipping her chin in defiance. The mineral also stripped them of their powers. She could no longer command, summon, or compel, which burned her ass like there was no tomorrow.

  Hunters had more tricks up their sleeves than any of us had ever imagined. And it was the first time in my life that I was glad the hunters existed, because without Emma, I wouldn’t have known how to stop Angel—how to have contained her.

  Not that I liked it.

  Not in the least, but I was desperate and had to be able to keep her from doing more harm until I figured out how to redeem her. If it took my last dying breath to save her, so be it. I owed it to her. She had saved me from a bitter life of loneness and anger. She’d given me peace with the one thing I struggled with constantly—my demon. She loved me. All of me. Although right now you wouldn’t know it.

  “If you don’t let me out of here, Chase, so help me God, I will never forgive you.”

  At least she hadn’t forgotten my name. My brow rose. “I’m not asking for your forgiveness, Angel Eyes.”

  “Don’t you dare call me that. I am going to make you pay. Do you hear me? And I will start with Lexi,” she taunted.

  I showed no emotion. Rage, I could deal with. “I’d like to see you try from inside there.”

  She let out a long growl/scream of frustration that no one would hear.

  My cell phone dinged. “Hold that thought.” I pulled out my phone, and Travis’s name popped across the screen. It was a text.

  How’s she doing?

  Angel blabbered another threat that involved my heart and a fork.

  I texted back: She wants to eat my heart for dinner.

  The phone lit up. So you’re making progress.

  Humor tugged at my lips. It was then I noticed how silent the room had gotten. No cussing. No shaking of the cage. My heart stuttered in my chest, and my head snapped up.

  Pools of tears welled in her eyes, her bottom lip trembling. “Please, Chase. You’ve got to let me out of here.”

  Her mood swings were the absolute worst. I closed my eyes, clenching them, trying to shut out the sound of her quivering voice. My jaw twitched. This was when things got damn near impossible, when I got glimpses of the real Angel, but the thing was, I never knew if it was real.

  Tears I couldn’t handle, and she knew it. A dirty trick to play, but I had expected nothing less. She would do anything, say anything to get free. The demon inside her demanded it. It was all she could think about. Every muscle, every bone, every fiber of my body went rigid. “You know I can’t do that,” I said between clamped teeth.

  “Why are you doing this to me? Why are you hurting me?” she pleaded, tears soaking her cheeks.

  My eyes flew open. Hurting her? Did she have any idea what this was doing to me? She might not feel our bond, but I did, and it shattered me. Now with her unable to block those connections, I was overwhelmed by our link.

  I could physically feel her pain, her anger, her manipulation, her desire to be free above all else. A cluster of shit was going on inside both of us, and it was beginning to mess with my head. She was messing with my head.

  “If you were really Angel, you would know I could never hurt you,” I said weakly, growing tired of the emotional strain.

  “You’re supposed to love me, not hurt me. I thought you loved me.” Her voice trailed off, getting quieter.

  I shot forward, and her eyes got wide. My hands went through the bars, clasping her face. “How dare you question the depth of my love for you? It is because I love you that I can’t let you go.” Desperation and anger laced my words. Just in case telling her wasn’t clear enough, I was kissing her senseless. My lips moved over hers in frustration and hope.

  If there was the slightest chance I would be able to reach her, if I could pull her out from underneath the demon’s hold, this was it.

  At first she didn’t react, and I thought for sure she might try to draw blood. Good Angel or bad Angel, it didn’t matter which; they both knew how to fight. But I sighed in sweet relief when I felt her lips move over mine.

  The kiss was fast and branding.

  I pressed my head against the bars, trying to calm the storm going off inside me, using the pain from the halite to center myself. The message was crystal clear—I wasn’t giving up on us, and neither should she. I didn’t know any other way to prove it to her. She was going to have to take my word on it.

  Her fingers weaved into my hair, keeping me close. “Release me,” she pleaded, breathily.

  Damn her.

  Keeping her here against her will was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. I’d fought hellhounds, demons, and hunters, just about anything you could think of, but still, seeing Angel behind bars broke something inside me. “I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can.”

  I shook my head.

  “You can’t keep me here forever.”

  A muscle spasm rolled along my jaw. “I can damn well try.”

  “You will pay for this.” Her look promised a vengeful death. “I am going to rip your ribs from your chest.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.”

  She tried to jerk out of my grasp, eyes blazing. “You’re demented. Rot in Hell, Chase Winters.” Her tone evolved into a rasp.

  I stepped back.

  Good God. The switch in emotions caused my head to throb. I pinched my brows together. “I guess we’ll see each other there.” Where she went, I went, and vice versa. As long as our connections were solidified, we were tied heart, soul, and body.

  There are those who would threaten us, threaten what we had. I saw that now. It might always be that way, but I would risk t
he exposure of my kind, I would start World War III, and I would level an entire country to keep her from stepping foot in the gates of Hell.

  Our love was a fortifying power that I was counting on to save her. Save us both. You couldn’t separate us with a crowbar. We were Chase and Angel. We had an epic love story. An extraordinary bond. Nothing could come between us, certainly not this. I wouldn’t allow it.

  If Hell wanted a quick and easy passage to Earth, they would have to pass through Angel.

  And I’d be damned if I let that happen.

  Turning my back to her, I began to strut from the room.

  “Chase!” she screamed. “Don’t you leave me here alone. Don’t you dare.”

  My steps faltered. I closed my eyes and muttered a curse.

  “Chase,” she whined.

  Then with a promise of redemption, I walked from the room, the sounds of her screams echoing in my head. I kept walking. Regardless that each step I took was like a knife plunging into my heart. Inside, I was filled with red-hot anger. It boiled my blood, and I let the demon in me thrive on that rage.

  I slammed the iron door shut, drowning out her cries, and turned the lock.

  Chase and Angel’s conclusion…

  REDEEMING ANGEL

  Coming in 2015

  ~*~*~*~

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  Bonus – Angel’s POV

  Holy goat balls!

  What have I done?

  There was blood on my hands. Blood! It literally dripped down my arms, and…a blade in my grasp? But…I had no clue how it had gotten there, or the blood. Everything before this moment was like a black void—empty and vast.