Angel Lover

by Tricia Skinner

  “Ride me, angel. Want to see your wings when you blow my mind.”

  Her cream slicked his hips, and her blood ignited. Adjusting until his cock pressed her opening, Mariel slid down, stretching around his girth. Her wings fluttered at the exquisite fullness.

  As she moved, Kas clenched his jaw. His muscles bunched and released, and she ground against his erection. The sensations intensified, hooking onto her need, and she quickened the pace. The rhythm, harder and faster, pushed her closer to the sweet ecstasy only Kas could give.

  Mariel bowed her head, lost in the building orgasm, when Kas reached for her wings. Sensations battered her. Sweat slicked their bodies. He sat up, gripped her hips, and slammed his cock deeper inside.

  “Need this. Need you,” he said between each hard thrust. “Fuck!”

  “Yes,” she answered as she clawed his shoulders to keep from being bucked off the bed. Her stomach coiled around her impending release even as she struggled to prolong the searing passion.

  Kas grabbed a fistful of her feathers and tugged. Mariel cried out as pleasurable pain hurtled her over the edge. She muffled her cry against his neck, and he thrust harder. Her eyes filled with stars.

  The unrelenting pace continued until Kas ground her hard onto his cock. He bit her shoulder as hot jets of his seed filled her.

  He licked between her breasts, his heaving breaths branding her.

  Mariel rolled to the side, and he curved his leg over her thigh. He rocked into her with his still-hard dick, and she wrapped her right wing over him. His back arched as she tickled his skin.

  “Damn. I’ve developed a new fetish,” he said on a shallow groan.

  “Which is?”

  Kas hummed and increased his thrusts. “Wing porn.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Kas glanced down at the snowy plumage covering him and cracked a smile. Mariel slept in the crook of his arm, her soft breathing nudging him toward sleep. He stroked part of her wing, and his amusement deepened as she moaned.

  Outside his bedroom window, the early morning sky stained the horizon in orange, red, and yellow. They’d made love, screwed, and made love again until neither could move. The memories made his dick offer a valiant attempt at rising anyway.

  Carefully, Kas slipped from under her warmth and placed a pillow next to her. She wrapped her arm around it and stayed asleep. He studied her in repose, and a twinge of sadness struck.

  He loved her, and she loved him. Of that, he was completely certain.

  Yet he’d seen the revenge blazing in her eyes yesterday. She would never choose to settle down and make a life with him, not while the Directorate continued to rule.

  He strode to the bathroom and wiped himself clean. In his closet, he chose a simple pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. He gave his weapons a glance, but left the guns and various blades alone, then tiptoed from his bedroom.

  The Stronghold was quiet. He crossed the upstairs landing and knocked twice on Tanis’s office door.

  “Enter.” His father peered from his laptop. “How long will Mariel remain with us?”

  Kas sat on a couch. “Not as long as I’d like.”

  Tanis closed the laptop and folded his hands. “She’s welcome here, but I suspect that is not why you appear troubled.”

  He slouched into the cushions and stared at the ceiling. His mind was a jumble of questions and scenarios, but he didn’t know where to start.

  “The Directorate received a full report last night,” the angel said. “They are eager to speak with her.”

  “I bet. With the Renegades broken in Detroit, they’ll pretend this was their grand scheme all along. Assholes.”

  “Mariel was their operative. They will expect her to go before them to debrief.”

  Kas turned his head and swore.

  “Problem?”

  “Took her to the Chamber of Healing. The docs repaired her injuries, including her wings.”

  Tanis’s eyes widened a fraction.

  “They’re fixed. Big, beautiful, and impossible to miss. Restoration was the reward for completing her mission. They never intended to pay up.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Kas leaned forward. “When I was undercover, Mastema demanded proof I’d switched sides. Ordered me to kill an angel, return the body. Mariel told the Directorate, and they sent Kaonos with a message, all right. She was the sacrifice. We fought, he lost, and she landed the killing blow.”

  “That is quite a complication.”

  “They sold her out. Only fair she walks for all the shit they put her through.”

  “I don’t disagree,” Tanis said, standing and then rounding his desk. “Her help gave us a chance against Mastema. Still, there will be questions.”

  A list had already formed in Kas’s head. “Like how she got to Heaven.”

  His father frowned. “Some warriors and a few prisoners saw you two vanish. We could try to cover and claim someone else teleported her, but…”

  Rahab was the only Renegade known to have the ability, and his carcass had been spread-eagled on the floor.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Kas said. “She won’t go back.”

  “And yet she cannot remain with us long.” Face carefully blank, Tanis leaned against his desk. “The Directorate will seek her here. You’re her last known partner.”

  An angel squad could storm the Stronghold, but they’d leave broken and bloody. Kas wouldn’t turn Mariel over, and he’d never allow her to be hurt again. He rose from the couch and walked up to Tanis.

  “Then we’ll run.”

  His father lowered his eyes.

  “I love her, T,” he continued. “I won’t abandon her, and she can’t take on Heaven alone.”

  “But you—”

  “Need to ask her what she wants,” Mariel said.

  Kas faced his woman, standing in the doorway. She wore the healing robe, her wings relaxed against her back.

  She walked up to him and then looked at Tanis. “I will help in your search for your son.”

  “Thank you. Mastema wanted him alive, of that I’m certain,” his father replied. “When Jarrid and Cain have mended from their injuries, our search will begin.”

  Mariel nodded then focused on Kas. “We must talk.”

  He turned toward the door, but Tanis caught his arm. “Stay here. It’s neutral ground.”

  His father walked out and closed the door behind him.

  Now, alone with Mariel, Kas’s heart pounded. “Going against the board alone is suicide. Don’t care how you twist this. I either get to help you, or I’ll be forced to stop you.”

  “Your gallantry is unnecessary.” Her eyes glowed. “Do I want them to pay? Yes. Do I plan to make them suffer? Yes. Will I fly to Heaven, guns blazing, as humans say? No. I am not a fool.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  She crossed to the windows overlooking the Detroit River. “Mastema escaped. I do not know why he took your brother, but I will try to pick up his trail.”

  Kas’s Grace strummed through his body. “Hell, no. Not happening.”

  Mariel crossed her arms and faced him down. “The demon would not have stayed in the city. I will try to track him, and when I get close, I will call you in.”

  He stormed over and grabbed her. “How’s that better than a suicide run on the Directorate?”

  “The search will take longer. Time I will use to consider tactics against the board.”

  He tightened his grip on her arms, tempted to shake her.

  “My mission was always to find a way to stop Mastema,” Mariel said, her gaze softening. “I am not doing it for them. The demon is evil. He cannot be allowed to regroup.”

  “Cool. I’ll come with you.”

  She shook her head. “You must stay with your family.”

  “Why?”

  “The Directorate would never let you go. I am free, and they have no reason to come after me, especially once they realize I know I was their sacrifice.”

&nbs
p; Kas wanted to argue, to find fault in her reasoning. Goddammit.

  “You came close to a cure for the binding. Maybe a clue remains at the mansion you and the others can use, or reverse engineer.”

  The lab. He’d nearly forgotten what was stored in the basement. Kas released her. “If the warriors haven’t cleaned the place out.”

  “Let us see. I also must gather items from my home.”

  A dull ache formed in his lungs. Their time together would soon end. Kas surged forward and kissed her.

  He didn’t want her to leave.

  He didn’t want her in danger.

  He didn’t want her to say good-bye.

  …

  Parked outside the closed iron gates of the abandoned mansion, Mariel stepped from the SUV and joined Kas in front of it. He hadn’t spoken during the drive, and the silence wounded her heart.

  She didn’t want to leave him, but remaining would bring unwanted attention from Heaven. Attention that could force them apart permanently. Her brethren were not accepting of mixed couples.

  If she hoped to keep Kas from further scrutiny by the Directorate, she had to disappear for a while.

  But not forever.

  He walked to the gate and shook the chained lock. He pulled his gun and took aim, but she placed her hand on the muzzle. She extended her wings, and Kas peeked over her shoulders. His grin sent a throb to her core. Wrapping him in her arms, she beat her wings until their feet left the ground. His arms tightened around her.

  “Diet, Nephilim. Diet.”

  “Angel humor. Great.”

  Mariel smothered a laugh and lifted them higher. She strained with her heavy passenger and flew over the gate. On the other side, she landed and breathed hard. “I need practice, but you need rice cakes.”

  He made a face and turned toward the side entrance. The door opened with little resistance, and they walked inside, alert and ready for action. The interior lights were off, and they shuffled through concrete debris until they found the basement door.

  Kas stared at the staircase and then the floor. Rahab’s body was gone, as were all the dead. She scanned his face for signs of remorse. His expression gave nothing away.

  At the first light switch, she flipped it on. The air held a coppery stench, which could only be blood seeped into the damp stones.

  “In here,” Kas said as they reach a closed door. It didn’t open.

  She ran her hands over the iron. “Could the warriors have locked it?”

  “Not sure.” He pushed again. “Stand back.”

  She gave him room, and he rammed his shoulder into the door. He battered it again and again, and finally, it burst open.

  “Well, shit,” Kas said.

  Stunned, Mariel stepped around him. The lab was untouched. Vials bubbled over low flames, and the cooling unit whirred in the corner. They walked around, staring into full cabinets and peeking into microscopes.

  “It does not appear anyone has been here since before the attack,” she said.

  Kas searched two of the tables, and then crossed to a cabinet. “Locked.”

  He slid his dagger between the chain links and twisted until the mechanism snapped free. Mariel peered inside.

  One box.

  Anticipation filled her veins and sped her pulse. He eased the box off the shelf and placed it on the lab table. He didn’t move to open it.

  “What are you waiting for?”

  Kas ran his fingers around the edges. “You said it yourself. Mastema is an evil, crafty son of a bitch.”

  A chill danced up her spine. “Countermeasures.”

  “Booby trap. Yeah. Wouldn’t put it past him.” He continued his cautious examination. “Not feeling anything off, but you should wait outside, near the car.”

  “No.” Mariel wouldn’t desert him so he could take a bomb blast. “Just open it.”

  “Stubborn angel.”

  He inched the cover up, and she held her breath. The increments made her skin crawl, but she stayed focused on the lid. Only after he’d opened it completely and they gawked at the contents did she suck in a delayed breath.

  A single syringe of red liquid rested on a foam layer.

  “Is that the same one Rahab used?”

  Kas frowned and rubbed his chin. “Doubt it. The one he used had blue liquid.”

  “So, what is this?”

  “A mystery.”

  Mariel and Kas spent several minutes eyeing the syringe. Did it contain the formula that had boosted his mind-reading abilities, or not? And how would they test it?

  “I’ll take it to Tanis.” Kas closed the lid. “That stuff could be a different concoction, or plain poison. My dad’s a closet science nerd. He’ll figure it out.”

  She looked around the lab. “We should take most of this back. The microscopes and all the items in the cooler.”

  “Know where Mastema would’ve kept his research?”

  “No,” she said. “Rahab had a computer, but the warriors likely secured it.”

  They spent the next four hours dragging equipment to Kas’s SUV and investigating all the mansion’s rooms. Most had been left in chaos. Why the angels had stripped the rooms but left the lab untouched bothered her.

  As the afternoon turned late, they went to the carriage house so she could reclaim her belongings. She’d lived with the basics, so clothing and all her weapons were the only possessions she packed. All through the fading day, they spoke little.

  Soon, she would leave, and both felt the impending moment hanging over them.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Kas escorted Mariel through the Stronghold like a tour guide at Disney World. He showed off the impressive gym, the team’s battle wing where they kept a stockpile of weapons, and his technology hub. That last was enough to make Tony Stark envious.

  “Easier for me to test gadgets here without Tanis screaming about damage and shit,” he said. “Most started life as CIA tech, but I made improvements.”

  Mariel grinned at him, and he felt like a babbling idiot. He was stalling and doing a bad job.

  “Where will you go first?”

  Her smile disappeared. “Canada, I think. That will give me time to work with a few trustworthy informants I have made over the years. Then I will head to Eastern Europe.”

  He picked up a motherboard to give his hands something to do.

  “Kas.” Mariel wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned down and kissed her, long and deep.

  “I will contact you regularly,” she said, nipping his lip. “This is not forever.”

  Tell that to the lump in his chest torturing him. “I know.”

  “Do you?” Her fingers slid down his abs.

  “If you don’t, I’ll hunt you down, throw you over my shoulder, and bring you back. I’ll lock you in here and make you count batteries.”

  She giggled, a sound he tucked away in his memory vault. He’d remember everything about her and replace those memories with fresh ones when they could be together.

  “Listen. I’ll go with you to Canada, help you get set up,” he said. “The team can work around me for a little while. Deal?”

  The striking grin lit up her face. “Do you mean it?”

  “I do.” He reached over and picked up an earpiece from the table. “I’ll pack a few things, but you can take this now.”

  She plucked the tiny bud from his palm.

  “Made these for the team. Contains a GPS chip that we can monitor.”

  “A tracking device?”

  “More than that. I can read vitals, pinpoint your location down to a five-yard radius, and tell if you’re hot and bothered.”

  She laughed and placed the earpiece in her pocket. “You had better arrive before I am forced to take matters into my own hands.”

  “Count on it, but why don’t we test it out before we go?”

  Don’t let her go, idiot. Offer something, anything.

  “Kas…” Mariel cupped his face. “I have a new plan.”

&nb
sp; “You do?”

  “Yes. Come with me and stay. We should do this together, if Tanis and your brothers agree.”

  Kas struggled to control the rampaging beat of his heart. “I thought you couldn’t read minds.”

  He pulled her against him, and her mouth parted. He could serve his family best at her side. If anyone could find Nesty, it was him.

  Mariel enveloped them in her wings. He loved the soft tickle over his skin.

  No stolen moments. No distance. They would go together. Find his brother together. Kill Mastema together. Beat the snot out of the Directorate together.

  Moving his hands against her sides, he pushed his fingers under her shirt and cupped her breasts.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered against his neck. “Let us begin this adventure with passion.”

  “Damn right.”

  They teleported to his bedroom. His ability grew easier, as if his Grace reveled in the freedom to flow unhindered. He tugged her shirt off and took his time kissing her.

  His T-shirt received similar treatment. Their bare chests pressed together, her cool skin warming from his heat. They took turns removing clothing, never too far away for a kiss. Once naked, he held her hand and walked them to the bed.

  This gorgeous woman had given him strength when he thought he was weak. She had risked her greatest desire—her regrown wings—to aid his family. Now, they would search for his brother and topple their mutual enemies—together.

  She crawled onto the mattress and he followed, skimming his fingers across her feathers. She trembled under his touch, but Kas planned to give Mariel exactly what she’d asked for—a love for all eternity.

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  Acknowledgments

  Readers are the life force pumping through every book I write. Without them, I would not have this opportunity to share my tortured heroes, determined heroines, reluctant antiheroes, and sinister villains. My deepest thanks and gratitude for everyone’s support.