The echoes of his howl lingered in the basement.
There was no coming back from that one.
Sean smirked coldly at the settling flakes and said, “Totally worth the wait.”
The moment was ruined by the sound of voices in the stairwell behind him. Oops. Outta time. Quickly scanning the room, he found three canisters sitting near the table.
The voices were coming closer. Nothing else seemed to be out of place. Holding open his backpack, he waved the cans inside and vanished just as a group of men came around the corner.
London, England:
It was just before dawn when he popped into the foyer of the safe house. The protected house was silent except for a light creaking of the upstairs windows as the north wind swirled around them. Outside, the rose bushes scraped against the wall near the kitchen. Somewhere nearby a cat cried out, its yowl fading as it ran off. Sean stood in the doorway just breathing as his body settled down from traveling. His heartbeat settled into a normal rhythm and he savored the sensation. It had been four months since he could breathe easy, could sleep without waking every five minutes, could eat without fear of poison. Damn, he was exhausted. Food. Shower. Sleep. In that order. Sex would be nice too, but that would have to wait. He was waaaayyy too tired to give that any real thought.
With eyes closed against the grit of the city, he rolled his shoulders in a stretch and thought of the lives he sensed sleeping upstairs--his family. Swaying slightly, he leaned against the wall and tried to ID the bodies. Mica and Dec would be here for sure. Mica was under house arrest and Dec was playing nanny. That was some funny shit right there. He’d give anything to see Dec babysit. Mica thought he was so sweet and innocent...He was Mr. Patience and the Perfect Angel in her eyes. Yeah, right. Dec had her so fooled.
He couldn’t wait to see her all big and pregnant. Knowing her, she’d be bending every rule that Killian laid down and would be working out every day. She’d hate sitting still. Dec probably had to handcuff her to the couch to make her sit. He smiled at the image of Mica handcuffed which led to other images that he shoved out of his head. With a mental head slap, he kept scanning...here was another body--probably Killian.
No one knew he was coming today. There hadn’t been time to call or text. He’d left the cathedral and brought the canisters straight to the lab in The City. Thank God the lab rats were around! After three hours of debriefing Alex, he finally got cleared to take off.
A slight sound brought his head up, knife in hand and body poised to kill. Killian frowned at him from the stairs. He was dressed in a pair of half-buttoned jeans and nothing else. Mica’s pendant glittered on his chest. Unimpressed with Sean’s show of force, he padded down the steps, his eyes never leaving Sean’s face. A wave of calm washed over him and he relaxed. Feeling like an idiot, Sean re-sheathed the blade and scowled at his brother Primani, daring him to comment.
“Good to see you in one piece, my brother,” Killian’s voice was soft as he shook Sean’s hand and then clapped him on the back. “You want coffee?”
Shaking off the tension, Sean tried to smile but was just too damn tired. Instead, he groaned as he tried to stifle a yawn. “I need to rack out, man. I’m about to fall down.”
Killian’s lips twitched oddly and he turned to the kitchen. “You stink. Get a shower and crash. We can talk when you wake up. The third bedroom’s ready.”
With that, he started making coffee and left Sean alone. Huh. Okay...nothing’s changed here. Killian’s still not a morning person.
A few minutes later, he stood steaming in the tiny shower and dozed off until the water ran cold. Yawning hugely, he dried off and slung the towel loosely around his waist. Padding down the hall, he cranked open the bedroom door and stopped dead.
“Mama! Who’s that?”
What the hell? Sean blinked and rubbed his eyes. Nope, he wasn’t seeing things.
The kid was still there.
He was sitting on the bed next to a shapely lump under the covers. His wide blue eyes stared in wonder at the stranger who’d just walked into his mommy’s room.
A soft husky voice mumbled, “Sean, honey, it’s too early to get up. Come back to bed for a bit.”
Clearing his throat, Sean drawled, “If you’ll move over, I’ll be glad to climb in.”
The screaming woke everyone in the house.
Dec got there first and nearly tackled Sean into the wall before he recognized him.
“Dude! You’re back!” Grabbing him in a bear hug, Dec swung him around and hollered for Mica and Killian. Sean desperately hung onto the towel that suddenly seemed way too thin.
Mica waddled in next; Holy shit, she was all stomach! Relief clear on her face, she exclaimed, “Sean! Oh, thank you, Michael!”
Her smile drew him straight to her. Everyone else disappeared as he looked into her eyes. She was positively glowing.
She threw her arms around him and burst into tears. He pulled her close and clung to her. God, she felt good. Her essence surrounded him and wrapped him in a peace he never knew with anyone else. She was still his anchor in any storm and the only person to ever soothe him. He was secretly glad she was crying because it gave him an excuse to hold her, to lean against her and soak up her strength. He was too exhausted to keep up a tough front. He just wanted to lose this horrible tension and be himself again.
Rubbing her back, he said, “It’s okay, darlin’, I’m alive. Don’t cry!” Glancing helplessly over her head, he tried to shrug in apology but she had a death grip on him.
Amused, Killian waved off the gesture and said, “She’s got a leak. What can I say? The hormones make her weepy. Weepier.” He handed Mica a tissue and pulled her away so Sean could breathe.
“Let the man catch his breath. You’re strangling him.”
Another voice piped up. “I have to go potty.”
Sean glanced down at the kid tugging on his hand. “Who’s this?” He glanced around at the amused faces circling him.
The woman on the bed cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her. She’d been so quiet, they’d all forgotten about her in the excitement of welcoming Sean. He didn’t get a good look at the woman when she started screaming earlier. Now he looked his fill and stood stunned into silence.
It couldn’t be.
Her dark hair flowed down her back and hugged the curves of her face. Tousled from sleep, it was damn sexy and he remembered exactly how silky it was running through his fingers. She’d slept in a pair of his old flannel bottoms and his favorite Metallica t-shirt. Everything was so big on her. She looked fragile and unbelievably tiny in his clothes. She stood now, a woman ready to do battle. She was just tall enough to nearly look him in the eye. With brilliant blue eyes shining with hurt, she gathered the boy close and glared at him.
“This is Sean Michael. I named him for his idiot father, and the great angel.”
No way. This couldn’t be happening. He had a kid?
Sean’s eyes drilled into hers, searching for the lies. She hardened her expression and he gulped. Totally confused, he stared at the thin child.
It was like looking in a mirror...2,000 years ago.
The blood left his head and his vision went dim.
“Grab him!” Mica’s voice followed him to darkness.
The dream was perfect. He lay on a field of grass with the gentle warmth of the sun lingering on his skin. The rock-hard tension was gone now. He felt at peace. His mind was calm, his thick muscles loose and relaxed against the ground. He breathed the salty air and let it fill his chest. Oxygen bubbled through his blood sending little tremors of pleasure through every part of him. His skin tingled, his heart beat gently. His saol simmered and flowed to heal and recharge him. Here in the dream there was no fear, no pain. He wasn’t hungry or aching. He wasn’t lonely.
He just was.
He didn’t know how long he lay there, but after a while, he was aware of another. Another saol had joined him.
He sat up and met his maker’s
amused eyes.
“What are you doing here, Afriel?” Sean asked.
Raphael lifted one shoulder in an elegant Gallic shrug. “Does this disturb you, warrior?”
Hmm… Did it bother him that the archangel had slipped into his dreams?
“On so many levels, oh glorious one.”
Raphael chuckled at that and waved a hand in dismissal. “I won’t apologize for the intrusion. I needed to talk to you and this works for me. I understand you met an old friend. What news do you have for me?”
When he awoke again, it was twilight and a soft rain was falling. The pitter patter on the roof was seductive and he felt sleep dragging him under again. Stretching his limbs, he grabbed the pillow and buried his head under it.
Just as he was slipping into a sexy dream with a hot faceless female, someone tugged on his sheet.
“Are you dead?”
Without looking up, Sean growled, “No. I’m sleeping.”
“Oh.” There was a long pause and then, “Mommy says you might be dead.”
What? Ah, hell.
The memories came slamming back and he groaned and pushed himself up to find a serious little face next to him. The boy stared at him with a healthy dose of fear, as though Sean was the bogeyman
Rubbing his hand over the thick growth on his jaw, he frowned. Probably he looked like a werewolf.
“So, are you dead or not?”
Sean shoved away the last bit of drowsiness and sat up, while pulling the sheet across his lap. As the boy patiently waited for an answer, he squinted at his cell phone.
Holy hell. He’d been asleep for two days.
An impatient tugging grabbed his attention, and he smiled at the boy for the first time.
Sean Michael.
His son.
Unable to believe it, he studied the perfect little features and felt a rush of tenderness that overwhelmed him. I have a son. He rolled the word around in his head trying to add ‘father’ to his identity. It was such a foreign concept for him. In all of his years, he’d had no children. None that he knew of anyway. Mica and he almost had a son, but the baby had died. The loss still pained him, but it hadn’t been meant to be. After that, he’d assumed he’d never have another shot at it. His line would die out with him one day. That was to be expected; that was his life as Primani. His work was supposed to come first.
But now? He had another chance. Swallowing against the tightness in his throat, he cupped the child’s soft cheek and whispered, “No, Sean. I’m not dead. I was very tired and needed to sleep.”
Mini Sean nodded solemnly. “You’re furry.” He reached out and touched the beard and drew back his fingers with a frown.
Sean Michael spotted Aisling hovering just inside the door and ran to her side. “Mommy! He’s not dead!”
Flushing slightly, she nodded seriously and said, “You’re right, sweetie. Now let’s leave him alone so he can get dressed.” To Sean, she said, “Dinner’s almost ready and Mica says you need to show up. She’s in a mood...you shouldn’t keep her waiting.”
Aisling knew she should leave immediately so Sean could get dressed. But she couldn’t seem to move her feet or her eyes. The man was gorgeous lying propped on one elbow. The shaggy black hair and three days’ growth on his jaw only made him darker, dangerous...hot. His shoulders were wide and he had pecs to die for. With a will of their own, her eyes followed the light sprinkling of fine dark hair that divided his eight pack and disappeared into the sheet.
He made a sound like a soft growl and her eyes flew up to his face. His eyes were burning with something she didn’t want to think about. Blushing hotly, she backed away and he chuckled darkly.
“Yeah, you should go.” His voice came out like a snarl and she blanched.
Sean was stunned. She’d been staring at him like she wanted to crawl into the sheets and eat him like a snack. Not that he’d mind, but he wasn’t expecting that. She’d been avoiding him like the plague. He held her stare until she bolted from the room. Glancing down, he sighed at the familiar throbbing.
Groaning in frustration, he scowled and said, “You go back to sleep!”
Chapter 25: Broken Angel
“IT’S A MIRACLE!” I mumbled to myself. The sun was actually shining in a clear blue sky! I swear my pores went vacuum and sucked in all the vitamin D they could.
I shifted my butt on the stone bench and leaned back for a little more sunshiny goodness. The temp had finally warmed up into something like spring and it was comfortable enough to go without a coat. The house was getting too crowded and everyone was cranky. This morning Aisling had snapped at Sean who snapped back. That led to a nasty argument that EVERYONE got to hear thanks to the thin walls. Sean Michael was climbing said walls and had a major meltdown. It wasn’t his fault. Poor kid didn’t have anything to do. We needed to get him some toys. I wasn’t cranky really, just uncomfortable. My back ached constantly now and I was sure my feet were gone. Killian tried not to laugh, but I caught him constantly smothering a smile. It’s his fault I can’t see my feet.
In the beginning of my pregnancy, I was able to do yoga and tried to walk every day. The constant rain and cold of winter really killed my motivation to walk though. Dec had been a good sport and took me out whenever I wanted, but it wasn’t too often. I didn’t want to get sick and Killian stressed about it. So here I was five months along with three thriving fetuses doing their best to break size records. Yoga wasn’t happening now.
Bending over wasn’t happening either.
As we cringed at the yelling coming from the upstairs hallway this morning, my loving husband and genius leader declared today a day of rest.
So it was off to the park.
It was peaceful here. The sun was warm, bare trees swayed with a gentle breeze, and ducks quacked happily on the pond. Every few minutes, childish giggles popped my bubble of drowsiness.
Sean Michael. The boy was adorable. I peered at him now and couldn’t resist smiling at his enthusiasm. Considering he’d been raised with only his mother for company, he had adapted remarkably well to modern day England. He still started at loud noises, like car horns and dogs barking, but he mostly bounced from point A to point B with wonder and joy. Open and friendly, he had a zest for life that made every one of us love him.
Dec and Sean had always had a weakness for children and this one wrapped them around his tiny finger. Poor Aisling never got to hold the kid anymore; she had to wait in line.
“He looks better already.” Killian interrupted my musing. Dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, with weapons stashed from public view, he lounged at the other end of my bench.
“It’s amazing what Raphael’s powers can do. His mama looks better too.” It was true. Both of our patients were well on their way to normal weight. All signs of the sickness were gone. According to Raphael, they’d inhaled spores from a type of mushroom that must’ve been growing close to their cabin. The spores had settled into their lungs and grown into a sloppy mess that led to pneumonia. I couldn’t believe that could happen, but Raphael explained that it was actually not uncommon in our plane. Ewww! Apparently people died from it every year. Who knew? They’d been here for two weeks and looked 100 percent better. The little guy’s tall frame was filling out, giving us a good idea of who his daddy was.
“There’s no doubt about that, Princess. It’s uncanny.”
I leaned over and pinched his leg. “Stop reading my mind!”
Laughing at me, he scooted over and kissed the tip of my nose. “You know you love it. How are our babies today?” As usual, he’d laid his palm across my belly.
Jumping at a sudden pressure against my ribs, I gasped and said, “Oh, they’re trying to climb out! Oh, ow! Stop that!” I pressed my palm against a large lump and the baby shifted into a more comfortable position. “Have I mentioned that I want drugs for the delivery?”
He placed his cheek against the bulge to listen. “It’s up to you, but we could ask Raphael for help. You know he’d do it.”
Cue the image of the dignified archangel squatting with his head between my legs holding a catcher’s mitt.
That was sooo not going to ever happen. There were just some things a man, or angel, didn’t need to know about a woman.
“I know, but I think he’s done enough. Let’s stick with the plan.” The plan was delivering in a hospital with my doctor, several nurses, and lots of drugs on hand. Having triplets was risky enough. I wasn’t taking any chances.
“Oh, come on, Aisling! I was kidding!” Sean’s exasperation was clear even from 30 feet away.
“Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise.”
Killian glanced over with hard eyes. “That woman has no sense of humor. I wish she’d lighten up.”
That was a colossal understatement. Dour, bitter, angry...these are words I’d use to describe her.
“The female part of me wants to defend her, but I can’t. It’s like the only time she smiles is when she’s with Sean Michael. Even then, she’s not really happy. Her smile seems forced. You’d think she’d be thrilled to death just to be back in the real world. At least now she has options for her life. No one is expecting her to stay with Sean. She can get her own place as soon as she’s ready to go. And for the record, that should be soon.”
With a disgusted sound, he agreed. “She’s got a lot of issues to work through and my gut tells me she needs more privacy.”
“And Gabriel?”
He nodded grimly at my perception. “And Gabriel. He’s her maker and he hasn’t come to find her. That would piss me off if I was her. She mentioned her ‘sins,’ but I don’t know what she means. Having sex with Sean? Maybe she considers that a sin? Doesn’t ring true to me though. There’s gotta be something more to it. What do you sense from her?”
The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) Page 107