Protected in Darkness (Misplaced Halos, 1)
Page 7
For a few minutes, they watched Sam and Dean gearing up to tackle another monster while Winnie went on and on about how hot Sam was. Penelope was more of a Dean fan, personally.
“I think I’m in love,” Penelope blurted, a silly giggle following. It was their code for meeting a man who might possibly involve a second date.
“Pause the show!” Winnie squealed.
She hit the pause button. “Why?”
“Because this requires my undivided attention. The guy from tonight? Some rich out-of-towner?”
“Yep. Well, I don’t know about his financial status or anything.” Nor did she really care.
“Where’s he from?”
“He didn’t say. But he’s staying in this wicked nice hotel room.”
“Did he say why he was there?”
“Business.”
“Oooh. What’s his name?”
“Obsidian.”
“Like volcanic glass?”
Penelope snorted. “Exactly what I said.”
“Sounds mysterious. What does he look like?”
“Tall, dark, ridiculously handsome.” She sighed. “He’s so freaking big, Win. Like bodybuilder big. Enormous arms. And holy crap, he’s tall.”
“How tall?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t measure him.”
“Well, to you, everyone’s tall,” Winnie teased.
True, but she’d never in her life met a man who towered over her like he did. Penelope had noticed, during that exquisite lip-lock in the elevator, that he’d had to bend at an awkward angle just to kiss her. And she’d been up on her toes.
“And you met him while you were at work?” Winnie asked. “I think it’s fate.”
“Fate? I seriously doubt fate had anything to do with this.”
“So? What happened? Did you get hot-and-sweaty naked with this guy?”
“Of course not. I just met him.” Though the idea of being hot-and-sweaty naked with him was rather appealing. “We did have breakfast, though. On his fancy patio overlooking the strip.”
“Uggh. I’m looking for some dirty details, Pen. I assume those’ll be coming in the future?”
She sincerely hoped so. “Maybe.”
“And I’ll be the first person you call, right?”
“Of course.” Penelope took a sip of coffee. “What about you? Any appropriate suitors?”
“Ha!” Winnie snorted. “I wish. I’d be open for inappropriate, even. Although there is this one guy…”
“Do tell.”
“He started coming in a week ago, I guess. Every night, he takes a seat at the bar. He doesn’t talk to anyone but watches everyone,” she explained.
“An alcoholic?” Penelope teased.
“Probably. But he’s hot. Tall, blond. Nice smile.”
“And his name?”
“Sirius.”
“Of course I am,” she countered.
Winnie laughed. “No, dummy. That’s his name. Sirius. Like the radio.”
“Oh.” Odd name.
“Hey, what are you reading right now?” Always changing the subject, that Winnie.
“Acheron,” Penelope told her, referring to the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
“Swoon. I’m going to have to reread that one next.”
“What are you reading?” she inquired.
“The Warden herself,” Winnie said with a chuckle.
“Black Dagger Brotherhood or Fallen Angels?”
“BDB. It’s delish.”
That it was.
“God, it’s good to talk to you,” Penelope admitted. Though they hadn’t spent much time together since she’d moved to Vegas, she and Winnie had remained friends. Long-distance, but they talked on the phone often. Winnie was the only person Penelope could open up to, share her thoughts with. She was hoping to make friends like that here but had yet to have the time.
“Likewise. One of these days I’ll have to get out that way. Have you show me the town.”
“I will. In a heartbeat.”
For the next half hour, they chatted about the show. When it was over, they said their goodbyes, promised to catch up next week.
Once again, Penelope was left sitting alone in her apartment, her thoughts instantly drifting to Obsidian.
As she stared around the quiet space, reliving the kiss they’d shared, she remembered she needed to make a grocery store run. Her gaze swung to the window, to the sunlight peering in through the blinds. It was still early, so the best time to avoid most of the shoppers.
With a sigh, she got to her feet.
Time to do that whole adulting thing again.
Half an hour later, Penelope was perusing the grocery store aisle, tossing a few things into the cart. More Lucky Charms, a half-gallon of two-percent, grapes, a Hershey bar. She didn’t have a long list because she didn’t spend much time at home. Most of her meals were on the go in the form of granola bars or yogurt. They were quick and easy and didn’t require dirtying up a bunch of dishes to make a meal for one.
That was one of the downsides of living alone. Probably the only downside, though.
Now that she thought about it, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d actually cooked.
She made a trek down the freezer aisle, stared through the frosty glass in search of some comfort food.
Lasagna. Yum.
Penelope snagged one of the boxes of frozen goodness and set it in the cart. If anything could comfort, Stouffer’s would do the trick.
Plus garlic bread. Homemade.
Well, not completely homemade. She wasn’t exactly an overachiever, and making bread from scratch required the trait she lacked. Fortunately, the bakery would have exactly what she needed.
Feeling eyes on her, Penelope paused near the rack of freshly baked goods, glanced around. There weren’t many people there at this time of morning. A little old lady testing the softness of a loaf of bread before delicately setting it in her cart as though it were a newborn baby. A guy behind the bakery counter, pulling what appeared to be donuts out of the oven. She’d passed others in the aisles, but only a couple of people, none having exerted any odd energy.
Still, Penelope searched the area, trying to find the source of the weird feeling, but ended up with nothing.
“Get a grip,” she mumbled under her breath, dropping some sourdough into her cart and heading toward the front.
Seriously. She was being absurd. Who in their right mind would be watching her? And why?
Shaking off the paranoia, Penelope made her way to the front register, stood patiently while the fuchsia-haired young woman chomping gum rang up her groceries. After swiping her debit card and sliding it back in her wallet, Penelope slipped the two plastic bags on her arm and headed for the doors.
The sun was even higher in the sky, another scorcher of a day well underway.
“Good morning,” someone said on their way into the store.
“Morning,” she called back, smiling to herself.
It was a good morning. A really good morning. She’d had breakfast with a fascinating man and said man had asked her out again. Maybe she should consider making him a meal. Perhaps tonight. He could come over for dinner. Did Obsidian like lasagna?
Of course, she had to nix the idea because she didn’t have his phone number. Shame.
As she stepped off the sidewalk and into the crosswalk, Penelope heard the sound of an engine being gunned. She glanced out at the parking lot, looking for the idiot who was making so much noise, and that was the very reason she didn’t notice the vehicle in question was plowing toward her at a high rate of speed.
She looked over just as she expected to feel impact.
As the air in her lungs slammed to a halt, her feet left the ground. Penelope was launched through the air, but the car wasn’t the culprit. Pain didn’t erupt from her body. There was no impact with the asphalt. Instead, she was set on her feet a couple of yards away.
She spun around to see who her savior had b
een, but there was no one. The car peeled out of the lot on the other side while she was left standing alone, her groceries dangling from her arm.
What the hell had just happened?
Chapter Five
OBSIDIAN WOKE TO THE SOUND OF MUSIC blasting through the house. The Red Hot Chili Peppers from this morning had been replaced by Kendrick Lamar, who was ordering the bitch to sit down, be humble. Not surprising considering Gryffyth’s eclectic taste in tunes.
While the thick drapes were still covering the windows, Obsidian knew that the sun was finally going down. Since it was the height of summer, the nights were quite a bit shorter than he would’ve liked, but he’d learned to deal a long time ago.
With a groan, Obsidian forced himself out of bed, stretched, then took a moment to let his senses flare out, seeking his amsouelot. Penelope was asleep, tucked safely in her bed, deep in a dream. It was tempting to slip into her REM event, interact with her there, but he refrained. While dream walking had its perks, he would rather take the opportunity to interact on a more personal level, when she was aware of him on every level.
After a quick pit stop in the bathroom, he pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, socks, boots, then headed down to the kitchen. Asmia and Acadia were fluttering around, the Fae cooking up a meal for the eight of them. Not quite the same as the meals prepared by the heurosp back at their mansion in Darkness, Colorado, but for the time being, it would suffice.
“Where’s Reidar?” Obsidian asked, hoping someone could give him an answer, because he was ready to get the night underway, and an update from the ladeare would get the ball rolling.
“He’ll be down shortly,” Acadia replied, offering a sweet smile.
Alden joined them, a smile on the male’s face when he caught sight of Acadia. Being that the Fae had feasted on Alden’s emotions last night, he looked downright happy. Then again, Obsidian suspected the two of them had done more than provide sustenance.
“Will you be needing me tonight?” the male asked, his question directed at Obsidian.
“No. Penelope’s not working tonight so we won’t be going to the hotel.”
Alden nodded as he opened the refrigerator, retrieved the jug of orange juice.
Before Obsidian could say anything more, his cell phone rang. Seeing that it was Stygian, he hit the button to answer, then stepped out on the back patio for some privacy.
“What’s up, brother?” he greeted the male, unable to stop the smile on his face.
“I heard the good news. Congratulations,” the gruff voice said through the phone.
“Don’t go getting ahead of yourself yet. I just met her.”
“And? How’d that go?”
“Better than I expected, honestly.”
Not one to wax poetic, Obsidian didn’t go into the details of his interactions with Penelope, though he was already looking forward to the next opportunity. He knew there wasn’t a chance he could go a single night without seeing her, so he was already forming his plan to show up at her apartment.
“And you?” he prompted his brother.
“Still no luck,” Stygian said with a heavy sigh. “But Aphotic’s got the scent of his female. He’s heading to Texas as we speak. What’s your plan?”
“For now, I don’t have one. The second I can get her out of town, I’ll head back to Colorado.”
“Good. If we’re as lucky as you are, we won’t be far behind,” Stygian stated. “There’s safety in numbers, and the amsouelots will be better off with all of us protecting them.”
Obsidian agreed. It was the reason they lived on the thirty-five-acre ranch, situated in an easily defendable area known as Darkness, Colorado, which didn’t exist on any map. They’d built the mansion from the ground up, modified it so it was a modern-day fortress.
“We’re dealing with Perfidious,” he informed Stygian. “And from what I gather, he’s working with Seraphina.”
“Son of a bitch. They make a move yet?”
“I think he’s playing games. Probably thinks he’s got the upper hand.” Though they’d been making valiant efforts to eliminate the mesonneir for centuries, they proved elusive. There was a reason Lucifer had selected them as his lieutenants.
However, Perfidious’s one major flaw was his need to drag shit out, to play with his prey. In this case, it would likely work in Obsidian’s favor.
“Let me know if you need backup,” Stygian offered. “We can be there in a breath.”
“I will.” Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. “What about you? How’re things going?”
“Slow. Too damn slow. And I think we picked up a tail a few days ago. Mordecai’s almost positive he detected Valdis.”
“Hopefully you can keep him back.” As it was, that particular demon made Perfidious look like a boy scout.
“That’s certainly the plan. I’ll check back in with you soon.”
“Keep in touch,” he told his brother.
“You do the same.”
The call disconnected and Obsidian headed back into the house. He found Reidar sitting at the kitchen island, scarfing down the meal the females had put out.
“Sit. Eat,” Acadia ordered, her voice soft and sweet but ripe with insistence.
“I’m good for now, but I’ll take coffee.”
“Coming right up.”
“Tell me about Stig,” Obsidian commanded Reidar when the male pushed his plate away.
Reidar wiped his mouth. “I apprised him of the situation. He said he’d keep his eye on her, but he’s inundated with the other forty-nine he’s looking after.”
“Wow. They’re taking on fifty souls now?”
There was no doubt the guardian angels were overloaded. Because of the extensive requirements, they were in short supply. Those who’d been doing it for a while were being overloaded with more assignments. But it paid to have them as backup since they were capable of going out during daylight hours.
While Obsidian would’ve preferred Penelope was Stig’s only human to look after, he knew it wasn’t possible.
“And Perfidious?”
Reidar rolled his eyes, exhaled heavily. “Bastard’s sneaky. Penelope’s definitely his prime target, but I think it’s safe to say he’s distracted. He’s like a kid in an amusement park, not sure which ride to hop on first but wanting to try them all.”
“Might keep him looking elsewhere temporarily, but he’s not alone.” Obsidian took a sip of the coffee Acadia handed him. “Penelope informed me her brother’s dating a female named Seraphina.”
Reidar’s blue eyes widened. “No fucking way. You think it’s the demon?”
“No doubt. They’re getting their claws in her family. Probably intending to use the brother as leverage.”
Obsidian could practically see the male’s brain working. “I’ll have Gryffyth keep an eye on him. See if we can figure out what she’s up to. And you? I assume you’ll be sticking close to the female?”
“As close as she’ll allow.” He smiled, thinking about Penelope’s abrupt departure this morning.
“Stig said she’s independent. But she’s a homebody. Doesn’t get out much, nor does she have much contact with her family. Including her brother. It’s only a matter of time before Perfidious gets bored, and we all know what that means.”
Yes, they did. And they were all aware of what the demon was capable of.
After everyone was caught up on the situation, Obsidian wasn’t in the mood to sit around, but he hung back long enough to catch up with his brothers, checking in, getting a sit-rep on their amsouelots. They were still searching, following every lead that came in on the females destined as their mates. Though they were only three weeks in, the website was getting numerous hits and leads, mostly from vampires looking to get in their good graces.
Rather than wallow in the disappointment that his brothers had yet to get the satisfaction they sought, Obsidian headed out. No surprise he ended up standing in front of Penelope’s apartment door, hand raised to knock.
Never one to second-guess his actions, Obsidian rapped his knuckles on the door, then took a step back and waited for her to answer. He listened to her bare feet moving across the laminate flooring, her breaths as she paused and peered out through the security hole.
She opened the door, those big, beautiful eyes wide with surprise. “Obsidian. What are you— How did you know where I live?”
Yep. Stalker.
“I’ve got connections.”
She smiled sweetly. “So you said.”
“May I come in?”
Penelope stepped back out of the way. “Of course.”
He strolled into the small apartment, taking in the living room and kitchen in a single breath. Though she didn’t have much, her personal space was spotless and organized, clearly a place she enjoyed spending her time. Obsidian let his senses expand through all seven hundred square feet, listening for noises that might suggest someone was there.
He was greeted only with silence.
“I’m … uh … actually glad you came over,” she said after locking the door behind him.
Obsidian peered down at her when she moved around in front of him. She was wearing a thin tank top that showcased her smooth shoulders, her toned arms. And those little shorts gave him a great view of her sexy legs. Her little pink toes were painted a brilliant blue, which made him smile. Whoever bitched about the heat of summer being brutal clearly hadn’t caught sight of Penelope in her summer wear.
Her lashes fluttered, her eyes shifting to his neck as though she couldn’t look him in the face. “I was thinking about you.”
That single admission had every cell in his body roaring to life.
“I’d considered inviting you for dinner,” she added, a slow smile forming as her gaze lifted. “But I didn’t have your number.” Penelope motioned toward the living room. “Please, come in. Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? Are you hungry?”