Pale Wings Protecting

by Lesley Davis

  Rafe pulled away reluctantly and watched as Ashley straightened her belt and then set to re-buttoning Rafe’s shirt. “We really shouldn’t be let out together. It’s too fucking tempting to just give in to what I always want to do when I’m with you.”

  “Which is what, Detective?”

  “Get naked with you and fuck you senseless just so I can hear you say my name.”

  “Raphael,” Ashley breathed seductively into Rafe’s ear.

  Rafe pulled back sharply and frowned at her. “Not that one, you bitch!” she grumbled at the detested full usage of her name and smothered Ashley’s laughter with a bruising kiss. “Stop laughing or I’ll damn well leave you up here.” Rafe pushed Ashley from her and made a show of standing an arm’s length away from her. She picked up the binoculars and tried to be professional when all she really wanted to do was finish what they had started. “I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but I think that glitter you saw might have been one of the agency’s nightlights on the fritz.”

  “So much for us finding the demon baby snatcher swiftly so we can go home.”

  “What do you think the deal is with this Chandler woman?”

  “She’s a cop following her leads.”

  Rafe considered that. “You don’t think that maybe there’s something more to it? I mean, she’s pinpointing the exact location of stolen children where no other physical evidence has turned up. I’ve read the same case files as she has, and I read the presentation she gave to the DDU, thanks to Blythe sneaking it our way. She had knowledge of a kid here, but she still had to come here to prove it. What I want to know is how did she know to come here in the first place?”

  “Are you saying you think she’s involved somehow?” Ashley frowned up at her.

  “No, I’m not saying that. From what I could find out about her, she’s as squeaky clean as a soap bubble. But she has a fascinating affinity for solving anything to do with children, and it borders on the spooky.”

  “You think she’s got something else going on?”

  “I think I’d like to see her in action. Maybe see if this detective playing house with Blythe has a little glitter going on.”

  Ashley’s jaw dropped. “You think Daryl is a demon? For fuck’s sake, Rafe! That’s one hell of an excuse to dig up for her not to be good enough to be with your best friend!”

  “No, it’s not that. Okay. So maybe I investigated her once Blythe told me her name because I needed to make sure my friend wasn’t sharing a love nest with a psycho with a badge and gun. She isn’t, but let’s be honest here; the woman is obviously an investigative genius. I’d like to at least know what her trick is.”

  “Maybe she puts time and effort into her work and follows the leads.”

  “And if there are no leads pointing the way? Her paperwork is a detailed working of her investigation. They are too detailed, Ashley. It’s like she needs to fill in the blanks to stop questions from being asked. No one really reads those reports once the case is solved.”

  “But you noticed something.”

  “If being with you has taught me anything it’s that nothing ever looks like it seems.”

  “Blythe is going to kill you if you investigate Daryl, you know that don’t you?”

  Rafe shrugged. “I need to know she’s safe and I need to know why this detective’s cases have brought us here to where a demon is involved.” She lifted the binoculars to her eyes again and waited a moment until she could confirm what she had thought she’d seen. “Got you, you shiny bastard. I have confirmation that there is indeed something in that building, glowing before my eyes like a disco glitter ball.” Rafe let out a small sigh as proof of their demon was finally sighted. It just galled her to know there was nothing she could do about it right that second.

  “I’ll let Eli know.” Ashley got out her cell phone.

  “What are the chances of us going back to our room now and having your guys pick up the surveillance? Seeing as we can’t bust in there and banish the demon ASAP because Blythe’s team needs to conclude their side of the investigation first?” Rafe looked around and above her into the starlit night. “Surely by now you have the angelic eyes in the sky on alert?”

  “I suppose we could ask nicely and leave them to it. They know they can call me if they need me.”

  Rafe shook her head. “Who would believe that angels use cell phones?”

  “They don’t exactly run a 1-800-Call the Divine hotline, Rafe. Eli is the only one who uses one to contact me, seeing as he can be earth-bound. I’m not exactly hooked up to the angelic mind meld.”

  “Something I’m eternally grateful for because it’s annoying enough having the phone ring when we’re getting down and dirty without you getting telepathic messages as well. That would just be creepy.”

  Ashley reached for her phone as it chimed in her pocket. “Eli says for us to go.”

  Rafe looked into the night sky. “Do they listen to every fucking thing we say?”

  “No, just the relevant bits.”

  “How do they differentiate?”

  “Can’t say I’ve ever really asked. Right this moment, do you really care?”

  Rafe hefted her belongings together. “Let’s go. I hear a bed calling me back to it and you calling my name in it.”

  “You know Eli probably heard that.”

  “Good, then he’ll know to leave us in peace.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  It had taken a week before the Miller Agency had called Daryl and Blythe in for another meeting. The waiting had been almost impossible for Daryl to cope with, and now, seated in the Miller Agency’s waiting room, her patience was wearing thin. Daryl couldn’t help but twitch nervously at her tie. Blythe reached over to catch Daryl’s wandering hand and held it securely in her own.

  “I don’t know why I’m so edgy,” Daryl whispered.

  “Because this might be the meeting that decides if we get our baby,” Blythe whispered back and pressed a fleeting kiss on Daryl’s cheek. “It’s like waiting to see if the blue line says we’re pregnant or not.”

  The door to Serena Miller’s office opened and she waved them in. Serena smiled as Daryl hastily shot to her feet and tugged Blythe up with her.

  “I’m so glad you could come here at such short notice.” She ushered them into her office.

  “That’s one of the perks of being our own bosses,” Blythe said as she settled herself into a chair and reached to take Daryl’s hand in her own. “But we’d have dropped everything to get here.”

  Serena’s smile widened. “You two are so sweet. It’s a pleasure to see.” She made a show of rustling through the papers on her desk. “You are going to make extraordinary mothers.”

  Daryl let out an audible gasp as the bait was finally taken. Thankfully, Serena mistook it for something else and chuckled at her.

  “You, my dear, are going to be an amazing parent.” She leaned back in her chair. “For legal reasons that are too many and too intrusive to go into, I had to run background checks on you to make sure you are suitable adoptive candidates. You two are perfect.”

  Daryl sent up a silent prayer of thanks to Trace and her computer wizardry that had obviously led Serena to the fake identity trail they had set in place.

  “I can get you on our books straight away for an adoption and have you go through the legal ins and outs that the government adoption rules have in place. That can sometimes be a lengthy process.”

  “How lengthy, Ms. Miller?” Blythe asked softly.

  Serena smiled at her. “A lot longer than I want you two to have to wait. So I’m going to offer you something I only offer to people of your standing in the community.”

  Daryl read “standing” as wealthy, but made sure her derisive thoughts didn’t show on her face.

  “I run a legitimate business here, and nearly all of my adoptions are through the government. But I am in a position to offer women like yourselves something a little more.”

  “More?” Blythe a
sked, leaning forward in her chair.

  “I deal with ladies who, for reasons that are their own, choose to give their babies up to families who can provide a better life for them. These women don’t want to go through the usual channels for getting their babies onto adoption lists. They prefer a private adoption where the adopters pay the mothers a fee.”

  Daryl felt her heart beat quicken at this news. This is exactly what Claire told me about! “And how private for us would this adoption be?”

  “If the adoption went through these channels, you wouldn’t have social services coming to check on you. The baby would be yours as much as if you had given birth to it yourself.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “And there’s something else for you to consider.”

  Blythe edged almost off her seat. “What?”

  “Because we have a wide range of mothers, there stands a very good chance that one would be blessed with either hair as dark as your own, Blythe, or as pale as Daryl’s.”

  Daryl stared at her. “We could really have a child that would resemble us?” Finally, they were getting somewhere. This was what they needed. Serena Miller was opening the door to them to have a baby stolen to order.

  “If that’s the way you want to go. You can go through the state-run adoption should you wish. But a private one through me would give you exactly the kind of child I know you two wish for.”

  “A child that looks like one of us,” Blythe said with a hitch in her voice. She looked eagerly at Daryl. “It’s what we dreamed of.”

  “How much would the mother need from us for her fee?”

  “Ninety thousand dollars,” Serena quoted without hesitation.

  Daryl’s first thought was the price had gone up since Matthew had been kidnapped. Her silence had Serena rushing to explain.

  “The money helps the mother start over after giving her baby away. They sign agreement forms that waive their rights to the child forever. They get sixty thousand as their termination of rights fee. I personally take control of what is kept on file here for that adoption. Because of the privacy I…” She hesitated briefly. “I alter the name of the birth mother so that no record of her ever exists. On paper, you will have a legal binding contract of adoption from me. It just won’t be entirely truthful, and I’d require that particular piece of information to be kept between us.” She seemed assured by Blythe’s and Daryl’s hastily nodding heads in agreement. “The rest of the money I keep because of the risk I am taking forging the paperwork so that no true record of the birth mother can ever be found.”

  Lining your own pocket by stealing babies, and with a hefty profit to be made considering how the price has gone up since Matthew’s snatching. “So the mother remains anonymous, and we and the child would be unknown to her also?” Serena nodded at this. “That’s a good system for anonymity. I wouldn’t want anyone suddenly appearing trying to get more money from us or trying to take away the child.”

  “It’s a one-off payment. The mother disappears without knowledge of who has her child or even where the child is. She can start her life over without the burden of the child she didn’t want. And you, my dears, get to have a child that is all yours and no one can dispute that. The adoption is legal on paper, just like any other adoption is, but you have the added comfort of knowing that the mother will never ever touch your baby’s life.”

  Blythe clutched Daryl’s hand to her chest. “Sweetheart, I want that. I want the security of knowing no other mother is going to have claim on our child.”

  Daryl read the need in Blythe’s eyes. For a moment, it looked so real that Daryl could easily forget they were only pretending. “I want that too.” She turned her attention to Serena who was watching them with great interest. “Why us? Why do we get this opportunity?”

  “Honestly? You can afford to do this. I only offer it to those who can. There are a lot of children out there that need homes. You can afford to get a more specific child, one that would fulfill your dreams to complete your family.”

  “And you know we wouldn’t tell anyone about the forging of the mother’s name because we want the child so much.” Daryl couldn’t help but smile at Serena. “We keep this secret together.”

  Serena smiled. “Exactly. You’d have a lot to lose too if the truth came to light. I choose my clients wisely. Not just anyone gets this deal. You’re wealthy and respected in your field. You’re committed to each other and wouldn’t risk being apart should this ever come to light or, God forbid, go to trial.”

  Daryl heard the razor edge to Serena’s soft tone and recognized a threat of jail when she heard one.

  “I know you wouldn’t want to jeopardize all that. After all, this way, you get exactly what you want.”

  “A child that would be ours alone,” Daryl said.

  “Your baby,” Serena impressed upon them.

  “Our baby,” Blythe echoed. She gave Daryl a dazzling smile.

  “Our baby,” Daryl said, smiling back at the pleasure in Blythe’s eyes. “What do we do to start this process, Ms. Miller?”

  “Please call me Serena and just tell me which do you prefer? A boy or a girl?”

  Daryl looked at Blythe, unsure what to answer.

  Blythe smiled at Serena. “Either, both. We really don’t care. Whatever comes first so we can bring them into our world.”

  Daryl smiled at Blythe’s explanation and realized she’d just made it a little easier for them to find the birth mother who would have her child removed. Not having to look for a specific sex would save them some investigative energy.

  Serena took more details and then told them she’d be in touch once she’d got a suitable candidate chosen.

  Daryl rose and stuck her hand out to shake Serena’s. “Can I say how wonderful you all are here at this agency? The last time we were here I met one of your colleagues. A small lady, blond hair, wears dark glasses?” She watched a flicker of something race across Serena’s face before she hid it well. “She was so kind to me. I was still a little shaky from getting upset in here and she was very nice. Would you tell her I appreciated her kindness, please? I’m afraid I never caught her name.”

  “Oh, that would be Lailah; she’s someone who works closely with me. She’s a lovely woman, has been quite a godsend to me in many respects. I’ll be sure to pass on your sweet words.”

  Lailah, Daryl thought as she and Blythe bid farewell to a beaming Serena. Now we can delve into your background and see what secrets you are hiding.

  *

  The discordant sound of a flurry of texts hitting Rafe’s cell phone brought her crashing back to consciousness with a groan.

  “Geez, how come you’re so popular?” Ashley muttered into Rafe’s chest. Her head was resting against Rafe’s breast while her arm was wrapped around her waist, effectively pinning Rafe to the bed.

  Rafe snatched up her phone. “Let me just see who is trying to clog up my inbox. I hope to fuck it isn’t the big boss wondering when I’m coming back.”

  “Do you think she bought that you were helping on an investigation that might have DDU undertones so you were checking if it was a case you might be brought into?”

  “I think so, but she seemed a little suspicious I was so far away from my desk.”

  “Because you so rarely left the office until I appeared and showed you the wider world out there.” Ashley pressed a kiss to Rafe’s skin.

  “True, you introduced me to love and joy with a smattering of demonic activity. My life is blessed.” Rafe checked her phone. “It’s Blythe.” She read out loud the texts that Blythe had sent her.

  “So this Miller woman has taken their baited money hook and is going to snatch them a child,” Ashley said. “It was a smart move to not limit the search to a specific sex of the child. I’ll have Eli warn the others to watch over the mothers at the hospitals. Then we can start watching them as they go home in case they have the Good Samaritan trying to help.”

  Rafe read out the next text. Ashley sat up.

  �
�Say that name again.”

  Rafe repeated it. “Lailah. That’s the one Blythe thinks abducts the kids, the one you believe to be a demon.”

  “Oh, she’s a demon all right.”

  “Blythe says that she’s got her team looking into this woman. They’re checking to see if she has a record.”

  “They can look, but they won’t find her name on any database. She won’t appear anywhere, not with that name. That’s her true name.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “This demon, hidden in a woman’s guise, has taken on an angel’s name. Lailah is the angel in charge of conception, and she guards over babies’ spirits at their birth.”

  “She’s flaunting what she’s doing by giving herself that name.”

  “And no one is the wiser because to them it’s just a name. But for a demon to take an angel’s name is blasphemy. It’s the most disgusting thing possible, and banishment is too good for her. The true Lailah is a protector. This demon debases that.”

  “Can’t we just walk into the offices, ask to meet her, and I’ll Spear of Light her right then and there?” Rafe was hoping Ashley would say yes. Rafe liked Connecticut well enough, but she missed the bustle of Chicago where she had her own demons to banish.

  “As much as I’d like that, we can’t because of Blythe’s involvement and her case that we have kind of hijacked. She needs to capture all that are involved. Until then we have to cool our heels and then go spear this bitch and send her to hell.”

  “It doesn’t seem fair, when we know who she is now.”

  “We have humans and demons working together here. Something tells me that Ms. Miller doesn’t realize that. Twisted, kindred souls have met on this plain. We need to capture them in their sordid act, the human and the demonic, and bring both to justice.”

  “So what do I reply to Blythe?”

  “Tell her we’ll do our own research into Lailah and that we know where she hides out.”