by Lesley Davis
Blythe raised her head. “Hey, no invoking a deity. Look what happened the last time you called for help; you got yourself an angel.” With a sly wink, Blythe flicked her tongue over the hardened nub of flesh that peaked Daryl’s breast.
“You’re the only angel I need at the moment,” Daryl said and hissed when Blythe’s teeth captured her nipple gently.
“Oh, honey, I’m no angel.”
The wicked look on Blythe’s face made Daryl grin. She pulled Blythe’s head up to kiss her roughly.
“I thank God for that, sweetheart, because you’re about the only thing I truly believe in now.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Rafe looked up briefly as she heard the door open over the sound of Detective Dean Jackson talking in her ear. She waved the phone at Ashley when she walked further into the room seeking Rafe out. She put the phone back to her ear reluctantly.
“Yeah, yeah. No, I am listening to you. The line must have cut out.” She rolled her eyes at Ashley’s wagging finger as she silently told her off for not paying attention to her partner. “Look, just get me all you can find on this Lailah woman and her cohort Miller. Yes, I know this was supposed to be a vacation for me. Yes, I also am aware how long my desk has been left empty.” She covered the phone with her hand so she could talk to Ashley. “I swear this guy is a bigger fucking nag than my mother.” She turned back to the call. “Dean, I’ve already cleared this with Powell. She’s on board. She knows I’ve got a DDU case here and that I need to stay for a little longer to sort it out. So you need to quit grumbling you don’t get to see my face every day and how much you hate doing my share of the paperwork and just get Alona to work her magic.” Rafe finished up the conversation quickly by not letting Dean get a word in edgeways. She ended the call with a terse good-bye and tossed the phone aside.
Ashley moved in to settle herself in Rafe’s lap. Rafe latched onto Ashley’s hips. She surrendered to a kiss that was everything she’d missed while Ashley had been out. When Ashley drew back, Rafe groaned, missing the warmth of Ashley’s lips.
“We can do this later,” Ashley said as she pressed another kiss to Rafe’s smiling mouth. “I have news. Lailah finally stepped out of her hidey-hole today. I was able to follow her to a Baby Aid clinic and watch her sniffing out her next targets.”
“That’s fantastic news. It’s about time she crawled out from the bowels of the agency. We’ve been waiting long enough. Were any visible donors for Blythe and Daryl’s offspring?”
“Not at the first hospital I tailed her to, but she was on two calls today and the second Aid clinic has a young woman there who is uncertain about being a single mother. She has very dark hair, it could pass for black, and it’s all natural from what I could tell.” She paused for effect. “And she’s carrying a healthy baby that is due any time now, which is right on the top of our requirement list.”
“How did you get so close?” The minute the question was out of Rafe’s mouth she mentally berated herself. “Oh my God, you went in as a pregnant woman didn’t you?”
“I walked in as a heavily pregnant woman who already has two kids under foot and whose husband has just lost his job so we’re looking for any aid we can get.”
“You can glamour a pregnant bump?”
“I can glamour myself into anything human, so looking suitably blooming is no problem. I was two different women today, spinning out a different line while watching what this Lailah does to gain such trust. She’s very good. She listens, sympathizes, and offers her personal support. For some of the women there, that’s what they need the most—a shoulder to cry on and a person to lean upon.”
“Does she look demonic?”
“She glitters to my sight, but she’s got a very good human shell on. She passes for human with no problem whatsoever, but I’d like to see what’s hidden behind her dark lenses.”
“What do you think they hide?”
“It’s said the human eyes are the windows to the soul. Demons are soulless creatures, so in creating their human forms they sometimes have trouble getting the eyes correct. Many wear contact lenses to hide their true eyes.”
“So behind her dark shades she’s sporting demon eyes. No disrespect, Ashley, but I sometimes miss the simple human garden variety of evil.”
Ashley planted a kiss on Rafe’s forehead. “I know you do, baby, but you can’t banish those kinds of crazies.”
“I’ll admit that is a drawback.” Rafe mentally went through their options. “You know Blythe’s team is going to come back here for the handover, don’t you? Blythe and Daryl can’t go in alone. They’ll need backup.”
“We can’t have them here. They could get in the way of our side of the investigation. We’ve already got two more than we needed having knowledge of things they shouldn’t be exposed to.”
“You can’t really count Daryl though. After all, she’s more on our side than she realizes. It’s a pity we can’t have Eli talk to Lake to get him to step back. It would take a ton of pressure off my shoulders.”
“I’ll be sure to ask him if he’d run interference for you with the DDU, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. He’d probably say that was more in your realm of things to do.”
“So if we can’t use a little angelic nudging to have the New York DDU step back a bit then I guess we have no choice but to call in the bigger guns.”
*
SSA Lake’s fury was barely restrained as he relayed over video link the news he’d received. Blythe understood his anger; she was still smarting herself at the turn of events in what was initially their case alone, but she at least knew the truth behind it all.
“So this Detective Stephanie Powell from Chicago has asked for you guys to report to her on this case?” Daryl asked. Blythe listened as Daryl feigned annoyance. She wondered just how much of it was real. “This is my case. I brought you guys in on it, not some team working in Chicago of all places.”
“Chicago is a fledgling unit, Nathan. What’s their deal here?” Blythe asked.
“Seems a detective and a private investigator have a vested interest in the kidnapper. They want in on the takedown and we’ve no choice but to step back and let them take her.”
“Can they do that?” Blythe knew damn well no one would stop Rafe from taking anything she wanted.
Lake nodded. “Yes, apparently. Somehow they got wind of what we were doing here. The units work together, and it seems their priority over the kidnapper exceeds ours, so they want in on the case.”
“But we stop the adoption ring no matter what, yes? Shut down Miller and Lailah will be dealt with anyway, right?” Daryl asked.
Lake nodded. “Yes. Powell just wants her people in on the takedown, not us, so while we will still be heading our investigation, at the last minute you’ll be dealing with the Chicago branch.” Lake looked up from his papers. “Looks like you’ve got an old friend coming to take your case, Blythe.”
Blythe hoped she looked suitably surprised enough. “Are they sending Rafe Douglas in on this?”
“And some P.I. called Ashley Scott. I didn’t know the DDU ran cases with outsiders now.”
“It must be important if Rafe’s on hand, sir. I know her very well. There must be a very good reason for her to want in. She isn’t the kind of cop to take someone’s case from them.”
“You’ll find out soon enough, as they are due to contact you tonight about this. I don’t need to tell you to keep any meetings away from your cover house and away from prying eyes.”
“I’ll make sure they don’t come here and expose us, sir.” Blythe inwardly cringed over the fact she’d already had Rafe and Ashley in their home. Rafe’s persona just screamed cop, but when Daryl had walked out, Blythe had never given a thought to what the neighborhood watch would think.
“Keep me posted with their intentions. I don’t like getting calls from other teams telling me they not only want in on the case but also to take the lead.” Lake’s displeasure made Blythe squirm.
&nb
sp; “We will, sir. At least with it being Rafe I know I won’t get the runaround. She’s brutally honest and very professional. She’ll help us solve this case no matter what the reasons are behind their involvement.”
“You make sure you emphasize this is Daryl’s case,” Lake said.
“Believe me, Agent Lake, I’ll make damned sure that fact is recognized,” Daryl said. “I’m not above fighting for my territory, and I’m not DDU so I don’t go by the same rules you guys do. But I’ll be civil and see what these folks have to say concerning a case that came to my desk.”
Blythe heard the steely determination in Daryl’s tone. She knew it was just an act, but it thrilled her anyway. “We’ll contact you as soon as we’ve met up with our new team members.” They said their good-byes and concluded the chat. Blythe disconnected the screen and blew out a noisy puff of air. “Geez! I hate hiding information from my boss.”
“Well, we can’t admit that we know exactly why Rafe and Ashley are here. Lake already has some ideas about me, obviously, and what I can do. To bring up angelic assistance might just have him withdrawing his offer for my personal parking space at the DDU.”
“It’s a good thing Rafe warned us she’d have to find a way to step in on the takedown. I wonder what she means by banishing and just what we’ll see.”
“We’ll probably see a whole heap of nothing, as usual. I got the impression that they can contain the area, but if your team were here they’d be too involved to not realize something was wrong. And there’s something just a little odd about watching Rafe and Ashley talk to something other than themselves.”
“It must be hard on Rafe not seeing Ashley shape shift into other people.”
Daryl nodded. “Now that was something I still can’t get over seeing. I mean, one minute she’s a tiny blonde, the next I’m looking at Ellen Ripley armed with a big ass-kicking alien gun.”
“How do you honestly feel about Rafe coming in on this case? Your case?” Blythe asked.
Daryl shrugged. “I’m more than happy to defer to her and Ashley for many of the aspects that this case has revealed. After all, they alone can truly see the evil one of these women possesses.” She leaned back in her chair and stretched. “I don’t care how it’s done. I just want these women brought to justice. If that means jail terms, I’ll take my day in court. If it means banishing by some kind of mystical spear that Rafe carries around with her disguised as a writing implement, then I can live with that too. I may never fully understand it, and it all sounds fucking crazy, but as long as I can get those babies back to their real mothers I will rest knowing I did all I could do.”
“With the help of Virgil,” Blythe added wryly.
“Yes, with the help of my own angel.” Daryl shook her head. “I still can’t wrap my brain around it.”
“But you’re beginning to believe.”
“I’m beginning to believe in a lot of things.” Daryl clasped Blythe’s hand in hers. “But I believe most in you and my love for you.”
Those simple words stole Blythe’s breath away. “You are too good to be true, Daryl Chandler.” She brushed her lips over Daryl’s cheek. “You have surprised me though. Most cops would be pitching an absolute fit over having their case hijacked.”
“I figure after learning that all my child finding cases have been shadowed by another being assisting me, what’s two more coming in to find these kids with me?”
Blythe scooted her chair closer so she could cuddle into Daryl’s side. “You’re amazing. I can see why Virgil stayed.”
“Why?”
“Because you have a good heart. I’m guessing that’s a rare thing.”
“I may have an angel, but I’m not one, Blythe.” Daryl shifted uncomfortably by her side. “I’m no poster girl for all that’s good in the world. Far from it.”
“Well, I have to say I loved your wicked side this morning. How about we explore both sides of you while we wait for Rafe and Ashley to officially introduce themselves to your case?”
Daryl got to her feet and led the way from the office. “You know that Lake would have a cow if he knew we were fraternizing on company time.”
“Oh, honey,” Blythe drawled, tugging Daryl up the stairs with her. “We’re doing something that begins with an F, but it sure ain’t fraternizing!”
Chapter Twenty-six
Two nights later, Daryl accompanied Ashley to the rooftop of the parking garage opposite Miller’s Adoption Agency. It was supposedly under the guise of inter unit unity, but Daryl had a feeling Ashley wanted to talk to her alone. One angel bearer to another.
“So this is where you first caught sight of Lailah?” Daryl lifted the high-powered binoculars that Rafe had loaned her and trained them on the building opposite. She couldn’t detect any movement in the building.
“She’s not in there yet. There’s no ghostly glitter trail going from room to room. She’s a bit of a wanderer when the cleaners leave.” Ashley placed her elbows on the wall in front of her and rested her chin on her hands. “As soon as I spot her I’ll give you the heads up.”
“Blythe told me what happened to Rafe that makes her see the glitter trails. It must have been terrifying for her.”
Ashley smiled softly. “My girl is made of strong stuff,” she said with an edge of pride. “She’s tackled plenty of demons since then and isn’t exactly shy about standing up to angels either.”
Daryl shifted uncomfortably and let out a sigh that came out more heartfelt than she wished. “Ah yes, angels.”
Ashley turned to regard her. “I’m guessing you’re still a little shell-shocked. I can understand that. It’s a lot to take in after a lifetime of having a power that you couldn’t explain and then it’s revealed as angelic interference.”
“I wasn’t expecting an angel,” Daryl admitted, finally lowering the binoculars so she could look at Ashley. “I was actually more concerned I was possessed by something less….”
“God-given?”
Daryl roughly ran a hand through her hair. “I’ve never given much thought to stuff like this. My mother was the religious one. She had her beliefs but never forced them on to me as a child. She always said I was too much my father’s daughter. I’d need evidence and a signed confession before I’d put my trust in any belief system.” Her chest constricted as she remembered her mother. “I wish she were here now so I could share this with her. I think it would have shown I had a part of her in me too.”
“Virgil revealed his presence to her when she was close to death. The very act of dying opens humans’ eyes to the existence of angels around us, but he wanted her to know you had him beside you.”
“Just like she always believed.”
“Exactly. By the way, he apologizes for making you cry.”
Daryl’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Excuse me?”
“In the agency, he told Eli he made you feel an emotion so powerful it made you cry. It was the only way he could think of to get you out of the room and into the bathroom where he was aware Lailah was heading.”
Daryl was stunned. She remembered vividly the strength of her emotions that day. The uncharacteristic crying that had suddenly taken her over had been surprising to say the least. “Virgil made me get upset so I could cross paths with our suspect?” Ashley nodded at her. Daryl had to smile. “I really wish he could have just written something on the bathroom mirror so I could have gotten a clue as to what I was doing in there and why. And I hated the fact it made me look weak in front of Blythe.”
“Oh, Daryl, I don’t think Blythe sees you as weak at all. That girl thinks the sun rises and sets on that pale head of yours.”
Daryl knew her cheeks were reddening under Ashley’s frank appraisal. “How can I expect her to be with me when I have an angel at my shoulder and an obvious calling to find lost children? That’s quite a bit of extra baggage to take on.”
“How can you not expect her to jump at the chance? You’re not meant to forge a path through life alone. Can you h
onestly admit to wanting to return to your ‘normal’ life after spending however many weeks it’s been at Blythe’s side?”
The terrible ache in Daryl’s chest almost made her gasp out loud at just the thought of having to step away from Blythe’s side. Ashley obviously saw the pain in her eyes.
“I thought not. So you come with an angelic attachment. It’s no biggie. I do too and Rafe wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s who I am, what I do.”
“But it’s not safe for her anymore with me. I’m more connected to your world now, thanks to Virgil, than I could ever be to hers. She doesn’t need to be sucked into a world where demons are the standard. With me, she stands no chance of a normal life.”
“So you do what? Leave the love of your life behind because you need to face this demon-infested world alone?” Ashley shook her head. “Believe me, Daryl, finding that someone who accepts you for all you are is the sweetest blessing life can bestow on you.”
Daryl nodded, but she knew she wasn’t the same person Blythe had met back in New York. Daryl didn’t even feel the same herself. And Blythe deserved to be with someone who didn’t have a calling to find children that was obviously heaven sent.
“Can I tell you something?” Daryl asked, steeling her courage to do so.
“Sure.”
“When I was out on a run a week or so ago I was….attacked.”
“Attacked?” Ashley frowned at her. “I’m getting the sense you don’t mean mugged for your running shoes.”
“Something dressed all in black hit me with such a force I was blown off my feet and left bruised.”
Ashley stepped closer. “Where did they hit you?”
Daryl pointed to her chest. Ashley held her hand up.
“May I?” At Daryl’s hesitant nod Ashley rested her hand where Daryl had indicated. She closed her eyes and her fingers spread out warmly across Daryl’s chest. Ashley opened her eyes and gave a sigh. “You got hit by a demon.”