“You okay?” he said glancing back at Stacey’s retreating form. JD nodded.
“She okay?” he asked.
JD shrugged. “I guess so.”
Rick nodded, like he understood, but JD knew he didn’t. The man had never been married, had no children, and lived life how he pleased. It didn’t seem like he had any regrets, or a past that haunted him.
“We carry on,” Rick said. “We’ll miss him, but we can’t stop living ourselves. He wouldn’t want that.” JD had to agree.
“You coming to the office Christmas party tomorrow night?’ he asked. JD looked up at him and smiled. Gramps would have insisted on it.
Chapter 18
The office was bright and cheery, and Rick had splurged on a live band, gothic as it was, but at least they were playing familiar Christmas tunes.
After greeting her co-workers, JD made her way to the refreshment table where she got herself a glass of fruit juice and contemplated the chocolate fountain. There was a wide assortment of delectable fruits and sweets spread on the long table decorated with mini Christmas trees, glittering with white lights, and bright glass ornaments.
A moment later, someone with cold fingers covered her eyes. “Guess who?” came the voice belonging to the fingers.
“Um, Minnie Mouse?” JD guessed. She heard giggles and turned around to see her roommate, Missy. This was the first time JD had laid eyes on her roommate since her return to LA.
“Whoa!” JD exclaimed as she looked Missy over. Her friend had cut off her blond tresses and colored it a deep burgundy red. She wore a black lace shirt over a white camisole, a short, pleated, purple skirt, and fishnet stockings with boots. “Nice look, Missy, but this isn’t a Halloween party,” JD teased, wondering what happened to her concert-t-shirt-and-jeans-loving roommate.
“Decided to try something new,” Missy said and twirled around to show off the rest of her outfit. She even had an eyebrow ring.
“So, we haven’t had much time to catch up with each other. How is Torrey? Any other gorgeous contractors hanging out at the site lately?” Missy asked solicitously as she sidled up to JD. JD shuddered with a scowl.
“What?” Missy asked with wide eyes that were lined with thick, black makeup.
“No more contractors for me, thanks,” JD stated flatly. She turned herself a little away from Missy to indicate she did not want to talk about it.
“Sorry,” Missy sighed.
JD shrugged as Missy reached into her purse and pulled out a small box wrapped in red paper. “I got you something,” Missy said cheerfully. “Merry Christmas!”
“Oh, Missy! I got you something, too, but I left it at the apartment!” JD took Missy’s gift.
“That’s okay. I’ll get it later.” Missy smiled. “Go ahead, open it.”
She opened the box and withdrew a golden chain. Missy fingered it as she held it up to examine it. “To put your grandparent’s rings on,” Missy explained.
“Thank you,” JD breathed and hugged her friend.
Missy hugged her back. “I hope you feel better soon.”
“Thanks,” JD said.
The band took a break, and JD saw the singer hop off the portable stage and head toward them. He wore black with a diamond brooch at his throat. His hair was thick and black, and he wore it long. Black eyeliner encircled his violet eyes, and black lipstick made his face look deathly pale. Fingerless black lace gloves covered his hands. He came up behind Missy and wrapped his arms tight around her before going for her throat with a growl, surprising Missy. She squealed and started laughing.
“JD, this is Drogo,” Missy said as he tried to attack her again playfully. Now JD understood the reason of her friend’s choice of apparel.
“Nice to meet you,” JD said smiling politely. Drogo glanced at her; a funny look passed over his features, but then he smiled. “Charmed,” he said silkily as he reached out a hand in greeting.
JD took his hand warily. Something about him made her skin prickle. Drogo promptly ignored her and started chewing on Missy’s ear, which made JD feel extremely uncomfortable. She excused herself with a “I’ll see you later,” farewell, and headed out onto the wide expanse of the rooftop terrace of the penthouse office.
Once on the terrace, she drew in a deep breath. All of L.A. seemed dressed for a party. For a moment, she felt like she was on the cliff looking down over Torrey during the Fourth of July celebration. A pang of remorse shot through her heart as she remembered how handsome and alluring Matthew had been. How good it had felt to be close to him, enveloped in his arms.
It was a lie, she reminded herself harshly. But she couldn’t shake the thoughts of him that seemed to be just pouring into her mind.
Perhaps thinking of him must have summoned the rogue angel, but she felt his presence before she realized he was really there. She turned and faced Matthew who stood in the shadows next to the bank of windows of the penthouse office.
“Matthew,” she whispered as he stepped from the shadows. How she longed for the old Matthew to wrap her in his arms again, yet at the same time was fearful of him and his motives. The conflict of her heart and mind was maddening.
“JD, come back with me,” he said gently, reaching out a hand toward her.
“N, no,” she stated, almost unwillingly.
“Why?” he asked, as if hurt.
“You used me,” she said.
He shook his head, taking a few more steps toward her. Part of her wanted to run into his arms and pretend everything was like it was before he ever took the box, before she had slept with him.
“I love you,” he said. “I was wrong to leave you.” His words reached for her as much as she wanted to reach for him and tell him everything was okay that she could forgive him.
She closed her eyes and forced herself to say, “I know what you are.” A second later, she opened her eyes to assess his reaction. He only looked at her as if at a loss for words. “I know about what happened to you,” she continued. “Why did you choose to fall? Why?” she asked as she took a step closer to him.
Matthew’s face suddenly screwed up in rage. “Nathan told you!” he snarled. “You know nothing about what happened!” He lunged for her, caught her arm, and yanked her against him. His touch burned her flesh.
“Let go,” she cried, twisting away from him. He quickly snatched her other arm. Black wings suddenly unfurled around him as he chuckled in amusement at her struggle to escape. She tried to twist around to reach him with her knees and feet, but he brought her tight against him so her movements were impeded.
JD screamed, but her cries for help were drowned out by the music playing inside. If anyone cared to look outside, no one would have been able to see her. She was in shadow, held by a shadow of the night. Grunting and straining, she was helpless in his grasp. She remembered how easily he had snapped her ankle last time he had gotten his hands on her.
Without warning, something dark and shadowy swooped from JD’s left and plowed into Matthew’s shoulders. She and Matthew both fell heavily to the ground. Matthew pulled her down on top of him, preventing her from hitting the concrete. She twisted around to see what had just happened as Matthew jumped to his feet looking for the source of the attack. Another black shadow flitted past JD and smashed into his other side. Matthew released his grip on her as he turned and tangled with the two new arrivals. Scrambling away from the commotion, she backed up against the window and watched as several strange black shadows began dropping to the ground from the sky.
The pools of shadow that hit the concrete patio, rose and formed into figures which quickly surrounded Matthew. There were five of them. One turned in her direction and pointed her toward the door. Fallens, she realized with a jolt. L.A. Fallens; slick, slender, and dressed in black with long, white faces and red flashing eyes. She then realized that the one motioning for her to leave was Drogo!
JD ran toward the door as mayhem erupted behind her. She heard Matthew roar, and the roof top trembled. Something landed
on the overhang above the door, and she skidded to a halt, screaming automatically. Nathan leapt from the roof, clapping a hand over her mouth.
“It’s me!” he said.
She stared wide-eyed at him as he pulled her inside the office where the party was in full swing with loud music and couples dancing, already tipsy from too much doctored eggnog.
“What are you doing here?” she gasped. He pulled her behind a stand of fake trees lit with Christmas lights.
“I followed Matthew here. Sorry I didn’t get here sooner, but I had to tip off Drogo that his territory was being invaded.”
“Drogo?” JD gasped. “Drogo is a False One?”
Nathan nodded. “I decided to let him and his gang deal with Matthew, while I got you out of here. Do you care if you miss the rest of the party?”
“No,” JD said quickly.
“I’m taking you home,” he explained. “Did you drive here?”
“I came with Rick,” she responded.
“Tell Missy you are going home, so she doesn’t worry. Ask to borrow her car. She’ll give you the keys, because she will want to stay with Drogo,” he instructed and gave her a little push toward the refreshment table where Missy was chatting with co-workers.
“Shouldn’t we warn her about Drogo?” JD balked.
“Her Guardian already did. Missy doesn’t care,” Nathan said and gave her another nudge.
“What?” She couldn’t believe Missy would be so casual about something as diabolical as having a Fallen for a boyfriend.
Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Look, if she doesn’t want to listen to her Guardian angel, then that is her choice. Missy has been warned.”
“Is her life in danger?”
Nathan sighed. “Not likely. Humans are more useful alive than dead to Drogo’s sort. I’ll explain later. You just go get Missy’s keys, all right?”
She stared at him incredulously. He gave her a gentle push, and she stumbled away, dodged several swaying couples, finally got to Missy’s side, and whispered in her ear. Missy gave her the keys to her car. JD met Nathan in the parking garage. As JD drove home in Missy’s Honda Prius, Nathan kept an eye out for trouble.
“I just can’t believe Missy knows he is a Fallen and isn’t freaking out,” JD remarked as she stopped at a red light. Nathan looked at JD and said, “You don’t understand. It’s not that she knows he is a Fallen exactly. A Guardian angel can only communicate as much as their wards are willing to listen.”
“Oh,” JD said. “Maybe she needs to hear it from a friend then.”
“You can try,” Nathan said.
JD determined she would, the first chance she got, but then she remembered Matthew and turned anxious eyes at Nathan and asked, “What now? Matthew has found me. What is going to keep him from attacking me at my apartment?”
“Me.”
“I thought you said you couldn’t leave Torrey,” she reminded him.
“I decided to bend the rules a little.”
“What? Are you going to get in trouble for this?” she exclaimed.
“I hope not. Once Missy gets home with Drogo, Matthew will keep his distance, and I’ll get back to Torrey. Just promise me you won’t leave Missy’s side. You’ll be safe.”
“How can I be safe with Missy?”
Nathan gave her a look as if she were being dim on purpose. “Drogo is fiercely protective of his claims. You stick close to Missy and Drogo. Matthew won’t dare tangle with a False One and his legions in his own territory.”
“You want me to hang out with Fallens?” She smirked.
“Yeah, I guess so. Just, don’t go anywhere after dark with them, okay?” Nathan replied evenly. JD rolled her eyes. She pulled into Missy’s parking space next to her apartment building.
“Coming in?” JD invited.
Nathan considered it a moment, and then shook his head. “I should stay out here until Missy and Drogo return, and then I have to head back to Torrey.”
Nathan stepped out of the car and opened her door for her. He walked her to the apartment door where she hesitated on the landing. “Are you sure you can’t come in, just for a moment?” she implored.
“It wouldn’t be wise.” He shook his head.
“Why? You came into my apartment in Torrey,” she reminded him.
“That was different,” he responded slowly.
“How?”
“Because you didn’t know about me then,” he said.
“And knowing about you now is different because…” she prompted.
Nathan gazed at her a moment before averting his eyes to look elsewhere. “Because…well, you have carnal knowledge now, whereas your innocence had protected you up until then,” he said uncomfortably.
“I have carnal knowledge?” She said, taken aback, “What is that supposed to mean?”
“The longer we are together, the more you will start to remember things that have been hidden from you for your protection, what the light of innocence was for you. Your carnal knowledge has awaken the memories, Julia. The more you remember, the chances of us crossing that line…” he paused and shook his head. “It just wouldn’t be safe.”
JD gaped at him. Was he worried that she’d try to seduce him or that he wouldn’t be able to control himself if they spent time alone together?
“Yes,” he said, gazing into her eyes.
She blinked at him in surprise, “You can read my thoughts?”
“No. Just your eyes.”
She looked away from him. “Seems to me you have more knowledge about things than I do,” she accused.
“Julia,” he said softly, “Don’t do this.”
“I don’t want to be alone,” she retorted. “I’m scared.”
Nathan looked down, clearly struggling with his feelings. “I don’t blame you,” he muttered. In one swift movement, he picked her up in his arms and darted inside, kicking the door shut. JD didn’t have time to even gasp as he laid her on her bed, and leaning over her, he touched her cheek with his fingertips.
“Go to sleep, Julia,” he whispered. “You’ll never be alone if I can help it.” Drowsiness suddenly overtook her, and the last thing she saw were Nathan’s crystal blue eyes staring into hers. She wondered if he could read in her eyes, the love for him she was feeling, fueled by memories that were slowly seeping into her consciousness.
Chapter 19
“Nathan?” she heard herself say when she awoke the next morning. She looked around her room to see if he was still there and felt saddened that he had not stayed. But he hadn’t promised he would.
Disappointed, she roused herself from bed and pulled on her bathrobe, cinching the belt tightly. She spotted Missy’s gift on top of her dresser. She crossed the room and opened the box. She didn’t remember doing it, but her grandparent’s wedding rings were already threaded with the beautiful chain Missy had given her. JD lifted the necklace and fastened it around her neck. The rings fell against her heart, and JD pressed them there−a small connection to the grandfather she loved dearly and the grandmother she never knew. It felt right having them close to her. She made a silent vow she would never remove them.
She smiled at herself in the mirror, remembering Nathan’s sweet words the night before. Sighing, she ran her hands though her wild tresses and made her way to the kitchen.
Pausing at Missy’s bedroom door, she leaned her head toward it, but heard nothing. Not that she expected to hear anything, but she wanted to know if Drogo was there. The revelation that Missy’s boyfriend was a Fallen still unsettled her. She considered peeking in on her roommate to see if Drogo was there, but quickly changed her mind and continued into the kitchen. She didn’t think Missy would appreciate being spied upon.
After pouring herself a glass of juice, she turned to rummage through the pantry for a banana, but came face to face with Drogo instead. He stood with his back to the pantry door in a relaxed poise, as if he had been there all along, watching her. She inhaled sharply in surprise and lost her grip on her gla
ss. His hand shot out and snatched the glass without spilling a single drop. He put it back into her hand a split second later. With his hand over hers, a strange look passed over his features as he studied her eyes very carefully.
Surprised at his sudden appearance, JD was momentarily speechless. When it registered that he was touching her, she recoiled. She could feel the cold in his touch−feel the pull of his hunger for her very soul. It elicited raw, cold fear from deep inside. She could see that it excited him by the way his mouth curled up at the corners in a grim smile and the dark light of trouble in his eyes. He dropped his hand and leaned casually against the pantry door.
“We sent your Fallen angel lover home with his tail tucked between his legs. He won’t be back, ever,” Drogo informed her boastfully.
“He is not my lover,” JD bit back.
He did not look convinced as he smirked. She couldn’t pull her eyes away from him. He was very attractive in a way that was dark and foreboding, mysterious and enticing. JD understood why Missy was so taken with him. In a way, Matthew was similar, but in comparison, Matthew seemed a lot more wholesome than Drogo. Perhaps Drogo was a more experienced Fallen. Or, maybe it was because he was a False One.
Missy was evidently oblivious to the cold emptiness that seemed to emanate from Drogo, like a wide, sucking void that yearned for sustenance. JD started losing her will to withstand this Fallen the longer he gazed at her. He chuckled, as if he could read her thoughts, and then stepped closer to her, reaching a hand up to caress the curve of her jaw and chin.
“Did you know you have a dark spot…” he paused looking down toward her chest and pointed to her heart, “Here? No?”
He chuckled as her eyes widened, and she hunched her shoulders to put distance between his hand and her chest.
“You have given your heart to the fallen angel, and that is why you suffer.” He licked his lips and leaned even closer, inches from her face. “You think you want the other one, the brother, don’t you?” JD didn’t answer, too afraid to speak, and too stunned that he had information that even her best friend didn’t know.
If I Fall...: Will You Forgive Me? (Angelore Saga Book 2) Page 10