Golden Angel: (Broken Angel #5) (2 page)

J
eremy stared
at the parking lot. Was he in the wrong place?

He walked back down to the beach, retracing his steps. The same path was there. But the moment he came out of the thick foliage, his foot stepped on black asphalt rather than the taco shack’s front door.

He frowned.

It was gone. All of it. Was there nothing left for him anymore? The one place he’d known he could find peace, a place to forget he was an archangel, was now a parking lot filled with SUVs and sports cars like the gaudy pink one sitting near the restaurant’s front door.

What was he going to do now? He’d wandered aimlessly around Texas, then New Mexico. He wasn’t sure why. Each place reminded him of the cold look in Naomi’s eyes when he’d left.

When he had found himself flying toward Nevada, Gabrielle’s voice had whispered in the back of his mind, warning him. So he’d left for the one place he felt the most at home: Kauai.

A breeze blew, and the smell of food drifted through the air, making his stomach rumble. He’d vowed to stay in his human form while on the island. He wanted as little to do with being an angel as possible. But that also meant feeding it on a constant basis.

His heart twisted as he remembered chubby cheeks and Sammy smiling as his licked his fingers while eating his special mystery meat tacos.

Now it was all gone. Maybe he should just stay on the other side of the island. He didn’t know why he had wanted to stay there.

He let out a frustrated breath as he ran his hand through his windblown hair.

Of course he knew why. He wanted to check in on Sammy and Leilani. He wanted to make sure they were okay.

It was stupid, thinking that the shack would still be there. Of course it wouldn’t. Who could’ve taken over the place after Lani and Samuel died? Sammy and Leilani were just kids.

His stomach rumbled again.

All right, all right. Dinner time.
He patted his stomach as he made his way to the restaurant.

When he approached the entrance, he barked out a laugh at the huge sign on the wall next to the double doors.

Next to the words
Candy’s Restaurant
was a cartoon caricature of Candy Hu in a hula outfit. A balloon text came out of her mouth saying, “Hu’ll love our food!”

He hoped Leilani didn’t know anything about this place. Maybe they were lucky and their aunt had taken them to live somewhere else. It would kill her to see this.

“Aloha! Welcome to Candy’s!” a hostess wearing a bikini top and sarong said as she hurried to him. “You can wait for the rest of your party at the bar.”

“It’s just me.”

“Oh really?” She fingered the string of her bikini top.

“Yeah.”

“Well, follow me, then.” She winked before she turned, heading into the restaurant. “I’ll take you to the best table in the house. It’s right in front of the stage. We have a hula show tonight. You’ll love it,” she said as they made their way out onto the lanai.

“Wait. If you don’t mind, I’d like something more private. Maybe a table in the back?”

She glowed, fluttering her lashes. “Of course.”

Damn. She probably thought he wanted to get her alone.

It took some maneuvering and pretending to be engrossed with the menu before the girl finally got the hint and left him alone. Thankfully the waiter was efficient and brought his meal quickly.

He bit into his hamburger. It was good, but not as good as the burgers Sammy’s mother had made.

His eyes scanned the crowd. The place was filled with families, mostly tourists. They were all smiling and having a good time. He was the only one sitting alone. For some reason, that bothered him.

He took another bite of his food. Well, he had to get used to being alone now. There was no way he was going back home.

He heard a familiar high-pitched giggle and nearly choked.

Candy’s here?

He stood and saw Candy Hu talking to a group of guys near the stage. Of course she was there, the restaurant was named after her. He took in the slinky bikini top that barely covered her.

Well, she certainly grew.

His heart thumped faster. If Candy was here, maybe, just maybe . . .

Stepping away from his table, he scanned the area carefully, this time looking for the familiar spiky hair and brown eyes.

Music filtered through the speakers near his table. Candy squealed, running onto the stage. The music shifted, and a voice sang out. Candy danced across the stage, followed by a group of girls. The girls were dressed similarly, wearing a red sarong and a white flower tucked behind their right ear. The flowing movement of their arms and swaying of their hips was enchanting.

Leilani should’ve been up there. She should’ve been the one at the center of the stage.

“Yeah, baby!” one of the guys at the table yelled.

On second thought . . .

Jeremy frowned as he eyed the table of guys Candy had been flirting with. He felt bad for the girls. The testosterone-filled morons didn’t appreciate the beauty of their dance. The music, the light, the movement—it was angelic.

He swallowed thickly, pushing the lump in his throat away. They were like angels, their arms like wings. They were so graceful, the way their arms lifted and dropped as if dancing on air, especially the one at the end.

I know her!
He stepped forward, keeping his eyes on the young woman.

It couldn’t be her.

Was it?

He stood frozen beside a pair of flaming torches as the voice sang about Kalua’s love. The young woman’s slender torso swayed as delicate arms waved, mimicking the ocean waves. Thick, dark hair rested on her shoulder, shining like black silk. Her ruby lips were slightly open as if ready for a kiss. She was lost in the music. Her eyes down as if lost in a dream.

He rubbed his eyes, knowing perfectly well there was nothing wrong with his angelic vision. He could see every dark lash, every sensuous curve of her lips, and every pore on her lovely face.

He waited with bated breath as the young woman raised her head. Long lashes slowly lifted, and soulful brown eyes gazed out into the audience.

Leilani.

She’d done it. She was doing what she’d always wanted to do. She was dancing.

He was mesmerized. Even when she moved back, allowing Candy to take center stage, he couldn’t take his eyes off Leilani. Something inside him stirred.

No. Not that.

Immediately he took a step back. He shook off the crazy-ass feelings running rampant through him.

He was lonely. Yeah, that was what he was feeling. Leilani was a nice friend. And so was Sammy. He was only there to make sure they were okay. Now that he’d seen that she was fine, he could leave. Leilani would never let anything happen to her little brother.

The music stopped, and the crowd roared with applause.

There. It was over. It was time for him to leave. There was no reason to stay. He’d seen what he’d needed to see.

He whipped around, ready to make his way to the other side of the island, when a lanky boy with baby blue eyes and chocolate stains on the corners of his mouth blocked his way.

“Jeremy?”

J
eremy’s heart lurched
. Sammy wasn’t a little boy anymore. His chubby cheeks were slender now. There was a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose, and he was at least a foot taller.

He looks just like his father.

Sammy rubbed his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Hey, buddy. It’s me, Jeremy.”

Peering closer, Sammy poked his bicep. “You’re real. You weren’t an imaginary friend.”

“Of course I’m—what are you doing?” he asked when Sammy went around him and patted his shoulder blades. He stiffened when he realized what Sammy was doing.

He’s looking for my wings. He remembers.

“I knew it,” Sammy whispered hoarsely, facing him again. “I knew you were real.”

Reaching for his hand, Sammy pressed his palm against his, staring at the hands as if they would disappear at any moment.

“As real as chocolate.” Jeremy grabbed a napkin off the table and ran it along the side of Sammy’s mouth. “I see you still like to eat Sammywich.”

Sammy’s face stilled and he let go of Jeremy’s hand.

Jeremy winced when he realized what he’d done. He didn’t have to read minds to know what Sammy was thinking. The haunted expression on his face said it all. He was a reminder of Sammy’s painful past.

Damn it! Why am I even here?
All he did was bring pain to people he cared about. It was obvious Leilani and Sammy had moved on. He should have left them in peace instead of being a reminder of the worst day of their lives.

“I’m sorry, Sammy. I didn’t mean to—”

There was a loud whack and a thump followed by a chorus of laughs. Somebody squealed Leilani’s name, which was followed by a slew of curses. The audience laughed louder.

Jeremy’s eyes flicked up to the stage. Candy lay flat on her back, her arms and legs flailing. Behind her was Leilani, her mouth slightly open as she started at him and Sammy.

Emotions flooded her face. Shock, happiness, grief, and something else.

That look. Those eyes.

It pulled him to her.

He wanted to push his way through the laughing crowd, forget he was an archangel, and take her and Sammy away from there.

That look on her face was longing.

Longing for him.

Stop it!
He dug his nails into the palm of his hand.

She was a young, impressionable girl. He was a representation of a past that she’d lost. She longed for that past, not him. He had to remember they were friends. The least he could do was to make sure she was okay.

He waved, smiling.

Leilani blinked, and then her face scrunched into a scowl. A fire lit in her eyes that took his breath away. He latched on to the chair beside him, barely aware of the metal seat warping under the pressure of his fingers.

Leilani marched off the stage, ignoring Candy’s death glare and pushing her way past an older man wearing a Hawaiian shirt.

“Let’s give the beautiful young ladies a hand,” the man said. “And of course a special thanks to our lovely Candy Hu.”

Candy bounced between glaring at Leilani and smiling at the crowd as she exited off the stage.

Candy wasn’t the only one with laser-cutting eyes.

“Uh oh. Leilani’s pissed,” Sammy said as she made a beeline straight for them. “Run, Jeremy.”

If he weren’t an archangel, he would’ve taken Sammy’s advice. The closer she got, the scarier she looked.

“I think it might be a little too late for that, buddy.”

“What the hell are you doing here, Golden Boy? LA got boring for you?”

“Aloha to you too,” he said, giving her his most winning smile.

She paused. Her eyes glazed over, softening. It was the same expression most women wore whenever he turned on the full charm.

“I was getting some R&R and thought I’d drop by and check in on you and Sammy. It looks like you two are doing great. So you’re dancing now?”

There was an uncomfortable silence as she gazed blankly.

“Leilani?” He waved a hand over her face.

What was wrong with her? He’d never seen her so quiet.

Her face flushed pink then red. Her breathing came out in harsh gasps. Ruby lips moved, but no words were coming out.

“Run, now,” Sammy whispered. “She’s gonna explode.”

“Great? You actually think we’re doing great?” she spat, her voice rising with every word she spoke. “Boy, you are some piece of work. I should’ve known better. I can’t believe I fell for your smooth talk. Friends. Right.” She barked a laugh.

“What do you mean? I
am
your friend.”

“Of course you don’t know. How could you? You’re not one of us. You come to the island
pretending
to be a friend. You made Sammy like you. My family liked you. And I . . .” Pausing, she bit her quivering lip.

“Leilani.” He reached out to touch her cheek.

She jerked away from his hand, glaring. “You made everyone like you. And then the next minute you were gone. Just like that.” She snapped her fingers.

“He came to the hospital,” Sammy said.

“We’ve been over this before, Sammy. You were confused,” she said to him softly, brushing the hair off his sweaty forehead.

“I wasn’t confused. Tell her, Jeremy. You were there.”

“Well . . .”

“See what you did?” she snapped. “You made a five-year-old boy hallucinate about you. He wanted you to be there so badly he imagined you there!” She then turned to Sammy, lowering her voice and speaking to him calmly. “You were on a lot of medication. He wasn’t there.”

Jeremy opened his mouth, about to say that he had been there. He’d been by their side every single second. But he couldn’t without letting them know who he really was.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know about the accident. I had to leave on family business,” he finally said.

“Whatever. I can’t deal with you right now. I have to get back to work. Sammy, I told you to wait in the kitchen.”

“I can watch him,” Jeremy said. “We can catch up on things.”

“Yeah!” Sammy’s face brightened.

“No. We’re not falling for that again.”

“Aww, come on, Leilani. Please,” Sammy pleaded.

“I’m sure he has other things he needs to do. Maybe on another island?”

She was pissed, and rightfully so. He knew he had to leave, but he didn’t want to, not with her mad like this. He was about to plead his case when someone yelled, and the sound of drums blasted from the speakers.

The audience whooped and hollered as five men dressed in thigh-length red sarongs sprinted through the audience.

As they ran on stage, one of them with a tribal tattoo covering his upper arm stood in the center, twirling a fire staff. He stopped holding the fire high above his head and brought it to his lips. He spat out liquid and the fire blew out high above his head. The audience roared with delight.

“Don’t leave yet, Jeremy. You have to see Kai do his fire dance. I helped him learn his moves,” Sammy said, looking proud.

That’s Kai?

He gazed in awe at the man nearly the same size as he was, twirling two fire staffs. He spun them so fast that they blurred into one large circle of fire.

That was the boy Leilani had once called Chucky? He wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a man.

The other dancers flanked Kai’s side, making the girls in the audience yell even more. They looked small in comparison to Kai’s massive body.

They worked in unison as fire swirled over their heads, around their bodies, and under their legs.

“Isn’t he great?” Sammy eyes shined as he watched Kai.

He glanced at the suddenly quiet Leilani, and his heart faltered.

Her eyes were shining too.

He forced his heart to beat again. This was what he wanted. It was the way it should be. He didn’t want them to be alone. They had Kai.

He should be happy for them. He should leave them alone to live their lives.

So why couldn’t he make his feet move?

And why couldn’t he tear his eyes off of Leilani?