Underworld Lover (A Guardian Angel Romance #2) (31 page)

“Oh, sad work, this.” Peter clasped his hands together and touched his chest. He left his right palm rest over his heart, as if drinking the sweet elixir of Josh’s pain. Josh willed a show of strength.

I am not afraid to show you the pain, you evil bastard. There’s a limited supply of it, so eat up.

Peter smiled. “We’ll see if we can make this last more than a couple lifetimes—even more than a couple of
your
lifetimes.”

Melanie’s hand continued to get colder and colder, in spite of Josh’s touch.

“Time’s up. I’m impatient to have my way with her. I don’t want the decay to destroy her lovely body. What, my friend, do you think is her best feature? Her breasts, or the sweet little place between her legs you thought belonged to you?”

Josh was going to erupt.

Peter held out the palm of his hand. “If you don’t control yourself, you’ll miss the show. And then she’s worthless to me.” He grinned. “We go to transport now,” Peter said curtly. He turned to look back at Josh, still sitting by Melanie on the bed. “I will let you bring her. It’s the last time you will touch her human flesh. I’d like you to feel what you’ve lost forever.”

Josh didn’t answer, but slid his arms carefully under her shoulders and her knees. He positioned her head so it rolled against his chest, as it had done before in life. He was filled with regret for those times. But her head resting there, even in her human death, was a small comfort, at least. In his heart, he wasn’t quite ready to let her go.

Even though her arms were not wound around his neck the way she used to, the weight of her body was no problem. She was as light as he remembered, her face just as angelic. Josh followed Peter as they descended the stairway to the ground floor. Josh’s boots crunched on the front yard, its gravel covering devoid of anything living. Peter turned again to address him, walking backwards, watching him carry the lifeless Melanie.

“She died for you, you know.”

Josh raised his head to watch the gloating on Peter’s face. “She was a far better person than I,” Josh said to the director, who squinted. “Pure of heart and spirit, who will die for the love of another. I’m surprised the readers will accept her… Peter.” Josh saw his opponent register having been referred to by his biblical name, and not “sir.” The use of the word “sir” was out of the question now.

“She died of her own hand.” Peter’s voice was haughty.

“Claire has told me there are some Guardians who have done the same. They died to protect another loved one.”

Peter’s face lost its smile. Josh stopped in his tracks. Melanie’s head had rolled back and away from his chest and hung limp, her chin pointed to the sky. At her closed eyes, he saw an extremely thin line of golden light following the crescent of her lower lid. Then it disappeared.

Josh checked her pulse. There was still no vibration there. But something inside Melanie’s body began to writhe and come alive. Josh couldn’t believe what he was feeling.

Melanie started to struggle in Josh’s arms, her arms and legs moving. She broke free and tried to stand. She was wobbly, holding onto Josh’s shoulder. Then she opened her eyes. He grabbed her just as he thought she might faint.

She whispered in a raspy voice, “Joshua. I came back to you.”

He wrapped his arms around her. He looked up at Peter, who had been distracted by the arrival of Doris and the taxi transport in a cloud of dust.

The yellow cab, chock full of people, came to a sliding stop. Bodies piled out. Josh saw James, Angela, Daniel, and Claire. He saw a tall man in white robes unfold himself from the back seat.

Father?

With his white robes billowing behind him, Father flew at Peter and held his face between two powerful hands.

“Vengeance is mine!” he boomed as golden fire from his eyes set Peter ablaze like a torch.

Angela ran to Josh and quickly spirited Melanie away. Claire and Daniel jumped in to help, taking Melanie to the transport.

Wearing dark goggles, Doris raised the trunk and had buried her head deep inside, rummaging for something.

Josh’s attention was piqued by the sounds of a shrieking winged dark angel as it descended upon him. He barely had enough time to send a stream of red laser to its chest, which created a hole large enough to insert a man’s head. The thick rubbery wings and torso fell to the ground and did not move.

Josh vaporized another pair of winged angels who were headed towards the transport. A third angel was able to veer off quickly. A long red flame shot out from behind the taxi twice, and caught the creature on the second flare. Josh could not believe that he saw Doris with a flamethrower, her face wrinkled up, her white teeth flashing the most horrible grimace Josh had ever seen. He thought it was as close as he would ever see to the little feisty angel in rapture.

Another golden arc of fire hit another winged creature, scorching its wing and sending it to the ground, wounded and screaming. Josh watched as Father ran over to it, and with two powerful hands, ripped the wings off the creature. Bloodied but not mortally wounded, the angel ran for the door of the transport station.

“I’ll go stop him,” Josh yelled out.

“No. Let him go. He can’t harm us now,” Father answered just as he dodged a fireball from another creature. Josh sent the beast falling when he seared his left wing. Father repeated the wing removal procedure, and the creature ran off screeching to escape with the other one. The creatures called out one last time before entering through the doorway. None of their kind answered, and Peter’s remains lay in a puddle of black molten ash. Josh heard the transport take off.

Father smiled as he inspected the front of his white gown, now stained with red.

Another blood-curdling scream behind Josh jolted him. He turned in time to see Doris flame another angel, the largest and the only one left flying. Doris turned around quickly, searching the sky, looking for latecomers. Josh was sure there was some military training in her background and wondered why Father had chosen her to drive transport instead.

A warrior angel who drives a taxi between Heaven and earth.

They carefully searched the gravel field, littered with the smoking remains of several winged dark angels, making sure they were all dead. The air was full of the stench of them, so much so it made Josh sick to his stomach. His nose itched.

Daniel was on his way over to Josh when another winged creature appeared from around a building and snatched the painter’s arm and leg, pulling him toward the building. Before the winged angel could drag his prey to feast on him, a red laser beam exploded the angel’s head. Father and Josh turned in the direction of the beam—across the yard from where they were standing. As Daniel raced away to rejoin Claire, Audray made her way from the shadows at the perimeter of the yard.

Josh noticed not a hair was out of place as her long locks bounced on breasts that were hard to miss under a red stretchy turtleneck sweater. Her black leather pants looked like they had been poured on her body. Unlike Josh’s black knee-high boots, Audray’s red boots had a four-inch high heel and extremely pointed toe with a silver tip.

She barely gave Daniel a look, but headed straight for Josh. For a minute, he thought she was coming punish him.

He mustered up his courage, standing tall to address her.

“Audray, what a surprise. Honestly…how…” he began.

“You don’t want to know what I had to do to get this power,” she answered.

“I can only imagine,” Josh softly replied, with a chuckle. “The director is dead.”

“Yes, I saw.” She looked into Father’s face as he joined Josh’s side and said to him, “I release these dark angels to you.” She lowered her head but did not bow.

“I cannot accept them into Heaven. They have a lifetime to live as humans first to determine whether or not they will be admitted.” Father was stern. Josh saw Audray’s sumptuous body had no effect on him whatsoever.

“So be it. I release them to their human lives, then,” she turned. Authority looked good on her, Josh thought.

“And no more winged creatures. At least not in the earthly realm,” Father said to her back.

“Agreed.”

“No more RedEcstasy.”

“Only in moderation, and only down below.” she said.

“Fine,” Father quickly agreed.

Josh had a lingering question. “What about the angels who escaped?”

“Let them be a lesson. I need them to tell everyone how Peter died at the hands of Father himself.” Audray said. “Besides, without their wings, their fire is non-existent.”

“Wise, very wise, my dear,” Father said.

Audray stepped to face Josh. He could smell her intoxicating scent, the heat of her need for power and passion. “My debt to you is ended. Our next meeting won’t be healthy for you. Stay away from us. Enjoy your mortality, and your future death. I won’t be the one to end it, of that you have my word. But, stay away all the same.”

Josh nodded his head and gave her a little smile. She was the most remarkable dark woman in the universe, but she did not hold his heart. She turned and walked toward Peter’s home, disappearing through his front door. Josh looked for Jonas, and a frown covered his face as he realized Jonas had not lifted a finger.

Where the hell is he? What game is he playing?

Melanie came running towards him. Reaching him, she slammed into his body full force, almost sending them to the ground.

“For such a delicate package, you…” he started to say.

“Shut up and kiss me.”

Chapter 42

Claire, Daniel, Doris, James, and Angela joined Josh and Melanie in the gravel clearing next to Father. Josh looked at Father’s face, his azure blue eyes clear and bright. He felt self-conscious that the old man had watched the way Josh’s body responded to Melanie, the way he kissed her, the inner joy she brought him. Father seemed to take it all in without notice. The crowd did not rush up to give him the hugs Josh got. Except Claire.

The little blond former Guardian practically leapt into Father’s arms. She kissed him on the cheek, which seemed to take him aback.

“Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Thank you, sir,” Claire said after being carefully extricated by Father’s long arms.

“Yes, well, you’ll get yourself all dirtied,” he responded, looking down at his bloody robes. Everyone laughed at him and his odd choice of words.

At first Josh thought Father would take offense, as his face turned down in a frown, but then his expression changed into a smile. Josh saw the kind blue eyes rest on him and felt a sense of warmth and calm with Father’s gaze.

Father clapped his hands together. “Come, come. We’d best get this part done with before things change again. The universe is always in flux, you know.”

He separated James, Angela, and Josh from the group, pulling them one by one into a smaller circle. He held hands with James and Josh and motioned for them to take Angela’s hands.

“I confer the blessing of humanity upon all of you,” Father said as he raised his face to the Heavens. A bright white light bathed the four figures that stood with hands clasped together. Angela’s golden hair began to lift out around her head as if it were a halo. The light shower continued for a few minutes, then faded, leaving only Father with remnants of the glow. “May you never take for granted your human lives again,” he finished as he looked at each of them, one by one. And then he released his hands.

Father looked down. He smoothed his palms over his chest, covered with brilliant white spotless robes.

“I amaze myself sometimes,” Father said to the group.

Josh felt a tingling in his hands and feet. He felt it move up his limbs and zip up his spine. The energy pulsing through him released the tension in his neck and shoulders, and for the first time he realized he had been feeling pain there, probably for centuries, and that the pain was no longer present. He felt healthy for the first time in his immortal life.

Angela and James had been looking at their hands, their eyes wide, until they found each other’s gaze, and were instantly locked in a deep embrace, kissing passionately. Josh searched for Melanie, who found him and buried herself in his chest. She took a deep breath. As she released it, he felt her body melt into his. The pleasure and passion, from a fire deep within his soul, returned to him.

The group congratulated each other and shook hands. Father was having a private conversation with Doris, pointing to the flamethrower. Josh could see she was not happy.

“I think she’s going to lose her toy,” Claire whispered.

Josh cocked his head. “I’m not so sure. Perhaps it will come in handy. I’m afraid I no longer can protect us with my laser.”

The group laughed. Doris grinned from ear to ear and shook Father’s hand, then placed the device and the goggles back in the trunk of her transport and closed the lid. It registered with Josh that, for all his apparent strength and wisdom, Father was indeed a softie when it came to women. He knew the two of them had this in common.

“You all run along,” Father said. “Go bring Joshua his gas guzzling vehicle,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “I need to have a private word with him.”

Melanie had planned to stay at Josh’s side.

“Go, my child. You can have him in just a few minutes. Please go. Now.” He was gentle, but the firmness in his voice was not something anyone would argue with. Melanie hugged Josh, shook Father’s hand, thanked him again, and left with the others.

Josh and Father watched the little transport spin off down the gravel road between buildings, a trail of grey dust in its wake. Father sighed.

“Ah, such an unlikely force of superheroes to undo the most powerful and evil director the Underworld has ever had.”

“You knew him?” Josh asked.

“Yes. An experiment.”

“You created him?” Josh’s mind raced with questions.

“Uh, in a way.” It was Father’s turn to roll his shoulders. “He was more flawed than I realized. The dark winged angels were his undoing. Especially when he gave them the gift of fire. He crossed the line.”