Archangel of Mercy (5 page)

He’d done nothing but answer her incessant questions since the moment they had met. He, the Archangel Gabriel, who answered to
no one
.

The silence screeched between them. Her fingers fidgeted, she crossed and uncrossed her ankles and a couple of times the tip of her tongue peeked between her lips.

He realized he was staring at her lips. Waiting for the third time.

Fuck
. He didn’t do waiting. Not when it came to women and sex. And he’d be damned if he’d wait much longer for Aurora. She’d wanted him from the second they’d met. The sooner he had her, the sooner he’d be able to turn his mind to sorting out this mess.

“Okay.” She shot him an odd look, as if finally realizing he no longer intended to satisfy her insatiable curiosity. He drew in a deep breath. The situation wouldn’t be intolerable. Now she understood the need to hold her tongue. “So who are you, exactly?”

Or not. Briefly he considered ignoring her question, as he had ignored her previous question, but guilt still crouched in a dark corner of his mind and it galled. She wanted the truth? He’d give her the truth.

“Your savior.” Each word dripped with derision. Not that he expected Aurora to appreciate the irony of his comment. When was the last time he’d been anyone’s savior without a hefty price tag attached for his services?

For a moment she just continued to stare at him and he narrowed his eyes, daring her to pass comment on his remark. The silence extended, fraught with words unsaid, and his taut muscles began to relax. This uncomfortable arrangement would work, so long as she didn’t keep firing endless questions his way. Then she blinked, breaking eye contact, and pushed herself to her feet.

“And how long do you think I’ll need to stay here before it’s safe to go back?”

“Go back?” After everything he’d just told her, her first thought was how soon she could go back?

“Yes.” She flattened one hand on the table, as if she still needed support. “I mean, do you think the Guardians have gone now? Is it safe for me to go home yet?”

He had no idea how long the Guardians would wait for her. It depended how much they wanted her. One thing was for sure though. They’d be mad as hell that an archangel had snatched their prey from right under their nonexistent noses.

That alone could make them more tenacious in their desire for this particular human.

Curse the gods. This was his sanctuary, his bolthole, the headquarters for his black ops ventures. He’d never brought a mortal here. The thought had never crossed his mind. But because of one unguarded second Aurora Robinson was not only here—she could well be here for
weeks
.

It was a nightmarish prospect. There was a world of difference between sharing a few pleasurable hours with a desirable female and having that female intrude into his personal existence. Especially when she did nothing with her mouth but talk.

And he had no one but himself to blame.

But instead of thanking him, instead of showing due gratitude for the great sacrifice he was making to ensure her continued safety, all Aurora wanted to know was how soon she could leave.

It was obvious she had no intention of shutting up. He’d seduce her and exhaust her so thoroughly her brain would require all its power to maintain basic life functions. She’d have no energy left to think of questioning him again.

“Try and understand.” The words were as much for his benefit as hers. Hammering home the full implication of his unthinking action. “You’re not going back, Aurora. You’re here until I deem it safe for you to return to your life.”

Chapter Seven

A
URORA
stared up at him, maintaining eye contact. She would
not
allow panic to distract her. She was
not
losing her mind.

“And when might that be?” All things considered she sounded amazingly calm. They might have been discussing the local train timetable.

Once again he didn’t answer her. But the heat of his gaze seared her skin and her uneven breath had nothing to do with her current situation and everything to do with the sinfully sexy bastard in front of her.

Because he was being a total bastard. Why was he acting as if she had no right to ask where she was? And even when he answered her it was as if he was doing her a huge favor.

Maybe he’d made all that stuff up about the Guardians. How did he know so much about them? But even as the thought slid into her mind, it refused to take hold. Because in her gut she believed every word he’d said.

“Is there some way of finding out how long the Guardians will hang around?” No way did she want to return if they—whatever exactly they were—were still waiting for her. But surely they wouldn’t wait for long.

Would they?

One thing was for sure. She couldn’t stay here indefinitely. Her mother needed daily contact with her—by phone, email or text, anything. And if she didn’t go and visit at least every other weekend, her mum’s confusion magnified. Her dad said she was her mum’s touchstone, her last tenuous link to reality. If Aurora disappeared without a word how would that affect her mother? She didn’t even want to imagine.

There had to be another way of avoiding the Guardians.

She stepped toward him and caught a flash of satisfaction in his eyes, as if finally she was doing something of which he approved. Her glance skated over his chest and, as if drawn by an invisible thread, tugged lower.

God. He was becoming aroused again. And she couldn’t tear her fascinated gaze away as the silk tented through his unbuttoned jeans with provocative invitation.

Her fingers tingled with the need to touch. Heat seared her cheeks, penetrated her brain. It didn’t matter where they were or what danger she might be in. She still found him bloody irresistible.

But she would resist. She had to. Because she had the feeling being with him would be so damn fabulous she could end up forgetting her own name. Never mind anything else.

He still didn’t answer her. Maybe he just didn’t know the answers. Why couldn’t he simply tell her that?

“I need to go home as soon as possible. You can understand that, can’t you?” She risked glancing up and caught a glint of incredulity in his eyes, as if her remark had caught him completely off-guard. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you did.” She didn’t want him to think she was being ungrateful. But the point was if she was safe from the Guardians here then all he had to do was explain how that worked and then she could ensure she took the same precautions. “But I just—”

Without a word he turned on his heel and stalked from the kitchen. Aurora stared after him, bemused. What was that all about? Was he the kind of guy who didn’t like to be thanked?

Well, even though he did have a bit of an attitude problem he deserved to be thanked for what he’d done, so she followed him. A wide, stone-tiled hallway greeted her and he was halfway along it, making his way toward the simple stone staircase.

“Hey.” She waited a couple of seconds but he didn’t pause, didn’t glance back at her. “Where are you going? I’m in the middle of talking to you.”

He paused then, and she waited for him to turn around. But he didn’t. A flicker of trepidation trickled along her spine at his rigid stance. What was the matter with him? Now she thought about it he didn’t give the impression of someone who was uncomfortable with being thanked. Anyone would think her perfectly reasonable remark had infuriated him.

“It’s kind of you to offer to put me up for a while.” Well, it was. Even if the circumstances surrounding his offer were completely crazy. “But I can’t stay. I have commitments and in any case my m—”

Slowly he turned and for some reason that was enough to dry the rest of her words in her throat.

“Be silent.” His voice was low, even, and yet she flinched as if he had roared the words inside her brain. “Stop questioning my every command.”

His every
what
?

“Command?” Had she misunderstood? “Your every
command
?”

“You’ll stay here until I say otherwise. There’s nothing to discuss.”

Was he for
real
? “What century are you from? You can’t go around giving me orders like that. If I want to leave here I will.”

“No,” he said, his gaze scorching her. “You won’t.”

For a moment words failed her as she stared into his smoldering eyes. The insubstantial desire to agree with him floated through her mind. It would make everything so much easier. And, after all, what else could she do?

She tore her gaze free and glared at his rigid jaw. As if surfacing through a cloudy pool her thoughts swirled back into focus. Sure, she hadn’t a clue where she was and on top of that she didn’t have any money, let alone her passport, on her.

But right now that didn’t matter.

“You can’t keep me here against my will.”

Finally he took a step toward her. She only just stopped herself from taking a step back to compensate.

“I can do,” he said, his voice ominously quiet, “whatever I please.”

It was a blatant threat and all things considered she knew she should have been shivering with terror.

Except, bizarrely, his threat didn’t terrify her. It annoyed her. Who did he think he was, issuing orders and throwing his weight around as if he was some sixteenth-century royal dictator?

She folded her arms and once again risked looking into his eyes. “Don’t count on it.”

His pupils expanded; a heady combination of lust and rage and again she stared, mesmerized, and all but forgot why she was mad with him.

“If I want your opinion I’ll ask for it.” He flicked a scorching glance over her, branding her flesh and heating her blood. “I suggest you don’t hold your breath.”

His insult shouldn’t have bothered her at all. She hardly knew him. But his words rammed home the indisputable fact that while he wouldn’t hesitate to sleep with her he had no interest whatsoever in her as a
person
.

Fine. She was only interested in
him
as a sex object because his personality could sure do with some major readjustment. Except it wasn’t fine. And she couldn’t think of a single thing to say in response that wouldn’t let him know how much his caustic remark had hurt.

The resulting silence thundered in her ears. After a moment, when it appeared he’d been waiting to see if she had any comeback to his comment, his stony expression softened. Incredulous disgust curdled her stomach as she realized how easy it was for him to demolish her self-righteous indignation with nothing more than a seductive glance.

“Follow me. I’ll show you to my suite.”

Where, no doubt, he expected to seduce her into eternal compliance. As if that was already a foregone conclusion he took another step toward her. This time there was no inherent menace in his approach. This time he exuded raw, sensual desire.

“You have my permission to enter any room you like, apart from my office.” He sounded as if he was bestowing a great honor. Aurora gritted her teeth. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of responding, the arrogant jerk.

Another fraught silence suspended between them. It was clear he expected some kind of response and the slight narrowing of his eyes suggested he couldn’t understand her prolonged muteness.

“Aurora.” His voice was no longer as hard as granite. It purred through her mind, a sensual caress, and she marveled at his sheer, unabashed nerve. “Speak to me.”

Oh, so now he wanted her to speak? When it suited him?

“I have nothing to say to you.” Her voice wasn’t as frosty as she’d like, but it would have to do. “Except for this. If you think I’m going to share your bed you’re mad. Just because you saved
my
ass
doesn’t give you rights over any part of my body. Are we clear on that?”

His jaw visibly tensed and there was no mistaking the look of shock that flashed across his features. As if she had just accused him of something not only despicable but also, until this moment, something he hadn’t even contemplated.

With a sense of surreal disbelief she realized he was offended by her remark. After everything he’d just said to her he had the nerve to take offense when she retaliated?

She waited for his cutting reply. It didn’t come. Uneasily she realized that she’d completely misinterpreted his offer. After all, the chemistry had sizzled between them from the second they had met. It had nothing to do with him rescuing her and expecting sex as payment.

Not that she’d meant that. He must know that wasn’t what she’d meant? Even if her words had inferred
exactly
that?

She glared at him. How had he managed to make her feel guilty? He needed to know she wouldn’t put up with his medieval attitude. But she hadn’t meant to accuse him of something that, in her heart, she knew he would never demand.

But how did she know that?
How could she be so sure?

Before she could sort out her tangled thoughts he turned his back on her, climbed the stairs and disappeared around the corner.

Chapter Eight

G
ABE
stormed into his suite, slammed the doors with such force the timber frame splintered and went out onto the expansive balcony. He stood at the very edge and glared at the subtropical forest that surrounded his villa, but saw only the disdainful expression on Aurora’s face as she had accused him of expecting her to become his—what, his
sex slave
?

Was that what she really thought?

He’d sunk to the depths of depravity in his time. Had cohabited with the dredges of the universe and indulged in a multitude of drug-induced crimes across countless galaxies. But never had he come close to extorting sex for services rendered.

Deep in the ruined tangle of muscle and sinew that gouged his back, he could feel the ancient tug. He rolled his shoulders, flexed his pectorals, tried not to let the black anguish overtake him.

But the ache permeated his being, a constant physical reminder of all he had lost. Once, he hadn’t cared. Had welcomed his deformity, flaunted his scars, taken a twisted sense of satisfaction in the fact he no longer possessed that which defined his species.

It hadn’t lasted long. A few insane decades at most. And then reality had crashed through his haze of guilt and grief. The reality that he would never again experience the exhilarating freedom of soaring through the skies.

Eventually he’d learned to live with it.

His hands fisted, jaw tensed. Adrenaline pumped through his arteries, feeding the rage, stoking the lust that refused to subside. Every cell in his body screamed for release, to know once again the power and ecstasy of spreading his wings and owning the heavens.

Air hissed between his clenched teeth and he wheeled around, glared at his coolly elegant bedroom. Only two things could take the edge off this frenzied fire in his blood. Fighting or fucking. Right now, he didn’t care which it was so long as it left him incapable, for a few blessed hours, of coherent thought.

Aurora
. Her face materialized in his mind. How dare she level such base accusations at him? But even as the thought hammered through his brain, the vision of taking her while fury sizzled between them caused his cock to harden with shocking force.

She could protest all she liked. The lust between them had nothing to do with him having saved her from the Guardians. Her body wanted his and within moments he could have her writhing in mindless pleasure.

And afterward she would be sated and pliant and would finally know her place.

His blood thundered at the enticing image of Aurora on her knees, looking up at him with adoration and the respect that had so far been entirely lacking.

He marched into his dressing room and grabbed a black shirt from the timber closets built into the walls.

It was galling to know that even now he still wanted her. But he’d be damned if he was going to pursue her like a lust-struck mortal. Sooner or later she’d succumb to the desire in her blood and
she
would come to
him
.

In the meantime he intended to find a couple of willing females and fuck their primitive brains out.

—

AURORA HOVERED AT
the bottom of the stairs, but as the minutes slid by he still didn’t reappear. What was he doing?

Waiting for an apology?

She could swallow her pride enough to say she was sorry for accusing him of expecting sex as payment for having rescued her. It was a stupid notion in any case. He knew full well she’d wanted him from the minute he’d landed on top of her.

But she’d also make it clear that she wanted some answers. Make that a lot of answers. Because by god, she had a lot of questions.

She made her way up the stairs. The stone was worn, as if they had endured the steps of thousands over the centuries. She glanced over her shoulder and paused for a second to admire the sheer simplicity of the hallway and the endless windows with their breathtaking views. He apparently lived in paradise.

Upstairs were five timber doors—one to her left, an enormous double one directly ahead and two on the right.

“Hello?”

Silence greeted her. Heart hammering, she gingerly pushed open the first door on her right.

The room was completely empty. She tried the second door, with the same result.

The doors ahead beckoned. So she tried the one on her left.

It was obviously his office. The one he had forbidden her to enter. She nearly walked straight in, just to prove she could, but decided it wouldn’t help her attempt at apologizing if he suddenly emerged onto the landing and caught her.

She eyed the last doors. They must have been about ten-feet high and six feet across and if she didn’t know better she’d think he was trying to compensate for something.

“I know you’re in there.” She tried to make her voice sound commanding but wasn’t at all sure she’d succeeded. “Can you come out so we can talk?” Because she really didn’t want to have a discussion in his bedroom. It would be too distracting.

More silence. He obviously wanted her to grovel. He was going to be disappointed.

“I didn’t mean what I said just now.”
Was he listening?
“I’m just—look, do you think you could come out because I feel like an idiot talking to your door.”

The silence became oppressive and unease knotted her stomach. Before she could stop to think of the possible consequences she pushed open the doors.

His bedroom suite was magnificent in its simplicity. The bed dominated, a massive timber four-poster, so huge it could easily accommodate six people.
And it probably did
. She scowled, dragged her gaze away and then stared in reluctant awe at the fabulous view through the open double doors.

Slowly she made her way toward the balcony and then stopped at the doorway, senses reeling. The balcony extended the length of the villa and was just as wide.
But there was no safety barrier.
Even from where she stood it was enough to give her a whisper of vertigo.

She swung around and stepped back into his bedroom. A carved archway led to another room. His bathroom? She decided she didn’t care. Because it was glaringly obvious he wasn’t here.

Her good intentions to apologize and have a rational conversation with him evaporated. The bastard had
teleported
, leaving her up the creek.

She swung on her heel and marched back down the stairs. She might not possess the technology he did in order to teleport but she wasn’t as stranded as he imagined.

She
would
escape. And he would be . . . astounded.

—

GABE RETURNED TO
the club in Manhattan. It was a long shot, but Mephisto might still be there. But after scanning the darkened interior and asking the bartender it became clear he wasn’t. And hadn’t been since earlier that morning, around the time when Gabe had unceremoniously landed on top of Aurora.

He shoved her from his mind. He’d come here to forget about her. It wouldn’t be hard. He glanced around, his interest no longer in discovering Mephisto’s whereabouts, and a pair of identical redheads caught his eye. When they realized his glance didn’t immediately pass over them, they clutched each other and dissolved into giggles.

They’d do. He took a step toward them.

“My Lord Gabriel.”

The voice directly behind him brought him up short. He swung around and glared at the tall male who eyed him fearlessly. “I’m busy.” Gabe turned away. The male didn’t back away, didn’t apologize. What the fuck was wrong with mortals today?

“A moment of your time, my lord. That’s all I ask.”

“Not now.”

The male gripped his upper arm. “I’ve been searching for you for the last three Medan moon cycles.”

Gabe looked him in the eyes, then deliberately dropped his gaze to his upper arm. The male didn’t let go. It was a measure of his desperation, but Gabe didn’t give a shit about his desperation. The man had about three seconds before he lost that hand for good.

Finally the male appeared to realize his near-fatal error and slowly freed him. “Forgive me.” He bowed his head in respect, this time keeping his eyes trained on the floor. “Lord Gabriel, you’re the only one who can help me. I beg you to consider my request.”

There was a protocol to be followed for anyone who wanted to approach him with regard to requesting his services. Being accosted in a club, in full view of dozens of pairs of curious eyes, wasn’t an intelligent move for someone hoping to win his favor.

There were other appropriate channels. Generally he preferred to conduct business on a suitably remote and inhospitable planet. But it had been weeks since he’d finished his last assignment. Maybe this man could offer him something of interest. Something he could focus on other than the annoying presence of Aurora on his island.

He swerved into a darkened alcove where a couple was entwined. For some crazy reason they reminded him of Aurora’s accusation and his banked rage flared once again. “Move it.”

After a startled glance in his direction, the couple leaped to their feet and sidled past him in clear relief he hadn’t accompanied his demand with a couple of thunderbolts.

He sprawled on the seat and propped one booted foot on the table. Without waiting to be invited the male sat opposite.

“My name is Jaylar. I come from the planet Medana, in a solar system in the Beta Spiral of Andromeda,” he said without preamble. “My daughter, Evalyne, is missing. We believe she’s been taken off the planet.”

“Maybe she just took off by herself.” He had no time for overprotective fathers. Or possessive lovers. Not to mention ex-lovers. They all tried it on with him, thinking he’d make an exception.

He never did.

“You misunderstand, Lord Gabriel.” Jaylar swallowed, clearly struggling with emotion. Gabe flicked his glance around the club to give him a moment to compose himself. “Although the blood of the gods flows in my veins, my lineage is diluted and Evalyne’s mother is a pureblood mortal. Evalyne didn’t inherit my ability to teleport. She’s never left Medana in her life.”

Gabe rapped his fingers on his thigh. “So she found herself a lover who could give her something she lacked.” He shoved his foot from the table and prepared to leave. This was a waste of time. “I don’t track runaway lovers.”

Jaylar leaned across the table. His eyes glowed with a hint of madness. “She’s four years old, Lord Gabriel.”

Four years old. An ancient ache reawakened deep in his chest and he smothered the urge to sigh in defeat. Of course he would take on the mission. A four-year-old child. A female at that. How could he not?

He kept his expression impassive. To allow the slightest inclination of his personal feelings to show would be suicidal. He’d be inundated by frantic parents searching for missing offspring, whereas at the moment only those on the verge of insanity dared approach him with such requests.

After all, the Archangel Gabriel wasn’t known for his benevolence or sense of empathy. He took on assignments only if they appealed to his warped sense of adventure, not because he cared whether the perpetrator deserved to be hunted or not.

If the potential adrenaline rush was high enough, he considered the request. In return he demanded the client’s soul. Rumor had it he claimed their life as well.

Either way, it was a fair price for hiring the services of an archangel. Even if the rumors were little more than a smokescreen for what he really exacted as payment.

He slung his arm over the back of the seat, rapped his fingers on the leather upholstery. “Give me the details. I’ll let you know what I decide.”

Jaylar slid a small package across the table. “We’ll pay anything. My life is yours. My wife wants you to know—”

“Stop.” Gabe picked up the package. It felt like a disc. “I’m not interested in anything your wife has to say. I don’t work for pureblood mortals.” Mainly because the vast majority wouldn’t have the first clue he existed or if they did, how to contact him.

And he wasn’t interested in anything Jaylar’s wife had to say because her husband had already given him all the information he needed.

Jaylar’s jaw tensed as if in offense but he said nothing. Gabe dropped the disc into his shirt pocket. “I require access so I can contact you at any time.”

Jaylar jerked his head in assent for the mind probe. It took a few fleeting seconds for Gabe to gather the information he required in order to initiate a telepathic link in case of emergency.

He stood, ending the interview. “I’ll be in touch.”

Jaylar also stood. “How long before you decide? Is there a way I can contact you in the meantime?”

Gabe shot Jaylar a smoking glare. “When I’ve had time to access the information, I’ll let you know whether the assignment appeals.”

Jaylar’s hands fisted, but he didn’t say a word.

“And no, you can’t contact me. The link is strictly one way.”

Gabe strode from the darkened alcove, temper simmering deep in his chest, blood thrumming dangerously through his veins. The man might be of paramount importance on his own world due to the trickle of gods’ blood in his veins. But such a diluted heritage meant nothing to Gabe. For daring to question him he should have thrown the disc back into Jaylar’s face. Should have refused the assignment without a second’s hesitation.

And had it been any other assignment, no matter how intriguing it had sounded, he would have done just that.

But a child was involved. He already knew he was going to take on the case.

The music thundered, the floor vibrated and the infrared lighting streaked across the club’s dance floor. It matched his mood exactly. But then Aurora’s blue eyes, pert nose and those enchanting freckles swam into his mind, and the rage coalesced into brutal lust.

He bared his teeth, hardly noticed how the crowd parted before him. It was intolerable that a woman—a mortal—possessed the ability to invade his mind and arouse him to such a degree that it interfered with his thought processes.

“My Lord Gabriel?” The seductive gasp wrenched him from a satisfying vision of feeding Aurora his cock, inch by inch. That would shut up her incessant questioning.