Secret Worlds (377 page)

“I’m sorry they sent you a broken angel like me,” Lash said. “You deserve better.”

“Stop that.” Naomi squeezed his hand. “You are not broken.”

“Naomi’s right. You’re a blessing,” Welita said. “I prayed for someone who could fill the empty space inside of her, to bring joy back into her life. You did that, Lash.”

“Welita, I don’t think it works that way.” Naomi let go of his hand.

“Why not?” Welita turned to him. “Lash, isn’t that part of your job?”

Lash looked at Naomi, and his heart saddened with the thought that he wouldn’t be the one to be by her side. It was impossible, unless he did the unthinkable. It had happened before. The Archangel Rachel, who was a kind soul and the complete opposite of Gabrielle, once told him that, thousands of years ago, angels had come down and taken humans as their wives. It wreaked havoc on Earth, and Michael and Gabrielle were sent to straighten it out. Many refused to return to Heaven and were stripped of their powers. Some of them chose to go with Lucifer, who was able to restore their powers. He’d wanted Rachel to tell him more about it, but Raphael had intervened and told her that he had enough information. Was this something he was willing to do? Could he stand to look down from Heaven and see Naomi in the arms of someone else?

“I’m not sure what my job is exactly, except to watch over her. Last night, I was told of a safe place to take her.”

“Where does she need to go?” Welita asked.

“New Mexico. We can take the next flight out there.”

“Then that’s where you go, Mijita.” Welita stood up. “Go get packed. I’ll have Chuy drop you off at the airport.”

“What about you? What if something happens?” Naomi jumped up.

“Don’t worry about me. I have Rebecca. And Chuy is here.” Welita cupped her face. “I know you’re scared. Have faith, Naomi. Lash was sent to you for a reason.”

Naomi nodded and kissed her hands.

“You can take Bear with you. She’ll watch over the both of you,” she said.

Bear barked.

Naomi laughed. “I don’t know.”

“She’s small, but she can sense trouble coming.”

Lash bent down and rubbed behind Bear’s ear. She had a special way of keeping both of them calm. He had a feeling they’d need all the help they could get. “That might not be a bad idea.”

“Well, okay. I guess I’ll get the carrier then.”

Welita turned to him when Naomi disappeared down the hall to pack. “I know you’ll take good care of her, and I know it’s not because she’s an assignment to you.”

Lash swallowed. “I will. I promise.”

Welita placed a hand on his cheek. “I see it in your eyes as I see it in hers. Remember, there is always light where there is love, and if that is what is meant to happen between the two of you, then it was destined.”

“Driver’s license and boarding pass please,” the agent droned.

Naomi grabbed Lash’s arm. “Tell me that you have a driver’s license.”

“Of course I do.” Lash pulled out his wallet. “I’ve been known to drive from time to time. You were introduced to my mad driving skills this morning. Besides, it’s hard to do anything financially without one these days.”

“Ma’am, driver’s license and boarding pass please,” the agent called to Naomi.

The agent gave a glance at her license and then looked into the dog carrier with a flashlight. “You’ll need to take the animal out of the carrier and put the carrier through the scanner. Carry the dog with you through the metal detector.”

“Okay, thanks.” Naomi walked through the checkpoint.

“Good morning,”—Lash read off the agent’s name tag—“Mr. Daryll Williams. Busy day?” He flashed a smile.

The agent eyed him suspiciously. “License and boarding pass.”

He’s in a bad mood.
Lash held a breath as the agent looked over his license wishing he had taken the time to make himself look older. He hadn’t had time to update the birth date to fit the youthful look he maintained. He rubbed his hand over his chin, feeling the stubble. At least he hadn’t shaved—that might help.

The agent looked at the license then back up at Lash. He clicked on a pen light and brushed it over the license carefully. He then looked back up at Lash with a raised eyebrow.

“Plastic surgery. Houston has the best, you know.”

“Uh, huh.” The agent scribbled on the boarding pass and handed it back to him.

“Thank you.” Lash smiled and stepped through.

“Hurry up, Lash,” Naomi called out to him as she and Bear went through the metal detector. “The plane’s already started boarding. If we run, we might make it.”

“I’m right behind you.” Lash placed his bag on the conveyor belt and then stepped toward the metal detector.

“Hold on there.” A woman with a TSA badge motioned to him. “You need to take off your shoes and send them through the x-ray.”

“My shoes?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Do it, Lash.” Naomi said. “And hurry up.”

After a couple of minutes with struggling to take off his hiking boots, Lash placed them on the conveyor belt and walked through the metal detector, setting it off.

Naomi groaned.

“Step to the side, sir. I’ll need to pat you down,” the woman said.

Lash looked at Naomi, confused. He didn’t know what they expected to find on him.

He followed the woman’s instructions and stretched out his arm as she patted him down. When she trailed down his sides, he laughed.

The agent stopped and gave him a look.

“Sorry. I’m ticklish.”

The woman shook her head and continued.

He was telling her the truth. He didn’t understand why the agent had to be so cold.

Then he felt hands between his legs. He jumped.

“Whoa, there.” What the hell was all that about?

“Sir, you’re going to have to be still during the procedure.”

“Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting it.” People were strange. He definitely didn’t know what she expected to find down there that could possibly take down a plane. He had heard one account, a while back, in which a man supposedly carried explosives in his underwear. There was no way that could have caused any damage. Leave it to people to be more worried about exploding underwear than the obvious signs set before them.

“Finally,” Naomi said as Lash approached her.

“How much time do we have?”

Naomi looked at the airport board and then back at her watch. “Crap, we have two minutes. Run.”

Lash took the carrier from Naomi and ran in the direction of their gate. Even if they didn’t make it on time, they could try to get another flight out. He had to admit that he was anxious to get her out of the city. He had no idea where Sal was at the moment.

They arrived at their gate, breathless, and Naomi made a beeline for the counter.

“Flight 5256?”

“I’m sorry, you just missed it.” The woman behind the counter pointed out the window behind her.

Naomi dropped her bag, exhausted, as she watched the plane moving away from the gate bridge.

“Would you like for me to rebook you on another flight?”

“Yes, please.” She handed her the boarding pass.

Lash looked at her apologetically and then handed the woman his boarding pass. “I didn’t know they were going to be so thorough.”

“You didn’t know to take off your shoes?”

“Now how was I supposed to know that? This is my first time flying … commercial that is.”

“And what’s with the laughing and the jumping? You know you could have gotten in trouble for that. Ever since 9/11, airport security has been really tight and—”

Behind Naomi, there was a flash of light, and Lash tackled her to the ground just as the explosion hit the window, sending shards of glass through the air.

There was a beat of silence, and in that moment, he knew. The plane that had just departed had exploded—and they were meant to be on that plane. It was only a matter of time before it was discovered that they hadn’t been. They had to leave. Now.

Screams surrounded him as he pulled Naomi from the floor. She turned in the direction of the window. Her eyes widened and a hand went over her mouth as she watched the plane being eaten by flames. She looked at the people around her who had stood closest to the windows.

“Naomi, we need to go.” Lash picked up the carrier, trying to calm Bear, who was barking fiercely at the direction of the flames.

Anita was right. Bear can sense them, and they’re near.

“Naomi.”

“Her eyes are bleeding.” Naomi’s eyes were glazed as she pointed at a woman wandering around the area, her hands reaching out blindly. “We need to help her.”

“No, we have to go.”

“They’re hurt.” She took a step and stumbled.

“Naomi, look at me.” He lifted her head and stared into her eyes. “They’re near and they’re coming after us. You’re in shock. Try to pull yourself together.”

“What?” Her eyes were unfocused.

“I’m sorry. I have to do this.” Lash slapped her.

Naomi looked at him, stunned, and then she scowled. “You asshole. Why did you do that?”

“Because you were losing it, and we have to go.” He picked up Bear’s carrier, grabbed her hand, and ran. “Call Chuy. Have him pick us up where he left us off.”

Lash and Naomi pushed through the crowds as people gathered to see what had happened. A siren went off, and there was an announcement made that the airport was going to be locked down. No one was going to be able to get in or out.

He groaned as he tugged on Naomi, trying to get her to run faster. He wished he could pick her up and run her out of there. But if he did, they would definitely be caught. It wasn’t the humans he was worried about—it was Sal.

“Tell Chuy to hurry. We might not have a chance to get out. They’re closing it down,” Lash yelled to her.

“I don’t care if you have to run the red lights, do it Chuy. I mean it,” Naomi yelled into the phone.

“He’s not that far. He should be here in a couple of minutes.”

At the doors, there were security agents directing people back inside. He scanned the entrances and found one where a woman with three children and a wailing baby in her arms was arguing with an agent.

“This way.” Lash directed and charged through the door right in front of the woman.

“Hey! You can’t leave,” the man called out. He went after them and tripped over one of the kids.

The boy cried, and the mother yelled at the agent.

Lash peered through the rows of cars that lined the drop-off lanes in front of the airport. He let out a breath when he spotted the beat-up car. “Over there.”

Before the car had even stopped, Lash threw the back door open and tossed the carrier and bags into the backseat. Then he flew to the driver’s side. “Move over. I’m driving.”

***

Naomi’s heart pounded against her chest as she tried to catch her breath. As Lash swerved in and out of traffic, she looked out the back window to see if anyone was following them.

Bear barked and scratched at the walls inside the carrier. With shaking hands, Naomi unzipped the flap and held on to Bear.

The car jerked to the right, barely missing the back of a white SUV.

“What’s going on?” Chuy asked, his voice unusually calm for someone who was riding in a car dodging in and out of traffic.

“We need to get out of the city,” Lash said.

Naomi looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror. His eyes were tense as he focused on the road. “Was it them?”

“Yes.”

“Who? Tell me what’s going on,” Chuy demanded.

“Someone is after Naomi. The shooting at the community center was meant for her. This morning, the same gunman came after her again.” Lash pulled onto the highway, taking the car as fast as it would go.

Chuy turned around to look at Naomi. “Does Welita know anything about this?”

“Yeah, that’s why she wanted me to leave town.”

Chuy looked at her suspiciously. “There’s more that you’re not telling me.”

“Lash came to Houston to protect me. He’s sort of … uh, sort of an angel.”

Chuy looked at Lash and then back at Naomi, his face stern. “Are you being serious with me?”

Naomi nodded.

Chuy faced forward in the car and let out a loud breath. “Welita was right.”

Lash glanced over at Chuy with a surprised look. “You believe us?”

Chuy wiped a hand over his brow. “Of course. It explains a lot of what’s been going on in the house. The times that she swore she lost something and I helped her look for it, only to find it in a spot I know for a fact that I had already looked. And the times when I felt a presence in the house that made me feel calm, especially after Uncle Javier died. I didn’t really start to believe it until I found Naomi.”

“What do you mean, found me?” She leaned over the seats.

“After I locked up your bike in the garage, I was planning on going with Lalo to the Lake Charles Casino again. I felt a strange chill on the back of my neck. And then, I swear I heard someone whisper your name. I thought it was Lalo playing a trick on me until he called and told me he was waiting for me to pick him up at work. After he hung up, I had the sudden urge to go check up on you. The closer I got to your apartment, the more I felt that something was wrong.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t think anyone, other than Welita, would believe me.” Chuy looked over to Lash. “So, you’re an angel. Why don’t you just fly Naomi away from here?”

Lash growled.

“He can’t,” Naomi said. “He’s limited in his powers.”

“What kind of angel are you?”

“That doesn’t matter, Chuy,” Naomi said before Lash could answer. “We’re going to have to take the car. We can leave you off some place. Maybe Lalo can pick you up?” She gave him a pleading look, hoping that he would not antagonize Lash. She knew that his angel status was a sore spot for him.

Chuy looked to Naomi and then back at Lash, recognition crossed his face. “I see.” He grinned. “That would be like you to go after the impossible.”

Naomi scowled.

“Okay, okay, don’t get so pissy.” He pulled out a cell phone from his pocket. “Orale, Lalo. I need a ride, man. What do you mean, ‘who is this?’ It’s me, pendejo. Who do you think? Who else calls you? Pick me up at el campo. And bring the cash … No, the shipment hasn’t come in. Something’s come up and I need it … Yes, I know it took a long time for us to build it up … It’s for Naomi. She’s in trouble.”