Prologue

What’s occurred in the past month has drastically changed Gabriel Jamul’s and Rafaela Geordie’s lives.

 

Once an angel in Heaven, Gabriel is now Rafaela’s protector, keeping watch over her while a conniving angel is after her, and will stop at nothing to take her for his own. Rafaela is confused, staying with Gabriel and one of his guardian angel friends Nick, she doesn’t understand what she is, how she’s a powerful Soul Speaker who possesses abilities only angels should have. Her confusion is exactly what Zale wants, making it easier for him to act.

 

Will Zale be able to take Rafaela with his methods of persuasion in her state of vulnerability? Or will Gabriel be able to keep her safe, and under his watchful protection? 

Chapter One

Rafaela

      

I laid on the pullout couch in the den of Gabriel’s apartment, staring at the ceiling. I could hear the two talking in the living room, but I wasn’t listening.

 

My mind was racing. Gabriel was my guardian angel, Nick was apparently an angel, some angel in Heaven was after me because I was a “Soul Speaker”, and now I was supposed to stay here for a while. I just had one question, what the hell was going on?!

 

 “Knock knock”, I turned to see Gabriel tapping with his knuckles on the half of a wall that separated the den from the main living room.

 

“What do you want?” I grumbled, lying back down.

 

 He shrugged, moving into the room and sitting down at the end of the couch, causing me to pull my legs in towards my chest. “Nothing. Just checking to see how you were.”

 

I shrugged in return. I had taken a shower, my hair was damp as it had been earlier, I was wearing an oversized T-shirt (courtesy of pervert Nick), and now I was stuck here in an angel’s apartment. So, all in all, I was doing pretty fucking dandy. Gabriel’s brow knit together at my silence.

 

“Are you okay?” He asked. I laughed dryly, shaking my head.

 

“Now, why in the world would I be okay? I’ve just flown through the fucking sky on the back of my fucking guardian angel, and to make it all better, I’m camping out in my angel’s studio apartment!” I nearly shrieked, sitting back up and staring angrily at Gabriel.

 

He looked calmly back at me, his light green eyes showing that my words had gone in one ear and out the other. “It’s only temporary. I promise, you’ll be able to go home soon. You’re only supposed to stay here for the time being until we know that it’s absolutely safe and that Zale can’t get anywhere near you.” He said smoothly.

 

Now I was sitting straight up, my face hot and pulse racing. “Who the fuck is Zale?! Why am I fucking here Gabriel? I’m not going to take this ‘you have to stay until you’re safe’ shit, I’m just not.” I snapped, my chest rising and falling with the erratic beating of my heart.

 

Yes, I was very angry. Why? Oh I don’t know, maybe because I’m supposed to stay in my fucking GAURDIAN ANGEL’S apartment until it’s “safe” for me to go outside without getting kidnapped by this Zale freak. Gabriel sighed.

 

“Zale is an angel in Heaven who was once a dark angel but claimed to be good and turned over to our side. He wants to rule, be like God, and he needs people to worship him, preferably strong people. Since most angels do not like Zale, he resorts to searching for human subjects. He specifically likes Soul Speakers because it is a prime communication technique between angels, so he needs mortal Speakers. Keep in mind, Zale is a pig, and he will only take female Speakers. He’s after you, Nick and I can feel it, so we’re keeping you here where he cannot get to you. As soon as we feel he has moved on, you’ll be able to return home. Do you understand now?” Gabriel asked after his long explanation.

 

I nodded slowly, trying to soak up everything he had said. “I think so. Basically, a perverted angel is after me for my ‘powers’?” I asked, summing it up in English and not “angel speak”. He rolled his eyes at my choice of words but otherwise nodded.

 

 “Yes, I suppose.” He said.

Chapter Two

Gabriel

      

To say things weren’t going well would be a massive understatement. To think that just a month ago I was an angel in Heaven without a care in the world, and now, I’m down on Earth protecting Rafaela, and I’m doing a pretty lousy job at that to say the least.

 

 I looked at her in front of me, stewing over the new information I had just provided. I knew she was confused and frustrated, hell, who wouldn’t be? She’s been ordered to stay under watch in a foreign apartment for an immeasurable amount of time. And trust me, I didn’t want to keep her here with Nick and I, I wanted her back home and to be able to get back to a sense of normalcy. But with Zale’s cunning eye searching for her, it’s too unsafe to send her back home unprotected.

 

You might ask, aren’t I alone strong enough to keep Rafaela safe? No, I’m afraid not, and I’ll admit it. My strength compared to Zale’s is nothing. I’m not weak, Zale is just strong.

 

 I reached out and took Rafaela’s hand, her large brown eyes immediately shooting to my face.

 

“I promise you, we will keep Zale away from you. You’ll be safe as long as you’re with us.” I said firmly, feeling like I was making a promise to myself just as much as I was her.

 

With a sigh, she nodded. “Thanks. I’m just . . . annoyed–pissed, you know?” She asked.

 

I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. She had no idea how many times I had felt exactly the same way. Before I could debate what I was about to do next, I leaned over and gave her a swift hug.

 

“Get some rest. I’ll take you to school in the morning.” I murmured in her ear, then pulled back. Rafaela looked surprised, but recovered quickly with a snort.

 

“I gotta go to school? That fucking sucks, I thought this was a slumber party?” She asked in a high pitched, girly voice.

 

I chuckled, the moment gone and replaced with Rafaela’s natural humor. “Sorry, but you have to go to school.”

 

She cocked an eyebrow. “And you don’t?” She countered.

 

I shook my head. “No. I’m an angel, I already know everything.” I said sarcastically, causing her to laugh.

 

“Good night.” I said, getting up to leave.

 

“Night.” Rafaela said, still laughing lightly, and lying down as I shut off the light in her small makeshift bedroom.

Chapter Three

Rafaela

      

When I woke up I looked around and saw foreign white walls, bland beige carpet, and felt a rough fuzzy blanket on top of me. I blinked a few times in confusion, wondering if I was really hung-over and if I was , pondering what someone had slipped into my drink last night.

 

Now I’m not gonna lie, this isn’t the first time I’ve woken up in a strange bed in someone’s bedroom–even though this didn’t really look like a bedroom, more like a lofty half-room–but usually I had a faint recollection of what had happened the night before and who I had been with. However, now I was drawing a blank.

 

I gazed around the room, seeing a few posters of rock groups and a few paintings that I didn’t recognize. I still hadn’t figured out where I was or what had happened when I heard someone talking.

 

“Aria’s coming? Goddammit.” I heard a familiar voice mutter, when suddenly another voice chimed in.

 

“Yep. I got a text this morning from her, and she was pissed. She was worried about you, and since she couldn’t get ahold of you, she called me at least two times and then switched to texting. Long story short, she’s angry, and she’s coming for a visit.” The other voice said.

 

I could tell that the two talking were boys. I scowled, struggling to place them when the first voice spoke again.

 

“She doesn’t know that I have Rafaela here.” The person said, and at the mention of my name, everything from the previous night came rushing back.

 

Gabriel, guardian angel, Zale, dark angel, after me, staying here, talking to Gabriel, saying goodnight . . . With a groan, I plopped back down on the bed, realizing that I was stuck in my guardian angel’s apartment under his and his friend’s watchful protection without even a hint of when I might be able to leave. I sighed. Shit . . .

 

Well, I was awake now, so I might as well get up and see when I gotta go to school. I grimaced at that and stood, going into the living room where Gabriel and Nick were arguing.

 

“If Aria comes and realizes that Zale’s after Rafaela she’ll kill me! This was the one thing I could do for her and myself to get back into Heaven, and I’m blowing it. She’ll have my head if she sees how much I’ve fucked up.” Gabriel nearly yelled in Nick’s face.

 

I backed up a few inches because of how loud they were, and partly because I wanted to hear what they were talking about. I leaned against the half wall separating my crappy bedroom and the living room, listening as closely as I could. I didn’t really have a problem hearing though, considering they were practically screaming.

 

“Rafaela’s as safe as she can get here, you’re doing your job fine. And if Aria’s pissed at you then she’ll be equally as pissed at me for supporting you.” Nick exclaimed in defense.

 

Gabriel sighed, and I could nearly see him running a hand through his golden hair. “I really don’t care anymore, what I care about is making sure Rafaela is protected at all times–”

 

“And that’s exactly what you’re doing.” Nick interrupted him mid-sentence.

 

“Look”, Nick said in a softer tone this time. “The whole reason we’re keeping her here is to make sure she’s safe and protected. As long as she is, you’re doing your job exactly the way you’re supposed to. Trust me, I know Zale. He’s one for dropping in unexpectedly, or dramatically, or both. He’ll want to attack at the most least suspected moment. Right now, we suspect him, which means he won’t be dropping in any time soon. Rafaela’s going back to school today, and we’ll both be nearby, my kid goes to the same private school as her. She’ll be perfectly safe. Everything’s fine, and everything will stay that way.” Nick assured in a soothing tone. There was silence for a few moments, before Gabriel spoke.

 

“You’re not one for advice, but that was pretty damn good.” He said appreciatively.

 

Nick chuckled. “I’ll take that as a thank you.” He said.

 

And I took that as my cue to come in. “Hey”, I said, walking into the living room as if I hadn’t heard all the yelling.

 

“Am I going to school today or what?” I asked, looking at them. Both of the boys were staring at me as if I had just taken my top off and flashed them both. Seriously, their eyes were nearly bugging out of their heads. I scowled.

 

“What?” I asked, my eyes resting on Gabriel.

 

He was looking at me in almost an observatory way, as if he was trying to find something. For a split second I thought he had realized that I had heard his and Nick’s conversation, and my heart picked up speed. But then his brief flicker of intuition faded, causing my shoulders to dip slightly in relief, and he nodded.

 

“Yes, you should get ready. I brought over some of your clothes last night, so hurry. We’re later than I had hoped.” He said, shooing me away. I nodded, gladly leaving them both alone and hopping in the shower.

Chapter Four

Gabriel

      

“She heard us.” I said as soon as Rafaela was in the bathroom. Nick nodded.

 

“Yeah, I know. Think she’s worried about what’s going on?” He asked seriously, his blue eyes hard. I shook my head.

 

“I don’t know. She’s angry, but she knows that this is serious, so she’s not complaining.” I said in a weak tone. “I wish I knew when we could get her back home.” I said.

 

Nick sighed, leaning his head back on the sofa, looking just as exhausted as I felt.

 

“Dude, I know. I feel the same, but we can’t take her back until we know for sure that Zale’s going to stay away from her.” He said for about the thousandth time. I rolled my eyes, my own annoyance making its way to the forefront of my mind.

 

“I know, I know.” I said, going over and plopping down into one of the kitchen chairs.

 

I rubbed my eyes, keeping my hand over them and resting my elbow on the table. I was a little worried about sending Rafaela back to school without being right next to her, but I knew I couldn’t babysit her like this. I had to let her live her life like I was doing before all this happened. The only problem was, I wouldn’t be able to keep track of who was around her, which frightened me, considering if Zale wanted to do something unexpected, wouldn’t that include showing up at Rafaela’s school? And if it did, what would I do to keep her out of his grasp?

Chapter Five

Rafaela

      

I was now sitting shotgun in Nick’s black Mercedes, Gabriel behind the wheel and driving without even looking at the road. It was hot out, so we had all the windows down. Today I was wearing short black shorts, black gladiator sandals, and a lacy BVB shirt. Yeah, I listen to Black Veil Brides. You don’t like it? Fuck you.

 

Anyway, I had my hair pulled back into a ponytail, my layers framing my face. I wore my usual piercings and dark makeup, and shielding my eyes were normal name brand sunglasses. Hey, just because my parents have money doesn’t mean I spend it all the time. I might be a bitch, but I’m not a snob.

 

Gabriel was dressed according to the heat, wearing tan shorts, and a dark sleeveless blue shirt. His hair was blown back by the wind coming in through the windows in the car, and his light green eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses. With the sleeves of his shirt cut off, his muscles were really noticeable. Even though he was thin, he had really nice muscles. Like, nice enough to call them yummy. I nearly laughed at myself. God, I was admiring my guardian angel and thinking he was hot? Wow. Yep, I’m going to hell. Must be that angelic charm of his, I hope anyway . . . Shaking my head, I leaned my elbow against the door, reclining back in my seat.

 

“So, do I have any directions? Anyone suspicious I’m supposed to stay away from or keep my eye open for?” I asked, making a joke out of the whole situation. However, Gabriel took off his sunglasses, giving me a look saying that he did not appreciate my jokes.

 

“You should always keep your eye open for strange people.” He scolded. I let out a laugh.

 

“Oh yeah? I didn’t with you.” I countered.

 

Now he was really giving me a that’s-so-not-funny-just-stupid look. I rolled my eyes at him, even though he couldn’t see it through my glasses.

 

“You don’t have to do anything different than what you’d normally do.” He said, answering my question.

 

I shrugged. “Whatever.”

 

With another annoyed glance, Gabriel pulled into the school lot and parked.

 

“Okay, I’ll pick you up, and then maybe I’ll be able to take you home.” He said, cutting off the engine.

 

My eyebrows rose in surprise. I knew that Gabriel and Nick were wishing for me to get home as soon as possible, but I didn’t expect it to be this soon.

 

“Really? So soon? But I love sleeping on a pullout couch in a guy’s apartment.” I whined, while Gabriel snickered.

 

“Yes, I’m afraid so. It’s not definite, but it is a possibility to be able to return you home today.” He informed, and I grinned, opening the door to the car.

 

“Cool. I’ll see you then.” I said, grabbing my bag and jumping out of the car.

 

“I’ll be close by if you need me.” Gabriel said.

 

I nodded and shut the door, heading into school for the first time in a while. Didn’t I tell you that I’m used to partying and clubbing each night which includes sleeping in and missing school? Yeah, which means my teachers are going to have hell to pay for me. Wonderful. In short terms, I’m fucked.

Chapter Six

Rafaela

 

I wasn’t in the halls for five minutes before I heard someone call my name. I turned, expecting a scolding teacher or angry ex-friend, but instead seeing a scowling boyfriend (or ex-boyfriend, I’m really not sure where we stand at the moment). Conner came up to me, his expression sour.

 

“Where were you yesterday? I texted you like twenty times.” He said in an aggravated tone.

 

 I had gotten his texts of course, I had just chosen not to read them. Conner was  a problem I wanted to deal with later, since other things (angelic things) were taking up my attention currently. But seeing as he was standing in front of me now, I suppose this problem would have to be addressed unexpectedly.

 

“I was a little busy.” I said lamely. Conner’s scowl deepened in disbelief.

 

“You always have your phone on you no matter how busy you are. Why aren’t you talking to me?” He asked, his tone rising with his temper.

 

I pursed my lips, not wanting to set him off. Conner might be undeniably gorgeous and I’m not gonna lie, a fucking awesome kisser, but when he’s pissed, oh, then he’s pissed. And you do not want to be around him when he’s angry. So, using careful caution with my words, I said.

 

“I was out last night, and since I was a little hammered and dropped my phone, I couldn’t get back to you. So sorry.” I said, my tone a bit more biting than it should’ve been. And by the hardness of his brown eyes, I could tell that I had said the wrong thing.

 

“Come here”, Conner said gruffly, and before I had time to react, he grabbed my wrist and shoved me into the boy’s bathroom, dragging me into the handicapped stall and locking the door behind him.

 

He flung me against the wall, my head hitting the tile with a loud and painful thump. I shut my eyes, groaning when I saw little bursts of white stars behind my lids. I kept my eyes closed as I felt Conner’s hot breath on my cheek, while his hands pressed into my shoulders, keeping me trapped where I stood.

 

 “Why have you been ignoring me Rafaela? You know I don’t take well to being ignored.” He growled in my ear, licking my lobe when he was done.

 

I winced, but didn’t dare move away. I hoped that he would stop at just tonguing my ear and no other parts of my body.

 

“I wasn’t trying to ignore you, I just needed some space.” I murmured quietly, keeping my eyes down and away from his face.

 

“Look at me.” He demanded.

 

I pursed my lips, but didn’t act quickly enough, for he grabbed my chin and shoved my face up, forcing me to look into his cold brown eyes. His eyes raked over my body hungrily, but when he locked gazes with me, they became flat, emotionless.

 

“You’re a fucking liar.” He spat.

 

I didn’t object, knowing that it would only get me in more trouble than what I was already in. I just stared at Conner, at his side-cut multicolored Scene hair that I had run my hands through many times, at his multiple piercings that I had admired repeatedly, at his finely sculpted body that I had traced my hands over, and finally looking into his eyes, his eyes that I could get lost forever in, the same eyes that were now staring at me with cold fury.

 

 “Conner, I promise I wasn’t trying to ignore you. I wouldn’t do that.” I tried to defend myself, but I knew that he was way past persuasion and reason, which meant in simple terms: I’m screwed.

Chapter Seven

Gabriel

 

Something was wrong. I could feel it. I was sitting at one of the picnic tables outside of the school, when I felt it. Distress. Rafaela’s distress. She was in trouble, and I had to find her. Without thinking twice, I shot up from the table, ran to the nearest entrance, and bolted inside, sprinting down the halls and searching for Rafaela.

Chapter Eight

Rafaela

 

“You know what? I don’t care if you lied or ignored me. You’re still mine, and always will be.” Conner said in a husky voice, running his hands down the front of my body, and then reaching up and under my shirt. I gritted my teeth, trying to wiggle away from him.

 

“Conner, no.” I said angrily, shoving against his chest with my palms.

 

For a moment I thought he was actually going to listen, because he removed his hands from my breasts, but that brief moment of relief flew out the window as soon as he slipped his shirt off.

 

Tears began to prick my eyes, and I closed them, not wanting to give Conner the satisfaction of my crying.

 

“Please, stop.” I begged pathetically, however I knew he wasn’t going to stop. He was Conner, and he never stopped. He looked up at me, his eyes burning with lust.

 

“Aww, what’s the matter baby? I thought you liked it rough?” He asked, and before giving me a chance to respond, he abruptly slapped me across the face.

 

I drew in a shocked breath, my cheek stinging, but I didn’t retaliate. Why not? Ha, because I would rather have him slapping me instead of doing any worse.

 

So I dropped my arms and slumped against the wall, wishing he would just stop and knowing he wouldn’t. He gripped the end of my shirt and tugged it over my head, tossing it onto the floor, exposing my lacy black bra covered by my camisole. Conner then got down on his knees, bit down on the hem of my cami, and slipped it down until it was over my thighs, showing my stomach and all of my bra.

 

I moaned bleakly, praying to just fade away into the tile walls and get away from here. Conner took my moan the wrong way though. He straightened up and began sucking on my neck, slowly making his way down my collarbone and heading towards my breasts. I took in a jagged breath, letting out a shriek of anger and pain as he bit down into my skin.

 

 “Gabriel!” I found myself yelling, not stopping as Conner continued.

 

“Gabriel!” I cried out, as Conner wrapped his arms around me and crushed my body against his.

 

Suddenly, the stall door burst open, causing us both to jump and Conner to push away from me, staring heatedly at the person standing in the doorway. Oh my God. I thought as a rush of relief and gratitude swept over me. Gabriel had heard me, he had come.

Chapter Nine

Gabriel

 

Just as I had feared, Rafaela was here, in the bathroom, being held captive by her crazed boyfriend. My eyes traveled up and down her half naked body. Her bare chest was heaving with the frantic beating of her heart, she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and pieces of her hair clung to her flushed face.

 

Then, my eyes rested on Conner, the boy who had very nearly raped her. His shirt was on the floor along with Rafaela’s, he was sweating, his rainbow dyed hair was askew, and his eyes were blazing with fury directed right at me. My lip curled in disgust as I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to knock him on his ass, when really I was here to protect and not cause trouble.

 

I crossed the small space in just three steps, gripping Rafaela’s arm and moving so that she was slightly behind me.

 

“You have two seconds to get out of here.” I said in the calmest voice I could manage.

 

Conner, being the idiot he was, cocked an eyebrow and laughed.

 

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it if I don’t?” He sneered foolishly.

 

I exhaled slowly through my nose, shutting my eyes and then opening them again. I really didn’t want to lose my temper, but his dumbass qualities were not making it easy. Before I could respond, Conner lunged forward, grabbing Rafaela’s arm and attempting to lurch her away from me. She let out a squeak of surprise as she was pulled in his direction. Her nails dug into my arm as she fought against Conner’s grip, sending little pinpricks of pain through my skin.

 

Ignoring the sting, I gritted my teeth, pulled my arm back, and slammed my fist into Conner’s jaw. A sharp burst of pain erupted in my knuckles as a result, but the satisfaction of what had happened to Conner was enough to distract me.

 

He flew backward, his hold on Rafaela released as he landed on his ass on the tile floor, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

 

Panting in fear and adrenaline, Rafaela retracted her nails from my skin, however kept her hands wrapped around me, cradling my arm against her bare chest. The hair on my arms rose at her cold temperature. She was shivering, even though she was also sweating from panic.

 

I turned to her, seeing her eyes wide and her gaze shifting from Conner to me.

 

“Let’s go.” I said, bending down and swiping her shirt. I handed it to her, which she accepted with a weak but grateful smile.

 

“Thanks.” She said softly, kicking her camisole off of her legs and slipping her top on over her head.

 

“Oh no, she’s not leaving.” Conner said, about to get back on his feet, but before he could, I grabbed him by his throat, lifted him up off the ground, and tossed him as far as the small space would allow.

 

His body made a hard impact with the wall, and he groaned as he landed on the floor. I heard Rafaela gasp from behind me, however we weren’t about to stick around to find out what Conner’s next move would be.

 

Without asking, I swiped my arm under Rafaela, knocking her legs out from under her and lifting her up easily. I held her close to my chest as I ran out of the bathroom and through the halls, thanking God that class was still in session.

 

I slammed through the exit doors, unfurled my wings, and jumped into the air in one quick motion. Rafaela buried her face in my chest as my wings beat effortlessly against the wind, propelling us forward high up in the sky.

 

I sighed at the fresh air cleansing my lungs, sighed at Rafaela’s close proximity in my arms. She was no longer cold or shivering, but now warm and breathing regularly. She was also safe, and far away from Conner, who will never lay a hand on her again. That is a personal promise, and not just a guardian angel one.

Chapter Ten

Rafaela

 

My heart pumping, I kept my arms wrapped around Gabriel’s neck while he flew through the sky. I looked up at him hesitantly, seeing his stern face and eyes staring straight ahead. I exhaled slowly, leaning my head against his muscular chest.

 

I thought back to what happened in the bathroom. Never had I been so terrified of Conner. I mean, I knew he was someone to fear, but I hadn’t ever been on the other end of that fear. I was always the one watching from the sidelines, but now that I have been on that end, I never want to go back.

 

I wasn’t surprised that Conner had tried to have sex with me, I mean really, he’s a horny teenage boy, what can you expect? However, he took that to a whole new level. This time it wasn’t just sex though, it was abuse. He had hit me, grabbed me, and touched me in ways that he hadn’t done before. I never wanted to be touched like that again. I remembered when he had been close to removing my pants, I had screamed out Gabriel’s name, and he had come for me. Words couldn’t describe how grateful I was.

 

Yeah, I know Gabriel’s my guardian angel but still, it was nothing short of a miracle that he had stopped Conner before he was able to go any further. Letting out another deep breath, I snuggled closer to Gabriel.

 

“Thank you.” I murmured, shutting my eyes tight and shivering against the rushing wind. He held me closer, embracing me in his warmth.

 

 “Of course.” He whispered, and I felt the press of his lips on the top of my head.

 

I felt myself beginning to drift off, I know, weird time to fall asleep right? But I was pretty damn tired out of the turn of events the day had taken, and since I had gotten to school dark storm clouds had rolled in making it look like night time rather than late morning.

 

The setting reminded me of a few days ago when Gabriel revealed to me who he was. So, since the sun had taken a vacation, it was easy to fall asleep. I felt the edges of reality beginning to blur, the real world slowly slipping through my fingers. However, just as the darkness began to close in, I heard Gabriel say something.

 

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. You have no idea how much I care about you.” I thought I heard him murmur softly, and the last thing I felt before I completely tuned out was Gabriel’s lips kiss my head gently once more.

Chapter Eleven

Gabriel

 

Words could not describe how furious I was, with Conner, with Zale, with myself, and just with this whole situation. I had been careless by sending Rafaela off to school. Clearly, she was not ready to be on her own like I had hoped. And even though I know this is only going to make her angry, I feel that she is going to have to stay under mine and Nick’s watch in the apartment for some time, just until we know Conner’s disgusting hands can’t get ahold of her as well as Zale’s.

 

My lip curled at the thought of the vile things I knew her wretched ex-boyfriend had wanted to do to her. He had all but shoved his hands down her pants when I had shown up. Again, thoughtlessness and stupidity on my part. I had done the exact opposite of what guardian angels are supposed to do. I had stayed away, I had allowed Rafaela to be on her own. Well, look where that got us!

 

God, I was so angry I could spit, right in Conner’s vile face. But no, now is not the time for me to go after slime that is not worth it. Now, with Rafaela sleeping in my arms, I knew I had to take her to the apartment, and try to convince her that she is perfectly safe, even though I’m not so sure myself.

 

Landing soundlessly on the balcony, I pulled my wings in and tapped on the glass door leading in to the apartment. Nick, lying in a dead sleep on the sofa, jolted awake as soon as he saw me outside.

 

“Jesus Christ! What the hell happened?” He asked, sounding thoroughly shocked when I walked in carrying Rafaela.

 

“She’s sleeping, but she’s fine.” I said over my shoulder, considering he was shadowing each of my steps as I headed into the den and gently placed Rafaela onto the futon, draping a blanket over her before we headed back into the living room.

 

“Well, I could see that, but I meant what the hell happened to cause her coming home early? I thought she was at school?” Nick had thankfully shifted to whispering as to not wake Rafaela up, however I gestured to the balcony instead, and we both went outside, closing the door behind us.

 

“Okay, now what the hell happened?” He asked again.

 

I gritted my teeth, feeing the anger and animosity I held towards Conner come boiling to the surface and spill out as I talked.

 

“I was outside her school, and no more than ten minutes after I had dropped her off I heard her screaming. I ran in and found her ex-boyfriend molesting her in the men’s room. After pulling him off of her we left as quickly as we could.” When I finished, I could feel my heart pounding extra fast with fury, my fists clenching and ready to punch something, or more likely, someone.

 

Nick held out his hands as if to pause the situation.

 

“Okay, back up a second. How did her boyfriend get ahold of her in the first place?” He asked, and I couldn’t help the steel in my tone when I spoke next.

 

 “He goes to her goddamn school, he had perfect access to her. I should’ve known that he would pull something like this. Damn it!” I shouted, pounding my fist against the railing of the balcony.

 

Nick sighed, leaning against the brick wall of the apartment.

 

“Gabriel man, it’s all okay. Rafaela’s safe, everything’s fine.” My gaze shot to the angel trying to console me, and let me tell you, it was not working in the least.

 

“Oh everything’s fine now, huh? You think so? If everything was fine, Rafaela would be in school, completely safe and out of harm’s way. And, if everything was fine like you say, she’d also be able to go home and carry on with her life as if I had never interfered.” I paused to take a breath, while Nick opened his mouth to speak again, but I continued, not quite finished yet.

 

“My job has completely corrupted her life, which is exactly what I was trying to avoid doing but no, instead I’ve completely removed her from her home and she probably hates me now more than ever considering I nearly failed at saving her from her pathetically obsessed boyfriend. I can’t even bear to think about how she feels at the moment yet I do. Everything I do I take into account how Rafaela feels or how she would feel because usually, anything I do has to do with her.” I placed a hand on my chest, gesturing to myself, before going on.

 

“How do you think I feel about all of this? My reputation’s been shot to hell, which is definitely where I’m headed after this. Not only have I damaged my reputation, but yours as well, which don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll receive the blame for, as I rightfully should. All I can hope for right now is to keep Rafaela safe and away from Zale before I suffer my earned damnation when I return to Heaven, if I ever return to Heaven.”

 

 Now I was finished, and I sighed when I was done, feeling as if I had released all of my pent-up anger and emotions, however I did not loosen my tight stature, most of the pressure which was in my shoulders. Because my job here on earth was far from done, and I knew I would never be able to relax until I knew Rafaela was perfectly safe.

 

Nick sighed too and walked forward, gently placing his hand on my shoulder almost as if he was afraid I would explode again. Hell, I wasn’t so sure I wasn’t going to explode either.

 

“You might think you’re alone in this, but you’re not. Trust me man, I’ve got your back. I would never let anything happen to Rafaela, mostly because you’d kill me if anything did, but more than that. I’ve seen you around her Gabe, and you’re different. You care about her. Whenever you’re around her your eyes light up and your face regains some color, which is more emotion I’ve seen in you probably since I’ve known you.”

 

I interrupted him. “I’m just doing my job and protecting my assignment.” I said, a bit defensive and taken off guard at Nick’s strikingly attentive observations. He shook his head at me, almost in irritation.

 

 “Rafaela’s more than an assignment to you and you know it. She’s become more than just another mortal girl. You know it, and I know it, so don’t even try to deny it.” He said, and dropped his hand from my shoulder, reaching out to grip the handle of the sliding glass door and move it aside.

 

“I gotta check up on my assignment, and I’m tired as hell, since you woke me up from my damn nap.” Nick grumbled, before ducking inside and closing the door behind him. 

Chapter Twelve

Gabriel

 

I stayed out on the balcony for a while, staring out at the barely visible city view and pondering what Nick had said.

 

Okay, maybe things have changed between me and Rafaela. It was true, she was no longer just an assignment to me but more than that. How much more was what I couldn’t figure out.

 

The recorded sound of bells chiming came from inside the apartment, and I went in to see that the one cellphone that Nick and I shared was ringing. I grabbed it, seeing that the caller ID was an unknown number, I flipped it open and pressed it to my ear, speaking in a slightly hushed voice, hoping that the person on the other line wasn’t the work of Zale.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Gaby!” Came the high pitched voice on the other end, which I immediately recognized, and I dropped my disguised tone.

 

“Aria?” I asked, slightly confused.

 

I hadn’t heard from Aria since she and I had talked a few weeks ago about my guardian angel punishment.

 

“What’s going on? Is something wrong?” I added, wondering why she would feel the need to call here. In response, there was a light giggle over the phone.

 

“Nothing’s wrong Gabe, I just figured I’d tell you that I’m in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by. You’re at Nick’s, right?”

 

I didn’t answer right away, thinking of what Aria would say when she got here and found Rafaela asleep in the den because I was afraid to leave her alone. She would be surprised, shocked, and probably a little angry because I was ruining my chances of ever returning to Heaven, which was all she wanted for me. Aria had always been a wonderful friend, and I loved her for everything she did for me, but I was letting her down by not doing my job. If she came here, I don’t know what she’d do or say. Although I knew she’d be angry with me overall.

 

 “Gabe? Gabe! Gabriel Robert Jamul answer me right now!” Aria’s angry voice shouted over the phone and I jumped, realizing she was still waiting for me to answer. I cleared my throat.

 

“Sorry, um, yeah I’m at Nick’s.”

 

“Well, thanks for finally assuring me you’re not dead.” She grumbled, and I laughed.

 

“I’ll be there in a few.” She said, and before I could say anything more, the line went dead.

Chapter Thirteen

Rafaela

 

The sleep that came wasn’t exactly that great. It wasn’t that I had a nightmare, but it wasn’t one of those frolicking-in-a-meadow–type dreams either.

 

 It was strange. It first started out with me actually in a meadow, but it was dark. All the flowers around me were dead and there wasn’t a single person there besides myself. I was wandering around when I heard someone call my name, and I knew exactly who it was before I turned around.

 

 Gabriel stood in front of me, an uncharacteristic grin on his face. Something strikingly different about this dream Gabriel than the real Gabriel was that he had his wings extended, was dressed in all white, and there was a faint iridescent glow to him. Barely noticeable, but in the darkness of the meadow, it very much stood out.

 

 Also a huge difference was that this Gabriel’s wings weren’t the raven black color that I had grown accustom to, but they were a clean and pure white, and I realized that his wings were what gave off the faint glow. They were long, glorious, and very soft-looking. Just staring at them made me want to move forward and feel as if the feathers were as satin-smooth as they looked. The temptation to touch his wings was hard to contain. They held an allure that was almost tangible, and nearly irresistible.

 

  Before I could say anything or close the distance and be able to feel his beautiful wings, Gabriel was in front of me, his smile gentle and kind.

 

 “What are you doing in this wasteland, Rafaela?” He asked in a smooth and approaching tone, unlike the real Gabriel’s harsh and demanding voice.

 

 I wasn’t sure if I liked this soft side of Gabriel more than the commanding one that was reality. However, I didn’t think much about that. I was too busy pondering what to say to him. Why was I here? I had no idea. It was a dream after all, and some part of me knew it was a dream, for this fantasy Gabriel was just that, a fantasy, nothing like his real life self. Shaking away those thoughts and focusing on what was going on at the moment, I looked up into the jade green depths of dream Gabriel’s eyes and gave him the most honest response I could.

 

 “I don’t really know.” He laughed at that, a deep, joyful laugh of someone without a care in the world. Another difference between dream Gabriel and real Gabriel.

 

 “Well, that’s certainly not the outfit to be here in either.” He said, laughter still in his voice.

 

 I scowled, realizing that I had no idea what I had on and looking down. I was surprised to see that I was dressed in a lacy black nightgown made of silk. I had on no shoes, my hair was in loose natural waves down to my waist, and it wasn’t died multicolored, it was my natural black. I immediately licked my teeth with my tongue, feeling the absence of my piercing and many others. Looking back up at dream Gabriel, my scowl deepened.

 

 “I look funny.” I said, grimacing.

 

 Gabriel laughed again and shook his head, taking my shoulders in his hands. His grasp was strong and firm. It made me feel safe, as if no one could get to me as long as he was here.

 

 “You look beautiful.” He said, leaning down until our foreheads touched.

 

 I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath through my nose. The smell of mint filled my lungs, and something else, like the clean smell of the ocean in the morning. Suddenly, before I knew what I was doing, I was touching Gabriel’s wings, running my hands through the feathers, feeling that they really were as soft as they appeared to be if not softer. Just like before when I had felt his beautiful wings, I became locked in some sort of trance, one that was filled with warmth and an addictive haze too sweet to resist. I closed my eyes, sighing in content.

 

 I felt myself begin to teeter, stuck in the hypnotic quality of Gabriel’s wings. But before I could fall, I felt his hands reach out and grip my arms, then move behind my back, folding me in an embrace that was more than just friendly, there was something personal about it that held a whisper of desire. I opened my eyes, looking up and realizing that I was no longer touching Gabriel’s wings, but had my hands pressed against his firm chest, his steady heartbeat under my palm. He was gazing down at me, his eyes the lightest shade of green I had ever seen. A warm smile spread across his face, as he began to slowly lean forward, his lips inching closer to mine.

 

 This dream felt so real, so very, very real that I had to remind myself that this was just a dream, and nothing more. So, since this was a dream, I might as well go along with it. I moved forward expectantly, and not a moment later did Gabriel’s lips brush against mine. 

Chapter Fourteen

Rafaela

 

The kiss was soft, and sweet, nothing too hot that would make it inappropriate. However there was a hint of secrecy to the kiss, something that suggested it should not be seen in public, that this moment was just for us, and no one else. I pulled away afterwards, looking up in mild surprise. Why would I be surprised? This was all a crazy fantasy cooked up by my subconscious, how could I not expect something crazy to happen? Because in reality, this would never occur.

 

Gabriel and I would never be in a dying meadow where he is the only bright light shining. We would never be so close and intimate that we would share such a secret kiss as this one. In fact, this kiss was so secret it was imaginary. I took a breath, shaking my head.

 

“Gabriel.” I murmured, as he watched me with quiet intensity.

 

“Yes?” He asked, his voice low and whispery, awaiting another kiss I could tell from the way his eyes seemed to sparkle as I looked at him.

 

“This isn’t right.” I said, breaking the moment and the silent promise that hung in the air as thick as fog.

 

The mood was shattered, as well as any hope of more kisses or intimacy between dream Gabriel and I. Nope. It was over, and I was ready to wake up.

 

“Rafaela”, Gabriel gripped my arm, holding me close to him as if he sensed it was time for me to go. “This could not be more right. You have no idea of how much I love and care for you. I risk my life every day for you, but you’re worth all the strife and worry. You’re my everything, and always will be.”

 

Before I could respond or make my hasty retreat, he pulled me in close and pressed his lips to mine one last time, before I woke abruptly, gasping from the true intensity of the dream. Again, it might’ve just been a dream, but damn if it didn’t feel real then I don’t know what real is. 

Chapter Fifteen

Rafaela

 

I sat up and swung my legs over the bed, taking a moment to get my breath back before heading into the living room. Nick was there, with a soda in his hand and a sandwich in his other. I wondered if that boy was born that way, always with food and a drink.

 

“Hey”, I acknowledged. He turned and grinned at me.

 

“Hey gorgeous, I was wondering when you were gonna wake up.” He complimented before taking a bite of his lunch.

 

I folded my arms over my chest and shrugged. “I’m not exactly awake.”

 

Nick sat up straighter. “Well I can help with that.” He winked and I made a disgusted sound in the back of my throat, observing potential parts of his body that I could punch.

 

Before I had a chance to make my move, Gabriel came in from the balcony and closed the door softly behind him, placing a cell phone on the coffee table.

 

“That was Aria.” He informed Nick, who stood up completely and dropped his sandwich on the table next to the cell.

 

My eyebrows came together as I wracked my memory at the mention of the girl’s name. I could’ve sworn Gabriel had brought her up before, but I wasn’t positive.

 

“What did she want?” Nick asked. He sounded worried. Huh, that was unusual.

 

“She’s coming here. Now.” Gabriel said gravely, and Nick’s eyes widened.

 

“Fuck!” 

 

"What's the big deal?" I asked as Nick frantically ran to the balcony, flung the door open, and jumped off just as he unfurled his wings.

 

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head watching him fly quickly away from the apartment.

 

"Where the hell is he going?" I turned to Gabriel, who was pacing across the small space. "Gabriel?"

 

"Aria is one of my best friends from back home." He provided, even though that still didn't answer my question.

 

"I-I know. I know about Aria." I said, my cheeks heating up as I admitted that I had already "seen" who Aria was.

 

His cool green eyes assessed me in surprise before he shook his head. "Doesn't matter. The point is, she doesn't know you're here."

 

I shrugged, still not understanding what all the chaos was about. "So what? So she meets me, big whoop. I don't bite."

 

Gabriel stopped his pacing and glared at me. My sarcasm had gone right over his head and he just seemed pissed. As usual.

 

"This is not a joke, Rafaela. Aria will have my head when she finds out that I haven't been able to keep you safe. Truth be told I don't know what she'll report back to Him. Nothing good."

 

It finally sunk in what he was getting at. Aria was telling God if Gabriel was being a good boy or not, basically my being here was determining whether or not he was going to return to Heaven.

 

My mouth went dry. So . . . I could basically be sending Gabriel to hell by being here?

 

I was about to speak when Nick landed on the balcony, pulling his wings in before entering. He shut the door behind him and came up to Gabriel, breathing heavy. His red hair was extremely windblown and his eyes were tired.

 

"I've searched the surrounding area and can't find her anywhere. She must be traveling on foot." He informed us. Gabriel nodded solemnly.

 

"That buys us a little bit of time to figure out what to do." He said.

 

Nick looked at me and nodded. "Her parents are home. They're going to be looking for her soon."

 

"I highly doubt it." I murmured in  disagreement, but they both ignored me.

 

"I can't take her home yet. Not with her demented ex roaming around. He knows where she lives and I'm sure he knows vantage points to her house where he can sneak in." Gabriel's eyes hardened when he said this but he continued anyway.

 

"Not to mention Zale waiting for our guards to drop. No. Absolutely not." He began pacing again, from the balcony to Nick and I.

 

Thinking about what he said, I jumped at an opportunity to help.

 

"We have a security system. I can get a restraining order on him later today with just one call. No one is getting in or out of my house without showing up on the cameras we have. I can go home." I said eagerly.

 

It wasn't that I was super into going back home to my controlling parents, but I wasn't about to stay and create more trouble for Gabriel and Nick than what they already had.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 07.11.2013

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