Fallen Angel (19 page)

“I didn’t know if I could trust her, I didn’t want her to inadvertently alert the Slayer that the Rangers were on to him.”

“Can’t even trust the people you’re supposed to trust.” Angelica muttered as she walked angrily back toward her carriage.

“Angelica Austin?” Angelica turned at the sound of her name.

“Yes?” She didn’t recognize the man who had spoken. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Say hello to your father.” He said then lifted a gun from behind his leg.  Everything seemed to happen at once James shoved her to the side and she fell to the ground
, the man fired his gun and James jerked to the side and fired his gun. Angelica screamed.

“Matt when did you turn into such a pompous ass?”  Before he could respond they heard two gunshots and a woman scream. Luke turned and ran out the door.

Angelica saw James hit the ground in front of her and she scrambled towards him. He was bleeding she pressed her hands against the wound, suddenly there were people all around her
Luke was there, his arm was around her waist, he was lifting her.

“No, wait James, I have to make sure he’s ok.” She cried frantically.

“They will take care of him, I need to get you out of here, somewhere safe.” He lifted her and placed her in her carriage and climbed in after her. He drove the carriage away from the scene as quickly as he could, Angelica didn’t say anything else, he looked at her and she was staring at her hands, they were covered in James’ blood. 

“Are you alright?” He asked softly.

“So much blood.” She began wiping her hands on her skirt trying to wipe off the blood. Her voice sounded strange, she didn’t sound panicked now like she did at first, now she sounded hollow like she had no emotion at all.

“Angie, stay with me okay.” She looked up at him and her brows dropped in silent question. “I want you to pay attention to me, don’t let your mind go anywhere else alright.” She nodded and went back to trying to wipe the blood off her hands. When he stopped the carriage she looked up and looked around at where they were.

“This is not a safe place.” She said quietly.

“Angie, this is your house, where you live.” Luke said thinking she must be going into shock.

“It’s not safe.”  She climbed down from the carriage and he followed after her, she didn’t go to the front door instead she went around to the side of the house. He watched stunned as she climbed the tree and stepped onto her balcony.

“What are you doing
?”

“I don’t want them to know I am here, I just have to get my things.” He followed her into the bedroom, she was moving like she was in a trance. Finally he grasped her shoulders and turned her to look at him.

“Angie, I need you to stay here where I know you’re safe while I figure this out.”

“You don’t understand, I can’t stay here, I have to get away from here.”

“Do you understand that someone just tried to kill you?” He growled. He saw her eyes fill with tears and immediately regretted the harshness of his words.

“They shot James, he wanted to shoot me and James pushed me and they shot him instead.” She broke down and began to sob. Luke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.

“I know,” He said quietly, “I’m sorry.”

“Do you think he’s dead? Do you think they killed him?” She mumbled into his chest.

“I don’t know.” He felt her shoulders shake as she sobbed and he squeezed her tighter.

“Will you go,” She pulled back and sniffed wiping her eyes, “will you go see if he’s going to be okay, I can’t stand no
t knowing.”  Luke looked into her watery eyes for a long moment, he didn’t want to go anywhere he wanted to stay with her and make sure she was safe but he couldn’t say no.

“Promise me you’ll stay right here until I get back?”
She nodded and new tears slid down her cheeks. He sighed, “Alright.” He kissed her forehead and headed back for the door.

“Luke,” He stopped and looked back over his shoulder at her. “Be careful.”

“Always.” He smiled and disappeared out the door.

Luke made his way back to where he had left Blaze in a lot less time than he had anticipated it taking. There he was told that James had been taken to the hospital, that was a good sign it meant he was still alive. Apparently James’ aim had been better because the man that had shot him was not. The ride to the hospital was not a long one but it was long enough for him to ponder the implications of the shooting.  Someone had tried to kill Angelica, apparently to send a message to her father, this was entirely separate from the Slayer. She was in danger in more ways than he had anticipated, and now her protector had been shot.  James had done his job well just as he had known he would. He had never expected that he would be shot.  Angelica was upset, that was to be expected but he couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t more to it than that. She wasn’t upset that someone tried to kill her, she was upset that James had been shot. Had she fallen in love with James? The idea was painful but he couldn’t shake it.  They had seemed friendly when she was at the ranch but not more than that.  But now he had spent quite a bit more time with her.  James had come to see her first and she had welcomed him. When he came to see her she threw him out. Of course he had climbed through her window.

“How is he?” He asked Matt as soon as he found him.

“He was hit in the shoulder.  He’s in surgery but they think he’s going to be alright.”

“That’s good.” Luke said breathing a sigh of relief.

“Luke, he woke up before he went in, he said tell Luke not to leave her alone in the house.” Luke’s head snapped up and he remembered Angie saying the house wasn’t a safe place.  He turned and ran back down the corridor.

“Wait Luke,” he heard Matt’s voice but he didn’t stop. “Luke I don’t have a man in a gray cloak.”

Angelica paced her room waiting for Luke to come back it was getting dark but she didn’t light a lamp because she didn’t want anyone to know she was in the house. If anyone else knew her father would know and she didn’t want to face him, she didn’t feel strong enough to battle him just yet. She needed to have all her wits about her for that.

She heard a noise outside her balcony door and froze, she knew it was most likely Luke but after the day she’d had she wasn’t taking anything for granted.  The door swung silently open and she recognized Luke’s form as he slipped in she let out the breath she had been holding and rushed forward.

“Well?”

“He was hit in the shoulder, they think he’s going to be fine.”

“Oh thank god.” She sank down to the chair suddenly feeling as if her legs wouldn’t hold her. Tears of relief flowed down her face.

“You okay?” Luke asked quietly. She quickly nodded and brushed away the tears. Luke knelt in front of her and looked up into her face. “Then why are you crying?”

“I am just relieved.”

“Are you in love with him?” He knew the question was blunt, he hadn’t intended to ask it just slipped out, she looked surprised.

“No, of course not.” He felt such intense relief that he wasn’t even sure what to say he didn’t have to figure it out because she leaned forward and put her forehead against his chest.  At once he wrapped his arms around her.

“Oh Luke this is all my fault.”

“No it isn’t.”

“Yes it is
. I never should have hired him. I mean my body guard? The very nature of that job puts him in danger.”

“Only if you a
re in danger.”  She stood up suddenly and walked away from him.

“You have to go Luke.” Luke felt his stomach drop and he stood up too.  “You have to stay away from me, I am cursed.”  He crossed to
where she was standing and put his arms around her waist.

“I don’t believe in curses and I can’t stay away from you.” He whispered.

“You said we were wrong.”

“I lied.” He pulled her close and kissed her, he’d been wanting to for so long and although now wasn’t the ideal time he had to anyway. He felt her suck in her breath and then he felt her grip his shirt and pull him closer. She did still want him, she was still just as affected as he was.

“Luke,” her voice was a breathy whisper. “Everyone close to me gets hurt. I don’t want it to happen to you too.”

“Don’t worry about me, I can look after myself.” He laughed.

“I am, serious.”

“I know you are,” He ran his thumb down her cheek
, “but I am not leaving you here alone, I would rather take my chances with the curse.” Angelica smiled and laid her head against his chest and slid her arms around his waist.

“This is all my fault, I never should have hired him.”

“Stop saying that, it’s not your fault.”

“Yes, it is I put him in danger, I never should have done that.”

“Angie, if it’s anyone’s fault it’s mine.”

“How could any of this possibly be your fault?” She lifted her head and looked at him.

“Because I asked him to come here a look out for you.”

“What?”
She pulled back from him a little.

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I couldn’t do it myself.”  She pulled completely away from him and walked away.

“I think you should go.” She said quietly.

“Angie, don’t be mad.”

“Don’t be mad,” She was exasperated, “James lied to me and you used him to spy on me
, and I’m not supposed to be mad!”

“It wasn’t like that.”

“No of course not it was actually perfectly normal for my life. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t used me for some purpose. I was just naïve enough to think the two of you were different from the rest of the vultures.”               

“Angie…”

“Get out Luke.”

“Angie I am not leaving you here alone.”  She crossed her arms and gl
ared at him but he didn’t budge.

“Suit yourself.” She walked to the vanity and picked up a bottle of perfu
me. Luke waited but didn’t move. It was going to take more than a bottle perfume hurled at his head to get rid of him. But she didn’t throw it at him she threw it at the door, it hit and shattered. Seconds later two men burst through the door guns drawn.

“Are you alright Ms. Austin?”

I am quite fine thank you.” She wasn’t looking at him. She didn’t look up the whole time as they grabbed him and roughly hauled him out. She was just going to let them think he was an intruder of some kind. He felt numb he didn’t even bother trying to resist as they tied his hands behind his back and marched him down a set of stairs. They stopped in front of a closed door and knocked. A voice inside called them in and they roughly pushed him though the door.  Luke recognized Patrick Austin, Angelica’s father sitting behind a very large desk.

“What do we have here?”

“We found him in Ms. Austin’s room Sir, looks like he broke in through the balcony door.”

“How very resourceful.”  Luke had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes
. “What may I ask were you doing in my daughter’s bedroom?  Are you the famed Slayer come to steal her away?”

“Why don’t you just send for the Sheriff and let him sort it out?” Luke said irritated. Austin obviously didn’t recognize him or he wouldn’t be asking.

“He’s not the Slayer.” They all looked to the door where Angelica was standing in the shadows. She didn’t look like herself, her eyes were dark and her face was completely devoid of emotion. She looked nothing of the teary woman that had been in his arms minutes before.

“Oh, who is he then?” Austin asked, showing as little emotion as she had. She floated into the room stopping in front of the desk. She didn’t so much as glance his direction.

“He is my lover.” Luke felt his eyes widen but he kept his mouth shut. She sounded as if she could be talking about the weather.  Austin didn’t look as unaffected he looked angry, he rose up out of the chair.

“What did you say?” His voice was furiously cold.

“I said he was in my room because he is my lover, he didn’t break in I let him in.”

“What are you doing?” He leaned forward and braced his hands on the desk.

“
I am not doing anything.”

“You think you can just march in here and announce that you have taken a lover?”

“Isn’t that what you had in mind when you sent me to Westbrook today?” She said icily. Luke didn’t know what to do, the tension seemed to suck all of the air out of the room he could only stand there stunned as the two of them stared each other down. The two guards holding him seemed to be as stunned as he was.

“You’re lying.” Austin said and smiled.

“He has a scar below his left nipple. Would you like to check?” Luke again felt as if his eyes must be bulging out of his head but he still didn’t say a word. Austin looked furious again and motioned to one of the men holding him. The man roughly pulled open his shirt revealing a scar across his ribs where he had been gored by a bull several years earlier. He knew exactly when she must have seen it he just didn’t know she had noted it. Austin’s face was turning red as he looked back to his daughter.