When Angels Fall (2 page)

***

Alastair stood in the shadows watching the gasping woman enter the cab. Her long brown hair had been in a ponytail, but had started to escape after her ordeal.
The foolish girl, walking home alone at this hour
.

Yet, despite himself, he had been quite impressed; he could feel the fight as he had taken her into his arms. It wouldn’t have done her any good against him or Marco, but it might have against a normal human male. She had also kept her wits enough to run when she was told. Other attempted rescue situations hadn’t gone so well, with the fools standing there dumbfounded, occasionally getting caught in the crossfire. Actually, he felt kind of sorry for the girl, whoever she was. There would be no proof of what happened at the scene, and even if there were, there would be no one to catch, as he’d had made quick work of dispatching Marco to hell, where he belonged.

Unfortunately, Alastair couldn’t stop Marco from opening his big trap. “She’s special, that one, Alastair. I won’t be the last looking for her.”

“You’ll be the last tonight, Marco!” The lightning bolt that left Alastair’s hand had reduced Marco to dust. All Marco managed was a snarl, but the memory of his last words lingered.

He knew Marco was right. There were some people on this earth that attracted their kind. It had something to do with their inner strength. Whether good or bad, they were strong, unyielding. This girl had that in spades. Fear was not her master and neither were the men holding her. She was making a decision to fight or run, but there was no way she was going to go gladly into oblivion. He also knew that after over a century wandering the earth, he’d never felt such a powerful life force in a human. Unfortunately for her, that kind of essence was damn near irresistible to the damned.

Her essence had been enough to attract even him tonight, though once he held her in his arms, he hadn’t expected the attraction to go deeper. Lurking in the shadows, he had hoped she’d get in the car with her friends. He did not intend to interfere, but when he saw the unnatural blackness, he knew someone else was waiting for her, and that few had the ability to conjure the Black Heart. Fortunately, his sight was not hindered by the darkness, like a human’s was, and he could easily see the hunter and his prey. It was just a matter of getting the girl out of the demon’s reach. Easy, with an idiot like Marco. The next one might not be quite as simple.

The cab had driven off while Alastair had been lost in thought. A look at his watch told him it was just coming up to three in the morning. With work in five hours, he thought he might as well get some sleep before he started; not that sleep was very high on his to-do list, but lack of it made him look even rougher than usual. Stubble scratched his fingers and palm as he rubbed at his chin.
Hmm, I might even consider shaving...then again, maybe not.

He remembered what it felt like to have the girl in his arms, and then tried to shake the memory from his mind.
This isn’t good!

Four and a half hours later, Melody was exhausted, and sick of sitting in the police station. “Can I go home now?” she asked, exasperated, before stifling a yawn. Not that the police hadn’t been great; they had dispatched officers out to the scene straight away, although they hadn’t found anything to hint at her ordeal.

On their return they had mentioned how the streetlights had been working fine in the area she’d indicated.
What the fuck was that about?
It had been blacker than black, so much so she’d run into the back of a damn van. She’d tried to reason that maybe her attacker had been some kind of street light technician, but that sounded feeble, even to her. Her eyewitness account had also been useless—over six feet tall and built like a brick shit-house was hardly the most helpful description in the world. They had someone come in and look at her head where she’d hit the back of it on the road, but the doctor/nurse/medic...whatever he was, seemed satisfied she wasn’t concussed. He’d also dressed the scrape on her neck, telling her it looked like a pretty nasty graze.
Tell me about it,
she’d thought wryly.

The officer sitting near her smiled. “I know it’s been a long night, lass, we’ll get you home shortly. I want someone to give you a lift and have a look round, just in case the bastard knows where you live.”

She gave him a half smile. He’d been kind and kept getting her cups of sweet tea. He was an older man and she imagined he had a daughter her age. She leaned back in the chair, tilted her neck back so she was facing the ceiling, and closed her eyes. She heard a door open but didn’t bother looking up.

“Ah, Alec, just the lad I was after. You’ve not started your shift yet, have ye?”

A cautious and quiet “No” drifted toward Melody.

“Then do you mind running this lassie home and checking out her flat; make sure it’s safe. She was attacked earlier. The scum could have been stalking her.”

“Aye, all right.” The new voice sounded unenthusiastic.

At this, Melody sat up and opened her eyes. She looked straight ahead.
Hmm jeans; cops are getting a bit lax in the uniform department
. Her gaze ranged up to find a smart sky-blue work shirt covered by a navy blazer. He had broad shoulders and a slim waist.
With a bod like that, he’s definitely played some rugby in his time
. She smiled approvingly. Finally she reached his face, and what a face it was! It was decidedly masculine, short stubble covering the jaw, lips that were not too full and were begging to be kissed, with deep smile lines at the corners. His cheekbones wide and nicely defined, intense blue eyes bordering on gray set deep enough that his brow seemed to sit on his lashes, all topped with closely cropped blond hair that was straying successfully into red territory. It was the type of face, she decided, that a Renaissance master would have carved in stone as the face of a god.

“Hi, I’m Alec. I’ll be your chauffeur this morning.” He gave her a small crooked smile while extending his hand in greeting. After living in Edinburgh for five years, she thought she’d become immune to the accent. Something about his voice sent shivers down her spine though, and the tingle continued in places that didn’t do much tingling anymore.
Alec, must be Scottish for “the god of sex.”

Melody smiled back, far too eagerly, she decided. “Melody Fremont, damsel in distress, though everyone calls me Mel.” She shook his hand, and she found his firm grip reassuring. Her grandmother had taught her not to trust men with limp handshakes.

His eyebrows rose in recognition of her accent. “And a Kiwi to boot. I won’t mention the rugby if you don’t.” He frowned in mock earnestness.

“I don’t like making promises I can’t keep.” She grinned at him cheekily while letting go of his large, warm hand.

He smiled back, the creases at the sides of his mouth deepening. “Your chariot awaits, m’lady.” A small bow followed and he headed for the door.

Melody thanked the older man, and followed the handsome Alec out the door.

When they reached the car park Alec walked beside her, his hands in his pockets. He asked for her address, and Melody rattled it off. While she was speaking, the alarm of a very new and expensive looking four-wheel drive beeped. Whether it was on, or off, she wasn’t sure, as she couldn’t see anyone pointing keys at it.

“I know the spot; bugger for parking. We might have to walk for a bit.” He stepped ahead of her and walked straight to the Range Rover and opened the passenger door, a beaming smile aimed her way.

Melody knew she must look like a cartoon character as her jaw slackened involuntarily, and her gaze shifted several times between him and the open door.

“Jesus, what are they paying coppers these days? I know you lot are worth it, but I didn’t realize footballers wages were the new benchmark.” She climbed into the passenger seat, taking in the luxurious interior.

His smile widened as he closed her door and then made his way to the driver’s side. She liked making him smile; it made his face softer, younger-looking. A cheeky boyish charm emanated from him when he smiled. It made him look younger than the mid-thirty age range she’d assumed.

He did his seatbelt up, then started the car. “I’m not a policeman, by the way.”

Melody’s head did a double-take, her nose wrinkling in confusion. “What do you mean you’re not a policeman? Are they letting random people hang out in police stations, and drop victims of crime home these days?”
Nice, there’s that smile again.

“I used to be, but these days I work as a civilian. I’m a forensic photographer—I take photos at crime scenes.”

“Wicked, you’re a CSI like on TV, that’s so cool.” She couldn’t help but be impressed; police and sci-fi shows had been her staple TV diet...when she had a television.

“Well it’s not quite like TV, but you’ve kind of got the right idea.”

“Either way, you’re doing something really worthwhile, unlike me, who pulls pints in a divey bar with no windows. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy my job, but it’s hardly catching crims is it.” She grimaced at her complete lack of career aspirations.

“I don’t know, some would say your job’s more worthwhile than mine.” Alec’s face was serious.

“Like who?” Although her tone was slightly dubious, she kept her eye roll to herself. He was still a hot bloke after all, and there was no need to be rude.

The left side of his mouth lifted while he glanced across at her. “We’re in Scotland, remember?
Everyone
prefers a barmaid to a policeman, including the cops.”

“You missed your calling, Mr. Connolly, you’re wasted catching killers. You should be performing at the Fringe.” She did roll her eyes this time, but couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth twitching.

His brow furrowed in confusion. “How did you know my last name?”

“What do you mean? I was making a joke, because you think you’re a comedian. Seriously, your name isn’t really Connolly, is it?”

“Actually it is.” He gave her a small nod as he spoke, but she was still unsure.

Melody’s forehead creased in disbelief. “All right then, show me your driver’s license.”

“What do I get in return?” His smirk was merciless.

“A kiss.”
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
She’d never been so forward with a man in her life, but it was time to put the past behind her. If last night had taught her anything, it was that life was too short for mucking about.

“A kiss?” he repeated.

She couldn’t read his expression, and she was starting to feel foolish for the comment.
God, he probably thinks I’m a complete tramp.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I’m not usually so forward, and I’m definitely
not
a tease. I wasn’t giving any guy the come-on last night; the attack wasn’t like that. I was just walking home from work and when I ran through a dark patch of road I hit the back of a van or something, and then this man grabbed me. Then some other guy came along, who I thought was there to help him, but he told me to run, so when he let me go, I did.” She finished, breathless from nerves, facing straight out the window. Heat crept along and burned her cheeks and she inwardly cursed her momentary trampiness. As she risked a brief sideways look, she wondered why she was so desperate for him to believe her.

“Don’t worry, I believe you.” There was a hint of a smile in his voice, “I just wanted to clarify that you definitely don’t like making promises you can’t keep.”

She had no retort, just that damned cruel warmth, which had climbed down to her chest and was spreading to the rest of her body rapidly.

They stopped at some traffic lights and he moved slightly in his seat as he leaned across her to open the glove box.
Damn he smells like a sea breeze straight off a west coast beach
. The searing heat attacking her skin reached lower where it was turning into an altogether different kind of beast.

Alec rifled through some documents before sitting up and pulling out a piece of paper. He gave it a cursory glance and then handed it to Melody.

She looked down. “Jesus, your name really is Connolly! But it says Alastair, not Alec, here. Are you trying to pull a fast one on me?” There was a mock scowl on her face.

“Alec is a nickname, but everyone calls me it. If you look a little closer though you’ll see the picture is definitely me. I’ll take my payment later by the way.” He smiled and she knew the tingling sensations in the pit of her stomach definitely weren’t embarrassment.

After placing the driver’s license back into the glove box and closing it, she turned to look out of her window. This man really flustered her. “Hey, that’s my place there.” Melody pointed above a grimy looking takeaway.
Oh shit, what I have I let myself in for?

Alec’s mind raced while his stomach churned with worry. She’d seen his name and she’d heard it last night. He was hoping desperately she wasn’t putting two and two together.
Idiot, calm yourself. She only heard Alastair. She is in Scotland, for Christ’s sake.

He snuck a furtive glance as she pointed out the window, saying something about her flat.
Thank God, not much longer.
He didn’t understand why it was so difficult to be alone with this woman. Yes, her life force was powerful—hell, he could feel it from across the SUV—but there was more to it. She had magnetism; she drew him in a way no one else ever had, not even Grace. The trouble was if she could entice him, who’d sworn to protect the innocent, she would easily attract those whose goal was to hurt and kill. Those like Marco.

They eventually found a car park that was a five-minute walk up the road.

“Come on,” he said as they climbed out of the vehicle. “Let’s get you sorted.”

They didn’t talk much as they walked to her flat, which Alec was thankful for. He hazarded another glance, and she appeared to be chewing the inside of her bottom lip, the space between her eyebrows deeply furrowed. Whether it was a look of concern or deep concentration, he couldn’t tell. She opened the door next to the takeaway, and they headed up a flight of stairs to her flat. When they reached the landing, she hesitated, her fingers fumbling at the latch.
She’s obviously more shaken by this than she’s letting on.

“Would you like me to do that, Melody?” He spoke softly, but she still jumped.

“Um, what? Yes...please.” A dazed fog seemed to have descended upon her as she handed him the key and continued the agitated movement of her mouth. She plunged her right hand back into the handbag and moved it about as if searching for something, although she didn’t actually bother to look.

“Are you all right?”
Damn, Marco must have shaken her up badly. The bastard’s lucky he’s dead.
Alec surprised himself with his vehemence.

“Fine, just nervous, you know, after last night.” She stood up straighter, her voice stronger, and her nerves seemingly melted away.
This
was the woman he’d held this morning.

The key turned with little effort and he walked through the doorway. Melody entered behind him and closed the door. He scanned over a reasonable-sized sitting room with a kitchenette directly opposite the door, and couldn’t see, hear or sense anything...out of the ordinary. As he scanned, he spoke to Melody, who’d moved to stand beside him.

“Don’t worry; no one’s going to hurt you.”

As he turned to face her, his nose, eyes, and mouth were filled with a flowery, fruity concoction—women’s spray deodorant. “Christ, woman, what are you doing?” The perfume didn’t sting, but forced him to blink many times to disperse the watery film now obscuring his vision. When he managed to open his eyes seconds later, Melody was on the other side of the sofa, grabbing a phone.

“It was you last night!” she accused, pointing the portable phone’s antenna at him.

“Melody, please let me explain.” His voice was calm, his demeanor composed.

“Explain how you set me loose to hunt me down for yourself! Explain why you wouldn’t let your buddy have me!” she taunted.

“It’s not like that. I am genuinely here to protect you. And Marco is not, nor has he ever been, a friend of mine.” He kept his voice quiet, but firm.

“How do I know that?” He could see her wavering. He needed to prove to her he didn’t want to harm her, but how?

“Dial 999, don’t press the call button just yet, but make sure it’s ready.” He watched as she obeyed his directions. Though she was still looking very wary and slightly confused, she held her thumb on the dial button but did not press down.

“Now I’m going to show you something; don’t be afraid. I promise with my life I won’t hurt you...I wouldn’t hurt you. My name wasn’t given to me because it sounded nice, Melody. It’s my title, and it’s what I do, it means ‘defender of man.’” On the last word he opened his hands, palms face-up, his elbows bent in at his sides. Each hand had what looked like the center of a small plasma ball hovering just above the skin.

Melody looked dumbfounded. He could tell she was at war with herself.

“I...I don’t see how that proves anything,” she stammered.

“These little balls of energy are capable of reducing a person to dust.”

Her eyes narrowed in distrust; still she did not press the button.

“I’m not telling you that to frighten you, just to let you know what I have the power to do. Not to humans, but to creatures like Marco. We are known among our kind as ‘the Fallen’ or ‘fallen ones.’”

He could almost see her mind working furiously to rationalize what she was seeing and hearing.

“Are you saying you reduced Marco to...to dust?” She didn’t look him in the eye as she spoke, but stared at the little sparking balls in his hands.

“Yes.” He looked into her horror-stricken face. “But if I hadn’t, he would never have stopped hunting you. He’d already tasted you.” Her right hand touched the graze on her neck. “You would have been his obsession until he’d killed you.”

“Can you get rid of those things?” She nodded toward his hands.

“Sorry.” He closed his fingers over his palms and the orbs disappeared. As he did, she took her thumb off the dial button, but did not put the phone down. Alec looked down, exhaling a long breath.

“I’m not saying I believe you, but considering you haven’t zapped me yet, I’m taking that as a good sign.” Her face was serious.

He managed a half-smile and moved toward her. She stepped back quickly, and he turned away from her to sit on the sofa. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and hanging his head. “So the driver’s license did tip you off?”

“Not at first.” She moved around to sit on a chair at the opposite end of the sofa from him, still holding the phone like a talisman. “I mean hell, we are in Scotland. I’d be stupid to freak out every time I heard the name Alastair. There was also the aftershave; my ex used to wear it, but so did the person who helped me last night. It’s a popular brand so I chalked it up to coincidence, although the more I thought about it the more it made sense, so I guess I braced myself to attack. Still, I didn’t want to believe it was you, I couldn’t understand how someone so...normal, could be part of the strangeness that happened. Then when you said you’d protect me.
That
was the moment; I recognized
that
voice...it had saved my life.” Alec heard a waver in her voice as she spoke the last words, soft and low.