chapter 5

The police warned them both that the incidents would probably escalate. Stalkers rarely backed down, but even if the police caught him, all they could do was pin the two cases of vandalism on him. They dusted for prints, but while the door had been forced this time, there were no fingerprints anywhere. None of the neighbors had seen or heard a thing. Worse, they had no proof Doug Finley had been anywhere near Seth’s home, and Abby wouldn’t believe anyone else could have done it.

He had to admit, he agreed with her. This was too personal, too up close, for it not to be Doug. But Damien had declared that Doug wasn’t Shem, that he was human. So why was there Shem stink? The sick green miasma was all over his home, thick and revolting. It would have to be fumigated, and not just because of the sour milk.

Bill agreed. Abby had contacted him right off the bat. He’d arrived so fast, Seth was surprised he wasn’t a Malachi—able to teleport in an instant. He was standing next to Dante, scowling at Seth’s front door as if it had dared to attack him.

“Listen.” Dante’s dark brown eyes focused on Abby before turning to Seth, a silent message on his face. “You two got some place you could hole up for a while? Some place out of the way, where no one would think to look for you while I work on this thing?”

“We, Dante. We work on this thing.” Bill wasn’t backing down.

“You want to put this fucker away for good?” Bill nodded reluctantly. “Then you step back and let me deal with it. The captain said you’re too close, and you know he’s right.”

“She’s my sister.”

“And I give you my word, I’ll take care of her.”

The two cops stared at one another before, with a curt nod, Bill hugged his sister, then walked out the door.

“He’s upset.” Abby was staring as if Bill would walk back in at any moment.

“The captain’s right. Bill will get himself, or you, hurt trying to protect you. Let me deal with it. I give you my word, I’ll keep him informed.”

She blinked at Dante with a dazed expression. “Thank you.”

Seth sighed. This whole thing needed to end, and soon. “I think I have some place to hide out that’s pretty safe.”

Dante nodded. “Good. Make yourselves scarce.” “Done.”

Dante gripped Seth’s shoulder and spoke quietly. “You take care of Abby and leave the rest to me.” Seth glanced at Abby, who sat shivering on the sofa. “Don’t worry, I plan on it.”

Dante turned and smiled at Abby. “You take care. I’ll do what I can on my end. Your job is to stay safe. Capisce?”

“Yes, sir.” She barely looked at Dante.

Damn it. She was going to run. They’d had this settled over dinner, and now the sick fuck had messed up Seth’s careful efforts to get Abby to trust him.

Dante studied her for a moment, and Seth wondered what was going through his brother’s mind. “You run, he’ll find you. Only you’ll be alone, unprotected.”

Her expression turned startled.

“Yeah. Forgot I’m a cop for a minute, didn’t you?” When she blushed, he clucked his tongue. He knelt in front of Abby and put his hands on her knees. “I need you to trust Seth. He’ll take care of you.”

“I’m more worried about him than I am about me.” Abby shuddered. “I know what Doug is capable of.”

“Seth has...resources he can call on if he needs to. You have to trust him to do what’s right for you.” She chuckled bleakly. “What resources? The Mafia?”

“Something like that.”

She lifted her gaze to Dante’s and Seth held his breath. Whatever she saw there made her relax. She took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly. “Okay. I won’t run.”

“Good.” Dante stood and stretched. “I’ll be in touch.” He tapped Abby’s nose with a surprisingly gentle hand. “Buona notte, bella.” With that, he rounded up all of the police and forced them out of Seth’s town house. He winked at Seth. “Stay safe, my brother.” And Dante was gone.

Seth moved into his bedroom, ready to leave then and there. She still sat in the ruins of his living room, looking so sad his heart broke. He packed swiftly. He still had some clothes and stuff at his father’s cabin. He’d just need to grab Abby’s and they could head out.

He was almost finished packing his bag when the sound of the vacuum startled him. He hurtled down the stairs, wondering what Abby thought she was up to. “What are you doing?” He spoke softly, his tone controlled. He didn’t want to frighten her any more than she had been.

She jumped, straightening up from the handle of the vacuum. She turned it off, biting her lip and glancing wildly around the room like a child with her hand caught in the cookie jar. “Um, cleaning up the glass so no one gets cut?”

“I can call my cleaning service. They’ll be over first thing in the morning.” He leaned against the wall, one leg crossed over the other, his arms folded in front of him.

He watched as she blew a strand of loose hair away from her eyes. “Well, someone could still get cut. You can’t leave glass lying on the floor like this.”

“Abby—”

She gave him a bright smile. It didn’t fool him for a moment. She was as brittle as the glass she was trying to clean up. “Don’t worry, I know how to use one of these things.” She turned the vacuum on and started to sweep up the broken shards of glass. Her movements were quick and jerky.

“Abby,” he yelled over the vacuum. “What?” she yelled back.

He stalked over to her and turned off the vacuum. “It’s midnight. You’ll wake the neighbors.” “Oh.” She stared down at the vacuum with blank, uncomprehending eyes. She raised those eyes

back up to him, and he ground his teeth at the swirl of emotion in them. “Maybe I’d better—” “Abby, don’t run from me.”

She blinked in shock. “What do you mean?”

Fuck. Despite her promise to Dante, she was still planning on running.

His hands framed her face. He did his best to calm his own raging emotions, the terror that raced through him at the thought of her out there, alone, chased by Shem. “That’s what he wants you to do.

He wants you away from me. He knows I can protect you from him. If you run, you’ll be vulnerable.” Her hand went to her scarred arm and began rubbing absently. “But you’ll be safe,” she whispered.

He took in a deep breath. His hands were trembling as he slid them down her arms. He maneuvered her away from the vacuum, both of them ignoring it as it hit the ground. He allowed some of what he was feeling to seep into his voice. “Will I? Don’t you know that I’ll come after you?”

“Seth, I have to go.” She reached up and caressed his cheek, the soft touch burning into him, branding him. “It would kill me if he hurt you. Can’t you see that?”

“All I see is that if you run from me, he wins.” Seth pulled her against him, running his hands from her arms to her hips. “And I won’t allow that.” He bent his head, and kissed her.

* * *

Lightning raced along her body at the touch of his mouth. He deepened the kiss, and her knees went weak. She returned his kiss with equal fervor. He buried his hands in her hair. “Beautiful.” Seth’s mouth brushed along her neck and the hollow of her throat before returning to her lips. “So beautiful.” He kissed her with a mixture of passion and desperation, and she began to drown in him, his taste, his scent. She lost all sense of where she was, or what had just happened. All she felt, saw or knew was this moment. This kiss that seemed to go on forever. She surrendered to him.

She wasn’t going anywhere.

He must have felt her yield, because his kiss changed, softened, the desperation no longer there.

The caress turned sweet, unbearably so. He began to unbutton her shirt, and Abby did nothing to stop him.

If he needed to make love to her, she didn’t want to stop him.

The phone rang. Seth lifted his head, and she read the conflicting emotions in his eyes just before he let her go. He moved to the phone, took a deep breath and answered it.

“Hello? Yeah, Trish, everything is fine... What? Detective Zucco called, did he? Hmm? No, everything will be okay. Trust me. She’s okay.” His eyes burned into her, and she felt her cheeks flush. She bit her bottom lip, watching the slow smile that crossed his face as she fumbled with the buttons of her shirt. “No, she’s in the bathroom at the moment. I’ll have her call you tomorrow... No, I’m taking her away for a while.” She gasped as Seth winced and pulled the phone quickly away. She could hear Trish’s voice yelling in the background, still too faint to make out exactly what she was saying. Seth made a face and put the phone back to his ear. He waved her away, mouthing the word pack, before returning to his conversation.

She moved to obey, shivering a little.

Doug could have done the damage at any point during the day. The only reason she could think for why he’d waited was that the darkness would cover his ass. Which made sense but meant that he’d have to wait for his moment, concealing himself in the shadows. Watching them.

She shuddered. She didn’t want to think about Doug hiding out somewhere, a pair of binoculars trained on her at all times.

He might even have seen the kiss Seth had given her, the one where he’d talked her into calling him if she felt even mildly worried. If Doug thought Seth was her lover, Seth would die screaming.

She’d do almost anything to protect Seth from Doug’s insanity.

If it wasn’t Doug doing this, then... She bit her lip. She didn’t know whether that thought was more

or less frightening, because the person would have to have known Doug. It could be a friend or relative who resented the fact that he was in jail and wanted to get back at her. But if so, why wait all this time? Doug had been in jail for over three years, and as far as she knew he hadn’t exhausted all of his appeals. There was a slim chance he could still walk free.

Maybe that was it. Maybe the person was hoping that by terrorizing Abby, they’d prove that Doug hadn’t set the fire. If they could cast reasonable doubt that Doug was the perpetrator, he’d get out, perhaps even gain a new trial.

Ugh. It was better not to think about it, not right now. The urge to run, to keep Seth and her family safe, was still damn strong. She had to think about something else or she’d drive herself right out of Seth’s house and to God only knew where.

She began to gather her clothing. Where was Seth taking her, and why did Detective Zucco seem all right with it? Hopefully it was some place nearby. She had to be at work on Monday. Her hands shook as she unzipped her bag, her attention focused on getting the stubborn thing to work. It always liked to stick right at the midpoint.

Hell. Who was she kidding? The thought of leaving Seth scared the crap out of her. She wasn’t sure her hands were steady enough to cut paper, let alone hair. If Doug got his hands on her, he would leave her broken and bleeding on the floor while he went off to do something unspeakable to her family. Again. Shivering slightly, she finally got the zipper undone and opened her suitcase.

Abby screamed and flipped the suitcase onto the floor. She turned to run from the room, and found Seth already in the doorway.

“What is it?”

She pointed to where the suitcase lay. He walked toward it and flipped it over. “Son of a bitch.”

On the floor was a gold locket in the shape of a heart. He picked it up and opened it. She saw the muscles in his shoulders bunch together before his hand moved back and threw the locket away from him violently.

She didn’t need to see the etched words, the picture of the two of them. It was the locket Doug had given to her all those years ago, and it scared the shit out of her.

“That’s it. We’re leaving. Now.” His tone was clipped as he grabbed her by the arm and marched her out the door of her room. Every muscle in his body seemed to be clenched for battle.

“Seth, my clothes,” she protested weakly.

“I’ll buy you some new ones when we get where we’re going. Hell, I’ll buy new for me. But we’re leaving. Now.”

She couldn’t bring herself to go back into that room, so maybe that was a good thing. God only knew what Doug had done to her clothes. “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you home to meet my mom.” “Oh.” Abby blinked as what he said sank in. Wait. What?

She was whisked out of the house before she could respond. Seth had to book them into a hotel for the night, but he had her on a plane so early, even the birds thought they were nuts. She’d called Nancy before boarding the plane and filled her in on what had happened the night before. Seth had been less than pleased that she was calling anyone, but it was either that or lose her job, and she wasn’t about to do that, no matter how large a hissy fit he looked ready to throw. They landed in Colorado before breakfast, starving and still tired. Seth managed to rent a car, and they began the

two-hour drive to his parents’ home in Hidden Springs.

They barely spoke a word.

When they arrived at the Van Licht’s beautiful glass and wood home, she went straight to the bedroom his parents escorted her to and crawled into bed, completely drained. She’d managed a muttered a hello to Seth’s parents, people she barely knew. Seth had been Bill’s friend, not hers, so she’d only seen his parents in passing. She hoped they understood how tired she was, because soon she’d be seeing little ponies prancing on the ceiling, farting rainbows everywhere.

Hell. Everyone was lucky she still spoke English.

Seth settled her down on the bed and pulled her shoes off. “Get some rest. You’re safe here.” She yawned. “Night, Seth.”

He pulled the comforter up around her shoulders and kissed her on the forehead. “Good night, Abby.”

* * *

Seth tiptoed out of the room, not surprised to find his father standing just outside it. They exchanged hugs. “Hey, Dad.”

“Seth. It’s good to see you, even if I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Me, too.” It had been months since he’d seen his parents. Between his day job and his work with the Nephilim, Seth was kept busy. “How’s Mom?”

“Upset, as you can imagine, and ready to defend her cub.”

Seth chuckled. His father led him into the kitchen where his mother always held court. “She possesses mighty Shoe Fu.”

Joseph van Licht rubbed the back of his head absently. “Yeah. I know.” “Seth!”

Seth braced himself as his mother threw herself into his arms. “Mom. You look beautiful.” “Flattery will get you brownies.”

“Score.” Seth fist-bumped his dad, both men ignoring Marian van Licht’s amused disgust. “I swear, you two.” Marian shook her head. “Well? Tell me about Abby. Is she all right?”

Seth sat at the table. It might be in a different house than the one he’d grown up in, but it was still the kitchen table, where all important family meetings took place. He felt at peace the moment he settled his elbows on the edge. “She’s mine.”

Joseph put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “You sure?” “Yes.”

His father shook his head. “Guard her well, then. This isn’t the easiest life to build a family in.”

Joseph had given him the same speech just before he married Fiona. “I know. Worse, she’s going to have to know about us, and soon, if only for her own safety.” He hadn’t informed Gabriel that he planned on revealing his true nature, but if things went the way he hoped they did, Gabriel would be all right with it. Hell, he’d probably give them his blessing.

“Tell us everything.” Marian handed her son and husband mugs of steaming coffee, then put a plate of warm brownies on the table between them. “What is going on, and how does it involve the Nephilim?”

Joseph smiled at his wife as he took his seat at the head of the table. “Gabriel wasn’t very

forthcoming when he called us last night.”

Marian snorted. “Gabriel Viator wouldn’t know forthcoming if it came forth and hit him in the face with a dead mackerel.”

Seth grinned. “He’d blame that on—” “The Shem,” Joseph finished.

“Ugh.” Marian rolled her eyes and grabbed the eggs out of the fridge. While her men might indulge in brownies for breakfast, Marian swore by eggs and toast. “I swear, that man. He farts and blames it on the Shem.”

Seth and Joseph exchanged a quick glance while Marian’s back was turned. Neither of them was willing to laugh, because with their luck, Gabriel would somehow hear it.

“All right. Tell me about that poor girl upstairs.” Marian began breaking eggs into a bowl with the neat efficiency of a woman who had raised two hungry boys. “What happened and what do you need us to do? Should we contact Eli?”

While Seth had chosen to remain in Delaware and had joined Gabriel’s cell, his little brother, Eli, had moved with his family to Colorado, joining a cell there. He missed Eli and the rest of his family, but staying with Gabriel had felt like the right thing to do. He hadn’t regretted his decision once.

“Calling Eli might be a good idea, just to alert him that there might be problems here, but if he’s on assignment, let him be.”

“He is, last I checked, but we’ll call him anyway.” Joseph grinned at Marian with a hopeful expression and made a swirling motion with his hand over the plate of brownies.

Marian shook her head at her husband, but pulled the can of whipped cream out of the fridge. “Your brother would be happy to see you.”

“No. That’s all right. Let him be. I’ll see him next time I’m in town.” If Eli had been given an assignment, odds were good he wouldn’t see his brother this trip. Eli was an Oracle, an angel-born with the power of visions. If the leader of his cell had him in lockdown due to his visions, it could be days or weeks before he was free to help Seth, and even then he might not be able to. If Eli wasn’t meant to assist his brother, no visions would come to him no matter how badly they might wish for them.

The Oracle didn’t control the visions. The visions controlled them. It was an awesome, frightening gift that Seth wouldn’t wish on anyone, let alone a blood relative. Eli had suffered, learning to master his powers, but he’d come out stronger than any of them had believed possible.

But Seth wasn’t here to see Eli. He had much bigger problems. “We think Finley’s working with the Shem, and he’s obsessed with the woman I plan on marrying.”

Both his parents stared at him in horror, and not because of his future marital plans.

“What?” Marian was the first to speak. “I swear, Gabriel is a bad influence on you.” Marian shook her head, handed her husband the whipped cream and got back to making breakfast. “That was even less information than Gabriel gave us.”

“Is that even possible?” Joseph chuckled and winked at his son as he put whipped cream all over his chocolaty breakfast.

“Yes.” Marian growled and beat the eggs within an inch of their yolky lives. Joseph eyed his wife warily. “Guess we’re having scrambled.”

God, Seth loved his family. He bit into a brownie and moaned. Why his father wanted to pollute his mother’s perfect brownies with whipped cream, he’d never know.

If you’re going to do that, at least add ice cream.

“You’re exhausted. Fill us in, then head to bed.” Joe was staring at him, his concern obvious. “I will. Guard her for me.”

“My word on it.” Joe might be retired, but he was still a Knight, still a powerful Nephilim. He’d guard Abby while she slept.

Seth yawned, his jaw cracking painfully. Joe took the brownie out of his hand.

“Hey!” Seth snagged his brownie back and shoved half of it in his mouth at once. Joseph laughed. “Never mind. Fill us in later. Take your brownie and go get some rest.” Marian plated her eggs. “Your father’s right. Trust us. She’ll be okay.”

“Thanks.” He hugged his parents and staggered to his room, collapsing onto his bed with a weary groan. He kicked off his shoes, finished the brownie and set an alarm before tumbling headlong into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

Later that evening, after a long nap and a shot of caffeine to wake him, Seth watched Abby enter his parents’ kitchen and felt his breath catch in his throat. She was so beautiful. She smiled at the room at large, peering around awkwardly cheerful in her borrowed clothes, and he moved to her side to help put her at ease.

He could see the lingering shadows under her eyes and wasn’t fooled for a moment. She was still tired and putting on a brave front. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, ignoring her gasp of surprise. “Mom, Dad, this is Abby Marcheson, Bill’s sister. Abby, these are my parents, Joe and Marian.”

“Hello.” Abby clung to Seth’s arm, her eyes big as she stared at his father. She smiled sweetly at Marian, but her gaze never left Joe.

His parents welcomed her, but the tension in her shoulders didn’t ease. His mother tried to make her feel a little more comfortable. “You sit and have a drink with Seth, Abby. He’s told us a little of what’s going on, and it sounds like you could use a little pampering. Have you called your parents to let them know where you are?”

Abby flushed. “No, I haven’t yet. I was so exhausted when we got here that I didn’t even think of it.”

Joseph handed her the phone, ignoring her slight flinch, but he shared a look with Seth that said it all. Abby would be protected. “Better call them now. I know how I’d feel, if it was my child.” His father was right. Perhaps Abby would feel better hearing the sound of her family’s voices.

“I’ll do that, thanks.” Abby headed for the living room, phone in hand. “Will she be all right?”

Seth shrugged. His father had a legitimate question. “She has no idea about the Shem, or us, and as you see, she’s still leery of men she doesn’t know.”

Joseph cursed under his breath. “We might need to fill her in, especially if you plan on making her yours.”

“I never told Fiona.” His first instinct was to tell Abby, to have it all out in the open, but he trusted his parents. If they told him to keep it quiet, he would.

“Fiona wasn’t being tormented by the Shem.” His father clapped him on the shoulder. “Tell her, Seth. You know what happened between your mother and me when she found out about us.”

Marian snorted. “Or what didn’t happen for weeks. I still can’t believe you lied to me for all those years.” Joseph took hold of Marian’s hand, and she returned the embrace with a kiss to his cheek. “You are so lucky you’re cute, Joe.” She turned to Seth with a grimace. “Tell her.”

Not all Neph mates were aware of their spouse’s dual lives. It was a common belief that if the spouse didn’t know, they wouldn’t be targeted. That wasn’t always the case, but most Neph became adept at keeping their private lives separate from their Nephilim obligations, some going so far as to adopt secret identities—like superheroes.

Unfortunately for Joseph, Marian had found out what Joseph really was after Seth’s wings appeared. He was six years old, and the pain and the blood as they burst through his back had left both him and his mother traumatized. Joseph had been forced to tell his wife the truth, and the strain on their marriage had been huge. Marian had gone so far as to move out of the house, and it had taken months for Joe to win her back, longer to win her trust. He’d even gone so far as to introduce her to Gabriel, who’d explained that it was common practice to keep the spouses in the dark.

The Neph still talked about the many inventive names she’d called Gabriel for that one. She’d been so fierce and so open about how the lies had hurt their family that Gabriel had lifted the restriction, granting Neph the right to choose whether or not to tell human spouses.

In the end, Joe had sworn on his life never to lie to Marian again, and as far as Seth was aware, his father had kept that promise.

Seth stared toward the living room, wondering if Abby was all right. She’d been through so much recently. “I was planning on it.”

* * *

Abby peered around as she waited for one of her parents to pick up the phone. The Van Licht’s living room was an open area, dominated by a massive stone fireplace with a gorgeous oak mantel. The warm honey color of the walls was complemented by a burgundy sofa with Native American— inspired pillows. There was a huge, closed armoire in front of the sofa. She assumed that the television and stereo system were hidden inside, so as not to intrude on the room. The two chairs on either side of the fireplace were a warm green, with a small oak table between them for drinks. A white faux-fur rug was under the chairs, and a dream catcher, the largest one Abby had ever seen, had pride of place over the mantel. Huge windows showed off the magnificent view from the deck that surrounded the entire first floor of the house.

She’d bet anything Seth had designed it.

“Hello? Abby, is that you?” Her mother sounded frantic, filling Abby with guilt. Mrs. Van Licht was right. She should have called her mother earlier.

“Mom?”

“Abby. Thank God.” The relief in her mother’s voice was overwhelming. “We just got a call from Bill. Are you all right? Is Doug out?”

“I don’t think so. I haven’t been notified, have you?”

“No.” Carol Marcheson sighed deeply. “Your father wants to take me away and hide me.” Abby couldn’t stop the chuckle if she wanted to. “Funny you should mention that.”

“Where are you? Bill said something about Seth van Licht taking care of you.” “He is. We’re with his parents right now, out of state.”

“Oh. Good.” The relief in her mother’s voice eased her fears that she hadn’t made the right decision.

Joe van Licht was huge, bigger even than Detective Zucco, and the frown on his face as he’d met her hadn’t eased her fears any. Oh, logically Abby realized that the frown was one of concern, but her heart didn’t want to listen. It had raced like a rabbit facing a wolf. She’d have thought she’d get the same sense of safety from Joe that she got from his son.

Instead, she’d tried to burrow into Seth, using him as a shield. “They’re taking care of you, right, baby? You’re safe?”

“Yes, Mom. Seth is... He’s a good man.”

“Yes, he is. You tell him to take care of you or he’ll have to answer to me.” “I’m sure he’ll be terrified.”

“Don’t laugh at me, young lady. I still wield a mighty spoon of pain. Just ask your brother.”

Abby laughed. Bill had been whacked more than once with their mother’s wooden spoon. “Let me know where Dad’s taking you.”

“He’s thinking Alaska might be far enough away. I’m shooting for Hawaii, myself.” “You’ll probably wind up in Hoboken.”

“No, he’ll wind up in Hoboken. I’ll just go to Hawaii without him.” Her mother paused. “Detective Zucco also called. He suggested we go to Florida, said Bill told him about the condo there.”

“That’s not a bad idea.” No one knew about it but immediate family. That Bill trusted Dante with it spoke highly of the detective.

“We should be safe enough there.” Her parents had bought the condo shortly after her mother recovered from the worst of the burns. Carol Marcheson would never again hold a pen in her left hand, or walk without a limp, but the plastic surgery she’d had done on her face hid the wounds she’d found unbearable to live with. The condo in Florida had been a godsend as she recovered in the balmy ocean breezes and warm, blue skies.

Her parents loved it so much, they talked about moving there permanently, but they’d chosen to wait until Doug’s appeals ran dry. Once they knew the bastard was never getting out, they’d move.

“Go, then. Be safe. I’ll keep in touch.”

“You’d better, or I’ll send your father to check up on you.” “Yes, Mom.”

“Be careful, baby. I love you.” “I love you too.”

Abby hung up the phone. It was a good thing her father was taking her mother someplace safe. It just sucked that it was all because of Abby again.

She went back into the kitchen with mixed feelings.

“How did your conversation go?” Seth was sitting at his parents’ kitchen table.

Abby settled into the chair with a loud sigh. “They’re thinking of going to Florida. Dante’s suggestion.”

Seth smiled ruefully. “Dante is nothing if not thorough. He must have questioned your parents and informed them of our plans to get away for a while.”

“Hmm. I would have been surprised if he hadn’t.” She eyed the sauvignon blanc his father handed

her with some suspicion before thanking him with a bland smile.

Seth whispered, “Humor them. I told him you liked wine, and white is the only one they keep.

When you go shopping with my mother, you can pick up some sangria.” She took a sip of the wine. “I’m going shopping with your mother?”

“Why not? I rushed you out, the least I can do is buy you a few things to wear while you’re here.” “Seth, how can you afford something like that? You’re an architect, not a Rockefeller.”

“Don’t worry about it. I can afford a few pairs of jeans and some sweaters for us.” She laughed. “You think that’s all a woman needs?”

He leaned in close and brushed his lips against her earlobe. “Not at all.” She’d let him explain to his parents why she’d squeaked.

* * *

Dinner that evening was teriyaki chicken, wild rice and a fresh garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Abby appeared impressed. “I’ve never gotten the knack of Asian cooking. Things just move too fast and I wind up burning everything.”

Marian smiled, pleased with the compliment. “You should try Japanese sometime. It’s one of Seth’s favorites. Has he taken you out for sushi yet?”

“No, he hasn’t. I’ve never been to eat Japanese.” Joseph quirked a brow. “You’ve never had sushi?”

Abby shuddered delicately. “It’s slimy. And icky. And fishy.”

Seth choked on a bite of teriyaki chicken. “Icky? And liver-and-onion tacos aren’t?” She had the grace to blush. “That was just to get even with Bill.”

He pointed his fork at her. “You ate them. If you can eat liver-and-onion tacos, you can eat sushi.” She stared back. “I did not. That was a joke. Besides, you can’t put salsa on sushi.”

Seth put his head down on his arms and groaned. “The culinary world does not revolve around salsa.”

“It doesn’t?”

He bit back a laugh at her wide-eyed astonishment. From the sound of his parents’ muffled laughter, she was a hit, even if she did flinch whenever Joe leaned closer to her. “No, it doesn’t.”

There was silence for a moment. “Sushi is bland.”

He lifted his head and stared at her. “Try the green stuff. It’ll grow hair on your chest.” “They’ve already done the Planet of the Apes remake.” She didn’t turn her head at the sound of

choking at the other end of the table. Her gaze remained on Seth, the amusement in it plain to see.

He leaned forward, ready to dare her to try something different. “I’ll make you a deal.” “I don’t know...”

He made clucking noises at her.

She glared at him indignantly and picked up her fork. “Fine. I’ll try it. But you—” she waved her fork at him, “—have to promise me that if I don’t like it, you get to eat something I choose. Deal?”

This time he was the one who eyed her warily. He lifted his glass in salute. “Deal.” She lifted her glass and tapped his, sealing their bargain.

“Sucker,” Joseph coughed into his fist.

His father was probably right, but it was worth it to see Abby relaxed once more.

He just hoped whatever she chose wouldn’t be as revolting as eggs and salsa. “So. Tell us about your work.” His father was doing everything he could to appear nonthreatening. “I hear you’re a hairdresser?”

His father couldn’t have picked a better topic to get Abby to feel at home, and when his mother asked about the recipes Abby knew, she relaxed completely. By the time the meal was over, she wasn’t exactly at ease with his father, but she’d stopped flinching every time he moved.

Seth was chalking that one in the win column.

After more wine and a cherry pie that was to die for, he escorted her to her bedroom door. She turned with a wan little smile. “I like your parents. They seem nice.” She yawned behind her fist.

“They like you too.” He stroked her cheek with a delicate touch. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.” She yawned again.

“Didn’t sleep well earlier?” He leaned against her doorjamb, taking hold of her hand. When she not only allowed it but curled her fingers around his, he felt like a king.

“Not really. I kept dreaming about that locket.”

He squeezed her hand. “I won’t let him hurt you, Abby.” She released a long sigh. “I know you’ll try.”

He grasped her arms, tugging her gently into his embrace. He cupped the back of her head and pushed her head to his chest, stroking her hair. Some of her tension eased away, allowing him to simply enjoy holding her.

He was a goner. She felt right in his arms, like she belonged there. His wings itched beneath his skin, aching to come forth, like a peacock fanning his feathers for his potential mate.

Eventually they had to draw apart. Both of them were ready for more sleep. He wanted nothing more than to climb into bed with her and get some much needed rest.

“Seth?” She toyed with one of the buttons on his shirt.

“Hmm?” He captured her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. She glanced up at him, her face flushed, her lips moist and parted.

He smiled and turned her hand, kissing the palm. He continued to kiss up her wrist and arm, and slowly he drew her back into his embrace. Seth finally got to the side of her neck, nibbling until she was panting, tasting the salty sweet essence of her skin until she moaned. She tilted her head to grant him better access, the rough shadow of his whiskers scraping against her delicate skin. She drew in a sharp breath when he nipped her earlobe, her hands clutching at him.

When his lips finally met hers, the kiss was slow, and sweet, and drugging. There was nothing hurried in his movements. He had all the time in the world to savor her, to woo her. He forgot his weariness, forgot everything but the sensations coursing through him. She kissed him back lazily, granting him access into her mouth when he silently asked for it.

He didn’t want the kiss to end, but he had no choice. Either he took the next step, or he let her go.

Exhausted as they both were, he preferred to wait.

Abby tried to hide her disappointment when the kiss finally ended, but it was all over her face. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her palm once more. She shivered and closed her eyes, closing her fist around his kiss.

He wished it was himself in her hand, but...no. Not tonight, anyway. Abby deserved better than that, and he was going to give it to her.

He was going to woo her. If anyone deserved to have a man show her how special she was, Abby

did.

She opened her eyes, her expression still dazed by their kiss. She looked so needy, so hungry, he could barely stop himself from taking what she offered. “Good night, Abby. Sweet dreams.” He drew his hand gently down her cheek before turning and walking in the direction of his bedroom, silently cursing his own altruism.

Seth waited until she was asleep before stepping onto his balcony and spreading his wings. He doubted he would sleep tonight, hard and aching as he was. Instead, he would patrol, keep her safe and sound. Nothing would get to her here. He would see to it personally.

He’d have to be careful. The Shem hunting her was wily. Very few angel-born could hide their aura from each other. Angelus could, but only briefly. Seth had used that ability once or twice himself, but it was extremely tiring. That meant an Angelus was a possibility.

Chameleons could also hide their auras. They also tended to get obsessive over their charges, but Chameleons were so rare, he didn’t know any Neph personally who’d run into one. Some of the Neph weren’t even sure they still existed. Damien believed in them, but Dante thought they might be extinct. Seth wasn’t so sure. Gabriel included them in the training, teaching them a Chameleon’s hunting patterns, so they must still be around, even if their numbers were few.

The only other Shem who could hide their auras the way this one did...

No. He didn’t even want to think about the possibility that Abby was being hunted by a Fallen.

They would need more than Dante’s fire or Piotr’s mortal defenses if that were so. Only another angel could hope to face a Fallen and win. Damn. Maybe Damien could help him figure it out. Damien was good at research, and knew the powers of the angel-born inside and out. If anyone could help him figure out what they were dealing with once and for all, it would be him.

And if it was a Fallen? Abby would be meeting Gabriel sooner than he’d planned.

He caught sight of some movement below him and swooped lower, grinning as he saw his father stalking through the night, his fists glowing with power. Seth wasn’t the only one protecting his woman that night.

They exchanged nods before heading in opposite directions. His father had trained him. If something attacked either of them, the signal would go up, and there’d be one less Shem in the world.

* * *

The next day dawned bright and clear. He kept an eye on Abby as she wandered the cabin, chatted with his mother and managed to talk to his father without flinching.

But the strain of her ordeal was beginning to show. She jumped at the sound of a bird cry. She stared out the window when she thought no one was watching, her expression tired and sad. He had to show her she was safe here, that the whole town was a place she could relax in. Even if the Shem followed her here, it would be at least a few days before he found them.

So he took her to the local café for lunch. They both ordered a chef’s salad, vegetable soup and iced tea and dug into their food with relish once it arrived. He watched her laughing and chattering about the view from her bedroom balcony, and hated that he’d have to bring all of it to a halt. He’d done some serious thinking while patrolling his father’s grounds, and it all boiled down to one thing.

Something was missing, some detail that would let him know why she’d been targeted. It had to be bound up in the story of what happened to her five years ago. If so, she had to open up and tell him

everything. It was the only way he’d be able to keep her safe.

“Abby, we need to talk when we get home.” He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his iced tea. He prayed she wouldn’t be too upset with him, but he had to know. It was taking Damien far too long to dig up anything on Finley for Seth’s peace of mind.

“What about?” She pushed the last of her salad around on her plate. The glow was abruptly gone from her face.

“I think you know what.” Seth put his glass down, and reached into his wallet. He put money on the table and helped her to her feet. “I know you don’t want to, but I need to know everything that happened five years ago.”

Abby allowed him to lead her out of the diner, her face pale. Back in the car and on the road home, she was so tense he thought she might snap. The pleasant, relaxed atmosphere of the afternoon was completely gone, and the sick apprehension was back in her expression.

He wanted to kill the one who put that expression on her face, but suicide was a sin. “Seth?”

“Hmm?” He kept his eyes on the road, but she had his undivided attention.

“Can we discuss it tonight? I don’t feel comfortable talking about it to anyone but you.” “We’re alone now, Abby.” She swallowed convulsively. He glanced at her set, wan face. With

everything she’d been through recently, he didn’t have the heart to push her. Not yet. So he nodded, and watched as her face relaxed, some of the color returning to her complexion.

When he pulled up to the cabin and saw his father waiting on the porch for them, he felt a stab of unease. That feeling increased as they approached the house, and Seth wondered suddenly if, in deference to Abby’s feelings, he hadn’t left that conversation too late.

Joseph waited for them to ascend the stairs. He smiled at Abby, and she smiled back. Together, the two men watched her move into the cabin. They could hear Abby and Marian exchange greetings as they moved off in the direction of Abby’s bedroom. If his mother was distracting Abby, it had to be bad.

“What happened?” Seth asked. “Dante called.”

Seth never took his eyes off the doorway through which Abby had walked. “It’s official. The bastard escaped.”

“Three months ago. Dante’s livid. The cops who got notified aren’t even in the same county, and the information was somehow blurred during the fax. By the time everyone figured it out, Finley was long gone. It’s a huge problem, one Dante and his partner are just starting to untangle.”

Three fucking months ago? Victims of violent crimes were often listed on an offender’s sheet to be contacted in case of an escape. “Why didn’t anyone tell Abby and her family?” Hell, her brother was a fucking cop. Someone should have at least told Bill.

“Believe it or not, a fucking paperwork screwup. Her contact information was never listed in his file.”

Or the Shemyaza had done something to make it disappear. A skilled Malachi like Damien could pull it off easily. This little tragedy of errors was just the kind of stunt they’d pull.

Joseph ran his hand through his hair. “The cops have been going through his mail and his papers. Some of the things he wrote, stuff that appeared innocent enough to the guards, have Dante on edge. Seth, he may have been stalking her by proxy for years.”

Seth’s wings burst from his back, tearing right through his shirt and flaring so brightly his father had to avert his eyes.

Joseph sighed as Seth groaned in pain. “I’ll get the scissors.”