An Archangel's Promise (10 page)

“It’s already getting dark, won’t be long until we can head
up and cover more ground,” Sebastian told him.

When they were passing what Hunter was sure was the fortieth
dress store on this damn street alone, his phone rang. Glancing down he saw
Nolan’s number and frowned. He had given Gabriella’s brother his number in case
something happened while he was gone.

Answering quickly, he cut to the chase. “What happened?”

“Well, hello to you too, sunshine,” Gabriella drawled.

“Gabby? Is everything okay?”

She laughed. “Everything is fine. In fact, it’s more than
fine.”

“Um. That’s great, babe?” He knew it sounded more like a
question, but he was trying to work out why she had called him when they had
only spoken an hour ago.

“I have some great news, Hunter. I found him,” she said.

Hunter frowned. “Found who?”

“Landon, of course.” She sighed, sounding exasperated with
him.

“You what?” Grabbing Sebastian’s attention, he said, “Gabby
said she’s found Landon.”

Sebastian looked at him skeptically. “How?”

“How? Where is he?” he asked her.

“You guys are so busy thinking like angels and even Fallen,
but you forgot to think human,” she replied. “I figured they wouldn’t know that
they were unguarded, would they? His mother wouldn’t think to hide, especially
when no one should know who or where they are. So I got Nolan to do a search
for boys aged sixteen named Landon in the state of Victoria. And then we cross-referenced
them with mothers named Rebecca after I remembered your father mentioning her
name. There ended up being two, but since I knew they were on their own, and
one Rebecca was married, I knew I had found them.”

Hunter gaped at the phone. Fuck. They hadn’t even thought of
that. “That’s amazing, you’re amazing.”

“Yep,” she snickered. “Well, Nolan did it all, but it was my
idea.”

“Damn,” he whispered in awe. The woman was bloody amazing.
“Where are they, honey?”

“Nolan tracked them to a fairly new housing estate area
about half an hour out of the city.” Gabriella rattled off the address. “Be careful,
Hunter.”

“I will. Promise,” he said before hanging up.

Hunter turned to Sebastian to see the man shaking his head
with a smile on his face. “That is one hell of a woman you have there, man.”

“Yeah, she really is.”

Not wasting any more time, Hunter hailed a taxi. They still
couldn’t risk flying during the day, not yet, so traveling by car would be the
quickest way. They were so close. Now they just had to get to Landon before
Renatus did.

Darkness had fallen just as they reached the street Landon
and his mother, Rebecca, lived on. It was a quiet suburban area, not too unlike
the one Hunter had eventually grown up in with Gabriella. With brand new homes
and more parks in walking distance than he could count, Hunter could see why
the boy’s mother had chosen to live there. It was truly beautiful.

Hunter felt bad that they were about to rip all of this away
from them.

Telling the driver to pull over at the end of the street,
Hunter and Sebastian exited the vehicle after paying. They waited for the
others to arrive, Dominic and Brock turning up in the car they would use to
transport mother and son.

Reaching the edge of the driveway, Sebastian ordered the
others to stay behind as Hunter followed him to the front door. The sight of
them would likely frighten the woman enough, there was no need to make things
worse by having six huge men on her doorstep.

The house was on the small side, but Hunter assumed they
wouldn’t need much room with it being just the two of them.
Cute
and
quaint
were the words that came to mind as he inspected the pale gray structure with
its white trimming and neatly manicured lawn out front. Garden beds trailed up
either side of the path, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when he
noticed the door knocker hanging in front of him was actually a pair of angel
wings.

Not too long after they rang the bell, the door was answered
by a small woman with fiery hair similar to his Gabby’s. When she looked at
them he could tell she already knew who they were.

“It’s too soon,” she whispered, tears in her eyes. “He’s
only sixteen.”

“You misunderstand, ma’am. We aren’t here to take him from
you. Some extremely bad people have discovered your son’s existence and are
looking for him as we speak. We’re here to get the both of you to safety,”
Sebastian explained. “But we have to go now.”

Her eyes widened, and she trembled slightly. “Renatus?”

“Yes,” Hunter answered, a little surprised. “I take it you
know who they are?”

Nodding, Rebecca left the door open for them to follow as
she moved further into the house. “Raphael warned me about them. I knew that
one day they would come for Landon, but it wasn’t supposed to be now. We’re supposed
to have more time before you come.”

“I have to ask, how do you know we aren’t Renatus?” Hunter
asked curiously.

Rebecca chuckled. “Because I have met your fathers, the two
of you could not look more like Gabriel and Michael if you tried.”

Having finally met his father, Hunter couldn’t argue with
that logic.

She led them into a lounge room toward the back of the
house. A young boy was sitting on the floor in front of a coffee table. His
head was down, and he looked to be pouring over notes of some sort.

“Landon, sweetheart. There are some men I’d like you to
meet,” Rebecca said, her voice wavering.

Landon’s head shot up, a scowl forming when he noticed them.
“Who are you?” he asked curiously, cocking his head to the side in a move that
reminded Hunter of a small puppy.

Rebecca moved to the lounge, taking a seat near Landon’s
position on the floor. “You know who they are, honey.”

Hunter saw the look of resignation on the boy’s face, even
as he shook his head. “No. It’s too soon.”

Hunter chuckled. “Funny. That’s what your mother said when
she answered the door. So let me tell you what Sebastian here told her. We
aren’t separating you. Some bad people are looking for you, so we need both of
you to come with us. We can keep you safe, but we need to go now.”

Landon looked to his mother and sighed when she nodded.

“Go get the pack from your room, and then mine. Grab
anything else you might want, but make it quick,” she told him. Seeing their
looks, she explained, “I always knew there was a chance the wrong people would
come for us. I’m not an idiot. I made sure we had everything we needed in case
we had to make a quick escape.”

Hunter nodded in approval. “That’s extremely wise.”

“I knew what could happen when I agreed to have Landon.
Raphael never kept anything from me.” She smiled fondly as she mentioned the archangel.
“I’m sorry he missed so much of Landon’s life. I made sure our son knew that
his father was a good man and that he would have made an even better father.
Maybe now they can get to know one another before Landon goes through his
transition.”

Hunter heard the wistful tone, her words ringing of
affection for the archangel of healing.

“I wish my mum had been around to tell me,” Hunter admitted.
“I’ve always wondered how different things would have been if she hadn’t been
in an accident. In the end I found Gabriella, but before then, and for a while
after I had to leave her, I wasn’t a very happy person.”

He hoped Landon realized how lucky he was. His mother had
prepared him and given him a loving home to grow in.

“Got it all,” Landon announced as he came out holding two
large hiking bags and a laptop bag. “Grab my laptop and your ereader too, Mum.”

“Such a good son.” Rebecca laughed. Landon beamed at her,
clearly enjoying his mother’s praise. “Well, let’s go. No point in waiting.”

Hunter was impressed with their attitudes. He remembered his
reaction when he had been told he had to leave everything and everyone,
including Gabby, behind. Saying he hadn’t taken it well would have been an
understatement.

When he said this out loud, Rebecca nodded. “I can
understand that. You said your mother wasn’t around to explain, and by the
sounds of it, it took you a while to form attachments. Then all of a sudden
when you do, it’s all ripped away from you again. No one can be expected to
take that well. However, I’m assuming from the smile on your face when you say
her name, you have reconnected?”

Hunter knew his grin was ridiculously huge. “Yeah.
Gabriella’s my bonded.”

Rebecca gasped. “Oh my. Congratulations,” she said happily.
“Have any of the other boys found their bonded? I know Landon is the youngest
of you.”

“No. Not yet,” Sebastian answered. “If you know that Landon
is the youngest, I don’t suppose my uncle shared this whole prophecy thing with
you, did he?”

Rebecca smirked. “I’m afraid not. But even if he had I
wouldn’t tell you. There is a reason you haven’t been told everything yet, and
you will in time.”

“You sound just like them,” Sebastian grumbled.

Hunter laughed and headed for the front door. It was times
like this that he remembered that despite all his years, and all his knowledge,
the older angel was just as clueless as the rest of them when it came to the
grand scheme.

They hastily bundled the mother and son into the car. Hunter
got behind the wheel and Brock joined him while the older and stronger angels
took to the sky to keep look out. He glanced down every street and continuously
checked his rearview mirror. The closer they came to the city, the more nervous
he became. They had taken indirect routes to make sure they had no tails, and
were now somewhere near the city limits, but it all looked like empty land. Too
empty.

Hunter couldn’t explain it, but something about all of this
was just too easy. Granted, with Gabriella’s help they had found them quicker,
yet Hunter knew he was missing something. He linked with Sebastian while he
continued to drive.

“
I have a bad feeling about this, Sebastian.
”

“
Everything is all clear from up here,
” the angel
replied.

“
Maybe, but I still think something isn’t right. It was
too easy.
”

“
Take your wins where you can get them, and stop
borrowing trouble. I swear to you that there is nothing in front or behind us,
brother,
” Sebastian reassured him.

Damn. Maybe he was right. Hunter’s mind had been spinning
ever since he claimed Gabriella, something he was dying to do again. In fact,
the need for her had already begun to set in. He could feel the itch just
underneath his skin, telling him it had been too long since he had last been
with her. Hunter missed her smell, the soft curves of her body, and the
delicious taste of her on his lips as he trailed his way down her body.

He groaned as the image of her spread out before him popped
into his head.

“Dude,” Brock hissed, glaring at him. “Now is not the time
for that shit. Keep it in your pants until we get back.”

“I can’t help it, arsehole.” He growled, discreetly trying
to adjust himself. “I think it’s been too long.”

“Ah, man. That’s not good.”

Hunter grunted in response.
No shit!

Now that he had acknowledged it, the slight itching under
his skin had become a slow burn, steadily boiling to the surface. He could feel
himself sweating, his hands slippery on the wheel. He shook his head to try and
clear it.

“I chucked my phone in the console, can you call Nolan’s
number for me?” he asked Brock.

“Sure.” Brock looked at him in puzzlement. “But why Nolan?”

“Don’t have Gabby’s number yet. Just call. See if she’s
okay.”

Brock did as he asked. “Hey, Nolan. It’s Brock. Hunter
wanted to know how Gabby’s doing.” There was a pause, then Brock cursed. “Ah,
fuck, really? Yeah…nah, he isn’t looking too good either, but we’re nearly
there.”

Brock continued to speak to Nolan, but Hunter wasn’t paying
attention as Sebastian called to him.

“
Hunter! You need to watch out!
”

“
Why?
” Hunter asked, not liking the concern he heard.

“
You were right. Something is wrong. There aren’t any
vehicles up ahead.
”

What? How could that be? They were right near the fucking
city. There should be at least someone on the roads.

“
We need to turn around then. This is obviously a trap.
”

“
We can’t, Hunter. Out here we’re sitting ducks. At least
if we head to the tower we know when to be prepared. We have you surrounded, no
way are they getting to you. Even if we take a lot of damage, your only job is
to get them to the tower, do you understand me?
” Sebastian ordered.

Fuck! They were so screwed.

There was no way he wasn’t going into the city. Gabriella
was there. He just didn’t like the thought of taking Landon and Rebecca with
him. He glanced at Brock, to see him still talking.

“Tell them to be careful. We may run into some…complications,”
he whispered so as not to worry mother and son.

Brock’s eyes widened, but he nodded that he understood.
“Hey, make sure you keep an eye out, will you? We’re heading in but things
might get a bit crazy first. I can see the tower now, so you should see us sh—”

Another vehicle suddenly came out of nowhere and crashed
into the side of the car, sending it spinning out of control. Hunter struggled
to regain command of the vehicle, but it was no use. Glass shattered from his
window when the car collided with a power pole. He had brought his arm up to
cover his head, though it didn’t stop all the damage to his skull. Hunter swore
he could hear it rattling in there. A jarring pain shot through his leg and up
his spine, and he was certain that had he been human, he would have been in a
lot more trouble. As the car came to a stop Hunter breathed heavily, glancing
down and wincing at the amount of blood coming from his right thigh.

“Is everyone okay?” He twisted in his seat to check on
Landon and Rebecca, ignoring the pain. “Rebecca? Landon?”

Hunter’s stomach dropped when he got a good look at Rebecca.
Blood matted her wavy hair, and her eyes were closed. She shouldn’t have looked
so pale, and he couldn’t tell if she was breathing. Next to her, Landon struggled
with his seat belt, trying desperately to reach his mother.

“Mum!” the boy shouted. He grew more concerned when she
didn’t answer. “Mum, please!”

Beside him, Brock kicked open his door, forming his flamed
sword as soon as he was free. Hunter couldn’t see what was happening, but he
could hear fighting. He managed to pull free of his belt seat and climbed over
the inner console, stumbling out of the car.

Damn, his body felt like it was on fire.

Something dripped down his face, and a swipe of his hand proved
he must have had a head wound. Trusting Brock to have his back, Hunter pulled
the door off of the car, helping Landon out.

“No! I can’t leave her,” the young man shouted as he fought
Hunter’s hold.

“We’re not leaving her. I just need you to move so I can get
to her,” he gritted out through the pain.

Landon moved, and he reached in. Yanking on the belt, he
broke her free. A creaking sound caught his attention and Hunter’s heart jumped
into his throat.

Fuck. The pole was tipping.

Hunter scrambled to get Rebecca out of the car before the
pole collapsed over it. He made it to the other side of the street just in time
to see the pole finally tip, metal groaning as it caved in under the pressure.
Getting a better hold on Rebecca, Hunter latched onto Landon as well, pulling
him to the tree line. He watched helplessly as his friends battled the Fallen
that were attacking, unable to help or he’d leave Landon and his mother
vulnerable.

“Landon. I need you to check your mum for me,” he ordered.
“I can’t risk looking away, but I need to know how bad she is.”

Hunter waited for Landon to reply and grew more concerned
when the younger man said nothing. Having no other choice, he took his eyes off
the scene in front of him.

“Fuck. No,” he shouted.

He looked on in horror as Landon tried to heal his mother.
Once an angel or Nephilim began the healing process on someone it wasn’t safe
to interrupt for either of them, however, Rebecca’s injuries were so extensive
Hunter wasn’t sure what would happen. Although Landon was indeed healing her,
he shouldn’t be able to. Not to the extent he was.