An Archangel's Promise (9 page)

Things had been difficult after that, and Gabriella
certainly hadn’t missed him when they had graduated and moved on.

“Yeah, my bosses have been trying to get the business of
some powerhouse group. Michaelson, Zera, Bailey, and a few others. Apparently
they recently purchased the tower and have made it their residence, so I’m here
to scout the place out. It honestly shouldn’t be too hard,” he explained, as
cocky as always.

Oh, if he kept flirting with her, it would be impossible,
she thought. One look at him and Hunter would likely tear him apart, not sign a
frigging deal. And what was with this company? Granted, they hadn’t had a lot
of down time to speak, but she suddenly realized how little she knew about
Hunter and the others.

“Good luck with that,” she muttered, trying to make her
escape. She was hungry and tired, and really didn’t want to speak to the man.

Before she made it even a step, Brad grabbed her arm, a
little too tightly. “No need to rush off. Like I said, this should be a simple
bag and tag.” He chuckled, though to Gabriella it sounded more like a cackle.

“Sorry, Brad, but I’m really busy.” Gabriella tugged on her
arm, growing annoyed when he wouldn’t let go.

Brad laughed. “You always were too busy for me.” Moving
closer, his eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you’re still pining over that ridiculous
boy? You know he probably did it, right? Killed his foster parents, set the
fires. When are you going to give up this silly infatuation for a criminal and
pay attention to the real men around you?”

“You mean like you?” she snapped, furious beyond measure.
They were the exact same words he had said at her twenty-first, the same
accusations. “I’ll let you in on a little secret, Brad. Hunter is twice the man
you ever will be, and for all his faults, at least he isn’t an egotistical,
self-absorbed prick!”

The last part was shouted, and people turned their heads as
they walked past. Gabriella didn’t care.

“Now, Gabby,” Brad whispered, hastily dropping her arm.
“There’s no need to—”

“Don’t call me that,” she seethed. No one but Hunter called
her that.

Gabriella shivered with anger, worried at just how much
aggression she was feeling. She knew she had every right to be mad at the
bastard in front of her, but this almost felt like she wasn’t in control. She
couldn’t understand it.

Her body was taut, like a thin cord being stretched…a little
more pressure and she might just snap.

Out of nowhere, strong, firm hands clamped down on her
shoulders from behind, and Gabriella sighed, immediately feeling all the
tension draining away.

Hunter.

Hunter had sensed Gabriella’s tension from the moment he’d
neared the building. Panic had flooded him when he thought she’d been in
trouble, and jealousy swamped him when he caught sight of Brad.

All negative emotions fled him, however, when he overheard
Brad telling her that he was there to gain the business of Archsons, Inc. A
company Sebastian had set up a long time ago, knowing that eventually they
would all need an obvious income not supplied by their fathers. They would need
a foot in this world in order to live in it. The business had grown larger than
anything Sebastian had ever envisioned, and by the time Hunter had joined the
group, their individual net worth was enough to rival Gates, Buffett, and Jobs.

Hunter stepped up behind Gabriella, resting his hands on her
shoulders. He smiled when he felt the tension drain out of her body at his
touch.

“Everything okay?” he whispered into her ear.

“We were just having a minor disagreement,” she said,
turning to face him as his arms snaked their way around her. “Nothing serious.”

Hunter’s brows furrowed as he glared at Brad. “It didn’t
sound like nothing.”

Her fingers tangled through his hair and she tugged,
bringing his mouth to hers. Hunter was more than happy to accommodate her. “It
was, trust me,” she breathed against his lips, pressing their lips together in
a heated kiss.

A throat cleared, and he fought the urge to introduce Brad’s
face to his fist.

“I guess you did find a way to move on.”

Hunter heard the bitterness in the other man’s voice as
Gabriella faced Brad again. “Not at all. Hunter, this is B—”

“Brad,” he finished for her. “Yes. I know.”

He grinned at the confused look she threw over her shoulder
at him. He knew the moment she recalled the memory he had shared with her when
her eyes widened.

“Wait. Hunter?” Brad asked suspiciously.

She sighed. “Yes. Hunter. And we were just leaving. Goodbye,
Brad.”

“Do you really think it’s safe to be spending so much time
with a suspected criminal? I mean, aren’t the police looking for you?”

Hunter could tell Gabriella was expecting him to snap, to
grow angry at the other man’s accusations. Instead, he chuckled. “The police
aren’t looking for me, Brad. A full investigation was launched to find me and
the person responsible. Which they did, years ago. You don’t need to know the
details, only Gabriella, and she already does. Oh, and while we’re in the midst
of clearing up misunderstandings, you can explain to your bosses exactly why
they won’t be getting any contracts from Archsons, Inc.” He winked at her.
“It’s not wise to piss of the very person whose arse you’ve been sent here to
kiss, Brad.”

“Wait, you’re H-hunter Bailey?” Brad visibly paled when he
finally made the connection.

Hunter’s grin was almost feral. “Yes, now if you’ll excuse
us. I have to go ravish my wife.”

He heard Gabriella barely stifling her laughter as he
latched onto her hand and dragged her behind him.

“Wife, huh?” She turned on him when the doors to the lift
closed. “Something you forgot to tell me? Or should I say ask?”

If it weren’t for the amusement sparkling in her emerald
gaze, Hunter would have been worried.

Using his body to press her firmly against the wall, he lowered
his mouth to hers. The kiss was sweet and sensual, but the underlying feeling
was there, the need for her. He pushed the honeymoon phase to the back of his
mind. There were other things that took priority.

Like proposing to the woman he loved.

Hunter wanted to curse whichever uncle had paid a visit to
the management to set things up for them. Revealing Gabriella as his wife had
forced him to move up his plans. There had been roses, candlelight, and so much
more.

The doors opened and Hunter stopped her from walking off. He
wasn’t headed back to the penthouse. Taking her hand, he opened the door to the
stairwell. Taking the stairs, Hunter led her to the emergency exit door.
Popping the lock, he pulled her out onto the roof of the tower. The sight was
breathtaking, the entire city sprawled outward, not a thing was hidden from
them.

Hunter turned to face her, slowly sinking to the floor,
kissing her as he went. Once on his knees, he glanced up at her, smiling when
he reached behind him to retrieve the small pouch in his pocket.

“I had planned a more romantic setting, and the view pales
in comparison to your beauty.” Untying the string, Hunter allowed the ring to
fall out onto his hand. Taking it between two fingers, he held it up to the
woman he planned on spending eternity with. “This was my mother’s. My parents
weren’t bonded but they did love each other. The day my mother told Gabriel she
was pregnant, he presented her with this ring. She wore it until the day she
died.”

He had kept it safe, knowing one day he would find someone
he wanted to give it to. The day he met Gabriella, he knew it would be her.

A large emerald stone sat in the middle, surround by an
intricate display of sapphire and diamonds. Not one for jewelry, even Hunter
was captivated by the stunning delicacy of the piece.

“Hunter.” Her eyes watered, and her lips trembled. Hunter
really hoped that was a good sign. “It’s beautiful.”

“Marry me, Gabby. Be my wife.” Hunter would beg if she made
him. “You’re mine, as I’m yours. Let me prove it to people.”

Gabriella stared at him with knowing eyes. “People or Brad?”

“Everyone.”

“Then yes, I’ll marry you.”

Elation shot through Hunter as he jumped up, taking her into
his arms and spinning around. Gabriella yelped and smacked his shoulder,
telling him to put her down, but at that moment he didn’t want to part from
her.

“Eternity, Gabby. That’s you and me,” he murmured against
her lips before he claimed them.

He eventually placed her back onto her feet, slipping the
ring into place.

Damn, that looks good on her.

When his eyes lifted to hers, he noticed a peculiar
expression on her face. “Gabby?”

“Eternity?” she whispered.

“Yes, honey. I told you that you’re immortal now.” Was she
having second thoughts?

She frowned. “Oh, no. I know that. It was just funny you
used that word.”

“Good funny, or bad?”

“Good.” Whatever memory that came to mind, brought a small
smile to her lips. “Come with me, I have something for you.”

Tugging Hunter along, Gabriella’s smile widened when he
obediently followed her back into the tower and the penthouse. Gabriella
remained silent as they moved to the bedroom, and Hunter grew more curious. She
dropped his hand, opening the top drawer of her chest. She retrieved a small
red pouch, tugging at the string holding it closed, and allowing whatever was
inside to fall out.

He shifted forward, his gaze fixed on the silver ring laying
in her palm. His eyes met hers, asking silently for her to explain.

“I’ve had this for a very long time,” she said. “It was your
eighteenth birthday present.”

Hunter’s breath caught in his throat, tears threatened to fall.
She had held onto it all this time?

“Gabby…” He paused when he noticed the inscription written
inside. He looked back at her, hope and love filling him. “Eternity?”

“Like you said, we were always meant to be.” Reaching for
his hand, she slid the band onto his finger. “This is just more proof.”

“I love you, Gabby,” he whispered, bringing their lips
together.

“I love you too.” Leaning back, she smiled at him. “One
thing I’d like to know is, how did your father and uncles create a
multi-million dollar company overnight?”

Hunter threw his head back and laughed, wrapping his arms
around her. “They didn’t. Though they probably could if they wanted to.”

“If not them, then who?”

“Sebastian,” he said with a shrug. “He set the company up
long before I was born.”

She raised an eyebrow. “And the police clearing you of you
foster parents’ disappearance? How did the police discover that group of men
and find evidence that those guys killed them? I mean, if it was really Ash and
his men…”

“You don’t think my father wouldn’t have taken care of
that?” he scoffed. “Those guys were responsible for the deaths of two teenage
girls. Those bastards got away with it because the human system can be so flawed.
I guess it was heaven’s way of making things right.”

“So, let me get this straight.” She ticked each point off
with a finger. “Sebastian set up a company decades ago which he allowed you all
to become partners in. Your father cleared up your name with the police, and
then you and the others bought this tower so that you could settle in the one
place. Did I miss anything?”

“Nope. That’s pretty much it.”

“It’s all rather convenient,” she said skeptically.

Hunter smirked. “My father is an archangel, Gabby. There has
to be some perks, don’t you think?” He traced his tongue across the seam of her
lips, caressing the butter soft flesh. “Besides, don’t we have better things to
discuss? Like the fact that you just agreed to marry me.”

His phone rang before she could comment. Reluctantly
answering the phone, he muttered, “This better be good. I just proposed, and I
think I’m about to get lucky.”

“Congratulations. But it’s going to have to wait,” Sebastian
stated bluntly. “We have a kid to find. If everything is okay with Gabriella,
then we need you back.”

Hunter closed his eyes and groaned. How could he say no?

“I’ll meet you downstairs in a few minutes.” Hanging up, he
grimaced. “That was Sebastian.”

“You have to go again.” She sighed.

“Yeah, but I—”

“Shhh.” She held a finger up to his lips. “I’ll be here when
you get back. The sooner you find Landon, the better.”

Damn, he loved her.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised, cupping the back of her
head and sipping at her lips. Toying and seducing until she opened, his tongue plunged
in, tangling and teasing. When it became paramount to breath, Hunter
reluctantly leaned back. “Soon.”

* * * *

Gabriella watched Hunter leave, feeling frustrated that
there was nothing she could do. She paced her apartment, occasionally sneaking
peeks out of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Observing the tiny dots of people as
they made their way through the city, she was again stunned at how large
everything seemed down there, and yet how small it was from where she stood.

Her stomach growled, letting her know how long it had been
since she had eaten. Her phone in hand, Gabriella pulled up a list of cafes and
restaurants that delivered, knowing she couldn’t leave with Ash out there.

And then a thought hit her.

The city, and even the state she lived in, seemed huge to
her if she walked the streets, but when it came to searching for things on the
internet, everything became smaller, easier to find.

That was it!

She dialed her brother’s number, grateful when Nolan
answered fairly quickly.

“’ello?”

“Nolan. Where are you? I need you to bring your techy stuff
over to my place. I think I have an idea on how to help find Landon. If you can
hurry I think we can find him before the day is through, but I’m not exactly
sure how to search for what I want so that’s where you come in,” she rambled
out, not stopping for breath until she was done.

“Whoa. Hold up there.” He chuckled through the phone. “First
off, ‘techy stuff’? And second, I’m in your guest room so I really don’t need
to hurry.”

Gabriella frowned. “You’re where?”

“Your guest room.” He laughed before hanging up.

She walked out of her room, her eyebrows raising at her
brother who stood in her hallway. “Not that I mind, but why were you in the
guest room?”

Nolan snorted. “Because I wasn’t about to leave after
everything that happened. Now follow me while I get us coffee, then you can
tell me all about this great epiphany of yours and how it will help the Diablo Three
barbarians.”

“Diab-what?” she asked as she followed him.

“It’s a gaming reference,” he snickered. “Barbarian
characters in Diablo Three have angel wings.” Seeing her confusion, Nolan
rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about it. Come on. Coffee awaits.”

Gabriella followed her brother, anxious to get started.
Landon and his mother were in trouble and needed their help.

* * * *

Hunter growled in frustration as he and Sebastian roamed the
streets of Richmond, just outside of the city. Having to travel on foot, or
even on the ground, was making things go too slowly. If they had been airborne,
Landon would already have been found and secure. However, since they were using
their senses to detect any angelic activity, Hunter wasn’t able to fly,
conceal, and sense all at the same time. He would have to wait until that night
and make sure to stay above the clouds.

Sebastian let out a sigh beside him. If it weren’t for the
fact that they needed to stay in pairs, Sebastian would have been able to take
flight.

“Maybe you should pair up with Dominic, or Julian. At least
they could fly with you, cover more ground,” he suggested.

Sebastian shook his head. “I won’t risk it. If a pair of you
younger ones were to come across Ash and the rest of his men, things could end
badly.”

“I’m sure we could fend them off long enough to get away,”
he scoffed.

“It’s always the same.” The older angel chuckled. “A
Nephilim becomes an angel, and then he suddenly thinks he can take on the
world. You have only been an angel for a few months, Hunter. Even as a pure
born angel, it took a long time for me to be ready to take on more than one or
two Fallen by myself.”

Hunter grunted. It irked him when Sebastian brought up how
young he was. He knew the other man didn’t mean any harm, but it chafed
regardless. Sebastian and Dominic could never really understand how frustrating
it could be to be caught between two worlds. They belonged to the angelic
world, and no one had ever challenged that.