Redemption (10 page)

“You both ready? The jet is fueled and ready to go.”

Her defenses rested as she threw her arms around Sam’s broad shoulders. “Did I miss something?”

“No, just a lot of memories in here,” Becca replied, as she released him from her embrace and moved to gather the things she wanted, as Sam noticed a visibly shaken Ian.

“Becca and I just need to get our gear from my place then we’ll be ready to go.”

“I’ll get my things and meet you at the plane. I have the driver waiting.”

“You’re coming with us?”

Sam brought Becca back into his protective arms. “I know I can’t tell you where she is, but there’s nothing against me tagging along while you find her. Plus, I just got you back,” Sam responded, as he kissed her forehead. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”

“You sure? I have a feeling January can be brutal in Iceland.” Becca pulled away from him, letting her fingers slip through his.

“I think I can handle a little cold weather.”

Sam wrapped his arm around Becca’s waist as they exited the vault. Ian picked up a few more things before Sam keyed in the same twenty digits and closed the vault. They walked away from the vault as Abe stepped away from the shadows.

“Looks like I’ll be making a trip to Iceland.” Abe straightened his coat and tie before disappearing into nothingness.

“You know you don’t work here, right?” Renee said, as she came around the bar to where Lily was wiping it down.

“I’m just trying to help.” She put the rag down and turned to face Renee.

“I know.” Renee wrapped her arms around Lily. “I’m fine, for now anyway.” Renee pulled back, her arms still around Lily. “You go. Find that gorgeous brother of yours and have some family bonding time.”

“Peter, right. He’ll be working on something, I’m sure. I’ll catch up with him eventually.”

“Did he ever tell you when he was going to leave you that surprise?”

Lily shook her head. “No, not yet.”

Lily trusted Peter, implicitly. She just didn’t know what he was up to. If anyone could bring Ryan back to her, it would be Peter. But, why the note? Why the candle? Why not just find her and take her in his arms?

Lily picked up her coat and slipped it over her shoulders, before grabbing the stocking cap from her pocket. She shoved it on her head and whipped her crimson scarf around her neck. “I’ll check on you later.”

“Thanks for today. I don’t know how I would have made it through the funeral without you.”

Lily took Renee’s hand. “Call me, really. If you need anything.”

“I will.”

With that, Lily headed for the door and into her awaiting Jeep.

Thoughts of Ryan were consuming her on the drive. She felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin. She needed to run, far and fast. The daylight was wavering on the horizon, but she couldn’t stand the feeling anymore – she had to get out. She parked the Jeep at the edge of her usual hunting ground and stepped out into the fading light, almost every inch of her covered in fabric.

She took off at full speed into the forest. Her clothes were restraining. She wanted the feel of the wind on her face, it ripping through every strand of her chestnut locks. She tore the stocking cap from her head and the crimson scarf flew from her neck in one swift motion. She could feel her skin come to life in the soft sunlight. A golden glow streaking through the trees.

She ran until she reached a clearing next to the frozen riverbank. She sat at the edge, slightly exhausted, her lungs taking in each unnecessary breath. Her face illuminated in a golden glow of the waning sunlight, now only inches above the horizon.

She heard a sound from behind her at the edge of the tree line. She almost turned to see what was intruding on the perfect sunset, when the amazing scent of Patchouli hit her nostrils. If she had a heartbeat, that would have been the moment it would have started racing.

The anticipation had been torture for him. He couldn’t stand to be away from her for a second longer. After watching her for only a day, he had fallen in love with her all over again. He had no idea what to say or what to do, he just had to have her and let her know he was still hers, forever.

He was only steps behind her. He knew she had heard him approaching, but she didn’t turn to face him. Her head just dipped down to her side then back to straight in front of her. He crouched down behind her, knowing she was waiting for him to touch her.

“Wait, please?” she asked. The glorious pitch of those words resonated throughout his entire being.

“Forever, my sweet.”

Her breathing became heavy and uneven as a million different possibilities for that moment came flooding through her mind. She wanted to turn and take him in her arms, never letting go. She had no idea how or why Ryan was finally there at that moment, she couldn’t care though. She just needed her husband’s arms around her after over a century.

His hand made its way to her shoulder and trailed down her arm to her hand, his warm fingers laced through her icy cold ones. She brought them to her lips and took in a deep breath.

“I would recognize that scent anywhere. I haven’t smelled anyone quite like it in over a hundred years.” She closed her eyes as she brought his hand to her chest.

He sat down behind her, his legs stretched out on either side. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her back into him. He rested his head on her shoulder, his lips dangerously close to her ear.

“I knew you remembered.”

She shuddered at the feeling his hot breath made across her skin that flowed down to her core. She could instantly feel her temperature rising as she felt his soft kiss on the hollow just below her ear.

“Turn around, please.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I’m so afraid it’s all a dream. I’ve wished for this moment for so long, I just can’t believe it’s real.”

He brought the back of his hand to caress her cheek. “Does this feel real?”

She dipped her cheek into his palm as her eyes softly shut. “Yes.”

“Can you feel my lips here?” He placed another kiss at the base of her neck then pulled her clothes away from her skin, trailing kisses across her collarbone.

“Yes,” she moaned.

“I’m real. I’m here. I’m not sure for how long, but I can’t wait a minute longer.”

He scooted back slightly as she slowly turned to face him, raising her slender fingers to his slightly stubbly cheek. She ran her thumb across the creases next to his eye as a tear escaped. She could hear his heart beating wildly in his chest, his pulse thumping through his veins.

“Not exactly how I left you, am I?”

She smiled at his words. “I think it was I that did the leaving, not that I ever intended to.”

“I know. I know,” he whispered, as he kissed her forehead. “Peter explained everything.”

“Of course he did.”

“I don’t know how long I have.”

She put her finger to his lips. “I don’t want to think about that now. I just need this.” She brought her lips to his. Slowly caressing each others in unison, his tongue aching for entrance. She swallowed back the venom that was pooling at the back of her throat and let his tongue pass her lips. Their kiss became more passionate as she pulled him to her. Her fingers a mess through his silky, onyx strands, his hand pressing the small of her back into him.

He brought himself back, hoping for just a second, but her hands pressed back at his shoulders. “I need to take you home with me.”

“Not a problem.” He pressed another soft kiss to her lips. His arms surrounded her, holding on tight. In a small flash of light, they disappeared.

The pair of eyes that had been watching each second from the tree line closed. He took a deep breath and let the cold air wash over him. He felt the ache throughout his body. He knew he needed her and he would find a way to bring her back to him.

Ian had been sleeping on the couch in the jet’s cabin for about an hour. Sam seemed to think it was a safe time to talk to Becca about what the hell was going on.

He walked from the galley to sit in the empty seat across from her.

“He looks comfortable.”

Becca looked up from the book she was reading to admire a sleeping Ian, again.

“Yep.”

“What do I need to know about the two of you?” Sam raised an eyebrow as Becca tried to innocently look into his eyes. Sam wasn’t buying it.

“It’s nothing; he was just helping me with Abe. It just… wasn’t something I was ready to face alone.”

“Abe tried to explain what happened. Why didn’t you tell me?”

She closed her book and tossed it aside with a sigh. “The Bureau wanted to keep it quiet. With all the otherworldly indications, they were afraid for public safety.”

“You must know, he feels horrible.”

“I’m sure he does, but it doesn’t matter anymore. No matter how hard I try to imagine the way I loved Abe, I can’t stop seeing him burn and beat me. I can’t forget him raping me.” She let a tear escape, but brushed it away quickly.

“So, you just throw yourself into an impossible situation?” Sam looked over to Ian.

“I’m helping Lily. She loves him and he obviously loves her. I want her to be happy for once.”

“You know how much I care for both you and Lily, but it hurts me to see you doing this.”

“Doing what?” She knew what he was getting at, but didn’t want to admit it to herself.

“Falling for a man that is more than a little off limits. Is that how you’re going to keep yourself safe? Loving a man you know you can never have?”

She shook her head, suddenly feeling a little disgusted with herself. “I can’t help it. You think I want to feel this way? Do you know how badly I wish I could just forget those last weeks with Abe? We would’ve been married and had little part human babies by now!”

“Nephilim.”

“What?”

“A child born of a human and an angel is called a Nephilim.”

“Well, we’d have Nephilim babies then. Playing in a huge yard, going for long walks along the lake shore, teaching them how to ride bikes…being able to be in Abe’s arms without that fear.”

“You can be.” Sam took Becca’s hand from her lap and brought it to his lips. “If I have to, I can find a way to make those memories disappear.”

“No, you can’t do that. We have to catch him first. Gideon is still out there. He got to Abe which anyone else would have thought impossible.” Her hand was shaking in his. She would want nothing more than to be rid of those memories, but until Gideon was erased from the universe, those memories would have to stay right where they were.

“Alright, I’ll let it go for now. But when we get back, I’m kicking the search for Gideon into gear. I won’t rest until he’s paid for what he’s done; to both of you.” Sam let Becca’s hands go as he cleared his throat.

Becca noticed Sam shift uncomfortably in his seat. She could tell he was nervous, and Sam was
never
nervous.

“And…?” She knew there was more and even with the most painful memories of her life brimming on the surface, she needed to know.

“How much do you really know about Gideon?” Sam questioned as he sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees as his hands clasped together.

“I know he’s a demon with the power of foresight and possession. I know he gets off on suffering. What else is there to know?”

Sam wiped his hand across his jaw before bringing his direct attention to Becca and what he had to tell her.

“Gideon has been around for eons, or so I’m told. It wasn’t until someone very close to me died that we truly knew the effects his possession had on the human body.” Becca raised her eyebrows in question. “Prolonged possession causes permanent changes in the brain, tumors mostly.”

His words hit her chest like a wild tornado. Her insides began to shred and shudder as she braved to ask. “My mother?”

“Yes.” Sam grabbed Becca’s shaking hands and held them in his own once again. “He was very good at what he did. No one had a clue until it was too late. Your mother came to my office one morning pretty much hysterical. She had gotten you off to school and started into work when she heard the date on the radio – she lost three months. She had no memory of anything that happened during that time. I immediately got her to our physicians and they did a full body MRI, but the tumor they found was far too advanced. I called in fellow healers and shamans from the ends of the earth, but there wasn’t anything to be done. That’s when she made Lily and I promise to watch out for you, to protect you from Gideon. We both failed.”

Sam’s head fell, his chin hitting his chest.

“He’s very powerful, and I know that when he really wants something, he’s going to get it. What scares me the most is that now I know he is far from done with me.” Becca replied, wiping a traitorous tear from her cheek.

“I’ve spent so many years researching, and I finally know how to kill him. Now I just have to find him.”

“You know how?” Becca sniffled, while meeting her eyes with his.

Sam’s attention was drawn away from Becca as Ian started to wake.

“Please tell me I’ve been asleep for ten hours and we’re almost there,” Ian yawned, as he stretched his arms above his head.

“Sorry, sleepy head. I think we’re still somewhere over the Atlantic.” Becca quickly brought her hand to wipe across her face making sure she’d gotten rid of every tear.

Ian got up and decided to take the seat next to Becca. “Do we have any sort of plan once we get there?”

“I’ve narrowed it down to a little town not far from Reykjavik.” Becca pulled out a file from her bag as Sam smiled. “I have a feeling we are on the right track” she said, taking Sam’s smile for confirmation as she pulled out the photo of the cottage she knew Lily was making her home.