Saving Her Angel (Archangels)

Duty calls, but desire wins.

Eleanor has loved her boss Cam from afar for years, but now he wants to retire and send her away. Tearing her heart out would have been kinder.

Archangel Camael must never
fall
for a woman. If he does, he’ll lose his angelic powers, and he will age like a human. Protecting humans from evil is paramount and has meant periodically reinventing his identity to avoid rousing suspicion. But as his desire grows for his secretary, Eleanor, duty feels more like a burden, because he can’t imagine starting a new life without her.

He can never fall in love.

A force of evil is wreaking havoc and Cam and his Archangel brothers scramble to determine and thwart the cause. The key lies in Eleanor’s tormenting memories, but if they push her too hard, she might snap. Cam must walk the delicate line between protecting Eleanor, appeasing his brothers, and saving the world.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Missy Jane. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at
www.entangledpublishing.com
.

Covet is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.

Edited by Robin Haseltine

Cover design by Kelly Martin

Cover art from Shutterstock

ISBN 978-1-63375-722-6

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition August 2016

This third book in my Archangel Series is dedicated to my marvelous and tireless editor, Robin Haseltine. Despite my constant tardiness and sometimes confusion, she remained upbeat and supportive throughout the trilogy. Thank you!

Prologue

The Archangel Camael spread his large white wings and gazed out over the vast landscape below him. Animals ran through the woodlands and grazed on the high grasses in the valley. Streams flowed, birds flew, the sun shone brightly, and the wind whispered a slight breeze to perfume the air. All appeared beautiful and glorious to his angelic sight, as close to perfection as it would ever be. So why had the Source of All Creation grown quiet?

He floated down to the ground and stood among his six brothers. Michael, Zerachiel, Raphael, Selaphiel, Uriel, and Gabriel, all deemed brothers because of their station. They were the Archangels of Heaven, the first ones created by the Source. They would do the bidding of Good and Right, and keep order and balance among the newly created humans. So far, things had been…interesting.

Gabriel dropped to his knees and hung his head, the others immediately surrounding him. Gabriel was the Voice, the chosen mouthpiece for the Source. All communication from their creator rang through him, until two days before, when Gabriel had opened his mouth to speak to Michael and no sound had emerged—he had been struck mute. The shared telepathy hadn’t worked, either. Gabriel was locked in silence, unable to communicate with them, and all pleas to the Source had gone unanswered.

Not knowing what else to do, Michael had led his brothers back into the human realm. They weren’t Watchers—the brotherhood of angels tasked with watching over the humans and reporting back to the Source of their activities and progress—and hadn’t been called upon to remain with the humans in their realm. However, they all agreed the Source must be displeased with something they had done…or neglected to do.

Their leader, Michael, pointed. “The woods surround this place, and the animals are plenty. We will build a home and live as men until the Source once again speaks our tasks.”

The others agreed, though there was no questioning Michael in anything. They would follow where he led and do as he bid until the end of time.

Camael helped Gabriel to his feet and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “We are all in this together, brother. You will never walk in your silence alone. You have my vow.”

“And mine,” the others said one by one.

Gabriel nodded, but his eyes couldn’t hide his torment. How long would he have to endure the torture of silence? No one had that answer, so they followed Michael into the woods and made their home.

Chapter One

Modern Day

Eleanor Tinley pushed her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose before snapping her purse shut with a huff. She dropped it onto her empty desk and looked around the nearly bare office. It was done. Four years of hard work and loyalty out the window on the whim of her suddenly flighty boss, and now she was unemployed.

Sure, he had given her a ridiculously generous severance package. If she was careful—and she was always careful—she could live comfortably off her savings for at least a couple of years. He had been insistent about making sure she had more than enough money to coast for a while. It had almost seemed like he was concerned about her, but she remained angry and hurt by the sudden dismissal. The problem was she didn’t
want
to be unemployed. She loved her job. She loved her office and her desk, and she loved— No. She greatly
admired
her boss.

With a sigh of resignation, she dropped into her chair and leaned her elbows on the desk. Cam had been the perfect boss. Sure, he had a few odd quirks, but who didn’t? And his family was a bit eccentric. But she probably should have known it wasn’t meant to last. She had first met him when they had run into each other at the grocery store…literally. And after twenty minutes of conversation he’d hired her on the spot.

Everything had been perfect until two weeks ago, when he’d announced he was retiring. A growl of exasperation escaped as she rolled her eyes. Who in the hell retired at thirty?

As if conjured from her thoughts, the sound of the front door opening reached her ears, and whistling wafted through the foyer. Her pulse sped up as Cam walked in, sorting through a stack of mail. The brown hair that matched his eyes was a little on the shaggy side and covered the tops of his ears. Light stubble graced his jaw and made him look a little dangerous. Annoyance filled her at how much she liked it.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

Surprise lit his face as he stopped midstep and looked up. “I should ask you the same question.”

Wanting to sigh in delight at the sight of his six-two frame in well-worn jeans that fit him like a glove and a T-shirt that might’ve been half a size too small, she fought the urge and frowned. For a marriage counselor who spent most of his days sitting, he kept his body in great shape, just like his brothers. Instead, she let her annoyance fill her tone so he’d know he’d upset her.

“I told you I had to finish packing the office this morning.”

His attention shifted from her to the empty bookshelves and lighter spots on the walls where his diplomas had been. “Oh. Good.” He looked at her again, letting his gaze wander head to foot. “This is the first time I’ve seen you in jeans. You should wear them all the time.”

Heat filled her cheeks, but she pushed away the warmth of his compliment to focus on what he needed to know.

“The movers should be here around two, and the realtor wants to meet you at four.”

“Right.”

Standing, she snatched up her purse. “I’ve already taken home all of my personal things and made sure yours are clearly marked to go to your house.”

“All right.”

“Each box is labeled with ‘Office,’ but there’s a detailed list of the contents laying inside that you should see as soon as you open them. Of course, most of them are books. I boxed them in alphabetical order.”

“Um… Great.”

She stepped around the desk and stopped about three feet from him. “So, I guess I’m done here.”

“Okay. Uh… Thanks for all your hard work.”

They stood there staring at each other as anger boiled in her veins. “That’s it? Thanks for all the hard work?”

He looked around in bewilderment. “Yeah?”

“Oh.” She growled out her frustration and barely restrained the urge to punch him as she stomped toward the front door.

“Hey, Eleanor. What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Dr. Maxwell. Absolutely nothing.”

“Oh, come on,” he said from directly behind her. “You only call me Dr. Maxwell when I’ve pissed you off.”

With her heart in her throat, she swung on her heel to find him a foot away. Closer than usual. For a second it took her breath away. “I can’t believe that’s all you have to say to me after the four years we’ve spent…worked together. I’m so disappointed in you, Cam.”

As angry tears burned the backs of her eyes, she turned away and headed for her car. She absolutely wouldn’t let him know how much he’d gotten to her over the years. Especially now that it was obvious nothing would ever come of it.

“Hey, wait a minute.” Warmth radiated up her arm as he spun her to face him again, but she pulled away and placed both hands on the top of her car. She bowed her head and fought the tears as hard as she could.

“Eleanor, I’m sorry. Really, I am. I know you liked this job, and…I really liked you working for me. But I’m done, you know? It’s over now. I’m sorry.”

Even though she didn’t agree at all, she nodded. It wasn’t okay that he was retiring and closing his office. It wasn’t okay that she wouldn’t see him every weekday or hear his deep voice on the phone. It wasn’t okay at all.

“I-I understand, Cam. I really do. I’m just…going to miss you.”

Strong fingers gently grasped one of her shoulders to turn her around again so she faced him.

“I’m going to miss you, too. You make the best coffee in the world.”

And that pretty much summed it up. She fantasized about this man nearly every night…and he loved how she made coffee.

She sighed deeply before wrapping one arm over his shoulder for a hug. After he patted her back twice, she let go. The confusion on his face would’ve been funny if it didn’t hurt her so badly. This was the story of her love life. She always fell hard while the men…not so much.

Pasting on a smile she didn’t feel was second nature after years of fighting her growing feelings for him. “All right. Well, it’s not like we’ll never see each other again, right?”

“Um… No. Of course not.”

His less than confident tone made her frown, but Huntsville, Texas, wasn’t that large. They had initially met at a neighborhood grocery store, after all. She was hoping to see him around from time to time. Then maybe she’d finally gain the courage to let him know how she really felt.

“Good luck with your move, Cam. Call me if you need anything.”

“All right. Thanks.”

With a nod, she got into her car. When she glanced in her rearview mirror, he was still standing in the driveway, watching her. Pulling her attention away from him, she concentrated on the road home instead of the hole in her heart. Various reasons she could call him in the next few days raced through her mind, and she systematically rejected every one. All of them seemed too eager, and she wasn’t quite ready to admit her desperation to have a different relationship with him. Cam was a rock, a steady presence of strength and goodness that pushed away all the darkness in her life.

With a shake of her head, she resisted the memories of her past that threatened to bring out the tears she was valiantly holding at bay. No good came of remembering her childhood, which is why she had never told Cam anything about it or all that she had run away from. Would it make a difference? Gnawing on her lip, she decided not to worry about it for now. If she did see him again, then, perhaps, she would open up a bit more, but some things would stay buried no matter what happened between them.

…

Camael watched his human secretary drive away and felt nothing but complete confusion. Eleanor’s pain had hit him like a ton of bricks, and it had taken all his will not to grab his chest in empathy. Had this job really meant that damn much to her? Guilt quickly followed for having hurt her at all. She was definitely a special woman, someone who should be cherished and taken care of. Unfortunately, that wasn’t in the cards for him, but he hoped to keep an eye on her and steer the right man her way in the future.

As a twenty-one-year-old college dropout, down on her luck and nearly homeless, she had really needed a steady job when they’d met. Her inner goodness had shone like a beacon, and he’d needed a secretary anyway. Plus, it didn’t hurt that she was so pretty in a girl-next-door kind of way. It had been like divine providence, though because the Source had been silent for centuries, he knew better than to bank on that. He’d hired her on the spot because he’d really needed a human he could trust, and she had needed a reliable job. For four years, it had worked out well for both of them.

The slim brunette had always remained completely professional. Even when he’d told her to dress casually, she insisted on wearing nothing but calf-length skirts and blouses to work. Not that he complained. Her being easy on the eyes certainly made his days brighter. Though he would’ve liked to see her hair down from the usual tight bun just once. Even today she’d had her hair up, but finally she had been in jeans. And they looked damn good on her. He shook his head to clear that image away, since nothing could come of an attraction to her.

Unfortunately, the time of his and his brothers’ transformations had arrived.

Every ten to twelve years they had to change their appearances so the humans around them didn’t notice they weren’t aging. A pain in the ass, but a necessary one. Plus, it had the added benefit of keeping them from growing too attached to their human companions. This way, they knew it was coming well ahead of time and acted accordingly. None of them formed close friendships.

Losing someone every few years really sucked.

The seven Archangels in his clan had each other, however, and that had worked out well for eons. But now three of them were…different.

Zerachiel and Rafael had both
fallen
. They had each found a human woman to replace their brothers’ connections into their souls and would each live out one mortal lifetime with their chosen woman.

But his brother Gabriel was simply lost. After the Source of All Creation had struck him mute many lifetimes ago, Gabriel had disappeared. They couldn’t communicate with him telepathically and couldn’t find him by human means, either. All they knew for certain was he lived with a human woman somewhere in the U.S.

Though Cam was happy for Zerach and Rafe, it hurt not hearing their voices in his mind anymore. Sure he could call them up on the phone, unlike Gabe, but still…they had been together as brothers for thousands of years, and none of them had actually believed they would ever part. The absence left a void in his mind and an ache in his chest that increased when he couldn’t reach them by phone quickly enough.

He sighed and ran his hands over his face before looking around at his neatly organized office. Stacks of perfectly labeled boxes lined the walls of one room, along with the remaining furniture. All the other rooms were completely empty.

Eleanor was amazing at her job and one of the best things that could’ve happened to him. He didn’t relish the thought of hurting her, but there was no way around it. Maybe when he reemerged in his new persona he could hire her again—he just had to figure out his next profession.

The cell phone in his pocket buzzed, and he fished it out to see Rafe’s smiling face on the screen. He answered with a grin.

“Hey, Rafe, what’s up?”

“Today’s the day, right?”

“Yeah, just wrapping things up at the office, and then I’ll be at home for a while. Why?”

The silence was long enough for unease to creep across his shoulders.

“I had a dream,” Rafe finally replied. “It wasn’t a really bad one, but it wasn’t good. I think we need to be looking out for some really evil shit to hit the fan soon.”

“What do you—”

The floor beneath him rolled before he could finish the question. He stumbled around as he tried to keep his footing and not drop the phone. The crash of destruction from outside reached his ears. Someone screamed nearby, and car alarms sounded in chorus all down the street. He staggered to the still-open front door and looked outside at complete chaos.

Trees disappeared before his eyes, and power lines fell. Asphalt cracked, and steam rose as the fissure widened. It ran all along the street as far as he could see. Then the rumbling simply stopped. Warily, he stood waiting for more shaking, but nothing else happened for a full minute.

“Cam! Cam, what happened?”

The sound of Rafe’s concern reached him, and he looked down at the phone still clutched in his hand. “Hey, I’m okay. There was an…earthquake.”

“In Huntsville?”

The skepticism in Rafe’s voice was understandable. Who had ever heard of an earthquake in Southeast Texas, much less Huntsville?

“Yeah. I gotta go. I’ll call you back.”

Rafe hung up, and Cam hurried out to the street. The fissure was no more than six inches wide, but it ran the length of University Avenue. All up and down the street, people were stumbling out of buildings, some with injuries, and he called out to his brother.

Mike, there’s been an earthquake.

I thought I felt something.

Cam squatted down and held his hand over the fissure. Evil and rage hit him like a sledgehammer, and he yanked his hand back and shook it out.

This was no natural occurrence. We need to check this out.

Demon?

Yes, and a fissure of this size could have mid-level demons running through the streets in no time, wreaking havoc.

I’m already above you.

The angels had the ability to hide their presence from humans, something they usually only did when flying in a clear sky.

Mike, Sel, and Uri hovered above him as Cam made his way back into his office. He left the door open and waited for them to appear.

“So, what the hell happened?” Mike asked as he walked in.

Cam crossed his arms and leaned against Eleanor’s desk as his brothers appeared before him. “Although earthquake would be my guess, that fissure out there feels like the pits of hell.”

The other three angels pulled shirts on now that their wings had disappeared. Each of them held a unique tattoo of finely etched wings on his back and could call it forth into an actual pair of wings at will.