Authors: Rhiannon Jean
There was no way I would survive a gunshot. I knew I was completely unprotected, and that I more human than angel now that Azael had my wings. But I had to do something to protect Lily. As Azael raised the gun to my heart, Lily ran full speed between us. I heard the gunfire and I shouted her name. I briefly wondered if she hadn’t made it in time, then I felt something hot and wet touch my chest as I caught Lily. Time stood still as I laid her down and wrestled the gun from my father’s hands, turned it on him, and shot him in the temple. It must have been some sort of special gun, as there was no blood spatter or anything. My last thought as I rushed over to check on Lily was “Please don’t take her from me.”
*****
Gabriel
I stared at her lying in the hospital bed. She looked so frail and gaunt. Not her normal, beautiful shade of pale. Her cheeks had lost that rosy glow that I had fallen for the first time I saw her. Listening to the beeps and pulses of the hospital machines, I silently cursed the heavens for putting her in this place. I never should have left her that night. I knew, as soon as I had seen that porcelain angel, that my father was somehow involved.
He had been lurking around for months, undetected because he was in a human form. Now he was finally dead and I couldn’t even rejoice. My Lily had been asleep for three months. Three months of lying by her side, holding her hand, kissing her soft lips, and praying to a God I shouldn’t even believe in after He let this happen. I’d never gotten to show her how much I truly loved her. I didn’t want to scare her off completely. I may have been around for over two years, but had only been with her for a few weeks. She was so fragile after Ryan left. I feared that if I pushed her, she’d crumble under the weight of my love.
I kept thinking about that beautiful day in the woods when I told her what I was and how strong she had been. How open minded and forgiving and loving. And how completely fucking sexy she looked tied to that tree. It had taken so much restraint not to bury myself in her the moment I heard that first moan when I placed the clamp on her large nipple. Oh god, her nipples…they reminded me of Hershey Kisses, perky and sweet and begging to be bitten.
I reveled in the leather of my belt slightly digging into her wrists and how completely helpless she had been. She was at my mercy, bending to my will, and she had loved every minute of it. I shook my head sadly, looking up at her peaceful face once more. The doctor had told me last night that she was brain dead, that there was no hope, and that the machines were keeping her alive. I refused to believe that the universe could be so cruel.
How could someone perform the ultimate sacrifice and end up like this? Was I being punished for killing my father? He had deserved it, and heaven was better off without him. I had prayed and prayed, hoping that someone up there would hear me. But because of what I was, I doubt anyone was listening. Lily’s family had given up on her last month. They had come to say their goodbyes while I begged them not to. They couldn’t take the waiting anymore.
Since then I had begged Lily each day to wake up, to smile at me, to kiss me, to yell at me for invading her thoughts, anything. I pleaded with her while holding her face in my hands, asking her to open her eyes and look at me. I had even yelled at her, trying to get to her have some sort of reaction, any reaction at all. Nothing. Today was the day they were going to turn the machines off. Today was the day I was going to lose her forever. And there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.
I leaned over and kissed her lips once more, sliding my tongue over them softly, memorizing her taste, and breathing heavily as I thought of all the things we would never share or experience. I let the tears fall, finally letting her go.
“Goodbye Kitten, I love you,” I whispered as my tears fell onto her face. I kissed her cheek and went to stand up and suddenly the machines started going crazy. Lil’s eyes shot open and she began struggling against the breathing tube. I screamed for a nurse and grabbed her face, forcing her to look at me.
“Hold on Lily, you have to calm down. You’re making yourself choke on the breathing tube, calm down kitten.” She finally looked up into my eyes and stopped thrashing. Her eyes filled with tears as she recognized me, and I leaned down and began kissing her all over her face. She wrapped her arms around me and held on tightly. I whispered reassurances in her ear, telling her a nurse was coming and that everything was going to be ok.
A nurse and doctor rushed in, checking the machine readouts and her pulse and blood pressure. I stepped away slightly, but refused to let go of her hand. I was so afraid I was dreaming this that I wasn’t about to let go. The nurse and doctor spoke in hushed tones and agreed to remove the breathing tube. Stepping completely out of the way so they could do their thing, I watched Lily like a hawk, checking for any signs that I was going to lose her again. After the tube was out, the nurse gave her a small drink of water. The doctor looked up at me with a look of wonderment.
“It would seem that her vitals are all back to normal,” he said. “She may just make a full recovery. I’d like to keep her here another night or two for observation, but if all goes well, you can take her home soon.”
Rushing back to her side, I grabbed her hand and nodded at the doctor. I was too overcome to speak any coherent words. This could all be a cruel dream, I could be asleep right now, dreaming that she’s made a full recovery. In reality she could still be in a coma and the doctors would be in any minute to pull the plug.
“This isn’t a dream, Gabriel,” Lily said softly. She had turned her head to look at me and a look of confusion flitted across both of our faces.
“I’ll let you two catch up. The nurse will be by in an hour or two to check on her. Please make sure she rests,” the doctor said and he and the nurse stepped out.
“Did you just read my thoughts?” I asked out loud.
“I’m not sure,” she said, “think of something else.” I couldn’t help it, I pictured her up against the tree as I buried myself in her over and over.
She smiled that wicked smile I loved and whispered, “I’d like to do that again soon.” I wrapped my arms around her as best as I could with all the IV’s and wires in the way, trying to hold myself together.
“I thought I’d lost you, kitten. They were pulling the plug today.”
“I was dreaming about you, Gabriel, that you had rescued me from a prison. I had been there for a really long time, but then you found me and took me home and bathed me. That’s when I woke up, after the bath.”
“I honestly have no idea what happened, love. One moment you were lost and the next you were here. I actually started crying, which I’ve never done. I cried on you as I said goodbye.”
“You’re like the Phoenix, Gabriel! You rose from the ashes of your childhood and your tears can heal wounds! You must have shared your power of reading thoughts with me too!” I was speechless. Lily was right. I remembered an incident from my childhood when I had cried over a stray dog that had been hurt. I had held him so he wouldn’t die alone and scared, but then he recovered and stayed by my side until he died of old age. I had thought it was a miracle…turns out it was.
“I know it’s soon Lily, but I love you. I’ve loved you for over two years and I will love you until you no longer walk this earth. Please be mine. I want you, heart, mind, and soul.”
“What about my body, Gabriel?” she asked with a smirk, licking her lips, “don’t you want that too?”
I growled softly as I gently pushed her over and climbed into bed with her. I placed my lips on her throat and bit down, “That’s already mine, kitten.”
She giggled and looked me in the eye, “Gabriel, you shattered my world the moment you stepped into it in that classroom. Everything about my life has changed for the better. I’ve been yours since that first kiss and I always will be.” I nipped her lips and snuggled closer to her, thinking of all the wicked things I wanted to do to her as soon as she was well enough.
“As you wish,” she whispered.
The End
Thank you to the following amazeballs people for your love and support and patience with my crazy journey of writing my first novel:
My Sister – I love you.
My Brother – Thank you for making me laugh.
My Husband – for everything.
My Cats, Dickens, Moe, and Munchkin – for being cats.
My Hoochie Mamas – for absolu-fucking-lutely believing in me no matter what.
My friends and family – for your love and cheering me on.
My Facebook Friends and Family – for liking all my crazy statuses and posts.
All My Fellow Indie Authors, Cover Creators, Bloggers, Editors, Proofreaders, Formatters, Event Planners - for the strength you gave me to keep going.
Debra Anastasia – for your unending love and patience with all my questions and help-seeking at all hours of the night and day, as well as the inspiring and amazing books you’ve written that made me want to put my own stories to pen and paper.
Jasinda Wilder – for your never ending love, patience, and encouragement on this author journey, as well as my health journey.
Finally, to YOU, the reader – for spending your hard earned money on my story, for spending your precious free time on my story, and for loving to read. I heart you.
Hailing from the Midwest, Rhiannon Jean had finally decided to listen to the voices in her head and put their stories on paper. She loves cats, cupcakes, Netflix, tequila, writing, crafting, music, singing too loudly with the car radio, dancing, shoes, tattoos and correcting people's grammar.