feeling in her stomach only growing. She was utterly horrified and unable to accept what he was saying. Gio…? Lucifer? But…
Andreas walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him slowly. He smiled, and she was stunned as she recognized her love once again.
Just as she had thought: Andreas was Michael. Prince of the Angels, the Valiant, Supreme Commander of the Lord’s Armies. Michael, her eternal love. Only an angel with a power like hers could have stopped the Black Fire of Hell. Only Michael, Pure of Heart, the Protector of the Garden, the Champion of the Light.
She had known Andreas was Michael the instant they had met; but as the months passed and he’d kept away from her, doubt had crept in. They had been separated far too long.…He had left her, and in his absence, Gio had fed her lies and misinformation.
“It is not too late,” Andreas told her. “Thank God you are alive. When I heard he was with you…I feared the worst.”
“Michael,” she breathed. “You are Michael returned to me,” she said as she put a hand on his cheek. She remembered what Gio had said to her that night: I’ve waited for so long ; remembered the way his love had bruised her, how he had coveted her body with a fierce and territorial pleasure. Something had been off.…He was unfamiliar.…Her body had known even though her mind had not.
She had been deceived.…
She had been betrayed.…
“It is all right; you are alive, we are safe. The devil is safe behind the Gates of Hell once more,” Andreas murmured, folding her in his arms.
Tomi felt an ache at the deep familiarity of his embrace. She had been right all along.…She had known.…How could she have doubted him? How could she have let Gio manipulate her love? How could this have happened?
Andreas kissed her face, her hair. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you again.…”
Lost you again.…
And there was the knowledge she could not bring herself to accept. Michael had triumphed over the Dark Prince during the Crisis in Rome. Had won the day, won the battle. But it had come with a price.
Tomi returned Andreas’s kisses, but she could not bring herself to tell him the truth…that the worst had already happened.
That she had bonded with Gio, had said the words, and now…Her hand rested on her belly. What had she done? What have I done?
She had lain with the devil, and conceived a child in deceit.
P ART THE S ECOND
T HE P AST I S
A LWAYS WITH U S
I learned to live half alive…
—Christina Perri, “Jar of Hearts”
T WENTY
Schuyler
ordelia Van Alen had been a connoisseur of the world’s grand hotels, and Schuyler knew she would have approved of the Casa del Mar. The hotel on the edge of the Pacific had a panoramic view of the coastline and the Santa Monica Pier. Oliver had chosen the hotel for its proximity to Los Angeles and its excellent bar. He had booked them separate rooms on the penthouse floor. They were in Schuyler’s room, having gotten into the city via a stopover in New York. The remnants of a late room-service banquet were littered around the living area—silver
platters of shrimp and salad, along with empty green bottles of sparkling water.
“You only live once.” Oliver smiled and admired the view.
“Not if you’re a vampire,” Schuyler reminded him.
“Point taken,” he agreed. “Now, shall we have a dip in the pool and enjoy the scenery, or should we get right to work?”
“I’m a little too anxious for relaxation right now. If my dad is alive, I want to see him as soon as I can. Let’s get started,” she said.
“Excellent.” Oliver got out his laptop and started searching. “Let’s see…the Bendix Corp Web site doesn’t have much information on its board of directors or officers, so that’s not going to do it. Checking for Stephen Chase in LA, but there’s only about a million listings.…This is going to be tough.”
“Look up Bendix, or Ben Chase—I don’t think
Andreas walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him slowly. He smiled, and she was stunned as she recognized her love once again.
Just as she had thought: Andreas was Michael. Prince of the Angels, the Valiant, Supreme Commander of the Lord’s Armies. Michael, her eternal love. Only an angel with a power like hers could have stopped the Black Fire of Hell. Only Michael, Pure of Heart, the Protector of the Garden, the Champion of the Light.
She had known Andreas was Michael the instant they had met; but as the months passed and he’d kept away from her, doubt had crept in. They had been separated far too long.…He had left her, and in his absence, Gio had fed her lies and misinformation.
“It is not too late,” Andreas told her. “Thank God you are alive. When I heard he was with you…I feared the worst.”
“Michael,” she breathed. “You are Michael returned to me,” she said as she put a hand on his cheek. She remembered what Gio had said to her that night: I’ve waited for so long ; remembered the way his love had bruised her, how he had coveted her body with a fierce and territorial pleasure. Something had been off.…He was unfamiliar.…Her body had known even though her mind had not.
She had been deceived.…
She had been betrayed.…
“It is all right; you are alive, we are safe. The devil is safe behind the Gates of Hell once more,” Andreas murmured, folding her in his arms.
Tomi felt an ache at the deep familiarity of his embrace. She had been right all along.…She had known.…How could she have doubted him? How could she have let Gio manipulate her love? How could this have happened?
Andreas kissed her face, her hair. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you again.…”
Lost you again.…
And there was the knowledge she could not bring herself to accept. Michael had triumphed over the Dark Prince during the Crisis in Rome. Had won the day, won the battle. But it had come with a price.
Tomi returned Andreas’s kisses, but she could not bring herself to tell him the truth…that the worst had already happened.
That she had bonded with Gio, had said the words, and now…Her hand rested on her belly. What had she done? What have I done?
She had lain with the devil, and conceived a child in deceit.
P ART THE S ECOND
T HE P AST I S
A LWAYS WITH U S
I learned to live half alive…
—Christina Perri, “Jar of Hearts”
T WENTY
Schuyler
ordelia Van Alen had been a connoisseur of the world’s grand hotels, and Schuyler knew she would have approved of the Casa del Mar. The hotel on the edge of the Pacific had a panoramic view of the coastline and the Santa Monica Pier. Oliver had chosen the hotel for its proximity to Los Angeles and its excellent bar. He had booked them separate rooms on the penthouse floor. They were in Schuyler’s room, having gotten into the city via a stopover in New York. The remnants of a late room-service banquet were littered around the living area—silver
platters of shrimp and salad, along with empty green bottles of sparkling water.
“You only live once.” Oliver smiled and admired the view.
“Not if you’re a vampire,” Schuyler reminded him.
“Point taken,” he agreed. “Now, shall we have a dip in the pool and enjoy the scenery, or should we get right to work?”
“I’m a little too anxious for relaxation right now. If my dad is alive, I want to see him as soon as I can. Let’s get started,” she said.
“Excellent.” Oliver got out his laptop and started searching. “Let’s see…the Bendix Corp Web site doesn’t have much information on its board of directors or officers, so that’s not going to do it. Checking for Stephen Chase in LA, but there’s only about a million listings.…This is going to be tough.”
“Look up Bendix, or Ben Chase—I don’t think
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