Page 89 of Guardian Angel
“How is that a problem? You love him, don’t you?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Yeah. I love him, but trust me, he’s better off without me.”
“Sam wants to talk to you,” Kylie said.
“I don’t want—”
“I don’t really care what you want,” Samuel said. “I need you to listen to me, Sierra. Nate is on his—”
The phone slipped from my hand and clattered to the ground as someone bumped into me from behind.
I crouched to pick up the phone, but a hand beat me to it.
I glanced up to see a young man dressed in dark jeans and a button-up. His shoulder-length blond hair was pulled back in a man bun. He was cute and looked exactly like the last time I saw him, only this time he didn’t have reflective sunglasses covering his eyes.
He tapped the screen to end the call and pocketed my phone.
When he looked up, his eyes met mine and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was a demon. Under the bright lights of the airport, his eyes didn’t glow, but they were still off—the pupils too vertical, the irises a bit too golden in color. A feeling of dread slid down my spine as I stared into his eyes.
Out of habit, I reached for the iron stake I kept strapped to my thigh at all times, but it wasn’t there. I’d left it behind, knowing I’d never get through airport security with it on me.
His lips twisted up in a mockery of a smile. I took a step back and glanced around the airport, searching for some kind of escape or help. Everyone seemed preoccupied. No one noticed our interaction, and I wondered if he had some way of shielding us from view. I didn’t know that much about demon abilities. Without Nate, I didn’t know how powerful this man was. Then again, did it really matter? He was a demon and I was a human who didn’t have any weapons with me. I didn’t have a chance even if he was the lowest-ranking demon in all of Hell.
“Nice to see you again, Sierra,” he said, reaching for me.
I attempted to dart back, but he was too fast. A hand closed over my neck, thumb digging into my windpipe and cutting off my air.
The demon pulled me close, his free arm wrapping around me and pinning my arms to my sides. From the outside, it probably looked like we were hugging. He held me to his body tightly, shoving one knee between my legs and pinning my foot under his boot.
I squirmed, but I was trapped and my movements were growing more weak and sluggish by the second.
This was it. I was going to die here. I’d never get the chance to say goodbye to Nate, to tell him I loved him. Oh God—I told him that I hated him last time we spoke.
“Good night,” the demon whispered in a dark voice that sent a fresh shudder through my body.
And then there was nothing but blackness.
Twenty-Seven
Nathaniel
Driving wasa torture like no other. There was nothing but open road in front of me and endless hours to think.
I hated not being able to do anything. It made me want to crawl out of my skin. I clutched the steering wheel and prayed.Please let her be okay. Watch over her. You can do whatever You want to me, anything at all, just keep her safe.I would bargain with anything and everything I had to offer, give up whatever was asked of me.
But it didn’t matter that I was willing to die or burn for her. Not while I was hundreds of miles away from her.
She’d gotten so far away so fast. The bond stretched, making me feel empty and lost.
It was strange how I’d barely noticed the bond over the past couple of months, but I noticed its absence now, the way it felt smaller and fainter.
I wasn’t supposed to be this far away from her ever. Every instinct screamed at me to get closer.
The sound of my phone ringing through Samuel’s car yanked me back to reality. I poked at the touch screen, trying to get the damn ringing to stop.
“What?” I’d only been driving for about an hour. I wasn’t even out of Massachusetts yet.
“She’s in Virginia,” Samuel answered. “I don’t know how long she’ll be there. Kylie and I are on our way to the airport now. We’ll try to follow her, but I’m not optimistic. Keep heading to Georgia. I’ll call you if we get to her.”