Angel (Made Men 5)

When the force of the rushing wind passed them, he almost thought Matthias had gotten what he wanted, until he realized no pain or suffering had greeted them. Still, he held on to his brother tightly, not letting him go for several minutes while the long train passed.

The look on his brother’s face before he had saved him, a look he hadn’t seen on him for years, finally thinking he had found peace … But Angel had taken it away from him; therefore not saving him after all.

A hand on the back of his shirt pulled Angel off Matthias, and then he was forced to face his father.

Lucifer’s fist met his face with such a force that it sent Angel flying to the ground. Spitting on his fallen body, he then lifted his foot, bringing it down on his neck to choke his son. “You don’t deserve to bear the family name.”

Angel brought his hands to his father’s shoe, trying to release some pressure to breathe.

“Unlike you, Matthias is strong … waiting to jump until the very last second.” He dug his shoe in a little deeper. “You’re my weakest creation yet.”

Choking, he felt his life force begin to leave him.

“I’ll make a man out of you, or you’ll die trying.” Releasing his foot off his neck after digging harder, he spat on him one last time. “Seven days you get in the closet when you make it home.”

Angel breathed heavily, letting the air fill his lungs once again while he lay there on the gravel, watching his brother being helped up by their father before they walked away.

The blood that trickled into his eye blurred his vision as darkness started to sweep him away after losing too much air. It was only right before it claimed him that he heard footsteps come toward him and a pair of blue-green eyes stared down at him when everything … just … disappeared …

Thirty-One

The First Four Stages of Goodbye

Walking outside into the cold air the next day, Adalyn felt sick. Not until the Escalade pulled up and no Angel could be found did she realize her fear had come true.

All night she had been in denial, crying and promising herself that not until he didn’t show the next morning would she believe that Angel had said his final goodbye.

Goodbye, Adalyn.

Now she knew with finality he had.

Before Adalyn’s knuckles could meet the door, it was flung open and Lucca appeared, letting her inside his office.

As he took a seat behind the desk, she decided to stand, too anxious to sit. It had been a week since Angel had told her goodbye and disappeared. Even the hotel room he had stayed in was empty of him.

“Where is he?” she asked, getting right to it. She was angry at herself for asking, but even angrier that he would disappear the way he had without even giving her a chance to speak.

Lucca leaned back in his chair. “I can’t tell you that, Adalyn.”

“Why?” She almost screamed the word, knowing it was wrong to be so angry, but it was inexplicable.

He was silent for a few moments before he told her the truth. “He told me he doesn’t want to see or speak to you.”

When the tears finally fell, they changed her vision. For the first time, she saw the man she had been in love with, with different eyes, realizing she hadn’t actually been in love with him at all. She had been infatuated with him, with the idea of him, of loving the underboss, of loving the boogieman.

How did she finally know that after all this time? Because right up to this moment, she hadn’t felt what it felt like to really, truly love someone.

This time when Lucca spoke, there was a slight tenderness to his voice. “I’m sorry, Adalyn.”

Wiping away her tears, she looked at him, not knowing if he was sorry for Angel disappearing out of her life or for making me fall in love with Angel.

Sitting on her bed, she couldn’t keep from looking out of the corner of her eye at the ring that sat on her nightstand. It had haunted her every day for a month now, as it was the only thing she had left of him. The only thing that let her know it had all been real and not just a dream.

Adalyn picked up the horse shoe ring, twirling it between her fingers. She had hoped, even expected, that he would come back into her life, even for just a moment, to get the ring back. She had been keeping it, planning on using it to bargain with him when he did, but he hadn’t. And that only made the hurt so much worse, considering it was so important to him. It showed her that he would rather she keep it until the end of time than to see her again.