Hell's Angel (5 page)

going on? One minute he was gentle and loving, and the next, as soon as he’d

discovered he’d taken her virginity, he was acting like she had the plague. As she

stared at him in mute fascination, silence fel like a death sentence.

Feeling suddenly very naked and exposed, Kaylea climbed from the bed and

scurried around the room in search of her clothes. She hastily pul ed on her jeans and

blouse then turned her attention to Brand. Dark tortured eyes met hers and practical y

weakened her knees.

“What’s going on?” she demanded, despite the knot in her stomach tel ing her

she’d rather not know.

“Kaylea…” Brand reached for her. A careful y placed hand on her shoulder had her

inching closer in search of his heat. “Kaylea, I’m so fucking sorry. I got carried away. I

never meant for any of this to happen.” Thick fingers tightened on her shoulder; his

head dropped. “I never meant to be so goddamn greedy that I couldn’t control myself

or my actions.”

He wasn’t making any sense. “Brand, please. What are you talking about? Never

meant for any of what to happen?”

His chest rose and fel as he drew in a sharp breath. “I never meant to seduce

you.”

“Brand, I was the one who seduced you.” She jabbed her finger into his chest to

drive home the point. “I was the one who chased you into the lounge, and tired to

entice you into my bed. In fact, it was you who seemed reluctant in the elevator, and it

was me who pushed. Not the other way around. I wanted you to be the man to take my

virginity, and I don’t regret a second of it.”

Everything in his eyes softened when they met hers. For one long drawn-out

moment he just stared into the depth of her eyes. Pain etched his featured and his

breathing deepened. He swal owed hard then broke the quiet. In a low, barely there

voice, he said, “You’re about to.”

She was completely confused here. “What does that mean?”

“It means I’m not who you think I am.” He opened his arms and showcased his

body.

Kaylea’s skin prickled as her eyes raced over his flesh and she looked at him,

real y looked at him. Faded scars and rope burns marred his skin—deep, purple

blemishes that had been inflicted many, many ages ago. Her stomach plummeted.

“I was sent here by Lucifer, to find you and…” His words fel off as though he was

unable to finish the sentence.

Her pulse skyrocketed. Oh God, how could this be happening? Why hadn’t she

noticed the lacerations earlier? Had she been too far gone in a haze of lust to

recognize those familiar scars?

“I wanted stop, Kaylea. I tried to stop, but then I don’t know what happened, it was

like I was being control ed by another force, and couldn’t remember anything. And for

some inexplicable reason I needed you more than I needed my next breath. I’m so

sorry. I’m so goddamn sorry.”

She slowly backed away from him.

He raked his fingers through his hair and shook his head. “Kaylea, do you

understand what this means?”

Her head bobbed slowly. She, of al people, knew the repercussions of sleeping

with the devil’s henchman.

She felt her face pale like cream. “It’s too late for sorry, Brand.” Her voice was as

shaky as her legs. “It’s too late for anything.”

He reached for her and she flinched away. “We need to figure this out. We need to

stop this from happening.”

“Not we. Me. You’ve done enough as it is.”

“Kaylea, wait.”

Spinning around, Kaylea bolted out the door. She bypassed the elevator and ran

into the stairwel . She rushed to the main lobby, taking the carpeted steps two at a

time. She bit back the prick of tears as her mind raced. Oh Jesus, what had she gone

and gotten herself into?

How could she have been so easily drawn in by the devil’s henchman? Then

another thought suddenly struck her and her steps slowed. Brand had tired to pul

back, but she was the one that had real y forced the issue. Could he simply have been

playing her? Making her beg for it out of sheer amusement?

Or, like her, had he been too far gone in a haze of lust to control the situation.

Could they have stopped even if they wanted to? Was there a greater force at work

here?

Kaylea reached the lobby, pushed through the stairwel doors and ran outside.

Early morning was upon her as she hurried down the sidewalk to Halo, knowing it

wasn’t open yet, but her parents would be inside preparing for the day.

Breathing hard, she rushed in the front door. Her parents took one look at her,

stopped what they were doing and guided her to a chair.

“Kaylea, what is it?” Gage asked, his eyes assessing her.

“I made a mistake. A big mistake.”

“What kind of mistake,” her mother questioned, putting a placating hand on her

shoulder as she dropped into the chair beside her.

“I slept with the devil’s henchman.”

Her parents exchanged a knowing look.

Kaylea’s brain raced. Why weren’t they panicking? Why were they so calm?

“What?” Kaylea asked, surprised by their reaction.

“Was his name Brand?” Gage asked.

Flustered and confused, Kaylea stiffened in her seat. “How do you know Brand?”

“Because we go way back,” a deep tortured voice sounded at the door and pul ed

her focus.

Kaylea spun around to see Brand standing just inside the archway. His mere

presence made her breathless. Despite everything that had just happened between

them, the sight of him had her heart pounding, and her body longing, needing.

Her father stood to his ful height. Although he’d greyed, and aged thirty years

since he’d escaped Hel , his stature stil commanded the room. “Brand,” he said

cautiously. “It’s good to see you.”

In a combative action, Brand widened his stance, his thick muscles shifted. He

cocked his head, dubious. “Is it?” Pain and darkness flashed in Brand’s eyes, his jaw

clenched.

Gage took an easy step forward. With his strides determined, Brand matched him

with a step of his own.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” Jadyn whispered in a soft voice meant to soothe as

she stepped up beside Gage and held her hand out to Brand.

Brand’s gaze shot to Jadyn’s, a perplexed look on his face. “Waiting for me?”

Brand’s glance went from Jadyn, to Kaylea, to Gage. He pinned him with a glare.

“What do you mean you were waiting for me?”

“Brand—” Gage began, but Brand cut him off.

His eyes turned dangerous and intense, his fingers fisted at his sides and he

growled, “You escaped, and left me behind to rot in Hel .”

Gage softened his voice. “It wasn’t like that, Brand.” He gathered Jadyn into his

arms. “We both sacrificed ourselves to save each other, and before we knew what

was happening we were both pul ed from Hel . If I could have taken you with me, I

would have. You need to believe that.” A short pause and then, “I love you, my friend.”

Brand lowered his head and swal owed. Kaylea could almost hear his mind

racing, sorting and compartmentalizing, struggling to unlock the truth. As she studied

him, understanding dawned in smal increments. He was the man, the one her mother

had told her about. The one man who’d sacrificed himself to save them, which made

her care about him so much more.

An invisible band tightened around her heart as she watched a barrage of

emotions play over Brand’s face. He looked so lost, so forlorn, and every ounce of

anger she held dissolved in a flash.

After a long moment of silence his fingers loosened and he scoffed. “I wanted to

believe that, in fact, I did believe that at first, but Hel , and years of torture, have a way

of distorting a guy’s views.”

“I understand, Brand. Believe me, I understand,” Gage offered, cursing Lucifer

under his breath. “I knew he’d do this to you, but I also know that if you dig deep, you’l

get past the lies and discover the truth.”

Kaylea took in the tension of Brand’s posture and the paleness in his face as he

battled his way out of the fog. After taking a moment to reflect on everything that had

happened, Brand let out a heavy sigh and met Gage’s glance. “You said you’ve been

waiting for me?”

Gage visibly relaxed, and touched Brands arm. “Yes, we’ve been waiting for you,

Brand.”

Brand relaxed into Gage’s touch and Kaylea could feel his anger softening as the

truth warmed his darkest corners. She let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she

was holding.

“How?” Brand furrowed his brow, confused. “How did you know I’d come?”

Her father opened his hand and gestured toward Kaylea. “Because of Kaylea.

She was born of goodness and purity and I always suspected she was the key to

drawing you from Hel and freeing your soul. Now that you’re here, my suspicions are

confirmed.”

Kaylea’s pulse leapt. Brand was the one meant for her. He was her destiny.

A low tortured groan sounded in his throat. In a voice that was regretful and sad,

he said, “It’s too late for that Gage. I marked her.”

The dark grieving look in Brand’s eyes twisted Kaylea’s heart and pul ed her from

her seat. Everything inside her reached out to him as she climbed from her chair and

walked over to Brand. When she moved in close, until only inches remained between

their bodies, he let out an anguished breath and hauled her into his arms. His warm,

familiar scent curled around her and fil ed her with solace. “Kaylea, oh God, Kaylea

what have I done to you?” His voice was merely a strangled whisper.

After a long moment, Brand turned to Gage, his breathing labored, erratic. In a

tone that was almost frantic, he barked out, “What do we do to fix this? What do we do

to save Kaylea?”

Gage shook his head, worry lines creasing his forehead. “We don’t have al the

answers, Brand. We’re as much in the dark here as you are.”

Kaylea looked at Brand’s hands, which for a brief moment appeared almost

translucent. Her legs weakened beneath her. “What is it?” she asked, taking his

hands into hers for a closer examination.

“I only have forty-eight hours on Earth. My body wil continue to weaken until I’m

gone. If we don’t figure this out by midnight, I’l be back in Hel and you’l fol ow upon

your death.”

Kaylea’s mind raced, searching for a solution and finding none. “The library,” she

blurted out, fighting down her own panic. “We need to do research.” She locked her

fingers through Brand’s and tugged.

Jadyn touched Kaylea’s arm, her panic apparent in her expression. “Your father

and I wil seek answers at the church. And we’l pray.”

Less than twenty minutes later, Kaylea inserted her key into the lock and ushered

Brand into the closed library, where the two immediately went to work, pouring through

years and years of research books.

Soon the library opened and patrons poured inside, but Kaylea and Brand

remained oblivious to the hustle and bustle around them. Hours later, after nightfal ,

the old building had final y cleared out save for Kaylea and Brand, who were stil in the

back room flipping through pages.

Dizzy and tired, Kaylea stopped to pinch her eyes. She pushed her chair back

from the long table, and stretched out her stiff limbs. She angled her head to see

Brand. He had a stack of open books in front of him, and another stack at his feet.

Exhaustion lines bracketed his eyes, and his dark hair fel forward as he read the

passages.

Her voice broke his concentration and he glanced up at her. “Al these books talk

of a child being the key, but I am that child. I am that key. Aren’t I?” She shook her

head in confusion. His hand crept across the table and grabbed hers. “What other

child could they be talking about? I don’t understand it, Brand. I drew you from Hel but

I don’t know how to break Lucifer’s mark and keep you here.”

She let out a slow breath and for a moment her eyes slipped shut. Cripes, they’d

been pouring through books for hours and had yet to find any solid answers. Kaylea

shook her head wearily, suspecting they were fighting a losing battle.

Brand slipped his arm around her. He pul ed her in close and she inhaled his

warm scent as she melted against him. Scooping her into his arms, he carried her to

the staff room sofa and gently laid her out. “You need to rest, Kaylea. I’l keep

searching.” His voice was a low strained whisper. She made a move to protest, but

the intensity in his gaze stopped her. Taking her by surprise, his lips closed down on

hers. A shiver wracked her body and his kiss left her yearning for so much more.

Her heart pounded erratical y and she gripped his shirt when he made a move to

leave her. “Don’t leave me.” She inched back, released his lips and whispered into

his mouth, “We don’t have the answers, Brand. They’re not here, not in any of these