Page 70 of Indecent

“Don’t know,” Daniel said. “Somewhere safe.”

Ramiel laughed. “There is no place safe.”

Talon returned. The others were all gone, and he inched closer to the fighting.

“You cannot hide from me forever,” Ramiel said. “Wherever you go on this Earth, I will find you.”

“Yeah, well, good luck,” Talon sneered.

Draego grabbed Talon’s shoulder, and a hand fisted in the back of Daniel’s sweat-damp shirt. And then the world around them faded away.

Chapter 21

Chaol

For just a moment, Chaol feared that he’d been dragged away and left Daniel behind with the angel. As soon as the world reappeared around them, he turned, launching himself at Daniel’s flaming form. Strong arms encircled him briefly, and then Daniel was pulling back to look at him, frantically checking him over.

“Are you okay? I saw your wing. Are you hurt?”

“No, no, it’s healed. What about you? Are you okay?” Chaol cupped Daniel’s face as the flames snuffed out.

He’d never wanted Daniel to know what it felt like for Ramiel to steal his Wrath. Terror had seized his lungs when he saw the red Wrath emerge from Daniel’s chest. It had happened so fast, and Nicolas had been closer, reacting before Chaol could do more than realize he absolutely could not live without Daniel. For a single, solitary moment, he’d seen it. A lifetime without Daniel. Alone once more. Floating through eons with nothing and no one. No. If Daniel was killed, Chaol would let Ramiel take him next. That would be better than going on alone.

Daniel caught one of his searching hands and brought it to his lips for a tender kiss. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Without Daniel’s wild flames, the world around them was dark. That wasn’t right; it was afternoon in Los Angeles.

Chaol reluctantly looked away from Daniel’s handsome, sweat-dappled face. They were on a hillside beside a mediterranean-style stone mansion. Above them, the night sky seemed to stretch on for eternity, speckled with stars. In the distance, Chaol could see a vineyard. Rows of vines stretched across the hillside. They weren’t in California anymore.

“Where the hell are we?” he asked.

Beside them, Talon sighed heavily, flicking a drop of sweat from his brow. “Italy. This place belongs to Alex and me. I bought it in the event that we ever needed to get away from LA for a while. I expected to be getting some distance from the paladins; not running from an unstoppable angel. But either way, here we are.”

The others were spread out around the meticulously landscaped yard and sprawling stone patio, checking each other for injury.

“Is it warded?” Daniel asked.

Talon winced. “Against demons, sure. Luckily, Ramiel can’t track us everywhere. It seems he might need proximity to sense our auras. We won’t be safe forever, but it’ll do for now. We’d need Menadel to ward it against angels. I don’t suppose any of you know how to get in touch with her?”

“She didn’t exactly leave her phone number, did she?” Daniel remarked, hooking an arm around Chaol’s lower back. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

Chaol didn’t think that really mattered. Ramiel had completely ripped off the wall of Julian and Valac’s little farmhouse. He hoped Talon was right about the limits of Ramiel’s power. They really needed a win.

“How long do we think we’ll be safe here?” he asked as Talon led them through the glass patio doors and into the house, flicking on the lights as he went.

Inside, the house was tastefully decorated. Rustic tile covered the floor, and exposed wood beams framed the vaulted ceiling. A fireplace sat on the right wall, darkened for now. Matching, cream-colored furniture decorated the room, and a carved wooden coffee table sat in front of the sofa.

The group fanned out. Most of them sat down somewhere, exhausted and uncertain about their next move. Daniel dragged Chaol over to sit on the stone stoop of the fireplace, resting a hand possessively high on Chaol’s thigh.

“Well, hopefully a while,” Alex said, flopping down on the sofa and leaning his sword against the wall beside it. “Even if Ramiel starts circling the Earth, it’ll take time to find us again.”

“And do we really think he’ll do that?” Nicolas asked, laying down directly on the tile floor and pulling his shirt up so the cool tile was touching his sweaty back.

“Probably not,” Talon said, yawning. He stopped, looking startled. “Fuck, I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired.”

“Same here,” Shadrach added, yanking his tie off and collapsing into an armchair. He dragged Isaac into his lap, pressing his cheek to Isaac’s shoulder and closing his eyes. “So, we’re safe here for at least twenty-four hours, yes? That’s what we’re thinking?”

“I think so,” Talon said. “Ramiel wants demonic Wrath. There are plenty of demons in LA to keep him occupied while we rest up. Maybe he’ll do us a favor and focus on the beasts for a while. Help yourselves to whatever. The house is fully stocked, and there are enough bedrooms for everyone. Alex insisted on it.”