“It shouldn’t have happened to you, but you’re still here and so am I. That means that things can still change for the better for both of us. It’s been one hell of a week, Bishop, but I’m so glad I met you.”
He raised his gaze from the ground and our eyes locked. “You are?”
My breath caught. “I’ll admit things are a bit complicated between us now.”
“That’s an understatement.” He frowned. “How did you find me tonight? How did you know what I planned to do?”
I hesitated, trying to figure out how to tell him. “I seem to have developed a new ability. I can see through your eyes sometimes, like I’m in your head.”
His dark brows drew tighter together. “In my head?”
“I can’t seem to control it, and it happens only with you. It was enough to show me where you went tonight—but I don’t know why I can do it.”
“I do,” he said. “You touched my soul when we kissed. It connected us.”
My heart swelled. It made sense, I had to admit. “So we’re soul mates now?” After I said it, heat crawled onto my cheeks. “I mean, you know. You’re an angel and I’m, uh, I’m—”
“Special.” A small smile played at his lips. “Very special.”
As we stared at each other, that connection grew even stronger than before. “You should probably go now.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
I nodded, my gaze moving to his lips. “I’m getting really hungry again.”
“That sounds dangerous.” He didn’t budge, nor did he ask me to clarify if I meant for food.
For the record, I didn’t mean food.
“Definitely dangerous.” I swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry for what happened last night. I’m so sorry I did that to you.”
“Don’t be sorry.” His eyes remained serious. “Believe me, Samantha, that kiss—it was enough to prove something very important to me.”
“What?”
“That I’d do anything to find a way to kiss you again.”
He leaned forward to brush his lips against my forehead.
My heart swelled. It wasn’t a real kiss, but it would have to do.
Before he walked away, I had to ask him one more thing. “Bishop, I know you don’t want to tell me much about what happened when you were human. Not even your name back then, but…I need to know something. Will you answer just one question for me?”
“One question?” he said, holding my gaze.
I nodded.
“Only one question,” he said again. “You promise?”
“I promise.” For now, I thought.
He was quiet for a moment. “Fine. Ask your question.”
“Kraven told me that you’re an angel and he’s a demon because you were willing to do something that he’d never do.” I let out a shaky breath. “What was it?”
Silence fell between us and stretched for so long that I never thought he’d answer me.
“What was I willing to do to become an angel when I’d done more than enough in my life to become a demon instead?” he asked quietly.
My mouth was bone-dry. I just nodded.
His blue eyes flicked to mine and they were now haunted. “I killed my own brother and sent him to Hell. That’s what I did to become an angel.”
I didn’t speak. I didn’t think I could speak. My mind swirled around and around with this new piece of information. I didn’t know what I’d expected him to say, but that was definitely not it.
Stunned, all I could do I was watch him walk away and disappear into the night before I forced myself to finally turn toward my house. My mother stood by the open front door, watching me with a curious expression.
“New guy?” she asked.
I cleared my throat. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to have heard what we were talking about. “Fairly recent.”
“He’s cute. You like him?”
“Yes.”
“A lot?”
A fallen angel. Dangerous as a demon. Once one of the bad guys. Responsible for killing his own brother. “More than I probably should.”
Her face was strained, and I didn’t think it was because of my confusing love life. “It’s been tearing me up about what happened. I should have told you the truth years ago.”
I shook my head. “Now I know. I’m adopted.”
She sniffed and ran a hand under her nose. Her blond hair was down tonight and spread around her shoulders. Instead of her usual business suit, she wore jeans and a sweatshirt. Comfortable, nondesigner clothes for a change. Very unlike her. I approved. “All I can say is I’m so sorry. I know we’ve had our problems lately, but I think we can work through them if we want to. I love you, honey. I have from the very moment I was lucky enough to welcome you into my life. We all go through hard times in order to make us realize what the important things really are. My work’s not important. You’re important. You hear me? And—and I want us to be a real family again, if you’ll allow it.”
She looked exhausted from getting all of that out at once. It made me smile a little. “Have you been rehearsing that speech all night, waiting for me to get home?”
She exhaled shakily. “All day, actually.”
I processed what she’d said. I believed she meant it, every word. “It was a good speech. And I agree. Yeah, we’ve had our share of problems, but…family’s not always about biology, it’s about love and support through good times and bad. You might not have given birth to me, but you’re my mother and I love you, too.”