Angel (Fallen Angel, #3)(12)

“Mom…”

“What?”

“Just call him Viper.”

She gave me a cheeky smile and winked. “Noted.”





Eight





Viper





THE NEXT AFTERNOON, as I sat on one of the leather couches in Killian’s spacious living room, I tried to bank the impulse to check my phone for the millionth time as we waited for the last two members of the band to arrive—Jagger and Halo.

It was no surprise to any of us that Jagger was running late, but the angel? He was another story. He’d left my place early to try to miss the crush of reporters we’d known would descend the minute this story leaked, but he was out of luck. By nine o’clock there’d been a crowd surrounding the front entrance of my condo’s building, and once I’d gotten him safely in the car, Halo had shot me a text—Thanks for the escort. I’ll see you this afternoon at Kill’s—and that was the last I’d heard from him, which was starting to make me antsy.

Halo was never late. In fact, one thing I’d come to learn about the angel was that he either arrived early or on time, and his absence in the room had me getting to my feet and crossing to the windows for something to do with myself.

Last night had been as surprising as it had been incredible, and despite Halo’s brave words about him telling his parents about the two of us, I knew how difficult that conversation could be. Especially when you’d never planned on having it in the first place.

I brought my phone out again to see the couple of texts I’d shot Halo’s way throughout the day. Did you make it there okay? How’d it go with your parents? And then my final one, which I still couldn’t believe I’d actually written. I miss you. I shook my head. They’d all gone unanswered, and I hated the sliver of doubt that crept in at the sudden shutdown in communication. I’d just gotten Halo back after four days of radio silence, and not having him close enough to touch, or talk to, or even text, was apparently turning me into a fucking head case.

“V?” Killian said from behind me, and I gladly shoved aside my crazy to turn and face the couches, where Slade sat with the latest Rolling Stone, and Killian was watching me through narrowed eyes. “You okay over there?”

I nodded as I made my way to the couch I’d vacated, but before I took a seat, I looked toward his front door. Maybe I could head outside for a smoke and wait for Halo downstairs.

“You sure?” Killian said as he propped one of his ankles up on his knee. “You haven’t sat still since you got here.”

“I’m fine. Just got a lot of energy today, that’s all.”

Slade snorted as he lowered the magazine to his lap. “Funny, I would’ve thought you and the angel would’ve had trouble walking today.”

I shot Slade the finger as Killian let out a low, rumbling laugh and his front door opened. My head jerked up and my eyes immediately flew to the doorway, searching out Halo, but when Jagger stepped inside and waved, I frowned.

“Wow, that’s such a warm welcome, V,” Jagger said as he walked over and clapped me on the arm. “It’s good to see you too, man.”

As Jagger moved around me to take a seat, Killian grinned. “Aw, don’t be too hard on him, Jagger. I think he’s still coming to terms with the fact that—”

“He’s in looove,” Slade said, which had all three of them cracking up like a bunch of fucking morons.

“Yeah. Okay, okay. Laugh it up, assholes,” I said as I ran a hand through my hair.

“Mhmm. He’s been standing at the window pining for his… Wait, what do you call someone you date exclusively and love, again? I can’t remember,” Killian said as he stroked his fingers over his chin. Then he snapped his fingers and aimed a shit-eating grin my way. “Oh, that’s right. His boyfriend.”

“You can all go suck a dick,” I said, as I rolled my eyes.

“Just not Halo’s, right?” Killian said, which earned a fuck you glare from me.

“Speaking of Halo,” Jagger said, his eyes doing a quick sweep of the place. “Where is he?”

When three pairs of eyes landed on me, I shrugged and slipped my hands into my pockets. I wasn’t about to cop that he’d gone to his parents’ house to tell them about me. A. It wasn’t my place, and B. I’d never hear the fucking end of it. “He had something he had to take care of this morning.”

Jagger chuckled. “His poor, abused body? Come on, V. You knew we all had to get together today. Couldn’t you have taken it easy on the guy?”

I was about to tell Jagger to go fuck himself when Killian’s door once again opened and Halo finally stepped inside. With a smile on his generous mouth, he waved at the guys as he shut the door behind him, and when his gaze finally connected with mine, that grin widened.

Like a weight had been lifted from my chest, I started to walk in his direction.

“Is it just me, or do you feel like violins should be playing and this should all be in slow motion?” Jagger said.

I ignored him as I closed in on Halo, my eyes taking in every gorgeous inch of him as though it had been weeks, months, years since I’d seen him, instead of hours.

He was wearing a pair of my faded jeans and a black long-sleeved Henley, and the fact that he was dressed head to toe in my clothes had my heart and cock pounding even harder. Mine.