Page 38 of Claimed by the Fallen
Still, I’m not ready to succumb to my fate. “Mr. Lee,” I try to get my friend’s father to help my cause, “would you like me to help with anythingelse?”
Hearing his name, Mr. Lee covers the phone’s mouthpiece and says, “No. Thank you, Veronica. We’ll see you tomorrow.” He resumes speaking to the customer, forgetting all aboutme.
Realizing I’m stuck, I untie the half-apron from my waist. “Let me get my stuff,” I mumble before I turn to hang the apron behind thecounter.
Annie snatches the item as I draw near, and she shoves my purse into my chest. “Text me later,” she hisses under her breath, “I want to knoweverything.” I cringe, knowing the angels more than likely heardher.
I nod and take my bag. Then, I walk back towards the main entrance. I’m surprised to see Gabe is no longer here. He doesn’t strike me as the type to give up soeasily.
Now, I’m alone with Adrian andZeke.
I brush past them and exit the restaurant. I walk to my mom’s car but hesitate. I turn around. “Are you riding with me?” If the men think I’ll abandon my mom’s vehicle to ride with them, they’ll be disappointed. No way am I going to risk losing the privilege of borrowing Mom’s car by leaving itbehind.
“If you don’t mind.” Adrian smiles. I look away before his attractiveness affectsme.
“Sure,” I mutter. “Noproblem.”
I click the remote and unlock the doors. I slide into the driver’s seat, and I fumble with the keys. Zeke takes the passenger seat. As he closes the door, I fit the key in the ignition and start the car. Adrian folds his tall frame into the back, settling himself in the narrow, middleseat.
I back out of the parking spot and begin the quick drive back to myhouse.
I glance at Adrian through the rearview mirror. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?” I want to get the conversation over with before we gethome.
“I’d think that is obvious.” He jerks his head towards the passenger seat—towardsZeke.
I swallow thickly. “Oh…Right.”
I peek at Zeke. He’s staring at the roadahead.
“So…” I press the brake as we approach a stoplight. “You’re an angel,too.”
Zeke continues looking forward, but he nods. “Iam.”
A thousand thoughts race across my mind, but one stands out. “Did you know about me?” I ask, gripping the wheel to hide my trembling fingers. “When we met at kickboxing, did you know what Iwas?”
Finally, Zeke turns towards me. His hazel eyes meet mine. He tries to maintain his neutral expression, but I swear I see guilt. “Yes,” he answers. “Iknew.”
I suck in a breath. How could he hide something so important fromme?
I understand we’d only known each other for a short period of time those years ago, but I thought Zeke and I had grown close. Dare I say it, I thought we were almostfriends.
But friends don’t keep life-altering secrets from eachother.
The stoplight turns green, and I pull my eyes away fromZeke.
We drive in silence for a few minutes. My mind is preoccupied with reliving every conversation Zeke and I ever had. I try to figure out if there was ever a time when he could’ve told me the truth—a time when he could’ve revealed what he was… what I was. Nothing obvious comes to mind, but that doesn’t mean Zeke is off thehook.
I turn into my neighborhood and slow down as I navigate the curbedstreets.
Zeke ends the silence. “Meeting you was an accident. I didn’t know Nephilim lived in Valley Lake when I movedhere.”
I keep my eyes forward. “Then what brought youhere?”
“Peace and quiet,” he replies. I turn and look at him, wondering if I imagined the tired tone in hisvoice.
He meets my gaze. “When I realized you had no idea what you were—that your angelic parent left you ignorant of your heritage—I decided to leave town. I didn’t want to draw someone here and risk your discovery by others of our kind.” I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard Zeke say atonce.
If my memory serves me correctly, Zeke’s typical speech was characterized by sentences with less than five words. I watch him carefully, looking for any hint of deception, but nothing stands out. He’s telling thetruth.
