Page 55 of Claimed by the Fallen
My attention flickers between them. I don’t understand their reaction. “What?”
Adrian’s nostrils flare. “What ideas don’t you want people toget?”
Before I can answer, the kitchen door swings open and Laura returns. She places two menus in front of theangels.
I turn around, about to walk away, when I hear Adrian say, “We’d like Veronica to serve us, if you don’tmind.”
“She’s our friend,” Zeke offers as an explanation for his brother’srequest.
I curse under my breath. When I turn around, Laura is looking at me with suspicion mixed withenvy.
“Sure,” she clips. “No problem.” Laura turns and resumes cleaning the glass table covers. I look between her and the angels. My gaze narrows. I’m annoyed, and I won’t hideit.
I wait until Laura moves to a table near the back of the dining area before I bite out, “Are you guys determined to make my life awkward, orwhat?”
Zeke pinches his lips together. Adrian lookssmug.
“Are you mad at us?” The platinum blondasks.
“No, just you.” Adrian’s the one who dismissed Laura. “I just started working here, and I’d really like to not get on my coworker’s badside.”
Rather than apologize like I expect, Adrian smirks. “Please. She’ll get over it. Besides, we’re here to see you. Nother.”
His lack of remorse infuriates me. A part of me acknowledges I may be overreacting, but I can’t help it. Especially, not when he is looking at me with amusedcockiness.
I want to knock him down a peg ortwo.
“Well, I guess what the others said is true,” I say tauntingly, “Dark Fallen really are at the mercy of their own selfish desires.” That wasn’t exactly what Gabe and Mr. Cohen said, but it makes mypoint.
I leap back, startled, as Adrian slams his hand on the top of the table. The noise echoes through the emptyrestaurant.
With wide eyes, I stare at Adrian. His nostrils flare. This time, in an angryway.
Adrian leans forward and growls, “Perhaps you should remember it was us, not the light boys, who saved you from the first yancor attack. We may act on our desires but doing so allowed us to save yourlife.”
Adrian pushes back his chair and stands. He doesn’t speak, he just walks away. I watch him leave with a mix of regret and confusion. I only wanted him to acknowledge his behavior was inappropriate. I’d accepted the angels would be in my life until the demon threat ended, but that doesn’t mean he can bust into my life and disrupt my sense of normalcy without remorse. It isn’tfair.
The bell chimes and I see Adrian walk to the side of the building, disappearing fromsight.
“What did he mean?” I ask quietly, tearing my eyes from Adrian’s exit, back to Zeke. “When he said following his desires saved my life? What was he talkingabout?”
Zeke keeps a neutral expression. “The night of the concert, when he first saw you, Adrian wanted to know more about you. He sensed there was something different about you. He called me, and I told him I thought you were a Nephilim. Wanting to know more, he followed you and your friendshome.”
“I thought he followed me because he knew the yancor demon sensed me at theconcert.”
“No,” Zeke jerks his chin. “Adrian was already following you when he realized the yancor picked up on your trail. He called me, again, and informed me of the danger. What happened next, you alreadyknow.”
Zeke and Adrian had saved me from the hands of the scalymonster.
If Adrian hadn’t felt the desire to follow me and went along with it, I would bedead.
My legs threaten to give out. I move and collapse onto Adrian’s abandoned chair, staring at the menu in front ofme.
“I didn’t know.” I whisper, but Zekehears.
“Nor could you. Don’t worry, Adrian will come around. He’s just broodysometimes.”
I lift my eyes and can’t stop myself from raising an eyebrow. “Are you really calling someone else broody?” If I’d ever met a person who deserved the adjective, it would beZeke.
