Nephilim Rising
Angelic Hosts Series, Book 4, Episode 15
No time to play…
The cab rolled up to the house on Leigh Street at 4:30 a.m. Antonio got out holding open the door as the driver stepped out to open the trunk of the car. Excited for his first trip anywhere, Berto was the first one down the steps dragging both his and Blanca’s suitcases behind him.
Antonio met Blanca halfway up the sidewalk and dropped a kiss upon her lips.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered.
Still not quite awake nor fully believing she was about to embark on this journey, she grumbled, “You should probably know I’m not a morning person.”
Antonio grinned. “That’s okay. Just tell me what helps.” He took the carryon bag from her shoulder and then took her hand, leading her to the waiting taxi. Berto was already in the front seat with the driver.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Coffee. Black. Two sugars,” she replied.
“As soon as we get through security, I’ll get your coffee, ma’am.”
Blanca sighed. “And a donut.”
He chuckled. “And a donut.”
“Where are Gabriel and Cassiel?” she asked.
“Already there.”
She stopped in her tracks. “But how? Did they leave last night?”
Antonio shrugged. “Yes and no. Suffice to say they don’t require airline tickets.” He watched as understanding slowly dawned in her big brown eyes.
Blanca shook her head. “I’m never going to get used to this. It’s just too crazy.”
“Yeah, yet here we are.”
He helped her into the backseat and prepared to slide in beside her. The acrid scent of smoke tickled his senses. Looking around, Antonio wondered who would be burning garbage at this hour. He got in and closed the door.
“San Antonio International, please,” he said.
The driver nodded and pulled away from the curb. As they drove northwest heading towards Interstate 35, flames began to lick the predawn sky behind them. Midway between the house on Leigh Street and Rosario’s a faded blue bungalow with ghastly, yellowed trim caught fire. Inside the living room, laid out on the floor, two bodies struggled to breathe. Bound by thick wire and rope, and badly beaten, their skin flayed until it hung in bloodied strips from their torsos, Sam and Joker quickly succumbed to the smoke.
Their friend and leader, Alejandro, descended the three steps off the porch and made his way to the street. There, he glanced over his shoulder one last time at the pyre of hungry flames consuming the rotted house. He smiled and adjusted the lapels of his suit jacket.
“Don’t cry for your friends, Alejandro,” he muttered to himself. “I hear you screaming inside, but this body no longer belongs to you. You’ve served me well and now, you’ll live forever. Immortality is yours,” he chuckled, “except that it will be spent trapped inside the corner of your wicked soul where I’ve locked you away.” He looked down at the white suit he wore. “And look how well you clean up, my friend. No more wife-beater t-shirts and street thug clothing. Suits fit your frame quite well, I must say. Such an improvement. I always wondered why you didn’t dress better. I certainly paid you well enough, but at least now you are presentable, and I appreciate all the time you spent pumping iron in between drug dealing. I’m going to enjoy this body very much. Now be quiet,” he chided, “I have a plane to catch.”
Whistling, he walked to St. Mary’s Street and caught a cab.
***
Snow fell like fluffy chunks of the softest ice covering everything in a pristine blanket of pure white. Blanca took it all in staring out the window of the taxi. Beside her, Antonio held her hand and watched the wonder in her eyes and the smile on her lips. It was his first time in Paris as well, but he’d traveled to other countries before. This was her first time going anywhere outside of Texas. In the front seat, Berto took pictures while their driver chuckled and carried on a conversation with the excited young man about the different varieties of birds in France. The old Frenchman with the gray beard and warm brown eyes was an avid bird watcher.
They passed the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the way to their hotel. For Antonio, it reminded him of Gabriel’s words the day before.
“Once you get settled in, we’ll come for you. It’s best that we arrange for your meeting with Sophie at the Sacred Heart Basilica on Rue du Chevalier-de-Barre. Sophie’s adoptive mother, Nanette, has no idea yet about who her daughter really is. She attends church regularly, however, and it will be easier to make the introductions. Oh, and one last thing…”
“What?”
Gabriel paused, and then, “No one will be able to see us,” he pointed at himself, “me or Camael or Rafael, except for Sophie and you three. And Cecilia. So, try to act accordingly.”
Antonio blinked. “Really?”
“Really. It’s better this way. Less questions. We rarely reveal ourselves and only in very special circumstances.”
As the cab pulled up to the Holiday Inn Montmartre, Antonio looked around wondering where Gabriel and his brethren were. Did he know they’d arrived? Were they out there right now, watching? Invisible? The thought rattled him just a bit.
He helped the driver remove the suitcases from the trunk, paid the fare and offered a generous tip. With good wishes for a great stay, the old gentleman drove away.
“Do you think we’ll have time to sightsee today?” Berto asked.
“Not sure,” said Antonio. “Gabriel said to call once we were settled in. Let’s take care of that first and then we’ll see what’s what.”
The lobby was busy, but the staff were professional and expedient. In no time, they had the keys to two rooms, one for the men and one for Blanca. The rooms were situated across the hall from each other on the third floor, close to the elevator.
After seeing Blanca to her room and leaving her to unpack and do whatever else she needed to do, Antonio headed across the hall to his own room. Inside, Berto was already hanging up his clothes.
Tossing his duffel bag on the bed nearest the door, Antonio pulled out his cell phone and located the number Gabriel programmed into it. He hit DIAL.
The angel answered on the first ring. “You’re here?”
“We are. Safe and sound. So now what?”
“Now, we meet you outside of the hotel in say…twenty minutes?”
“Guess that means you’re not very far away,” Antonio said.
The angel chuckled. “I’m never far from you, Antonio. Just giving you and the Ramos siblings time to finish unpacking and freshen up. See you in twenty.” Gabe hung up leaving Antonio staring at his phone and then at Berto who’d only just finished placing the last of his things in a drawer.
The younger man turned to him. “Well?”
Antonio sighed. “I guess we’re just waiting on your sister. We meet Gabriel out front in twenty minutes.” He looked at his watch. “Well, more like seventeen minutes now.”
Berto eyed Antonio. “Are you sure one of us shouldn’t stay with her? I mean, after what happened back home.”
The thought had already occurred to him. He wasn’t comfortable with her being across the hall, but they couldn’t secure side-by-side rooms with a connecting door. He could send Berto over to stay with his sister. He was sure Blanca wouldn’t mind, but her brother wasn’t really equipped to handle dangerous situations should they arise.
He chewed his lip, and then, “Would you be opposed to staying here by yourself tonight?”
Smiling, Berto cleared his throat. “I’m cool with it if she is, ‘Tonio.” Berto used the shortened version of Antonio’s name for the first time, trying it out.
“So, it’s like that, huh?” Antonio asked, eyebrow quirked.
Berto shrugged. “If you’re going to date my sister, then yeah, we’re going informal.”
Antonio smiled and reached out, slapping the younger man on the shoulder. “I guess that’s fair, little brother.”
“Oh! One-upping me, now, huh?”
Grinning, Antonio picked up his duffel bag and headed to the door. “Get used to it. And wish me luck.” He opened the door and eyed number 310 across the hall.
“Good luck, Antonio. But I don’t think you’ll need it. She really likes you.”
He looked at Roberto. “I really like her too. And I will protect her. I promise.”
“I know. Go. Leave me in peace for…” he looked at the clock on the bedside table, ‘eleven more minutes.”
“Less than that. Meet us in the hall in five.” With that, he walked across the corridor and knocked.
Blanca answered on the second knock. Noting the duffel bag in Antonio’s hand, her eyebrow quirked questioningly.
Shuffling his feet, Antonio cleared his throat. “So, yeah,” he hesitated. “Got room for one more in there?” He leaned against the door jamb and let a slow, sexy smile spread like sin across his full lips.
She felt that one in her bones, melting them until she could barely hold herself upright. “Did my brother throw you out?” She crossed her arms over her bosom and blocked his entry. She wasn’t going to make this easy for him. No fun in that at all.
“Well, no,” he sputtered, caught off guard. He was sure only a moment ago she’d welcome him in, but now, she was looking at him like he’d lost his mind. And he’d spent all his charm with that smile, one he was sure affected her.
A glimmer of mischief sparkled in her big brown eyes. It was followed by a crack in her façade as laughter bubbled from inside spilling from her lips. “Your face!”
Relief washed over him. Antonio wagged a finger at her. “You’re going to pay for that later, ma’am,” he said, slipping an arm around her waist and lifting her up for a quick kiss. “But right now,” he said, walking them both into the room and dropping the duffel bag, “we need to meet Gabriel downstairs.”
Blanca felt the heat of his body seep into her own, felt the hard wall of his muscular chest pressed into her own softer flesh. With her arms wrapped around his neck and her feet dangling at least two feet above the floor, she smiled, marveling at his strength. “Can’t he wait?”
Antonio read the longing in her eyes and regretted that they didn’t have time to spare. “I’m afraid not.” He kissed her again, slower this time. It was sweet but sizzling, full of promise. “We’ll have time later,” he whispered, pulling away. “Right now, however, we need to get a move on. Are you ready?”
She sighed, sad to have her feet on the ground once again. “Let me grab my coat.”
Things are getting steamy for Antonio and Blanca, but everything is about to change. Are you enjoying the series so far? Which angel is your favorite?
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