“I see. My apologies for the error,” he said, pretending to keep their fragile peace, though they both knew he was never mistaken. He glanced at his watch. “I believe there is someone you should meet. But not today. I have an appointment to keep.”
“You know the sigil to summon me.” Gabriel turned to go but stopped to place a hand on Luc’s exposed arm. Despite the sizzle of flesh, his brother held firm. “Have a care, Lucifer. I wouldn’t wish to see anything happen to you.”
Luc held back a snort of disbelief. Like Michael and Raphael, it had been almost a decade since they’d last spoken. Granted, time moved differently for them, and a decade was equivalent to ten months in relation to their ages.
With a nod, Gabriel released him and stepped away.
Luc gave him credit for not cradling his burnt hand, despite the blistering skin. Any show of weakness on their behalf would be used against them.
Such was the archangel way.
4
The morning had turned out to be everything Nadia had hoped for. In one fortuitous swoop, Luc had helped her find a condo available for immediate occupancy—in his complex!—and arranged an introduction to Sal Morto, the director of the city library.
Once seated, Sal produced a card with his information and gave it to her.
If she didn’t know any better, she’d assume Luc had been heaven-sent. Without trying, he’d fulfilled all her needs.
“Coincidentally, there’s been an opening at the downtown branch,” Sal said, and proceeded with a fifteen-minute impromptu interview. After sharing a long, silent look with Luc, he seemed to come to a decision. “The job is yours as long as your references pan out, Nadia.”
“Thank you.” Though the longer she sat in his company, the less enthused she became about the position.
The guy had a used-car salesman vibe, with an underlying smarminess. Yet Nadia had worked for his sort before and possessed mad skills for avoiding sticky situations. Perhaps it was naive, but she didn’t believe she’d have any problem handling him if he got, well, handsy.
“If you forward your resume, I’ll see that it gets to the top of the pile.”
His smile was as chilly as his reptilian stare, leaving Nadia to wonder why Luc considered the man trustworthy. But she wouldn’t ask. She’d focus on being grateful for an opportunity unavailable to her before.
As soon as Sal left, Nadia turned to Luc. “Thanks. I owe you big time.”
His answering smile was indulgent. “Not at all. I’m happy to help.”
“Today is the best day I’ve experienced in as long as I can remember. Thank you, Luc.”
“My pleasure.” He rose and threw down a few large bills to cover their meal. “Now, if you’re ready to head back, I have business to attend.”
She shouldn’t feel crushed by their time ending abruptly. But she did. His attitude suggested he wished to be rid of a nuisance, and Nadia hated to think she might have done something to turn him off.
“Of course.” She swept her purse onto her shoulder and grabbed her sweater from the back of the chair.
He seemed preoccupied as they exited the restaurant, eager to be gone.
“Luc, if you need to hurry off, I have some shopping I can do. It’s no problem for me to catch a ride back later.” Letting him off the hook came naturally to Nadia. She never wanted to be with someone who didn’t want to be with her, and creating drama out of disappointment wasn’t her thing. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t easily make her way back to the hotel on her own. Any damned grown adult could.
His brows dipped in what she could only assume was irritation, but then he relaxed.
“That would be for the best.” He removed his phone and unlocked it before handing it to her. “Type in your number.” After receiving it back, he sent a text. “Now you have my number. Please let me know when you’ve returned safely, won’t you?”
A small thrill shot through her. In the entirety of her life, the only person she could ever recall caring about her was Katie, her best friend since college. Although his concern appeared genuine and heartwarming, he was likely being polite. Nadia scolded herself for her foolishness in believing otherwise.
“Definitely. Thank you again for all you’ve done for me.” Rising up on her tippy toes, she kissed his clean-shaven cheek. When she pulled away, his face bore the same incredulous expression as the evening before, giving her pause. “Does no one show you kindness, Luc? You always seem so surprised when I touch you.”
He shifted and shrugged one wide shoulder. If she didn’t know better, she’d have believed his standard confidence was shaken, and he was uncomfortable by her attention. Not dissimilar to a young boy who believed himself too old for hugs.
“In my sphere, there’s no place for kindness, Nadia. Every dealing is calculated for cause and effect. When I find a rare individual, such as yourself, I’m reminded there is still true beauty left in the world.” Any insecurity he may have had fled, and a sad smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but in an instant, that too disappeared.
Her heart contracted.
