Chapter 20
Henry
“Nice digs,” Brenda said, spinning around to take in my corner office. “Pays to be the boss’s son, I see.”
I liked Brenda, most days, but her wit wasn’t always appreciated.
“Let us know if you think that when the times comes for us to sacrifice ourselves for the greater good,” Vicky said.
She and Brenda did not always get along. Vicky was like her father; laser focused on the mission and not prone to making jokes. In that at least it paid to be Gabriel’s son and not Michael’s.
“Did you have any trouble getting away without Nick noticing?” I asked.
“No,” she said, straightening her skirt. “I told him I needed to get some things for tomorrow. He’s too preoccupied worrying about meeting Ralph tomorrow to question me.”
The others didn’t seem too concerned about Ralph Mancini, or rather Uncle Raphael, visiting Nick. I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows offering an amazing panoramic view of Washington, DC, but didn’t take in the sight.
“This isn’t good,” I said, more to myself than the others. “Raphael isn’t known for his gentleness when it comes to testing new angels.”
“You would know first-hand,” Vicky said. I knew she didn’t agree with what had happened, so at least she understood my discomfort.
“What happened?” Brenda asked. She sounded like she was ready to sop up a juicy bit of gossip.
I kept my back to them as I remembered the incident. “Raphael’s intense. He pushed his way into my head and looked for anything I might be holding back or not using to my full potential. It was incredibly invasive. Nick doesn’t even have his full powers. He has no idea what’s coming.”
“No,” Vicky said. “This isn’t going to be one of those tests.”
I turned to face her. “What do you know that we don’t?”
“Nothing specific, but this isn’t a test of someone with their full powers,” Vicky rubbed her temples.
“Raphael can’t burrow into Nick’s head without revealing the truth.
Uriel would destroy Raphael if he upended his careful plans.
This isn’t a test, it’s a reconnaissance.
Dad and the others want to learn as much as they can, and since Uriel won’t tell them spit, this is the next best thing. ”
Hearing her talk about my father and uncles, I realized I might have caused Raphael’s visit. “I talked to Dad on Monday and asked for his help. I’m not sure sending Uncle Raphael is going to help. If anything, it’s making Nick more anxious.”
“You’re over thinking this,” Vicky said. “This is exactly what I said. Reconnaissance. Think of it this way. If Uriel thought this was going to be harmful to Nick, he’d intervene. It’s going to be fine.”
“Your father should’ve come,” Brenda said. “He’s got a much gentler touch.”
“Again, you’re both not seeing things clearly,” Vicky said.
“First, Gabriel’s too close to Henry. He might miss things if he starts looking for ways Nick might harm his son.
Second, and more importantly, this is Raphael’s strength.
No one knows more about angel powers and functioning than him.
Uncle Raphael is the right choice for this task. ”
She was right. Overall, Uncle Raphael was a kind, compassionate angel and I truly loved him, but my test still made me shiver. Just because he wasn’t easy on me, didn’t mean he’d be bad for Nick. “I agree. We need to make sure Nick stays calm until he meets Ralph.”
“That’s your job,” Vicky said with a soft smile. “But we’re here to help.”
Brenda cleared her throat, drawing our attention. “Speaking of Nick, there’s something you should know. When I tried to calm him down earlier, I felt his power building up. The lights even flickered. It was unsettling.”
I nodded, unsurprised but concerned. “I sensed his distress. That’s why I called him.”
“Your timing was perfect,” Brenda said. “But how did you know? Were you spying on him or something?”
Another joke that didn’t land so well with me.
I took a moment to lose my indignation. “Yes. I’ve hidden cameras and microphones all around your office.
I even know the unmentionable things you do in your office when the door is shut.
” I wiggled my eyebrows for emphasis. “We’re connected.
I can feel when he’s upset, even from a distance.
It’s hard to explain, but it’s like a tug on my heart. ”
Brenda pretended to sneer at me, but before she could snark back, I turned to Vicky. “Any luck finding Uriel? These episodes with Nick’s powers are becoming more frequent. We need guidance.”
“Two instances in a week hardly counts as frequent,” she said. I knew she saw my point, but this was her frustration speaking. “And no, I’ve had no break throughs. Trevor was right. Uriel isn’t going to be found until he’s ready.”
“It’s not just the lights,” Brenda said. “Nick’s work performance has improved dramatically. He’s producing results faster than ever before. It’s like he’s evolving before our eyes.”
I nodded, remembering my conversation with Nick. “He told me his brain feels hyper-stimulated. It’s another sign his powers are manifesting much sooner than we anticipated. I’m worried about how he’ll handle it all.”
“Sooner than who anticipated?” Victoria raised an eyebrow. “He’s unprecedented—an angel born to human parents. For all we know, this could be normal for his unique situation.”
I ran a hand through my hair. This wasn’t some clinical study we were discussing. This was Nick. “True, but that’s why we need to be prepared for anything. Vicky, can you bring Trevor up to speed on the situation? He couldn’t get away for this meeting, but we need him to know what’s happening.”
“Of course.” She made a note on her tablet. “I’ll brief him tonight.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Brenda said, drawing dirty looks from me and Vicky. “My parents are coming to the party on Saturday. Mom and Dad are especially good at calming angels as they come into their powers. I thought they might be helpful if things escalate.”
I hadn’t thought to enlist members of the older generation, but Ares and Ruth were two of Mom and Dad’s favorite angels. “That’s great. Thank you. Hopefully we won’t need their help, but better to be safe.”
We wrapped up the meeting, and I escorted them out of the building.
On the way back to my office, I stopped by the research department and gave the director a rush assignment.
She didn’t seem happy, but thankfully she didn’t argue.
The information I requested would be helpful in keeping Nick calm before and during his meeting.
I planned to use all my resources to keep him safe.
The smell of sautéing garlic and herbs filled my condo as I heard the front door open. Nick called out as he entered and a smile spread across my face. My earlier worries still lingered, but that didn’t stop me from being happy to see him.
“Wow, it smells amazing in here,” Nick said, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. He kissed the back of my neck and the warmth of his body against mine was comforting.
I leaned back into his embrace, enjoying something I could get used to happening all the time. “It’s just one of those meal kits. They make it pretty hard to mess up,” I said, keeping my tone light despite the worries swirling in my mind.
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Nick chuckled, his breath warm against my neck. “I’ve seen people mess up boiling water.” He released me and moved to my side. “How was your day? It felt like you were in meetings non-stop.”
Admitting I’d been busy wasn’t a lie, but it felt wrong not telling him he’d been the topic of those meetings. “Yeah, it was back-to-back most of the day. Sounds like you had some excitement.”
“That’s one way to describe it.” Nick leaned in to kiss my cheek.
I saw the flecks of gold in his brown eyes, and it reminded me of someone I’d met before.
“Brenda was out most of the day, but she made the most of her few minutes of supervisory time. Only she could casually drop that the CEO wanted to see me tomorrow.”
Tension started to build in his shoulders, so I tried to cut it off. “So she swooped in, said hello, asked about your day, and said, ‘by the way, the CEO is coming to meet you tomorrow,’ and then ran off?”
“Pretty much,” he said leaning against the counter. “She didn’t even ask me to take her to get coffee. I still don’t get why he picked me.”
It sucked that I knew the truth, but couldn’t tell him. “Why are you so nervous? Didn’t Brenda say it was a good thing?”
“Yes,” Nick said quietly. He picked at his fingers, something I’d come to recognize as a sign of his anxiety.
“It’s just, every time things start going well in my life, something happens to mess it up.
What if Ralph finds fault with my work? I’m just a low-level account manager.
It’s not normal for us to meet with the CEO. ”
I hated the secrecy was causing him this much angst. Knowing what Uriel told me helped, but it still hurt seeing Nick in such distress. Checking the food was okay, I faced Nick and took his slightly clammy hands in mine.
“It’s normal to be nervous, but don’t let it turn into anxiety.
One of the things I do at work is research people I need to meet.
” I pointed toward a slim stack of papers on the end of the counter.
“I had my staff pull together some information on Ralph Mancini. Why don’t you read through it while I finish up dinner?
“Okay.” Nick looked skeptical, but picked up the papers.
“Everything I’ve found points to Ralph being a good person.” It was another half-truth but hopefully it would calm him. “Read through it. It should help put your mind at ease.”
Nick settled into a seat and started to read. Smiling, I finished making our dinner. The occasional rustle of pages confirmed Nick was absorbed in reading what I’d had prepared.
Vicky had been right. Uncle Raphael wasn’t going to make things worse. He knew what was at stake as well as anyone. He was also the best person to assess where Nick was and how to keep him from hurting himself or others.
If the visit hadn’t caused Nick such anxiety, I’d have welcomed my uncle’s visit. I had no experience controlling an angel’s emerging powers. Failing could have dire consequences for Nick and others. Uncle Raphael being here took some of the weight off my shoulders.
I finished dinner and set two plates on the counter. Nick looked up, seeming more relaxed than when he started reading. His new attitude lifted my spirits. “Find anything helpful?”
“Yes. This helped a lot,” Nick said, setting the papers aside. “Thanks. You always know exactly what I need.”
I smiled, leaning in to kiss him softly. The brief contact sent a spark through me, reminding me of our connection. “That’s what I’m here for. Now, let’s eat. After dinner, we can go over the information some more if you want, and then get to bed early.”
“Early to bed?” Nick raised an eyebrow suggestively, a mischievous glint in his eye. “I like the sound of that.”
My body responded to the implicit invitation, but I regretfully shook my head. “Sorry, hot stuff, but no sex tonight. You need a good night’s sleep to be your best tomorrow.”
Nick looked deflated for a moment, but then he nodded. “Will you at least hold me again?” he asked, his voice soft and vulnerable.
The request tugged at my heart, reminding me how much I wanted to make him happy. “Of course. And you can hold me too if you like.”
“I’d like that,” he said. “You don’t always need to take care of me. I want to support you too.”
The tacit admission that he wanted to be my partner, not a dependent woke something inside I hadn’t felt before.
I always assumed I’d be the dominant one in any relationship I had.
My position as a future archangel gave me a status only three others would attain.
Nick, however, was just as powerful. The idea we could share everything might seem improbable at that moment but once he came into his full powers, he’d be my equal. That future thrilled me.
“Good, because I’d really like that.”
We ate dinner and quietly discussed Nick’s meeting.
He’d calmed down considerably and gestured with his fork as he spoke.
His eyes were bright with a mix of excitement and a tiny hint of nervousness.
Not only were his powers awakening, so was his confidence.
I saw glimpses of the remarkable man he’d soon become.
I liked the person I saw and couldn’t wait to share my life with him.