“I promise.” With that he walked out the front door. I was still surprised he didn’t dissipate, but I always forgot to ask why. I returned back to reading my book. I’d only flipped the page when I sensed someone approaching. “Well that was fast,” I grinned without looking.

  “Well, Betty made it sound like an emergency.”

  Startled, I jumped when I heard it was Grayson. “What are you doing here?”

  “It’s lunch time. I thought I’d come home and see my wife.” He glanced around the apartment. “Where’s Sebastian?”

  I winced. “Don’t be mad. He just went to grab food.”

  His humorous mood melted away reveling the stone like businessman that gave nothing away. “Does he do this often?”

  I shook my head. “Just today, I swear. I’m having strong cravings.”

  Grayson took the spot Sebastian had just vacated. He lifted my feet and set them in his lap. “It’s actually a good thing he’s not here.”

  “Why?” I asked distrustful that he was okay with me being alone.

  “Because there’s something particular I came home to eat.” His hands slid up my thighs stroking over my panties. My thighs parted on their own accord.

  “Grayson!” I gasped. “He could be back any minute.”

  “Then we’d better hurry.” He yanked my panties and they came off without any help from me. He slipped his head under my skirt parting my thighs further. When he couldn’t get to the spot he wanted, he tugged me down so I was no longer sitting upright. Then I felt his warm tongue dance across my sensitive flesh.

  “Oh, god,” I moaned arching off my chair. Grayson wasn’t gentle. He was hungry for me. He licked and teased. I threw my head back enjoying the feel of him. I couldn’t believe we were doing this outside. Several of the surrounding buildings looked down on us. It was daylight. If they looked out their windows it would be obvious what we were up to and the idea turned me on more. When his tongue slipped inside, I exploded. I cried out not caring who heard me. When he was done, he slipped out of my skirt. He stood replacing my feet on the chair and leaned over to kiss me. In the post orgasmic haze that I was basking in, I barely moved my lips to meet his.

  “Best lunch ever,” he whispered. “Thank you, baby.”

  “Mmm… Thank you.”

  He chuckled, when I barely moved. “You want me to wait until Sebastian gets back?” I shook my head, but didn’t know if he saw since his voice had been fading away. “I thought you said he was getting lunch?” He called from the kitchen.

  I groaned not wanting to move yet, but headed inside. “He is.”

  “Then what’s this?” He pointed to the orange and white bags and I felt my heart sink. I turned to grab my phone. There I saw a text.

  Sebastian: Text me when I can come back.

  “He’s on his way. You can head out if you need to.”

  “I can wait?” he offered but I declined.

  I was positive Sebastian had seen us together. The food bags made that obvious. I felt awful enough that I didn’t need Grayson there when he returned.

  Me: It’s safe.

  I thought I’d go for joking, but I wasn’t sure what to say. Figuring I’d know when I saw him I paced the floor waiting. A knock came at my door a few minutes later. I wasn’t sure why Sebastian would knock when he knew I was aware he was coming. Maybe to avoid a situation like he walked in on earlier. I remember him warning not to open the door and he had a key so I looked through the peephole. Jade stood there annoyed.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked opening the door.

  “I get woken up midday and you ask what I’m doing here? You tell me.”

  She wasn’t making any sense. “What? Where’s Sebastian?”

  She shrugged. “All I know is, the asshole woke me up, dissipated me outside your building, wouldn’t even bring me up to the floor because he said he couldn’t anymore, whatever that means,” she spat. “I’m starving. Something smells delicious.” She headed towards the bags in the kitchen.

  “Oh no you don’t,” I yelled grabbing the bags and heading towards the door.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “To talk to Sebastian,” I stated.

  “And how are you gonna do that when you’re on lockdown?” she asked.

  “Because my bodyguard is coming with me.” I headed out the front door knowing she’d have to follow me.

  “Ah hell, I knew I should have stayed asleep,” she mumbled trailing behind me.

  We arrived at The Angelo Tower, but I felt no sign of Sebastian. Since drinking his blood so often I had grown less aware of him, so I checked the floors anyways. When there was no sign of him, I thought of where else he could be. I knew he could be across the world, but I didn’t think he would go to such lengths to avoid me.

  I remembered the park he took me to and was out of the building before I even noticed if Jade was following. I arrived at Washington Square Park with Jade on my heels. I glanced around but didn’t see him. Closing my eyes I opened myself up to the bond I tried to ignore. The tether swelled up and hit me harder than I expected. With the way the bond had been, I’d assumed it’d weakened with my frequently using him to feed from, but it seemed that when my walls were up that they were simply more fortified. When they were down, he called to me like a beacon.

  “He’s here,” I stated gazing in the direction where I had no doubt he was. I glanced over the park visitors for the one I wished to see most, but couldn’t see him from where I stood.

  “I’ll wait here, but if you two zap away to wherever, send a girl a text so I’m not waiting here like an idiot.”

  “We’re not zapping anywhere,” I said rolling my eyes.

  With a familiar pull that I knew too well, I walked along the draw to the angel that called to me. I wondered if after the baby came and I stopped drinking from him would our tether return to its usual magnitude. I didn’t think Grayson would approve of its intensity now. Sebastian peeked up when I approached, but quickly glanced away. Taking a deep breath before I spoke, I put my walls back up otherwise I would have rushed into his arms to pacify the angelic pull.

  “Hey,” I breathed carrying the Whataburger bags out in front of me like a shield. “You didn’t come back.”

  His shoulders where hunched as he bent over resting his elbows on his knees staring out at the crowd. “I honestly didn’t know if I should.”

  “You saw us?” I asked hesitantly.

  “Yeah,” he stiffened, exhaling a heavy breath. “I saw you.”

  “Sebastian,” I tried to touch him but he pulled away. I let my hand fall to my side feeling the sting of his refusal. “I didn’t mean for you to see us together. I would never intentionally rub your face in my relationship.”

  He gaped at me with such intensity that I took a tentative step back. “Is that why you were doing it when you knew I would only be gone for a few minutes?” he spat.

  “That’s not how—”

  “I suppose it was your way of getting back at me for hurting you by sleeping with Ava.”

  My mouth hung open and it was my turn to gape at him. I couldn’t believe he said that to me. I felt the tears begin to swell. “You ass,” I hissed. Something flickered in his eyes and his anger softened when he took me in. Regret radiated off him. “Yes I was hurt, but I wouldn’t…I didn’t…” I blinked away the tears letting them stream down my face. I didn’t even have to words to explain how his allegation stung.

  He reached for my hand pulling me into him hugging me tight. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m upset and I lashed out. I just didn’t expect to see you together.”

  “I didn’t expect you back from Texas so quickly.” He laughed, but I could hear that it was forced. “Speaking of, you’re squishing our food.”

  He released me and the crinkle of the paper bags resounded. “You brought it?”

  I nodded. “This is something we shared and I wanted to share it with only you.” I shrugged like it was no big deal. “I had to fight Jade off of it though.” This time his laugh was real.

  After we ate I decided I wanted to walk. “Doctor B says it’s one of the things to get my labor going.”

  “One?” Sebastian asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, she gave me a list.”

  “Was that part of the sudden need for jalapeños the other day,” he teased as we walked around the park.

  “No,” I wrinkled my nose. “That was the baby wanting spicy.”

  I gazed around and was surprised how scarce people where.

  “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Damien hadn’t sent you to New York?” Sebastian asked and it took me aback.

  I turned to take him in, but he looked out over the park. “I hadn’t really thought about it. But I guess things would have been different. Growing up with a dad. Never having to deal with Anton.”

  “Never meeting Grayson,” Sebastian whispered. Stunned, I halted and turned to face him. How could I have a life without Grayson in it?

  “I would have lived in constant fear,” I admitted. “I might not even be alive today.”

  “You’d be alive, of that I have no doubt.” His hand cupped my cheek and I rubbed against it, relishing in the warmth of his skin against mine. “I wonder about it often. If I had met you first?”

  I shook my head stepping away until his hand fell at his side. “You would have watched me grow up. It would be extremely different.”

  This time he shook his head. “I left Damien before you were born. I didn’t come back until he asked, about a year before he moved here. Can you tell me that if you hadn’t met him first that things wouldn’t be different? You feel a draw to me. A connection.”

  I swallowed hard because I knew they could be. I had feelings for Sebastian. If Grayson weren’t the love of my life I didn’t know if anything would have stopped me from pursuing Sebastian. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does,” he pulled me closer.

  I shook my head. “It’s a game of what ifs and it can go on forever. What if I met you first? What if I still met Grayson but after you.”

  “Gaby,” he spoke coming out in a pained whisper. His whole body grew ridged.

  “I’m sorry, Sebastian.” I whispered trying to ease his obvious discomfort over my words. I gasped as his fingers dug painfully into my arm. Then he fell to the ground.

  “Sebastian,” I dropped to my knees at his side. In the second it took me to make the move, someone stood over him with a silver blade, pressing it to his heart.

  “Stand day walker,” a woman commanded. I froze. Using my peripheral vision I saw I was surrounded by six beings. I tensed to move. “I wouldn’t or we’ll kill your lover.”

  I moved slowly so they didn’t attack, but also because I was eight months pregnant. I was unsure what they did to Sebastian to have brought him down. Once I was standing I held up my hands to placate them.

  “What are you?” I asked. The woman who appeared to be the leader was beautiful. Her blonde hair was cut into a bob. Her tall slender frame made her appear agile. Four men and one other woman surrounded her. The other woman held her blade on Sebastian.

  “We are sentinels. We serve the angelic,” she said with a slight bow of her head.

  “Yet you attacked him,” I stated with a knitted brow.

  “He is a fallen,” she hissed. “His mere existence is blasphemy.”

  “What do you want?” I asked to keep her busy, hoping Jade would appear.

  “You. You know we can’t allow your child to exist. It could destroy the world.”

  “Could. You’re basing everything on the word could?”

  She ignored my statement. “You will come with us.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  “Because, if you don’t, we shall kill your angel lover. Then we will knock you out and drag you away. It will be more conspicuous, but we will do what is necessary.”

  I glanced around at the beings surrounding me. The humans no longer lingered in the area. “He’ll remain unharmed?”

  “If you cooperate.”

  I glanced down at Sebastian. His eyes were opened and glued to me. I wondered if he was aware of what was happening around him. When I saw the slightest shake of his head, I knew he did. What ever they had done seemed to have temporarily paralyzed him.

  “Leave him here and I’ll do what you ask.”

  They appeared to discuss it when the woman turned back to me. “If you attempt to flee…”

  “You’ll knock me out and drag me away? Yeah, I got it.” I squatted down next to Sebastian and the group tensed. “I’m just saying goodbye to my lover, since you plan on eliminating me, I suppose I’ll never see him again.”

  The woman nodded speaking in another language and everyone backed off. I leaned in gently brushing Sebastian’s hair from his face trying to appear loving. It wasn’t difficult. I brushed my lips against his cheek before turning my mouth towards his ear. These beings didn’t put off the supernatural energy the way some did but incase they could hear me I was careful with my words.

  “I will keep my heart open for you to find me again.” When I pulled back, I widened my eyes to grab his attention then relaxed the walls I kept up to keep him out. They flowed away and the angel bond hit me with full force. I could feel the tether tying me to Sebastian. His eyes closed feeling it too. In his incapacitated state, it wasn’t surprising that he was unable to keep the walls up. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  The sentinels tugged my arms until I stood. Sebastian glared at them struggling for control of his body as they walked me from the park.

  Grayson

  “Where is she?” I demanded storming in Damien’s office. The door rebounded off the wall, but I didn’t care as it fell off the hinges. I needed to know how my wife had been taken. I’d seen her just hours ago. Sebastian appeared to be suffering from a hangover and Jade looked guilt-ridden.

  “Sentinels took her,” Sebastian mumbled.

  “Where were you?” I questioned.

  Sebastian winced. “They hit me with something. They serve an angel so they knew how to take one down. They threatened to kill me if she didn’t comply.”

  Of course. I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my palms. “I don’t even understand how they got her.”

  My phone vibrated, but I ignored it. I had rushed out of work the moment I received the call that Gaby was taken.

  “We have a plan,” Damien stated calmly.

  “Oh yeah?” My phone stopped then immediately began buzzing again.

  “Gabriella dropped her guard on the angel tie. They wouldn’t have taken her far if their goal was simply to eliminate her; and if they did, they would need an angel to dissipate her. Sebastian can track the angel bond or feel the dissipation trail.”

  “How?” I knew about the angelic bond. It was one of the things that drove me crazy. I remember the first time I ever saw it in action. It didn’t have a range of more than a quarter of a mile.

  “It’s been amplified from her drinking from me. I felt her for almost ten minutes after she left.”

  I looked at Sebastian who didn’t appear well. “Are you up for it?” I asked. I needed my wife back. She was too pregnant to be in this situation. I couldn’t lose either of them.

  He nodded. “I will be.”

  When my phone rang for the third time, Damien raised his brow to me. “Perhaps you should get that so we can focus?”

  Feeling irritated that a phone was harassing me; I yanked it from my pocket with every intention to shut it off until I saw the name of who was calling me.

  “Gaby?” I answered. Everyone’s head whipped towards me.

  “Grayson, when your wife is missing it’s best not to ignore the phone,” she spat.

  “Where are you? Are you okay?”

  “Listen I don’t have much time,” she said. I put the phone on speaker even though I was sure everyone could already hear her. “I think we’re still in the city. We drove only fifteen minutes from the park. The building appears to be abandoned. I see red brick.” I was surprised she knew to do all this. I guess after being kidnapped a few times you start knowing what to look for. “I smell bread, like a bakery is close by.”

  “Gaby, turn on the phone finder on your phone.”

  She sighed. “I did, but just because they didn’t take it from me doesn’t mean they won’t realize their mistake.”

  “How many did you see?” Damien asked.

  “There were six that took me, but when we came in I could hear more voices so I don’t know. They’re waiting for someone.”

  I grabbed the phone and took it off of speaker. “Listen Gaby, we are going to find you. You and the baby are going to be just fine. Just stay strong.”

  She sniffled. “I love you Grayson, but if you don’t get here…”

  “Don’t say that. We will. I will get you back baby. I promise.”

  “Okay,” she sighed. “I better go. I need to save my phone battery so you can track it.”

  I closed my eyes tight trying to remain calm for her. “I love you and I’ll see you soon.”

  “Of course,” she said before hanging up.

  I stood there for a moment trying to get my bearings. Taking a deep breath I unlocked my phone then opened the app to find Gaby’s phone. It wouldn’t pull up.

  “Shit, they may not have taken her phone, but they were smart enough to block us from finding her.” I grumbled.

  “It means they’re prepared. It also means that dissipating in is probably not an option,” Damien explained. “We will need to wait until night to move. We need the numbers the vampires can offer.”

  “You wanna wait?” I asked not believing what I was hearing. This was his daughter that was missing.

  “We do not have a choice. Sebastian can still go out and track her, but we cannot make a move on them without the numbers. We do not know what we will be walking in to. I would rather outnumber them then to risk annihilation. Then who would rescue my daughter?”

  I sighed taking a seat when an idea struck me. “Killian, the Vegas nest leader offered us assistance if we needed. Do you think we need to take him up on that?”