Jared’s expression was ecstatic, and then he made a poor attempt to disguise it. “I beg to differ. I’m not an idiot…it’s not a difficult concept.”
“I have kissed boys, some of those boys more than once, that never kissed like that.”
Jared closed in and kissed my neck—from col ar bone to the line of my jaw—stopping to whisper in my ear. “That’s because you kissed boys, sweetheart.”
My heart pounded so loudly that I was sure he could hear it. I let out a long sigh. “Okay, you’ve got to tel me the rest. The suspense is kil ing me.”
Jared shifted to the couch, turning to face me. His face returned to the worried frown he had before.
“Jared, thus far it’s my understanding that you’ve been raised by a family of assassins. You’ve spied on me, stalked me, instal ed microphones in my bedroom, and confessed to fal ing in love with me before I could drive. If I haven’t left by now, I don’t think I’m going to.”
His face screwed into disgust. “We’re not assassins.”
“Have you ever kil ed anyone?" Jared raised his eyebrows, shocked at my pointed question.
“I…er…yeah. But it was to keep you safe,” he explained.
“You kil ed people for me?” I asked, my mood immediately shifting.
“Don’t feel a second of guilt for those people, Nina. They wouldn’t have lost a single night’s sleep over taking your life.”
I swal owed. “Do you regret it?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Never. It’s who I am.”
“What does that mean? You’re a kil er?”
Jared rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I don’t think of it that way. We’re protectors. Though there are those that disagree.”
“Like who?” I shook my head, thoroughly confused.
“You’re getting ahead of me.”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”
“I know.” He rubbed his temples with his thumb and forefinger and sighed.
“You’re making me nervous.” I laughed without humor. He looked up at me; the hardness of his eyes didn’t relieve my trepidation. “Is it that bad?”
“It’s just…implausible. It wil be your first inclination to be skeptical, and I don’t blame you. But it’s the truth.”
I nodded and then took his hand in mine. “I’m ready.”
“Gabe,” Jared paused for a long time and then cringed, “isn’t from here. He’s known your father since Jack was an infant, but it wasn’t until Jack was a bit older that they met.
“When Jack was twenty-one, he worked for a man named Van Buren. While working there, he befriended Van Buren’s oldest son, Luke, and because Jack spent so much time with Luke, my father in turn spent quite a bit of time in Luke’s home.
“It didn’t take long for Luke’s younger sister, Lil ian, to catch Gabe’s attention. Lil ian is my mother. Similar to the way I feel about you, he couldn’t stay away from her. Eventual y he made the choice to reveal himself to her, which is against the rules.”
I started to ask about the rules, but Jared held a finger up so that I would let him continue, “Gabe made a huge sacrifice to be with Lil ian. He loved her, and so as far as he was concerned, he had no choice. Even though he had given up everything, his existence stil depended on Jack.”
I shook my head. “Why did it depend on my father?”
“Gabe was assigned to him. For my father, and those like him, he is assigned to someone—his Taleh—from their birth. Because I’m half of what my father was, the draw isn’t right away. We have to figure it out on our own, and that’s part of why my siblings and I are the bastards of Gabe’s world.”
“Gabe’s world? I’m sorry, Jared, I don’t understand,” I shook my head in frustration.
Jared’s hardened expression smoothed into a warm smile. “I know. You wil . I’m trying to explain this in the best way possible. Trust me.”
“Sweet potato fries?” I smiled, trying to lighten the mood.
Jared’s grin widened. “Sweet potato fries.”
He watched me for a moment, and several emotions scrol ed across his face. His hands touched my cheeks and then he pressed his lips against mine. It felt like he was saying goodbye.
He reluctantly let me go, and avoided my eyes when he spoke. “We aren’t accepted by Gabe’s family or his enemies. It makes it very difficult to do our job in some ways, and easier in others.”
“You mean as protectors,” I determined. Jared confirmed my revelation with an approving nod, but my expression caused his smal smile to vanish.
“What?” he spoke in a soft, hesitant tone.
“Are you saying there is a society of protectors out there that al do…what you do?”
“S-Sort of. But it’s…providential.” He waited anxiously for my mind to catch up to what he was saying.
“Providential?” I repeated, letting the word simmer...providential protectors. He chose his words careful y, specifical y attaching divinity to describe the family he referred to. When the comprehension hit, Jared winced. “Are you talking angels, Jared?” I said, indignant.
“I told you it would be your first inclination.”
I waited for him to tel me he was joking, but his eyes were far from amused. I stood up and paced between the table and the couch.
He was serious.
He expects me to believe he is a…he’s my….guardian angel! I thought. My mind mul ed over wings, halos, and harps, and I laughed out loud. Jared watched me pace as if he were afraid he’d sent me over the edge.
“I’m not an angel,” he said as if I was total y off-base. “My father is. Was,” he corrected.
“You’re half….” I trailed off, unable to mouth the word. I felt ridiculous for even considering it.
“Human,” he amended, intercepting the alternative.
My thoughts traced to Jared’s lobbing the man the impossible distance across the parking lot. “That does explain some things. But….” I shook my head. I wanted to believe him and that made remaining objective more difficult.
Jared walked toward me, but I instinctively took a step back.
He cringed at my reaction. “I would never lie to you. Do you believe that?”
Just a few moments before I was determined to believe anything he had to say. But Jared was asking me to believe in fairytales, in the supernatural. His anxious eyes searched my face, begging for me to believe. I was worth his truth and I stood cruel y obstinate. The need to ease his anxiety overwhelmed reason.
I touched his fading scar with my fingers. “It makes sense, real y.”
I had described him as angelic once, when I hadn’t realized it was closer to the truth than I could have ever imagined. His glowing blue-grey eyes, his strength, the flawlessness of his face and the way he moved; it would be the only explanation. It suddenly didn’t matter if it were possible. I believed him.
“I stil have questions,” I said.
Hope touched Jared’s eyes, and he led me to the table. I took a bite of my half-eaten slice of cake and giggled.
“Something’s funny?” he raised an eyebrow.
“Angel Food.” I pressed my lips together, stifling a laugh.
Jared chuckled and sucked in a big breath, seeming relieved.