Revisited (Redemption Series) (9 page)

“Not right away, but eventually.”

“What does that mean?” Gideon was sure his plan was shot to hell. They would be after Liam, and it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch of the imagination to connect Debir and Filipp to the mess.

“It means she’s alive because of my blood. But there’s more. Much more.”

“Go on.” It sickened him to think that all of his years of planning every detail would be wasted.

“First of all, Lily told you about her husband?”

Husband? The fiancé, Ryan.

“Ryan?” Gideon whispered.

“Yes.” Becca nodded. “Well, through some twist, he is an angel of death. They’ve been reunited.”

Gideon sat in thought for a moment while Ian was eerily silent.

“I know this is a lot to take in.”

Gideon took in a deep breath before he responded. “It’s a bit much, but let me get this straight. You are a half angel. Lily’s husband is an angel of death. Liam is nowhere to be found, but you’re all working on finding him.”

“Yes and . . .” She swallowed hard which made him even more nervous. “Gideon is in on it somehow. I don’t know where he is, and we think he’s in a new body, but—”

“A new body?” Gideon tensed, wondering how they could possibly know. 

“My . . . well, I guess brother, not by blood, mind you. Anyway, Nathaniel has visions, and he’s had one of Gideon transferring into a new body.”

“Nathaniel.” Gideon uttered the name with a little more venom than he intended.

“Nathaniel Archer. We grew up together and have always been like brother and sister. He flew here as soon as he had the vision.”

Gideon detested that man. Nathaniel had caused him to lose so many chances to be with
his
Rebecca. Maybe this would be his chance to rid himself of the nuisance once and for all. “What can I do? I want to help find these bastards.” He practically growled.

“You need to get better. We’re going to a lab in Italy.”

“Not without me you’re not.”

 Becca began to protest. 

“I just got you back, I can’t let you go. Not ever again.”

“Ian . . . I . . .”

Gideon cupped her check. “I can help.”

She giggled as she looked over his battered and bruised body.

“Well . . . I can try.” He gave her a small smile and saw her eyes light up. “You help me get up and out of here, and I will do whatever I can.”

“We’ll see. I’ll go talk to Sam. Until then, you rest.”

“But—”

“No buts.” Becca kissed him before she got out of the bed. “I’ll do what I can and be back later.”

Gideon gave his best sad puppy face before she retreated from the room.

Sam stood from his chair and waited for Becca to come to him as she left Ian’s room. He didn’t have to wait long. She was in his arms within two strides.

“He’s being so strong. I’m so horrible.”

“Hush, baby girl. He cares for you and he’s just been through a terrible ordeal. You both need time to get through this.” His hold tightened as he comforted her.

“He wants to come with us. He thinks he can help.”

Sam pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Maybe he can. Liam left quite an impression on him. Plus, he’s a very smart man. I have no doubt Bradford will give us hell, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“You have no idea how wonderful it is to hear you say that. But speaking of me being your father, there are some things for you to decide with Peter.”

Becca knew it was coming and she thought she was prepared, but the way her gut twisted at that moment made her think otherwise. “Are you sure I can do this?”

Sam smiled and cupped both of her cheeks in his hands. “From the first moment I held you, I knew you were destined for things greater than what this world had to offer. Now that I know I’m your father, I am more assured than ever. You can do this.”

With his faith in her, and what determination she was able to muster, she nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Then come with me.”

Becca turned and saw Peter standing a few feet behind them. She gathered her courage and with a tight hug from her father, she was off to begin the next chapter of her life.

How do we do this?” Becca asked Peter as she threaded her arm through his.

    He led her to a conference room down the hall and ushered her in.

Becca had visions of signing a stack of paperwork before someone strapped a pair of wings to her back. She gave a soft laugh only to receive the stink eye from the Archangel.

“Becca, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to respond with the first thing that comes to mind. I find that is usually the most honest answer.”

“All right.” 

“What is your favorite place in the entire world?”

“That’s easy. Lily owns this little vineyard. I haven’t been there in years, but it’s just breathtaking. During the harvest, you can smell the grapes on every inch of the property. Then in the evenings, sitting on the porch of the main house with a glass of wine is just about as close to heaven on earth as I’ll ever get.”

“You paint quite a beautiful picture. I think I can work with that.” Peter winked at her before pulling her into a tight embrace.

“What? We’re going to France? Now?”

“Yes.” 

“But it isn’t harvest time.”

“Don’t worry.” With his words floating in the air, they whisked through time and space to the nearby country.

When Becca was able to regain her bearings, she opened her eyes. “Peter,” she uttered in wonder as the warm breeze swept across her cheek.

He helped her remove her jacket and lay it on the nearby porch swing.

“It’s just as I remembered it.” Becca took a deep breath and let the sweet fragrance of the mouthwatering grapes growing on the vines fill her lungs. “But it’s January. How?”

Peter smiled and wiggled his fingers a bit. “I have my ways.” He took her hand in his. “Come. Walk with me.”

She smiled as they made their way across the yard and into the field. She enjoyed the feel of ripe fruit on her fingertips as she let them dance across the grapes. So many memories; one that struck the hardest chord was of her mother. Lily had brought them both there for the first time the year before her mother died. Becca realized why the place always held so much beauty. Those memories brought forth many conflicting feelings and began to sour her mood.

Peter left Becca to her own thoughts and walked to a small chapel, which sat on the hill just beyond the field. Conjuring two bottles of wine and carrying them in his free arm, he pushed her gently toward the door of the chapel before holding up the bottles for her inspection.

“I didn’t know being drunk was a prerequisite for this.”

Peter laughed. “It’s not. Just relax and enjoy.” He ushered her into the chapel and sat them both down in the first pew before the small altar. He opened one of the bottles and handed it to her, then opened the other for himself. 

The glow of the candles illuminated the area and created the warm atmosphere Peter needed for the conversation they were about to have. 

“You know
He
has had everything planned over a millennia in advance?”

Becca swallowed the swig of wine she had just taken. “That would be my assumption with the whole being
Him
and all.”

“What I’m saying is that you are a part of
His
design. The child of an angel and a human. But you are not just any Nephilim.”

“How’s that? Because I’m not a giant freak like they describe in the Bible?” Becca asked, the upset evident in her voice.

“No,” Peter replied. “The whole giant aspect is a myth. I honestly don’t know where they came up with that one.”

“Oh, then maybe I’m so special
He
had to kill my mother, keep my real father from me, and have me tortured by a demon for the majority of my life?” 

Peter took a swig of wine before continuing. “
He
has his plans which always come to fruition, but the way the result is reached is not always how
He
had intended. Does that make sense?”

“So, factors like Gideon screw up his plans?” She scoffed.

“In a way, yes.
He
and the man downstairs don’t compare notes. With free will and all, things happen beyond even
His
control.”

Becca rolled her eyes. She swallowed another mouthful of wine, and it began to warm her insides. “What does all this have to do with why we are here . . . now?”

“His plan for you, Rebecca, was always for you to find happiness and strength.”

She huffed. “Strength, yes. Happiness, glimpses.”

“I know losing Anne was difficult, but Lily has done a wonderful job helping you become an amazing woman. And even though your relationship with Abe has been difficult, there is a deep and lasting love there. Am I right?”

“Yes.” Becca sniffled and let the tension in her body go. “Abe was never to blame. I realize that now, but I can’t take back the way I feel about Ian, or the way he feels about me. Will accepting my powers make it any easier?”

“No.” Peter clinked the neck of his bottle against hers and took another sip. “It’s always darkest before the dawn, but I can promise you when that day comes, it will be one beautiful sunrise.”

“I could use a beautiful day about now.”

“It’s coming, but first let me tell you why you are so special to
Him
.”

“Go on.” She took another drink and closed her eyes as she began to feel its effects.

“Sam fell eons ago and the guilt that consumed him from going against the Father has been present in every facet of his eternity. Sam never allowed himself one moment of true bliss. After what he had done, he didn’t believe he deserved it. That was until he met a young librarian named Anne.”

Becca let a tear slip down her cheek as she hung on Peter’s every word. “What did he do? Why did Sam fall?”

“That’s a story for him to tell you. But, I
can
tell you about your mother. Anne was attacked by some lower level smoke demon one night while Lily was tracking it. Your mother fought it off tooth and nail before Lily got to them. Pretty heroic as I hear it.”

“Mom never took shit from anyone, that’s for sure.”

Peter gave a loud laugh before taking another drink. “Well, she was also in a lot of pain. She had just lost her husband and had buried him on the same day.”

“
He
works in mysterious ways and all that?” Becca let a few more tears fall.

“Yes. Anne was a staunch Irish Catholic girl who was all at once without a husband and without a path. She had quit her job because her husband had been promoted to detective with the Boston PD.”

“Even though he died before I was born, I remember the picture of him in his dress blues. Max was so handsome. I remember staring at it for hours, searching for a bit of me in there. I never found it. I just figured it would come eventually, but it never did.”

“Maxwell was a brave man who died to save seven other people. But he left your mother floundering for a purpose. That night, she found one. Lily and Sam brought her into the family of The Manchester Group and she began to find a purpose in things she trusted were greater than herself. Within days, she had Sam spiraling into an abyss he never thought existed. He was hit hard by his feelings for her. He felt even guiltier, if you could even imagine it. About ten days after they met, they slipped. She kissed him, and for one brilliant moment, he gave into his humanity. That was the night you were created. And, yes, Anne lied about Maxwell being your father. She was scared. She was the only child of devout Catholic parents and couldn’t face the wrath they would bring down on her head. Sam stepped back, but he never stopped loving her. When you came along, even though he didn’t know you were his own, a light filled him that had never been there before. Do you remember how he was with you and your mother before she died?”

Images of her, her mother, and Sam, together in family situations flipped through Becca’s mind. She remembered her second birthday and a cake shaped like a monkey decorated with pink frosting. Sam had given her a stuffed pink monkey and she carried it everywhere.

“The pink monkey, Sally; I still have it sitting in my bedroom in Portland. I love that thing and remember how wide Sam’s smile was every time he saw me with it. My mom would get teary-eyed because whenever Sam would see me with Sally, I would thank him all over again. I took Sally to her funeral. I told Lily that even Sally wanted to say goodbye.”