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Overview
Nevan Largent has always known angels exist. He just never expected to fall in love with one.
Nevan Largent moves to Los Angeles to get away from the fallen angels he dealt with in Chicago. With his ability to see ghosts and the fact that his cousin has been murdered, Nevan's life is complicated. Then a blind fallen angel joins the investigation, and he's sure he's cursed.
Cassandra Harmen has been blind for centuries, which has given her time to hone her other senses and skills. When she's asked to consult on a murder case, she meets Nevan Largent. In all her years, she never thought she'd meet a man who teaches her that while she might not be able to see images, she can still see into people's souls.
Now they have to struggle with love, druid priests and one annoying fallen angel, but their love is strong enough to survive anything...except maybe the fallen angel.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781781849613 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Totally Entwined Group |
| Publication date: | 02/28/2014 |
| Series: | Fallen , #6 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 90 |
| File size: | 514 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
"God works in mysterious ways," Cassandra murmured as she stepped out from the back of her car.
"Ma'am?" The young uniformed officer sounded like he wasn't sure how to answer her. Tommy had sent him to meet her when she arrived and she was pretty sure he hadn't explained to the man why she needed a driver.
"Nothing." She smiled at him while standing just outside the crime scene. She waited for Kaiser to join her before moving in the direction of all the noise. "Where do you think Tommy is?"
There was no answer. Of course there wouldn't be. Kaiser was an amazing Seeing Eye Dog, but he couldn't talk. Though he did know Tommy, and he'd take her to him if he could find him. As she approached, the din separated into individual sounds. Some of which she recognized and some she didn't.
"You're not allowed in there." A voice as smooth as the finest brandy filled her ear and a shiver raced down Cassandra's spine to rest in the pit of her stomach. "It's an active crime scene. We can't have you or your dog contaminating it."
She tilted her head up, knowing from the direction of his words that he was taller than her. The clipped tones said he was ticked off about something. Also, the looming darkness she sensed radiating off him.
"I'd like to talk to Detective Davidson."
"He's in the middle of a case. Call him later at the station." He moved away from her.
He had dismissed her and anger surged inside her. Was it because she was a woman or because she was blind? Cassandra would've loved to read his mind, but she tried to stay away from that trap. After reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone.
She hit the button and heard, "Hello, Cassandra."
"Call Tommy," she spoke clearly.
"Davidson." Tommy's high-pitched voice squeaked in her ear.
"Hey. I'm outside. One of your guys wouldn't let me in." She gave a little tug on Kaiser's harness and he led her away from the group to a quiet place where she wouldn't bother anyone.
"What'd he look like?"
She smiled — the fact she couldn't see never stopped Tommy from treating her like a normal person. "He was tall. His voice was smooth, but he didn't feel happy to me. Plus he's from Chicago."
"Must have been my new partner. Largent worked homicide in Chicago for a while. Got shot and decided to move out West. The Sheriff hired him last week. I'll send Johnson out for you."
"Thanks." Cassandra dropped the phone in her pocket. So he had been injured. That would explain the hint of pain she'd heard hidden in his voice.
Kaiser whined and she knelt to wrap her arms around the large Rhodesian Ridgeback. "Sorry, old man. You can't come in with me. All your dog hair will contaminate the scene. We don't want the new detective hunting us down. Take me back to the police car."
They returned to the car then she opened the back door for Kaiser to jump in. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Miss Harmen," a hesitant voice came from behind her.
Johnson had being standing there for a few minutes. She'd sensed his presence as he walked up. "Yes, Officer Johnson?" "I'm supposed to escort you to Detective Davidson."
"I'll need to take your arm, Officer. My guide dog can't go in." She reached out and he threaded her arm through his.
His emotions bombarded her. He was nervous about her, having heard the rumors going around the station. A lot of the deputies didn't know how she solved the cases she worked on. Most of them assumed she had some connection to the criminal underground and that's where she got her information.
Cassandra smiled. If any of them knew the truth, they'd probably lock her up as delusional. Being a fallen angel was bad enough, but being blind as well had become overwhelming after centuries. She used to be able to see then she'd been injured in the seventeen hundreds, and for some reason, her healing ability had deserted her.
When she'd asked Mika'il about it, he'd had no explanation or reason as to why it had happened. Maybe it was another form of punishment from God. She hadn't believed that was true then the visions had started, and she'd formed the opinion she was in hell. Cassandra had always imagined the worst that could happen was her wings were taken, but she should've known thinking that tempted fate to prove her wrong.
"Hey, I said you couldn't come in here." The seductive voice of Detective Largent teased her again as his presence loomed over her.
Johnson's arm trembled under her hand. She tried not to read the officer's mind, but his thoughts projected strong enough that she couldn't stop them from coming through. Even though he was new, Largent was getting the reputation of being hard-nosed and driven. The young man was remembering how Largent had chewed him out for not filling a report properly.
"Good thing you're not the lead on this case, Detective." She turned away from Largent. "Take me to Detective Davidson, Officer."
She could feel that Largent wanted to say something, but he didn't have control over who Davidson allowed in. He followed them to where Davidson waited.
"Hey, beautiful. Why is it you get better looking every time I see you and I just get uglier?" Davidson touched her shoulder to warn her before he hugged her.
Even though he joked with her, there was a current of worry underlying his words.
"Good genes, I guess. Of course I think you're lying about getting uglier." Cassandra allowed herself to accept his embrace. Touching people wasn't something she enjoyed. Their emotions tended to swamp her at times, even when she had her walls up as high as she could get them.
"What's she doing here, Davidson?" Largent snarled.
"She's here because she'll tell us if there's been a crime. Let me explain, Cassandra." Davidson took a deep breath. "We think the occupant of this house was involved in a crime, but we have no proof."
"Then why are you here? Without any proof, you can't enter the premises, can you?"
"Not usually but a family member allowed us in. They were worried about the home owner as well." Davidson tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. "I want you to look at the house. I'll be right behind you."
Cassandra took a deep breath. She hated the first traumatic punch hitting her when she entered a crime scene. She gave a small sigh when the first couple of rooms were devoid of any feeling of violence or hatred. Well, except for the distrust rolling off Largent as he stalked behind them.
Stepping into the next room, she doubled over as the pain hit her. The vision in her mind showed the walls and floor covered with blood. Reaching out, she grabbed a hold of Largent's arm. She jerked away as an electric shock raced through her body.
"Tommy, have CSI come through here. Take up the carpet as well. You'll find your proof."
Largent escorted her back outside without saying a word while Davidson ordered the crime scene people in. They stood quietly for a minute or two while she tried to collect her thoughts. Cassandra appreciated him not talking, though she could almost hear his disapproval. She sensed a large object in front of her and put her hand out to touch it. It was the police car.
"Am I close to the back door of the cruiser?"
"Yes."
She opened it and Kaiser brushed her hand as he jumped out. Scratching his ears, she listened to the people around her. "You're the relative," she told Detective Largent.
His jerk told her she was right.
"How did you figure that out?"
"In my vision, the blood I saw was connected to you."
"I didn't do it." Anger clipped his words.
She shook her head. "Of course you didn't. A line of energy connected you with whoever lived in the house. It could only happen if you were related."
Largent took a deep breath. "You said lived."
Cassandra rested her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, but they're dead. It was their blood I saw." An odd feeling washed over her. "You knew that. How?"
His arm moved and she imagined he shrugged. "Just a hunch. My cousin, Patrick. He was reclusive and eccentric. No one in the family had heard from him for a while. Since I moved out here, I checked up on him."
"Was he into the occult?"
"He thought our family descended from a Druid high priest. He believed in magic."
"And you don't?" She didn't believe that.
Largent chuckled. "Let's say I'm trying to keep an open mind about it."
A car pulling up and the whirring of a window rolling down caught her attention. "Cassandra, are you done here?"
Davidson must have called her driver to come and pick her up. "For now, Eli."
Kaiser led her to the car, and she found the door handle. She had her dog jump up before she turned back to look in Largent's direction. "It's hard to believe you're pretending to keep an open mind about the paranormal when you've been touched by it."
He grunted like she'd punched him and she smiled while climbing in to the car. After shutting the door, she leaned back against the seat with a sigh. "Take me home, Eli."
"Well, I'm actually supposed to take you to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels before you go home." Eli didn't sound happy about it.
"And why are you supposed to do that?" There were two creatures in the world that could order Eli to do anything. The true demon that had appointed himself her guardian didn't take orders well, and certainly not from any human or Fallen.
"Who do you think?" He put the car in gear and they left the crime scene.
She grimaced as she stroked Kaiser's head where he'd laid it in her lap. "We don't have a choice. If we don't go, he'll come looking for us and I hate when he invades my house."
Eli's snort made her smile. He hated getting visits from the archangel even more than she did. Of course, Mika'il had spent thousands of years hunting and destroying Eli's kind. It was hard for him not to hold a grudge against him.
"Why don't you relax? Getting those visions take a lot of out of you."
Leaning her head back against the cushion, she closed her eyes. It was strange that that simple act was enough to ease the tension from her muscles. The darkness didn't change or get deeper with her eyes shut or anything like that, yet it was something normal to do. Not that her life had ever been normal.
Cassandra let go for a little while. Eli would get her to the cathedral in one piece and she could deal with Mika'il when she got there. No point in getting upset beforehand.
"Good idea, Cassandra. I get the feeling the next couple of weeks will be exhausting."
She stiffened as the other person she didn't want to see or talk to invaded her head. "Lucifer. What do you want?"
"Nothing. Just to give you a friendly warning. Things are happening in the city that intrigue me."
Rolling her eyes didn't have the same effect when there wasn't anyone there to see her do it. "Things are always happening here, but it must be strange to intrigue you. Nothing excites you anymore. Am I going to have to worry about you interfering or can I just deal with Mika'il on this?"
Lucifer's laugh rang through her head like the purest bells on a clear day. "Worry about the archangel for now, Cassandra. I'll be in touch."
"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered after his presence had left her mind.
"What?"
"Nothing, Eli. Just talking to myself."
Any hope of resting before meeting up with Mika'il was gone. She turned to face the window, wishing for the thousandth time she could see the city as it passed by.
* * *
Nevan Largent tossed his keys on the kitchen counter as he walked into his house. Cassandra had been right. When the techs did their job, the walls had lit up in huge blood splatter patterns, plus there had been old symbols painted in older dried blood on the walls and floors.
Standing there, he stared at the phone. When he'd left Chicago, he had vowed never to contact anyone from there. But he needed information and there was one person who he knew could help him. With a huff of annoyance, he picked up the phone then dialed.
"Hello?"
"Grant, it's Largent."
"Well, well, if it isn't our favorite detective. What apocalyptic event happened to make you call us?" Grant's voice filled with sarcasm.
"Is Danielle there? I need to talk to her."
"Sure."
He could hear Grant call for Danielle, and Nevan was glad that when it came to these situations, Grant didn't display any curiosity. Knowing fallen angels existed and all those legends were true was more than enough for Danielle's man.
"Nevan."
"Hello, Danielle. How are you doing?"
"We're surviving, considering Lucifer took Christian's soul last week." Sadness and worry colored her words.
Nevan wasn't privy to most of what went on in the world of fallen angels and the ones they hunted, but even he knew that wasn't a good thing. "Is there anything Mika'il can do?"
Danielle cleared her throat. "No. We just have to wait and see what Lucifer does with all that power."
Well, after hearing that, his problem didn't seem all that serious. He considered not asking Danielle for help and just hanging up.
"What can I do for you, Nevan?"
"I need some help."
There was no hesitation. "I can get a flight out and be there tomorrow afternoon."
Her willingness to come without knowing what he needed touched him, especially after he'd acted like such an ass every time he dealt with her in Chicago. "Just information right now. What can you tell me about the occult and druids?"
She thought for a moment. "Is this about your cousin?"
"Yes. He's been murdered, or at least I think he has. We haven't found his body, but there were occult symbols at the murder scene." He didn't like the idea of having to purposefully enter the world he'd run from most of his life.
"I can check around and see if I can get you a name of someone you can talk to out there. I'm sorry." Her voice went soft.
"I know."
"If there wasn't a body, how did you find out about the murder? Did you see something?"
Shaking his head even though she couldn't see him, Nevan said, "I brought my partner in when Patrick didn't answer my phone calls or the door when I went to check on him. We couldn't find anything, so Davidson called in this woman he works with." He didn't want to say anything, but he knew he couldn't hide it from her. "She's one of you."
"One of me? Oh, you mean a fallen angel." Danielle hummed under her breath for a second. "I guess she could be. I don't know everyone who lives out there. What was her name?"
"Cassandra. I didn't get her last name. She's blind, which is weird. Can't your kind heal from just about any kind of injury?"
"For the most part, yes. Her name doesn't sound familiar, but while I'm looking to find someone for you to talk to, I'll see if I can get some information on her as well. She's psychic?"
Nevan strolled over to his fridge to check what kind of food he had. "I don't know. Is it what we call psychic ability or is it because of her being a fallen?"
"Good question. I'll have to do some research on this."
"I think she knows about me. She said I was touched by the paranormal."
Danielle laughed. "You can't get away from being a sensitive just because you're uncomfortable with it. Being a fallen, she'd know you had abilities even if she wasn't blind. You chose to be one before you were born, Nevan. Deal with it and use it."
"How soon can you get me those names?" He wasn't interested in discussing his talents at the moment.
"I'll email them to you in the morning."
"Thank you, Danielle. I owe you." He stared at the containers of leftovers, wondering if he had enough energy to heat them up.
"Just be happy, Nevan. That's all I want for you."
After hanging up, he stuffed his phone back in his pocket then pulled out a Tupperware dish. He checked to make sure it was still good before he popped it in the microwave. While waiting, he leaned against the counter and stared at the floor.
"What were you into, Patrick? Why couldn't you have left well enough alone?" Nevan clenched his hands. "Did you want this curse so badly that you would've sacrificed for it?"
Unfortunately, his cousin couldn't answer him. Nevan's head shot up when a thought hit him. He could see the dead and spirits caught in the mortal world. Those who were murdered tended to hang around because of the violence committed against them. Yet there hadn't been anything in Patrick's house.
Had Patrick been injured in the house, then taken elsewhere and killed? Was that why his spirit wasn't there? Or could something else have been done to him? He'd have to wait until he got Danielle's email before he could proceed. At least Nevan had Davidson to help him find out who had killed Patrick and why.
Nevan had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't going to be thrilled when he found out the truth. The microwave dinged and he removed his dinner. After grabbing a fork, he wandered into the living room then flopped on the couch.
There had to be a football game on some channel. He'd watch TV and eat before taking a shower and going to bed. He hoped they didn't catch another dead body. A good night's rest would help him focus in the morning.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Los Angeles"
by .
Copyright © 2014 Tiffany Aaron.
Excerpted by permission of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
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