A Most Excellent Midlife Crisis - Robyn Peterman Page 0,61

all knew each other. I wanted to know how many shitty ones there were like Clarissa. Instead, I zeroed back in on my father. I’d ask Gideon the questions later.

“Start talking, please,” I said.

“That was polite,” Candy commented.

“Can’t be helped,” I said. “It’s the way I was raised.”

“I can help you undo that,” she offered.

“I’ll pass.”

Charlie cleared his throat and aimed his attention at my father. “Continue, Michael.”

The Archangel nodded curtly. “What I’m about to say could destroy someone I would willingly die for,” he said so softly, I leaned in. “I believe the Angel of Mercy is near. There’s a reason we couldn’t find her. We’ve searched in all the wrong places.”

Gideon ran his hands through his hair and made a disgusted sound deep in his throat. “I agree. Charlie and I believe Clarissa is most likely hiding in plain sight.”

“I’d thought the remnants of her footprint were left over from her time here,” Charlie explained. “However, now I believe they’re more recent.”

“I concur,” Tim whispered, looking over his shoulder and shuddering.

“Umm… that might have been good information to have shared,” I hissed, glaring at all of them.

“It was just discussed this morning,” Gideon assured me. “You have never been alone without Immortal protection in that time.”

“And you will not be left alone,” my father promised.

“Okay,” I said, my mind racing. “Spit out the reason we’re huddled together and whispering.”

“Clarissa has Alana’s soul,” he said, as my heart lodged in my mouth.

“Not possible,” Karma said, shaking her head.

“She has it,” my father growled. “When Alana wasn’t in the darkness or the light, I confronted Clarissa. She told me she was keeping Alana’s soul as leverage. She’s used the abhorrent fact against me since the day Alana died.”

“That’s why you’ve ignored me?” I asked, not following. “Because of my mother’s soul?”

He nodded.

“Nope. Not buying it,” Gideon ground out. “She was five when her mother passed. In all that time, you never acknowledged Daisy. Holes. Too many holes, Archangel.”

“We tried to hide Daisy’s existence from Clarissa since the day she was born, to protect her. It was Alana’s choice,” my father admitted with great sadness.

Many things were clicking together now, but many of the pieces were still missing.

“What are you omitting?” I pressed. “And no bullshit or shades of gray.”

My father sighed dramatically and raised his eyes to mine. His focused attention made me forget anyone else was in the room. His power was immense.

“For thousands of years, Clarissa and I were lovers on and off,” he said.

“Jesus, you get around,” Karma muttered.

“Enough,” Charlie chastised Karma, who zipped it quick.

I had the same thought, but never would have voiced it. John Travolta was thousands of years old. He was bound to have had many lovers during that time, and insulting him was counterproductive. I still needed to know more.

“Go on, please,” I said.

The Archangel nodded. “I never loved Clarissa. It was simply two people who had lived for eternity and were bored. Or that’s what I’d believed.”

“She loved you,” I whispered. “She loved you, and then you fell in love with my mother.”

Again, he nodded. His expression was pained. “We made every effort to hide it from everyone.”

“I never knew,” Charlie said.

“That was the point,” he said.

“But Clarissa found out and lost her mind,” Gideon surmised.

“She did,” my father said. “She threatened Alana’s life. As long as I stayed away from Alana, she was satisfied.”

“But you didn’t stay away from my mother,” I said, knowing the end of the love story was tragic, but somehow thankful that my mother had true love.

Michael shook his head. “We were as necessary to each other as breathing,” he said. “We were so secretive of our love, not even your grandmother knew.”

Gram’s words about my mother being private about her beau’s echoed in my mind.

“But Clarissa knew?” Gideon asked, not wanting the Archangel to leave out anything important.

“For several years, Clarissa suspected nothing. She would pop in and out to make sure I’d kept my word.”

“You didn’t,” Charlie said.

“No. I didn’t,” my father agreed.

“She worked for you when I did. She posed as your daughter,” I said.

“She insisted on it,” he replied, and then paused. “She did it to keep an eye on me and an eye on you.”

“That’s scary, but I’m still confused,” I said, trying to make linear sense of all I was learning. “Why does Clarissa have my mother’s soul?”

“Everything was fine until you were about five. We’d stayed hidden well,” he said. “You were correct that you have been to my