A Most Excellent Midlife Crisis - Robyn Peterman Page 0,70
is she?”
“Gone,” I said, holding back tears with effort.
My adrenaline had spiked and now I was coming down hard. However, I still had work to do. Most of Jimmy Joe was unrecognizable. The promise I’d just made to Gram was looking impossible.
Nothing is impossible. You just have to believe.
Gideon’s eyes blazed red and his dark side took over. Shimmering ebony wings erupted from his back and a golden glow surrounded him. The span of his wings had to be six feet and the glowing light made them sparkle. He was beyond furious. As his ire mounted, he began to growl and speak in the language I’d heard him speak in Hell.
“She harmed you,” he hissed, carefully picking me up off the floor and examining me.
“She didn’t look so good when she left, either,” I said, trying to make light of one of the scariest episodes in my life thus far.
“I will destroy her,” he snarled, gently touching my torn cheek.
The Grim Reaper was a sight to behold. Gideon was still Gideon, but he was also a beautiful, deadly winged beast. His gentleness with me was in direct juxtaposition to the fury simmering below the surface.
“Kind of hurts,” I said, trying to remove his hand from my bloody face.
“Stay still,” he whispered, and continued to cup my cheek.
The sensation of tiny, searing-hot needles piercing my skin in quick succession made me want to scream. However, the look of concern and love in Gideon’s blazing red eyes made me grit my teeth and bear it.
“Stay with me, Daisy,” he said. “I’m trying to do this quickly.”
“Tattoo my face?” I asked with a grimace, trying to make a joke.
It fell a little flat. It was difficult to be funny when my face was on fire.
“No,” he said, with a tight smile. “I’m healing you. The pain will be gone soon.”
“How soon?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Done,” he said, removing his hand and pulling me against him with care.
“Thank you,” I said into his chest.
My face still throbbed, but the burning sensation was gone. I had no clue if I’d be scarred for life physically, but I was pretty sure there would be some mental baggage left over.
“Where is Heather?” Gideon asked in a terse voice, holding his anger in check with effort.
“She wasn’t here,” I admitted. “Her rental car wouldn’t start so she transported home. She left a note.”
Gideon expelled a frustrated sigh and I felt his body tighten. “And you didn’t call me,” he stated flatly.
“I didn’t call you,” I confirmed. “That fact is at the top of the list of the stupidest things I’ve done in my life.”
“Correct,” Gideon said, holding me tighter. “You will never do anything like that again. Am I clear?”
Although, I was tempted to fire back that I was the boss of me, I didn’t. He was correct—a little alpha dude with the delivery, but correct. The man loved me and I loved him. If the tables were turned, I’d want to kick his ass.
“I will never do that again,” I promised.
“Ever?” he pushed.
“Never ever,” I assured him.
Gideon’s body relaxed somewhat, but his hold did not. “You could have died.”
I simply nodded.
“That’s unacceptable,” he said, sounding pained.
“I didn’t,” I pointed out. “I’m here. Where’s Steve?”
“I sent him to get the other Immortals in case Clarissa was still on the premises,” Gideon replied.
Gram floated over with Jimmy Joe’s head cradled in her arms. “My Daisy girl kicked that nasty bitch’s ass. The nose on that heifer won’t ever be the same.”
“You broke the Angel of Mercy’s nose?” Gideon asked with a tiny trace of amusement in his voice.
“Busted it good,” Gram confirmed. “Nice wings, Gideon—real shiny. Can you fly with those suckers?”
Gideon chuckled. His wings retracted and rested on his back. “Thank you, Gram. And yes, I can fly with these suckers.”
“Love to go on a ride sometime,” she said, and then looked down at her beau’s head in her hands. “Jimmy Joe would have loved it too. Might’ve cried a little cause he’s afraid of heights and all, but I just know he would have loved it.”
“I have to fix him,” I said, moving away from Gideon’s warm embrace and getting back down on my hands and knees.
The Grim Reaper joined me. “What are we searching for?”
“Jimmy Joe Johnson,” I said, glancing around in despair. “He’s all over the place. I have to find all of him and put him back together. He saved Gram’s life.”
“But she’s dead,” Gideon whispered so Gram wouldn’t overhear.