After the Fall

Lash stopped struggling and glared at Jeremy. “I saw you. I know what you were doing. You lied to me!”

“It’s not like that,” Jeremy said. “She loves you.”

“And you love her! Admit it!” he spat.

“Tell him, Jeremy,” Naomi said, touching his arm. “Tell him you’re just confused. It’s not what he thinks.”

Sapphire eyes looked down at her, and raw emotion filled his handsome face.

“I can’t,” he croaked.

“No,” she whispered. She didn’t want it to be this way. Lash needed his big brother. “Please...just tell him.”

Jeremy bowed his head and turned. It was as if he couldn’t bear to face Lash. “You’re right. I love her.”

Lash let out a stream of curses. His fury was so intense, it took both evil twins to hold him down.

A loud clapping pierced the night air as Sal took a step toward Jeremy. “Well played, my friend. You can’t remember the past, and yet centuries later, you’ve still managed to keep Naomi by your side. You even got her assigned to work with you.”

“He’s lying. I never wanted to hurt you,” Jeremy said to Lash before turning to Sal. “And I am not your friend.”

“Oh, I’m hurt,” Sal said. “Really, I am. Well, this family drama has been entertaining, but I fear we must leave now. Say your good-byes, Lahash.”

The evil twins started to drag Lash away.

“No! Not him!” It didn’t make any sense. She was the one they were after. They’d bought out her entire neighborhood and gotten Welita and Chuy to leave and be placed under Lucifer’s watchful eye. They were here for her. “Take me. You’re here for me.”

Jeremy pulled her to his chest, restraining her. The dark twins ignored her pleas as they let out their black wings, ready to take flight.

They can’t be leaving. They can’t. Naomi struggled against Jeremy’s strong grip, trying to get to the man she loved.

“Lash, I love you!”

“Naomi, stop,” Lash said with an eerie calm.

Her eyes locked with his, and a cold swept through her at the expression on his face. It was the same way he’d looked at her when she was dying. It was as if he was saying good-bye to her. “You’ll always be in my heart,” he whispered.

He squeezed his eyes shut and muttered something to himself. He then took a deep breath, as if he’d made a decision. Opening his eyes, he turned to Jeremy, looking at him intently.

“Jeremy, listen to me,” he said in a low rumble. “I’m depending on your love for her. Do not let Sal or Lucifer get their hands on her. Promise me.”

“You have my word. I’ll watch over her as I would a sister.”

With those words, the dark angels flapped their wings, sending a strong gust through the trees, and flew away up into the sky. In an instant, they disappeared.

Lash was gone.

“No!” Naomi shrieked. She elbowed Jeremy hard in his stomach, making him drop to his knees, groaning. Flicking out her wings, she instantly went after them.

Where are they? Where did they go? Tears streamed down her face as she circled the night sky. They were nowhere in sight.

She was about to climb higher when Jeremy tackled her and they fell, slamming onto the ground.

“Let go of me.” She clawed and punched at him. “I need to go after them. Let. Me. Go!”

She punched him in the face with a loud crack.

“She is a wild one.” Sal cackled in the background.

She dove at Sal, but before she reached him, Jeremy threw himself on top of her. “Damn it, Jeremy!”

He helped her to her feet and stood behind her, his strong arms holding her in a tight grip. “I’m not letting you place yourself in danger.”

Ignoring Jeremy, she growled at Sal. “Take me, Asshole! You know Lucifer wants me. I’ll give you anything you want.”

Sal arched an eyebrow. “Anything?”

She froze. An icy chill went through her as Sal’s eyes traveled up and down her body.

She gulped. “Yes, anything.”

“I won’t let you,” Jeremy hissed. “She’s not for the taking, Saleos.”

He smirked. “You offer is...interesting, but I’m afraid I can’t take it at this time...although I think you would’ve enjoyed yourself.”

With a loud cracking sound, he spread his wings out to their full length and elevated up into the sky. Circling them, he said, “After all, I have body parts that are more impressive than the size of my wings.”

“Wait! Lucifer wants me. You know he does.”

Sal threw his head back and laughed. “He never wanted you. You were just bait.”

When Sal disappeared, Naomi’s legs gave out and she sank to the ground. She was so confused. While she was human, she’d been running to get away from Lucifer. Sal had hunted her down. He’d shot at her...twice! It even got Deborah and Nathan killed. Why had they put so much effort into trying to kill her, get rid of her, and now changed their minds?

“I don’t understand. Why Lash? What are they going to do to him?”

Jeremy stood off alone to the side, his face unreadable, staring off in the direction the dark angels had gone with Lash.

“Jeremy?”

He shook his head as if clearing it. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

“Why are they after Lash?”

“I don’t know.”

She sighed. “If I can’t trade myself for him, then we’ll just have to get him back by force.”

She stood up with a determined look on her face. “Okay, so we need to go back and let the others know what happened. We can come up with a plan to save him.”

She began to pace. “Now, how can we find him? I know. I’ll ask Raphael. Maybe he’ll know where they took him.” She turned to Jeremy. “Come on, let’s go.”

“We can’t go.”

“Why?”

Jeremy looked in the direction of the hospital. “We have jobs to do.”

She balked. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you telling me that I have to stay here and look over Megan?”

“Yes. It’s your duty.”

She looked back at the hospital, at the window to the room where Emma lay struggling for her life. Her job was to look over Megan. If she left, would that mean something would happen to Megan, leaving Emma all alone?

“Emma’s father will be here soon. And, I’m sure Megan will be okay. Besides, you let me go see Welita.” She bent her knees, ready to take flight.

“That was before.” Jeremy grabbed her arm.

“Before what?”

“Before I knew what Megan and Chuy have planned for the morning.”

She rolled her eyes. “That? Crashing in on a press conference? The most that will happen is they’ll sic the cops on her. Maybe get her charged with a misdemeanor. It’s nothing.”

“No, Naomi. You stay here. I’ll go.”

He looked nervously back at the hospital.

“Why won’t you let me go? It’s just Megan.”

A look of pain crossed Jeremy’s face. “It’s more than that.”