Arch had remained strangely silent throughout the fiasco, but all of a sudden he chuckled. Shayne shot him a puzzled look as he wondered what he was laughing at. Angels were the proverbial wildcard. Nobody knew how strong Arch's powers were, which always left the joke being on anyone who wasn’t him. It was a feeling Shayne hated with a passion.
“I’ve got a job for you,” Arch said, in a serious tone of voice. “It’s a special assignment.”
Shayne glared at him. “Why am I not surprised?” he retorted, leaning back and crossing his arms. “What is it this time?” He stopped and grimaced, remembering some of his past jobs.
His eyes narrowed at Arch. “At least this time I don’t have to worry that it’s shoveling shit from the barn after your horse ate some bad grass.” Even after three hundred years, he still wouldn’t let Arch forget that one. Why couldn’t he have cleaned up after his own damn horse? Shayne would much rather battle demons than ever take on one of Arch’s “special” jobs.
Arch ignored him. “We have a situation in Alaska,” he said, with a somber expression on his face. His gaze never wavered. “Jesse is back.”
Shayne’s eyes widened, his body learning forward as he automatically went into endurer mode. “You’re shitting me.”
Several years before, Jesse, along with a few of his demonic buddies, had gone on a killing rampage. Arch had gotten word of it and was able to clean up the mess before it was found by the local police department. He’d also arranged for the bodies to be sent back to their families so they could have closure.
Several innocent lives had been lost, though, and Jesse immediately became a priority. Arch had sent a team to Jesse's apartment in New York, but after a short, brutal battle, they lost him. The demons had moved him into Hell to avoid capture, and he hadn’t been seen since.
Arch raised an eyebrow at him as he slowly said, “I don’t shit anybody. He’s back with plans to snatch a woman named Anna. Four days ago, minions killed her mother, Iris. Anna has no idea they are coming for her. It’s your job to make sure they don't get her. You need to get her down here as soon as possible. It's the only way to keep her safe.”
Shayne picked up his mug and drained it before slamming it back down and standing up. This time he didn’t want a refill. He laid a hundred down on the bar, and slipped his wallet back into his pants. “How soon do you need me to leave?”
Arch stood up and jerked his head toward the door. They made their way through the thick throng of people and out into the chill of the night air. Turning towards Shayne with a mischievous smile, he said, “How about now?” With a snap of Arch's fingers, Shayne disappeared, not a trace of him left behind.
Chapter 2
ANNA SPENT HOURS GRIEVING over Iris until finally she felt as if she didn't have any more tears to cry. After her tears had stopped, the silence of the cabin got to her. She decided to turn on the television for background noise, even though her heart wasn't into watching anything. She just felt numb. Numb and frozen.
She settled into a comfortable position on the couch. Exhaustion settled in. She dozed for a moment, then jerked awake. Then she wondered why she even bothered trying to stay up. It wasn't as if she had somewhere else to be.
Within moments, Anna was fast asleep and dreaming.
SEVERAL CARS WERE IN the driveway of the hunting lodge Jesse had rented when Anna pulled up. Anna's brow furrowed in puzzlement when she recognized Suzi Sellers' car. She was sure it was hers, and in Anna's mind, it just didn't belong there. As far as she knew, Suzi and Jesse weren't close. Jesse was her boyfriend, even though the other woman had made it clear she was interested in him.
Anna had gone to school with Suzi, and now she worked with her at the local sporting goods store. As the daughter of the owner, Suzi felt she could treat the help any way she wanted to and often did. The fat jokes and insults never stopped, not unless her father, Mr. Zellers, was around. Anna worked hard to make the best of it while she was on the clock. However, hanging out with Suzi after work wasn’t the way Anna had anticipated spending her romantic evening with Jesse.
Anna had met Jesse at the store where she worked at. He, along with a few friends, was in Alaska for the hunting season and needed supplies. They just happened to come in on Anna's shift.
Suzi was the perfect cheerleader type, but Jesse had walked straight by her to ask for Anna’s help. Within minutes, he had invited her to dinner. Suzi, noticing that she wasn't getting his attention, hadn't liked it. Since then, Suzi had become even crueler, but Anna just ignored her.
Jesse was her first boyfriend. In fact, he was the first man to show any interest towards her at all in the small community she lived in. At nineteen, she was in love, and she believed he was destined for her. It was like a dream come true that the tall, blond-haired stockbroker was interested in a plain, plus-sized woman like her.
Although they hadn’t kissed yet, Anna was sure they would that night. They had been dating for a few weeks, but it was the first time he'd invited her over. She was certain it meant something.
Her cheeks reddened immediately from the cold Alaskan night as she got out of her truck and locked the
