Dark Wings (Never Dark Book 1) Read Free Page B

your report on my d esk?” a gruff, baritone voice grumbled through my earpiece.
    Uh-oh . My boss, Mr. Cole Nark, only used last names when he is really pissed off and I guess I made it worse by ignoring his calls. Cole was the chubby human put in charge of our Earth headquarters. God knows why, he was useless mostly. Our human workers are given a serum that prevents them from talking about our business to other humans. I thought it’d be easier to hire an angel, but the Council thinks it’s important to associate with those we protect. Whoever came up with that should’ve been shot on the spot.
    “I got in late ,” I replied, my voice slightly husky from lack of sleep.
    “I don’t care if you got in five minutes ago. You know the protocol. Mission. Report. Rest. Not Mission, rest and report whenever you feel like it.”
    In my mind I could see him doing the hand gestures that he does with every. Single. Word.
    I rolled my eyes. “Sorry , sir.”
    “If you aren’t up to this mission , maybe I should get into contact with your leaders in the Never Dark and have them put someone else on the job. Hmm?”
    This got my attention. “No, sir. I will bring the report right away, sir.”
    “Good.” He hung up.
    I blew air out of my cheeks and fell back onto my pillow. I had planned to go to the headquarters and fill out the report last night, but I couldn’t clear my head. The last thing I wanted was for higher authorities to pull me off the case. This was my case. Only I could deal with Lucas. I needed that closure.
    I wrote the report when I got back to my apartment last night. I wanted to be alone when I wrote it—I wanted the right to throw things and punch things. I wanted to cry and yell at the top of my lungs . Writing reports at headquarters didn’t give me that freedom. So, when I got home, I did all those things. My colleagues saw me as a loner, a moody bitch that didn’t want to socialize with anyone, and after a while they stopped bothering with me. To them I didn’t have emotions. I just kicked ass and did my job. They understood that I was here to protect Earth, not make friends.
     
    ***
     
    I parked my black Jeep Range Rover in the private parking around the back of the headquarters. On the surface, the headquarters building claimed to house a computer repairs store. That was a front—obviously. Below the surface was a huge underground office filled with state of the art office equipment. Everything was white and silver. Anything that wasn’t white and silver was a shiny metal. I checked my reflection in the side door of my SUV. I was still flustered from seeing Lucas up close and personal last night. I straightened my white tank top and adjusted the leather belt that held up my denim jeans. I hated wearing normal clothes, it made me feel vulnerable. I preferred my catsuit—it made me feel safe and prepared for anything.
    I entered in through a back door , but not without scanning my handprint—the scanner was concealed behind a secret plank of wood. Once inside, I proceeded down a small hallway that led directly to an extremely narrow flight of stairs. I wondered how Cole managed to fit down here. I was naturally slim, so the slender spaces were easy for me.
    Everything leading up to the door that opened into our lobby was concrete—the walls, floor, and ceiling. The dull greyness of the walls absorbed the incandescent light that attempted to illuminate my way. And when I entered the lobby, I found the place just as dreary and cold as the staircase that led me here.
    “Hi!” The receptionist called in her annoyingly high pitched voice.
    I stepped toward her, using all my strength not to roll my eyes. She was new. The receptionist we had yesterday was old, bordering on ancient. The new receptionist reminded me of Barbie, yet somehow more fake than the famous plastic icon. She had fake, platinum blonde hair, fake tan, and it seemed someone had shoved a cake in her face, or maybe it was her