Redemption Read Free Page B

days when Nick wondered the same thing.
     
    Bastion shook his head and leaned against the door. Mara was good at her job, he’d give her points for that. She’d managed to get the jump on him, positioning herself next to Bryan on the plane. All he’d been able to do was watch her move in. Just like he watched Bryan now as he struggled to remember what he was planning to do for the day. The guy was a total mess - wild hair, crazy beard in need of shaving. The man he used to be had been swallowed up by this stranger. This person who seemed unfamiliar with the concept of personal hygiene. He’d given up, or more accurately, given in. To Mara.
    Bryan had been a strong man; he could be again.
    He just needed to get away from the devil girl in his bed. Bastion scowled. Sometimes, the confines of being an angel made his job more difficult. With that stipulation to follow the rules and all.
    Mara had no rules to follow except one: break all the rules.
    The second she was away from the human, Bastion would approach her. He knew she wouldn’t really listen; she’d made her choice millennia ago. Still, the time had been when she’d been the closest thing someone like him could have to a sister. They’d been created to balance one another - she was energy, passion, warmth, and he was security, support, a safeguard.
    Now, the apathy she spread slowly ate her victims alive from the inside out. She consumed them, made them give up, made them blind to the life that teemed in the world around them. She sucked out their souls and ate them with whipped cream and sprinkles on top.
    He jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He hated to admit it, and would never say it aloud to either Vizuhn or Feyth - they would never understand - but he missed her.
    Bastion turned and vanished into the shadows. Bryan would leave the house as soon as Mara was sure her hold on him was strong enough. He’d make his move then. There was really no point in trying now; the mortal wouldn’t hear a thing through Mara’s sex-induced coma, anyway.

Chapter 3
     
     
    S omething was stabbing him, and Bryan was pretty sure he was going to die. He clutched his chest and shot up in bed, sweating and breathing hard. Mara was gone. He looked around the room, disoriented. Nothing made sense in waking moments like these except for the intense pain. That was familiar. That had a name.
    Miranda.
    He winced and fell back against his pillow. Time was supposed to heal all, or some crap like that. Nick would have another cliche to quote to him. Nick always had a cliche handy.
    Nick.
    He swore.
    Bryan sat up again; he was supposed to call Nick back. There were messages, many of them. At this point, Bryan had probably done a good job of making himself out to be a world-class jerk. He picked up his cell and scrolled to voice mail. There were, he noticed, five new messages.
     
    “Bryan, it’s Nick. Listen, I’ve been trying to get you for a while, man. Have you gotten any of my messages? Call me.”
    “Bryan, Nick again. Carrie and I are getting married in two weeks. We need a photographer. You’re the best we know.”
    “Bryan, where are you, man? Call me.”
    “Bryan, Carrie’s on me about this photographer thing. Time’s running out. Call me.”
    “Hey, Bryan. It’s Nick. I don’t know if you’re screening your calls or what. Call back. Let me know I’m not leaving messages on some other poor guy’s phone bugging the crap out of him for no good reason....” BEEP.
    “...unlike the good reason I have for bugging the crap out of you. Call.”
    “Bryan. Last chance, buddy. You have until Sunday to either take the job or stick me with Roy-the-amateur from church. Don’t let me down. Call me.”
     
    Married. Bryan swore again under his breath, pressed his hand to his chest - maybe he was having a heart attack - and hit send. Going back to Jersey was a fate worse than death ( Crap, another cliche. Freakin’ Nick. ), but he’d do it. Nick had taken the