Page 49 of Avenging Angel

Well, that just won’t do. With everything barreling down on us and Uri’s warning that sacrifices will need to be made, waiting any longer isn’t an option. “Angel, can we talk outside?”

“Sure,” he says, standing up and then helping me from my chair.

“Ooh, someone’s in trouble,” Seth singsongs as we walk toward the door. His taunting is quickly cut off when Vinny lightly slaps the back of his head.

Once we’re alone outside the diner, I keep my back turned and look at the cloud-covered sky. While focusing on its bluish tint, I say, “Snow will be coming. That could be both a blessing and a curse. Easier to track, but more dangerous to traverse.”

Angel stands next to me, staring at the same sky. “True, but you didn’t ask me out here to talk about the weather. I know my family can be a little overwhelming, but….”

“They’re wonderful,” I tell him. “Jaxon is fortunate to be marrying into a family who loves each other so much but also ribs each other just as fiercely. My family is like that, but on a much smaller scale.”

I feel Angel’s fingers entwine with mine before he turns me so that we’re facing each other. His other hand grazes my cheek and cups it gently, the warmth from his touch seeping into my skin. “Are you having second thoughts about moving our relationship out of the friend zone?”

“I don’t think we were made to be just friends, Angel, because I’ve never had an instant connection like I did with you down in Colombia. Trust me, I don’t go kissing men I just met, dire circumstances or not. When I said that friendship is the only thing I can offer, I lied because I wanted to protect my heart. I don’t care if you worked for the CIA and have to keep things from me. I know the importance of secrecy.”

“But I don’t work for them anymore,” he says.

“No, but the FBI, DEA, HSA, NSA, or any other three-letter agency would scoop you up in a heartbeat. It would be the same thing. My point is that none of that matters to me. You’ve protected me twice by putting yourself in harm’s way to keep me out of it. Like you said inside the diner, you have the head wound to prove it.”

“I’ll keep doing it as long as you give me the chance,” Angel says. “I’m all in, Daisy.”

“Are you?” I ask. “You haven’t kissed me yet.”

It finally dawns on Angel what this conversation is really about. Instead of pressing his lips to mine like I want, he throws his head back and laughs.

I take a step back and narrow my gaze. “It’s not funny!”

Angel tugs me close and moves his hands around my waist, touching his forehead to mine. “It’s not funny, but I made a promise to your brother that I wouldn’t kiss you until you kissed me first. I’ve been waiting six months to really kiss you again, six months since I apologized for the first one like an idiot.”

He lowers his voice as my hands come up to his chest and rest there, feeling the fast rhythm of his heartbeat under my palms. “I’ll wait a thousand years until you’re ready, but the first kiss is up to you. A quick peck on my lips or one on my cheek doesn’t count. After that, I’ll….”

I don’t wait for him to make promises with his words as I press my lips against his. For the briefest second, Angel goes still as though he needs to be certain I won’t change my mind. Then he kisses me back with unrestrained intensity, and the relief in it nearly undoes me. Six months of wanting, waiting, and holding back vanish in an instant.

I respond with everything I haven’t known how to say and cling to the kiss, pouring every fear, every hope, and every moment we’ve lost into it. The way Angel kisses me leaves no room for doubt about what he feels or where we go from here.

We’re in our own world as the real one fades around us when it’s shattered by the sound of someone clearing his throat. “And here I thought you would be more concerned with your objective,” Bennett says. “Instead, I find that you’re more interested in each other than what’s at stake.”

Refusing to be embarrassed, I square my shoulders and turn to Bennett. “Taking a moment to remember what we’re fighting for isn’t something to be scoffed at. The girls who were taken may never have had the chance to experience a kiss that wasn’t bought and paid for.”

Angel doesn’t step in front of me to shield me from Bennett’s glare the way most men with a protective streak like his would. Instead, he stands at my side, takes my hand in his, and treats me like an equal, like someone perfectly capable of taking care of herself. I appreciate that Angel won’t fight my battles for me. Instead, he chooses to fight alongside me.

“Why are you even here?” Angel asks. “So far, you’ve shared very little and helped even less. From my point of view, you seem to have Dominion’s best interests at heart instead of ours.”

“Your team seems to have things well in hand,” Bennett replies. “Consider me more like a supervisor who steps in only when needed.”

“We need information on Dominion, Brad Callahan, and Kenneth Johnson,” I say.

“Dominion is off-limits, Daisy. The abductions are just a small fraction of what they’re involved in. If you go after Dominion, dozens of CIA operations would be put in jeopardy. I can’t stress that enough. The agency cannot afford for the public to know that we use their services to hide our clandestine actions. They’ll do anything to protect their secrets, including silencing anyone who poses a threat.”

“Dominion’s secrets or the CIA’s?” Angel asks.

“Both,” Bennett says without any shame.

Frustrated, I leave Angel’s side and step closer to Bennett, staring up at him and really looking into his eyes. They’re soulless and without remorse. “Those secrets need to be exposed, regardless of who they belong to. I’m not afraid of dying in order to do that.”

Bennett steps closer to me, and Angel does the same when he sees the flash of anger in Bennett’s gaze. I hold up my hand to Angel because Bennett doesn’t scare me. “Just be patient as nothing stays a secret forever, Daisy. You, of all people, should know that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Angel asks from behind me. Once again, he’s there to back me up, not take charge.