“Yes, I can. I’ll be fine. It’s just up the road from the main house. You can leave someone there with me if you want. I need to be where Dalton was.” She clutched his shirt. “Please.”
He relented and carried her toward the cabin, laid her down on the bed, and covered her.
Angie was there a minute later, pressing a cool, wet washcloth over her face. It felt good, washing away some of the grit and the tears.
“You want me to stay with you?” she asked.
“No. I need to be alone. I need to process all of this.”
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”
Isabelle loved her sister. It would be good to spend time with her again. Just not right now, not when she was so raw, when everything hurt so damn much. “I’ll be all right. Please, just let me be. I need to sleep. I’m so tired, Angie.”
Angie pressed a cool hand to her forehead, then swept it down her cheek. “You’re not alone, Izzy I’m here. We’re all here for you. You’re never going to be alone.”
Isabelle grasped her sister’s wrist. “I never told you how sorry I am.”
Angie tilted her head. “For what?”
“For Sicily. For what I tried to do to you.”
Her sister smiled, tenderness and love reflected in her eyes. “That wasn’t you, Izzy. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
The tears started fresh. “You’re too forgiving.”
Angie bent down and kissed her cheek, then slid a box of tissues in front of her. “And you’re not forgiving enough of yourself. Let it go.”
Isabelle nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Ryder and I are going to stay here with you. We’ll be in the other room if you need us.”
“Okay.”
Angie left and closed the door, leaving Isabelle in blissful darkness.
Exhaustion took over and she fell into a hard, dreamless sleep. When she woke, it was still dark.
Something had awakened her. A sound, maybe?
Fear jacked her heartbeat up to a hard pounding. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood.
Maybe it was Angie coming back to check on her. But if it was, she’d be in here by now. Isabelle stared at the closed bedroom door for a full minute, waiting. Nothing happened.
Probably just her imagination. She went into the bathroom to splash cold water on her face, then turned off the light. As she walked through the doorway back into the bedroom, her breath caught as she saw a dark shape stepping through the sliding glass door to the bedroom.
Hadn’t that been closed and locked when she’d come in here? She couldn’t remember. She glanced at the door leading to the living room, to Ryder and Angie, and back at the figure who stood like a sentinel now that he was fully in the room.
She could scream, or she could run. She could do both.
She had to do something, and now.
“Isabelle. Don’t scream.”
It was a whispered plea.
In Dalton’s voice.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Isabelle reached for the doorway, dizziness weakening her knees.
Dalton? It couldn’t be.
But as he moved toward her, she found herself unable to move. She recognized his walk, though. And the closer he came, the more familiar the shadow seemed.
Was she still dreaming? Maybe she wasn’t awake at all.
He reached her, and pulled her upright. And oh, God, it was his face. His hands were warm as he snaked them around her waist to drag her against him. His kiss was tender, and oh, so real.
This was no dream. She sobbed against him, unable to control the flood of emotions that burst from her.
At the same moment, the bedroom door burst open. She pulled away just as Ryder came through, his laser aiming right at them.
Isabelle stepped in front of Dalton and held up her hand. “Don’t! It’s Dalton.”
Ryder flipped the wall switch and bathed the room in light.
“Jesus. You’re alive?”
Angelique was right on Ryder’s heals, weapon in hand.
“I’m alive.”
“What the hell’s going on?” Ryder asked.
“I have a lot to explain,” Dalton said. “But to Isabelle first.” Dalton put his arm around her. “I need to talk to her. Alone.”
Shaking, her mind awhirl with questions, Isabelle cast a pleading gaze to her sister. “Please.”
“Just give us tonight. I’ll meet with all of you in the morning.”
Ryder nodded. “We’ll head up to the house. I’ll let them know you’re alive. First thing in the morning you can come talk to Michael.”
“Thanks,” Dalton said.
They walked Ryder and Angelique to the front door, and Dalton turned the lock, then flipped the lights off, taking Isabelle to the sofa.
“I’m sorry about scaring you.”
She didn’t care about that. She kissed him, unable to believe he was there, alive. But his touch, his taste, it was all him, and she couldn’t get enough. Not when she had thought she’d never see him again. Her fingers tangled in the thick silkiness of his hair, then roamed down over the corded strength of his neck, his shoulders, his arms. And the way his mouth moved over hers, devouring it like he hadn’t seen her in years, proved he was just as happy to see her. Reluctantly, she pulled away.
“What happened with the Archangel?”
He dragged his hands through his hair. “I don’t know. When I disappeared there was nothing but a black void. I thought for sure the Archangel had granted my wish and I was going to be given over to the Sons of Darkness.”
“My demon is gone. I don’t feel it anymore.”
He grinned. “I know. The Archangel suddenly appeared before me and told me our dual wishes for self-sacrifice were so sweet it was like a sugar overdose. Then he gave me a choice.”
“What kind of choice?”
“Redemption or humanity.”
She pressed her fingers to her lips, too afraid to ask, but too curious not to. “What did you choose?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
Her stomach fell. “Oh, God, Dalton. You gave up redemption.”
“You were willing to trade your life for mine,” he reminded her.
She shrugged. “I’m half demon. The Sons of Darkness were after me. What kind of life is that? You were an angel.”
“A fallen one.”
She laid her palm against his jaw. “An angel, Dalton. I’m nothing compared to that.”
“Apparently the Archangel disagreed, because he didn’t accept your offer to die. Or mine, either, for that matter. And I chose humanity because I wanted to be with you, because I love you. What good would redemption be if I’m miserable? I’d just screw it up again and end up damned.”
Tears filled her eyes. She’d never been weepy before, but lately she’d been such an emotional basket case. “I love you. I can’t believe you did this for me. And the demon blood in me is …”
“It’s gone, Isabelle. You won’t have to fight the demon side of yourself any longer. The Sons of Darkness will have no use for you.”
She felt as if a giant weight had lifted off her. For someone who had thought so little of herself for so long, she suddenly felt like she might actually deserve this happiness after all.
“So you’re human?”
His brows lifted and he smiled. “Totally.”
She warmed at the thought and leaned against him. “I really like the sound of that. I can’t begin to tell you how I fell apart when you disappeared. It was like a part of me died.”
He sobered at her words. “I’m sorry. I know. I felt the same way. It hurt to leave you. And then I suddenly appeared back at the circle in the woods with the Archangel, and he explained things to me and gave me my choice. I figured you’d end up back here, and I really wanted some time alone with you first before explaining things to the rest of them.”