The Bound Angel (Sacrilege Rising: Book 1)

Chapter Fourteen

Mike lay in bed, wide awake, staring at the ceiling. He was both amped up and exhausted, the telltale sign of too little sleep.

It wasn’t the memories themselves that kept him awake. It wasn’t the prisoners stretched out on all those mattresses. Was prisoners even the right word? It seemed like they wanted to be there. It wasn’t even the things that crawled out of that portal.

It was the helplessness. The knowledge that he could have done something about it and didn’t. The chanting was seared into his mind, its dissonant chords and guttural language. It had been hours. How many more of those things had come through the portal while he lay in bed? Lana called them temptress and charmer, and they were clearly dressed to blend into society. Were they out on the streets right now?

He had to tell somebody. Someone needed to do… something. Maybe he should call the police. They would have access to guns and weapons. Then again, what would he tell them? He saw demons crawl through a burning hole in the floor? Yes officer, one looked like a mob kingpin, the other a model-turned-escort. No officer, I haven’t been drinking. Oh, while we’re at it do you want to talk about that church that burned down? The police were out. That just left him and Lana, unless she could call in backup.

His phone buzzed. Thinking there was no possible way he could feel any worse, Meredith’s name on the screen made his stomach sink, and he was proven wrong. He forgot about their plans last night and she’d spent half an hour waiting for him at the restaurant. He covered his face with a pillow and groaned. Loudly. The gray morning light coming through the window suited his mood.

He’d been purposely avoiding Lana, afraid to see disappointment on her face. She must have heard him, because her blonde ponytail came bouncing through his doorway a moment later. She was in her armor.

“Good morning,” she said brightly. The cheer in her voice ran counter to the guilt he was feeling.

He grunted in reply.

“What is wrong?”

“Last night,” he answered quietly. “I ruined it. You couldn’t save them because of me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Her face softened as he spoke. “Michael, you are too hard on yourself. I am the one who should apologize. I should not have put you in that position. Opening your mind is difficult, even more so under pressure. And breaking such a spell on your first attempt was unlikely to succeed. We will practice.”

“But what about the… demons?” Even after everything he’d seen, saying the word was a struggle. “There could be dozens of them now. Who knows how many people have been hurt, or killed, just since last night? Because of me.”

She tilted her head. “Michael, you are a kind, caring person. Responsible. Capable. Sometimes I forget just how new you are to this world. Monsters of the Abyss do not burn and pillage like a horde of mindless beasts. They whisper poison, manipulating man to take a darker path, one small decision at a time. Their goal is not to kill. It is to corrupt.”

Her voice took on a new tone then, low and quiet, like a wolf stalking her prey. “Why did your coworker receive the promotion when you clearly deserved it more? The bank will not foreclose if you miss just one payment, you deserve to treat yourself. She won’t tell anyone, so your wife will not find out.”

Mike blinked. “But that’s still bad, isn’t it? I mean bad thoughts lead to bad actions, right?”

“Yes, which is why we fight. But these things take time. Words and thoughts have power, but it does not happen overnight.”

“So… what? We just go on with our days while those, things, slowly ruin people’s lives?”

Lana flashed him a fierce grin. The wolf was done hiding. “No. Like I said, we fight.”

“But I thought our bond was holding you back?”

“Last night I could not intervene because you were with me. You would have been in danger had I interfered. However, I realize now, as long as I truly believe you are safe, my hand will not be stayed.”

The significance that she was wearing her armor dawned on him then.

“You’re going out right now, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

That buoyed his spirit.

She searched his face. “There is something else you are not telling me.”

Her ability to read his mind, or however she’d phrased it, would take some getting used to. “I was supposed to get dinner with Meredith last night.”

“And you have rescheduled?”

“Not yet.”

She gave him the same look Mom used to give when she caught him doing something stupid. It said, I know that you’re smarter than this. “You should not stand a woman up and then keep her waiting, Michael.”

“Right. On it. What about you? Will you be okay?”

“Oh yes. I will be just fine.” Her fingers flexed around the hilt of her sword as she stared at the wall. Or, more likely, through the wall. “Stay safe. Stick to your normal routine so I know where you are.”

“Got it.” He was feeling much better.

Lana held the door open with her foot and called over her shoulder, “Remember Michael, your deeds can give me strength. And today, extra strength would be welcome.” The door slammed shut behind her.

He repeated that line to himself. His deeds could give her strength. He texted Meredith back and apologized profusely, asking if they could meet tonight instead. She agreed, but she seemed justifiably annoyed.

Mike’s mind wandered while he biked to class through the rain. He’d ridden this way so many times he could do it on autopilot, even while avoiding the puddles. Where was Lana right that minute? He pictured her cutting down the broad-shouldered demon in the expensive suit.

There was a fluttering noise behind him. He adjusted his raincoat so it didn’t get caught in the rear wheel.

That night at the church, the angel with the flaming sword had taken down dozens of the robed monks, and that was with the element of surprise against him and the need to protect Lana. Would she do as well against full-fledged demons? He didn’t know, but her confidence buoyed his spirit.

In the city, everything was gray on rainy days like this. The sky, the buildings, the road, even the looks on people’s faces. Gray and miserable.

What would she do to that other demon, the one she called a temptress? An image of her came to mind unbidden. Her pouting lips. Her smooth, pale skin. How her chest shifted under her shirt. Maybe Lana would capture her as a prisoner.

When Mike walked into class, he noticed that even Professor Anders was a mess. His hair was plastered to his scalp and his umbrella dripped on the carpet where it was leaning against the wall. With everything going on, Mike didn’t know if he had it in him to pay attention today, but he would try.

The thought of dinner later that night would be a pleasant distraction. He had an early reservation with Meredith at the nicest restaurant he could afford. He had to make up for last night, even if it was just dinner between friends.

What should he wear? Being a broke college student meant he didn’t have a huge wardrobe, and what he did have was mostly casual. That didn’t mean he was totally out of nice clothes though. Maybe the navy buttoned down with…

Dark eyes at the back of the room caught his attention. Around the class, desks were set up in a horseshoe pattern with Anders’ podium in the center of the shoe’s opening. But the dimensions of the room didn’t correspond very well to that arrangement. It was too deep. So rows of tables were lined up in the back like church pews, extending to the far wall.

Mike found his ability to pay attention was directly correlated with how close he sat to the professor, so he tried to stay near the ends of the horseshoe. But today Allie was in the very last table in the back, the one farthest away from Anders. When she saw she had his attention, she nodded to the seat next to her.

Each step that took him to the back made him a little more anxious. What were you supposed to say in a situation like this? They hadn’t spoken since they hooked up the other night, and he couldn’t get the image of her kneeling, glaring up at him as he taunted her, out of his head. ‘Hooked up’ was a generous way to put it.

“Hey,” he managed lamely as he took the seat next to her.

“Hey,” she answered in a deep, manly voice clearly meant to be a bad impression of him. “Is that all you have to say to me?”

“Um, well-”

“Whatever. Did you see Katie? Somebody should tell her she looks like a beached whale in that top. And the rain isn’t doing her any favors.”

Mike sighed and took out his books.

Inflation was the topic of the day. With the election coming up it was the number one issue on everyone’s minds, dominating the news. Everywhere he looked was the price of eggs, the price of rent, the price of, well, just about everything. Mike did his best to focus on the slides that were showing how politics played a part in the messaging around inflation.

Anders droned on as he smoothed damp hair away from his eyes. “It is not about whether the economy is good or bad, since those terms are subjective. It is about what benchmarks we decide are important, what those benchmarks are saying today, and how they measure against historical trends. We want to compare how people think the economy is performing to how it is actually performing, and why there is such a disconnect.”

“Holy shit is that a toupee?” Allie said softly enough so only Mike could hear just as the lesson was starting to sink in. She leaned forward. “Oh my god it is, he’s wearing a rug!”

Annoyed, Mike turned and began thinking of ways to ask her to be quiet as politely as possible. But he came up short. Somehow, she’d managed to keep her face and hair completely dry and perfectly styled. The only signs of rain on her were a few drops scattered on her legs. Smooth, toned, deeply tanned legs. Light reflected off beaded water on skin like burnt caramel.

Anders continued, oblivious to Allie’s realization. “By most objective measures, including employment rate, GDP, real wages, and yes, inflation, the American economy is doing extremely well. Booming, even. However, poll after poll shows the people believe we’re in a recession. What could be causing the disconnect?”

“Disconnect my head from my shoulders and kill me,” Allie said loudly enough to draw snorts of laughter.

“It’s not so bad,” he whispered to her. “At least it’s about stuff that actually matters.”

“It seems,” Anders continued, unaware of Allie’s opinions on the topic, “the media continues to lean into inflation being a news story when it has been steady for well over a year. And there are very few mentions of the many positive economic indicators. Every piece of good press seems to get smothered by a dozen pieces about unease.”

“Oh my god this is so boring,” Allie said, louder this time.

Mike regretted sitting next to her. He hissed, “You really shouldn’t-”

Anders’ voice cut into their conversation. “Excuse me,” he said, as the rest of the class turned to look back at them. “Did one of you have a question?”

“Sorry professor,” Mike began to answer.

“Yes,” Allie cut him off. “How do you manage to keep your cool in the middle of all this excitement? I would be bouncing off the walls if I got to talk about,” she glanced at the screen, “inflation, all day.”

The room fell silent, and Professor Anders heard the tone in her voice. He summoned what courage he had in the face of every nerd’s worst nightmare, a bitchy, gorgeous woman looking for a geek to crush, and stood his ground.

“Miss, this class clearly isn’t something you’re interested in, but the rest-”

“Your hair is sideways.”

Those four words cut through the room like a knife. Eyes turned from their table in the back to Anders, where, due to his constant wiping from the rain, his hairpiece had in fact turned sideways. As he felt along the top of his head, his face graduated from bubble gum pink to tomato red. He adjusted, then had a decision to make. Confront her or ignore it.

“Well,” he huffed, and turned back to the screen. “You see, four years ago the economic indicators were actually much worse than they are today…”

Allie smirked. Another victory under her belt. No wonder she acted the way she did, nobody ever called her on her shit. He felt bad for Anders. The guy was just trying to do his job and ran into someone that liked to play with their food when they were bored.

But the way her eyes gleamed and her lips curled at the professor’s embarrassment made Mike’s heart race. She started to say something, to see just how far she could push it and force a second game of chicken against someone that had already given up once. When Mike cut her off with a look she rolled her eyes.

A moment later, a folded sheet of notebook paper slid in front of him. He opened it and read. “What are you thinking about?”

Mike rummaged around for a pen and wrote his response. “I can’t believe you said that to him.”

She tsked when she read his reply and scribbled on the paper.

“Oh relax, it was just a joke. He’s a dork.”

Mike didn’t know how to respond to that, so he didn’t, which frustrated Allie. She snatched the paper back and wrote again. When he reached for it this time, she lightly stroked the back of his hand as he picked it up.

“Come on. That’s not really what you were thinking about…”

“But that doesn’t explain why people are so up in arms about the economy now,” Anders’ voice managed to recapture his attention, “when they weren’t four years ago. Remember, the question is not whether the economy is good, because that is impossible to answer. The question is why do people think the economy is worse than it used to be, when every metric says it’s much, much better?”

Allie crossed her legs, making the beaded water sparkle in the light. He wrote, “You look good.”

“Just, good?”

“Fine. You know you look incredible. What are you thinking about?”

She smiled at his answer.

“Better. I’m thinking about how good your cock tastes.”

Mike immediately stiffened as he read her words. This time when he looked, he didn’t try to hide it. He let his eyes openly wander. He noticed the way her dark, almost black hair fell over her shoulders. The way her chest swelled against her shirt. The way her trim waist led to bare, caramel legs that kept going, and going.

She snatched the paper and wrote again. “I can feel your eyes on me. I wish it was your hands.”

He set the paper down and tentatively reached under the table. The first touch of warm, damp skin under his hand sent his heart pounding. He ran his palm from knee to thigh, savoring that first moment of intimacy. Then he moved higher, slowly, ever so slowly, until he reached the hem of her skirt. Presented with a decision, he moved higher still, fingers sliding under the fabric, touching the edge of cotton panties and the crease of inner thigh.s handHis hand

Allie stifled a gasp and covered his hand with her own to keep it from going any further. Mike’s breathing became heavy. His thoughts slowed to a crawl. Like the other night, a shadow fell over him like a cloud passing in front of the sun. He wrapped her smaller hand in his and pulled it into his lap. Her fingers curled around his length and gave it a reflexive pump.

As she stroked, he decided to explore, and reached out again. He became bolder, wandering further, and this time when he stroked the dampness in her panties she didn’t try to interrupt. Instead, she dropped her elbow on the desk and covered her mouth. Her hips started writhing in the chair as she rubbed herself against his fingers. When heads turned their way at the noise, she grabbed his wrist and forcefully placed his hand back in his own lap.

Allie scribbled on the paper.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Now she was the desperate one. The sudden shift in power made him smirk.

“What about class?”

“Fuck class. I need you.”

The chance to make her squirm was too delicious to pass up. The fact that what he said was also true was beside the point.

“This is important. I need to graduate.”

Allie huffed and firmly set the paper back on the desk before writing again. “Don’t you want to feel my lips wrapped around your cock?”

Mike didn’t answer.

She grabbed the paper and scribbled furiously. “You can do whatever you want to me.”

He was enjoying this. She couldn’t sit still, constantly shifting and adjusting in her seat. Mike wanted to smile, but that would give the game away. She tried to reach into his lap again, but he intercepted her hand and placed it back on the table. Power had truly shifted.

“You’re a real asshole, you know.”

He didn’t even pick the paper up this time. He just read it from where he was sitting, arms folded across his chest, and looked back up at the screen.

“Come oonnn.”

He replied back with one word.

“No.”

They sat through the rest of class, Allie shifting in her seat and rubbing her legs together, Mike dutifully paying attention and taking notes.

Eventually, mercifully, Anders wrapped up whatever he was saying. “That’ll do it for…”

Allie didn’t even wait for him to finish the sentence before she got up and pulled Mike out of his chair. She led him down the steps, practically dragging him along behind her while he smiled to himself.

***

Meredith’s fingers flew over the keyboard. She’d always been fast. Her dad made her take a typing class in high school which, though she hated it at the time, was paying off now. Her day was almost done. Just a few more emails to get out and Tom’s calendar to update and she could leave.

She didn’t mind her job, maybe even liked it a little. It wasn’t impressive or anything, but having a place, the feeling of being essential to something, was nice. She knew Tom would fall apart without her because she saw the state the place was in before she was hired. Things operated smoother now. People got where they needed to be on time and with the proper equipment. Expectations were clear and customers were happy, which made Tom happy.

She enjoyed her coworkers too. That was actually the most important thing. Good coworkers could make a bad job fun, and bad coworkers could make a great job miserable. She didn’t know if that said more about life in corporate America or people in general, but Tom was a good boss. He didn’t press her when she needed time off and even gave out bonuses last year.

She shuffled some schedules around and managed to squeeze in a job at the new bakery on Fayette. That should make everyone happy. Maybe they would send her some treats for getting them in on short notice. Yes, she was making a difference here.

They had a good group. Andy made everyone laugh, to the point she had to make sure she wasn’t drinking anything when he was in one of his moods. Her face warmed at the memory of spitting water out at lunch a few weeks back. And Tiffany was good people. The two of them stuck together. In a job full of men, it was nice having another woman around.

And Mike. He’d really caught her by surprise. He’d always been nice enough, of course. Polite, fit in well, didn’t piss anyone off. But she hadn’t ever really noticed him. Not in a bad way, he just wasn’t on her radar. Now she caught herself thinking about him whenever her mind wandered. How had she not noticed those forearms whenever he rolled up his sleeves? How had those big, calloused hands flown under her radar? And when he took his shirt off… she bit her lip. The sex was good. Better than good. Just the thought of it made her belly flutter.

The memory of the other night washed over her. She was in his bedroom again, dancing in her underwear. His reaction to her teasing was as adorable as it was gratifying. Hearing his breath catch gave her a thrill. The fact that a little showing off could render him speechless made her tingle. Then something changed.

His eyes grew dark and heavy as they raked up and down her body. Her breasts felt bigger and more sensitive under his gaze. Seeing that change pass over him made her pussy clench around empty air, desperate for something to hold on to. Her panties were soaked in an instant.

It made her want to crawl to him. It made her want to run her tongue along the valleys in his abs. It made her want to take his cock in her mouth and suck until neither of them could think straight.

His cock was another surprise, thick and heavy and perfect. When they finally fucked, she’d felt so full, so stretched, in the best possible way, in the way that let her know she’d have trouble walking later. And his mouth. The things he did with his mouth. The memory was making her drip right there in the office.

Just as importantly, they’d had fun at the bar. He was like a puppy then, wide eyed and innocent, and his vanilla sex life made her want to teach him a thing or two. The guilty look on his face when she caught him staring at her chest was delicious.

But he stood her up without a good excuse. His grandmother hadn’t gotten sick. He wasn’t called in to work, because obviously. Just some lame story about losing track of time. Guess his phone wasn’t working either. It was more than annoying. It was beyond rude to not even text her that he wouldn’t make it or respond to any of her messages. Maybe he hadn’t had as much fun as she thought. She was wary after the situation with Frank, and this was a big red flag.

And it didn’t fit with everything else she knew about him. He was always on time for work, always responsible and polite, an all-around nice guy. So she would give him the benefit of the doubt, this one time. But her radar was turned on now. One more misstep and she’d wipe her hands clean of him, big hands or no big hands. She wouldn’t get hurt again, because if it didn’t feel right, she wouldn’t let herself get attached again.

And still, she was excited for their date. She couldn’t help it. Just a little more work to do. The clatter of typing filled the room.

Enjoying the story so far? Ratings and comments are the absolute best motivation, and I always love hearing your thoughts. See you in the next chapter!