Demon Fire (The Angel Fire Book 3) by Marie Johnston (best authors to read .txt) 📗

She had a purpose again, and the support of the ones she’d let down. She’d gotten back so much, but he wanted nothing to do with her. “Boone.”

“I can’t, Sierra.” He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and withdrew the ultrasound photo she’d given him for safekeeping.

She took it from him, clutching it to her chest, afraid to look at it and break down. She’d gotten so much back only to lose a man who’d become very important to her. A man who seemed to care for her despite what she was, but was leaving anyway.

She would let him. Because she was afraid too. His pain was evident in every inch of his body. Was that what she would experience if she outlived him?

“Goodbye.” And he was gone.

Chapter 19

The frigid air outside and the snow-covered landscape around them said better than anything that they weren’t in Vegas anymore. Snow snakes skittered across the road, little trails of loose snow bunched together and blowing across the road.

Boone had rented a car. The warriors had done enough for him, and he’d needed a clean slate. Walking away from Sierra had been brutal. He took solace in knowing she was alive and well. That the warriors would make sure her baby was fine. It was more than he’d gotten last time.

Alma hummed quietly to herself. He had wondered how he’d know if she was ever possessed again, but he’d figured it out. She hummed. All the time. He probably would have minded normally, but it prevented him getting lost in dark, brooding thoughts.

They passed a sign that welcomed them to Montana. A few more hours and he’d be home.

“Do you need to stop?” he asked.

“No, but you need to turn around.” Aside from humming, she’d been surprisingly quiet. He’d witnessed her disappointed pout when the warriors had told her that she’d be returning home.

“Why would I do that?”

“You love her.”

“Yep.” The miles passed. A few other cars. The wind died down and eventually the snow snakes on the road thinned and disappeared entirely. It was like the world was holding its breath to see if he was going to turn around.

He wasn’t.

“It’s been almost eighteen years since Merle died.” It was the first time she’d mentioned her late husband.

“I’m sorry.”

Alma sighed, a long-suffering exhale that insinuated he was a fucking idiot. “Do you think that means I regret the forty years before that?”

“No.”

“So you think you’re fine living alone?”

“I wasn’t always alone.” That wasn’t the question Alma had asked.

“You had another family.”

Alma had been under the influence of Sandeen when Jagger had rattled off his history. She might remember every detail, or she might’ve been out of it. “Do you remember that conversation?”

“Of course. My demon let me see and hear everything I wanted to.” She patted his hand. Her skin was warm and soft, her touch gentle. “What happened to you was truly awful.”

“Yep.” How many more miles to his cabin? He’d have to drop Alma off, check her house over, and make sure no pipes had frozen. The angels had taken care of everything, but had they prepared for a Montana winter?

“My demon was alone. He’s never had anyone.” She clucked her tongue. “You’ve been blessed twice.”

His hands tightened on the wheel. He refused to think about what she said.

It was impossible.

“Sierra could outlive me.”

“When Merle got diagnosed with prostate cancer, I wondered how I was going to live without him. He told me I wasn’t allowed to follow him. I had to take care of the house.” She chuckled. “It was finally paid for.” Her smile died. “I’ve lived without him for eighteen years.”

He understood the point she was making, and the argument was easy. Half-hearted, but easy. “I’m not going to be the seventy-year-old with the twentysomething wife.”

Alma pressed. “What happens if she doesn’t outlive you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know how the world works, not mine, not theirs. Sounds like they don’t either. One fallen lives for a while. Other fallen die immediately. Purpose seems to be the only difference. You both have purpose.”

But he was human. “Sierra would’ve died if I hadn’t found her.” And didn’t that make him want to track down the one called Winger and castrate him for what he’d done. Boone didn’t care if it was Winger’s job or if he’d been under orders.

“Ah, then people are also important. Isn’t that odd? Their lives are similar to ours in that way. We need people.”

“You’re going home to an empty house.” Way to stick it to a lonely woman who’d just finished talking about her dear departed husband, jackass.

“For now. Come spring, I may move south. The dear angels have shown me I’m not too old to make friends.” Determination lined her face.

Alma was packing up at seventy-eight and moving? Starting a new life? And he’d gone running back to the mountains at the first hint that he could have a new life with someone. A new, largely unknown life, with Sierra.

He scowled at the windshield. Alma hummed. He glanced at her and stared at her smug expression.

“What?” He hadn’t meant to snarl the word.

“Nothing. Just that I got you thinking.”

You’ve been blessed twice.

Yeah. That got him thinking.

It’d been a month. Millie had gotten herself off a few more times and swept into Leo’s room like she didn’t have a care in the world. All the same concerns were there, but the oppressive cloud of hopelessness was just a little lighter.

He’d been eating. After two days of ignoring his bread with Nutella, he’d eaten everything on his tray. She’d started feeding him prime cuts of meat, succulent fruits, and nothing but homemade bread. And she made sure to keep the bedroom door open when she cooked to let the delicious smells permeate the room. He wouldn’t acknowledge the change in diet, but he’d been cleaning his plate.

His despondency wasn’t as severe as before, but she opened the curtains every morning, with her robe