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“Okay, so there are some clean clothes in here you can change into. I’m not sure if they’ll be the right size. It’s just some old stuff from my father and some of the donations I’ve collected for a charity drive, but they are clean. If you change and leave your stuff by the door, I’ll take it up to wash when I come back to change his dressings.” I pulled out the laundry bag and the remaining bottles of water. “There are toiletries in here—shower gel, basic razors, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. There are towels in the pile of blankets over there, and, um, I’m sorry, but there are no hot showers. There’s a hose just round the corner of the barn though, if you want to clean up.” I tried not to think of these sinfully delicious men standing naked under running water and turned to pull the wagon out of the stall. “Yeah, so I have chores to do around the farm, but I’ll be back later, so come find me if you need anything else. Just don’t go up to the house. He won’t like it.” I was babbling and I knew it, so I turned and headed quickly for the door before any of them could get a word out.
I paused just outside the door and leaned against the side of the barn to catch my breath. I was starting to realize why my father kept me away from men—I turned into a complete idiot whenever I was around these guys. Though, to be fair, they were angels, so maybe normal men wouldn’t have the same effect on me.
“Dylan?” The deep voice sounded right next to me, and my eyes flew open as I squeaked in surprise. Ade grinned at me. He had such a sexy mouth.Shut up, I told myself firmly.
“I’m sorry, long night,” I said, hoping I didn’t come across as too much of an idiot. “Was there something else you needed?”
“Well, Eleth and Jophiel are going to get cleaned up while Remiel sleeps, but if you have chores that need to be done, I can give you a hand.”
I stared up into his dark eyes. “Give me a hand?”
“Yes, please put me to work. Eleth and Jophiel too. We’re not exactly used to farming, but we’re fit and strong, and we learn fast. It’s the least we can do for you and your father for letting us stay here. I can come now and shower later.”
Excitement and relief rocked inside me at the thought of having help around the farm. With three fit, strong farmhands, there was loads I could get done—like that gate that needs fixing, the fence in low brook field, and... and it would be so nice just to work alongside someone else and have someone to talk to.
I smiled up at him. “Thank you, that’s so nice of you to offer, but I’m good for today. You were fighting all night, and it sounds like you’ve been traveling a while, so just get cleaned up and rest. I’ll get the three of you nice and dirty tomorrow.”
Ade grinned down at me, and my mouth dropped open.
“No, not get you dirty, I mean get me dirty... No, I mean ride you hard, work you hard... Oh, you know what I mean! I’ll see you later!” I grabbed the handle of the wagon and headed up to the house to the sound of Ade’s rich, deep laugh booming behind me, my cheeks bright red.
Oh my goodness, what on earth must he think of me? Well, even if they were just hot men and not angels, Father would have no reason to worry. I assumed men wanted women who could talk and hold a conversation, and I could barely string a sentence together in their presence. They were probably having a good laugh at me right now.
FOUR
ADE
I leaned heavily against the wall next to the door, watching this strange but amusing human stride away from me. I was grinning at her words, but to be honest, right now, I could weep with relief and gratitude at what she did for us. I was just so tired, so fucking exhausted. Not just from last night’s battle, but from everything that came before that. We’d spent weeks fighting the denizens of Tartarus that had been released upon the Earth by an ancient evil. We’d also had our faith tested over and over again.
For weeks, we had simply been trying to survive as we were hunted down, not just by countless hellions, but by our own kind who would surely dole out severe punishments were we to be discovered. As the leader of our small group, keeping my brothers alive was my responsibility, and I had already been hanging on to sanity by a thin thread. Seeing Remiel injured that badly last night had me teetering on the edge. I had even considered surrendering if it meant saving his life.
But to be given food and clothing freely, while having a safe place to rest and recharge, was such a relief. It would give Remiel time to recover and heal, and give us all time to decide our next move. The idea of spending more time with this intriguing woman was fairly inviting as well, especially if my brothers decided on the course of action it felt like we were all considering. Then, a whole new future would lie ahead of us. For some reason, since the arrival of this woman, that future didn’t seem quite as dark.
I straightened up, hearing the sounds of Jophiel and Eleth beyond the door, presumably heading outside for a wash. I headed in the opposite direction, wanting to explore a little before rejoining them. My training and common sense demanded I get the layout of the land in case of another attack, whether demonic or angelic.
As I headed around the barn, the view opened up, and I saw acres of pasture in front of me. About two acres of ground had been fenced off and set aside as a vegetable and fruit garden, and to the left was what looked like a sizable orchard. Cattle and sheep grazed in the fields, and I saw the pigpen from the night before. The sobering thought of what went on in the darkness hit me, and I doubled back on myself, coming around the barn just as Jophiel and Eleth worked out how to turn on the hose.
A jet of cold water hit me square in the chest, and I glanced down in shock before looking back up at my men. Their shocked expressions gave way to grins and then laughter as Eleth managed to turn off the faucet and Jophiel leaned against the side of the barn laughing.
“Very funny.” I grinned, bunching up the fabric of the shirt to squeeze some of the water out. Black demon gore ran over my fingers with the water, and I was reminded of why I’d come to find them.
“Look, Dylan and her father are giving us a safe place to stay. Whether it’s just a day or more, it gives us a place to stay and figure things out without being out in the open. I figure we should do something for them in return.”
Jophiel nodded.
“What did you have in mind?” Eleth inquired. “And can it wait until we’ve cleaned up?” He was covered in the dark sticky stuff as well, and he grimaced in disgust as he pulled his shirt away from his chest.
“I was thinking we could fix the pigpen and the pasture for them.”
Eleth looked puzzled for a moment, and then he glanced down the slope to where the pigpen stood. It was eerily silent compared to the sheep bleating in the fields and the chickens clucking on the other side of the house. Even in the light of dawn, we could make out dark shapes of demon bodies, but also the pig carcasses they’d ripped to pieces.
He nodded. “Yeah, might leave the shower for later then.”
We headed down the slope and got to work. By the time the sun was high in the sky, we had piled the bodies of demons and pigs in a heap well away from the farm and hosed down the pigpen and the surrounding ground. We were also sweating like crazy, and any patches of white remaining on our shirts or pants had long since been obliterated by dirt, blood, and gore. I heaved a particularly large pig carcass on top of the pile and bent over, bracing my hands on my knees as I panted.
Eleth came to stand next to me. “I think that’s it. Jophiel’s just having a quick look around for... parts.”
I nodded then straightened up as I heard a familiar creaking noise behind us. I turned to see Dylan heading down the slope with her wagon behind her. She came to a stop and stared at the three of us standing there. Her pink lips parted in surprise, and I had a sudden urge to press my own against them. I took a breath, trying to banish the thought from my mind. Whatever we were planning to do next, I couldn’t let this woman be a distraction from the bigger picture.
