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“Yes!” Liam’s heart leaped with gratitude, and he ran toward them with his arms outstretched.
Samael’s choirboy face looked mildly shocked, and Agon just chuckled as Liam’s arms passed straight through them.
He stumbled, clutching at nothing, then turned back to them in surprise. “Sorry. I got carried away. Can you not take a hug, then?”
Samael blinked rapidly. “A human hug is...not something we require.”
Liam considered that, then asked, “But what if the human requires it?”
Samael looked momentarily stumped, but he recovered quickly. “Gestures of comfort are not our department.”
“I don’t see how it could hurt,” Agon said thoughtfully, gliding closer to Liam. He held out both his arms, then slowly curved them around Liam’s shoulders and gave him two perfunctory pats on the back.One. Two.As hugs went, it needed work, but what Agon lacked in technique, he more than made up for in angelic power. Each pat was like a thousand volts of pure, unrestrained goodwill rocketing through Liam’s system. He felt the glorious zap of it, from the top of his head, to the tips of his ears, nose, fingers, and toes.
“GoodGod,” Liam choked out, stumbling back a step.
“Yes,” Samael said primly, turning to Agon. “If you are quite finished, we—”
“That was the very best hug I’ve ever had,” Liam said, grinning like a mad fool as he stared at Agon in awe. The initial zing of joy was beginning to fade, but the residual effects filled Liam with a glowing sense of warmth and good cheer.
Agon’s sunny smile was an exact reflection of what Liam was feeling on the inside.
“I feel so light and carefree,” Liam said in wonder. Powerful stuff, angel hugs. Heady and addicting. “I feel like I couldfly.”
“A temporary side effect, nothing more,” Samael assured him. “It will dissipate in a moment.”
That was a shame. If Liam could hold on to the feeling by sheer force of will, he would. In the brief time Agon had bestowed the hug, Liam had forgotten all his troubles, which was almost unfathomable. Liam glanced hopefully at Samael and held out his arms with a crooked smile. “I don’t suppose you’d...?”
“Thank you, no. We must go now.” Samael gave Agon a pointed look, and they began to disappear in a flurry of sparkles. “May the time you’ve been granted help ease your conscience, Liam O’Connor, before you’re gone forever.” His voice echoed inside Liam’s head, even after they’d disappeared. “We shall see you soon.”
20
LIAM STOOD BESIDE Cora in the office kitchen late Wednesday afternoon while she made a cup of coffee. He deliberately brushed up against her as he reached for a mug from the cupboard, enjoying the slide of his arm against hers. “Pardon me, Officer McLeod.”
“Liam,” Cora whispered, glancing at the doorway. She nudged him away with her shoulder, but her secret smile mirrored his own. “Someone will see you.”
“Let them.” He leaned down until their faces were inches apart. “Let them see I’m with the most beautiful woman in the world and I’m completely under her spell.” Cora’s cheeks flushed pink. He loved teasing her like this, even though she’d reminded him at the beginning of the week that they had to keep their relationship under wraps for professional reasons. For the past three days, they’d been trying to act as if things were business as usual between them. It was almost impossible for Liam, especially because he knew they had so little time left together. As far as he was concerned, he didn’t care what anyone thought; he was going to spend every last moment he could with the woman he loved. Cora didn’t seem to believe he would truly be gone in a few days, and he didn’t have the heart to convince her otherwise. It would only make her worry more, and since it wouldn’t change the outcome, he wanted to bask in her happiness for as long as he could. Smiling, he bent and planted a lightning-quick kiss on her nose.
Cora spun away just as Otto ambled into the kitchen. She gave Liam an “I told you so” look.
“Hey there,” Otto said cheerfully, oblivious to the fireworks going off in the room. He went to the fridge and pulled out a half-eaten cinnamon roll in a plastic bag. “Anyone seen Happy? He left a while ago and hasn’t come back.”
Cora shook her head. “Where’d he go?”
“No idea,” Otto said, grabbing napkins from the dispenser on the table. “Late lunch, I guess.”
Liam pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. It was four o’clock, and there was an alert on his phone. “Slice just called,” he told Cora. “I had my ringer off, so I didn’t hear it. But he left a message.”
“Finally,” Cora said with relief. “Please tell me he found the laptop and has more pictures. I don’t want to have to meet with Captain Thompson today with nothing new to report.”
“Captain’s not here, so you’re off the hook,” Otto said.
“We were supposed to give him an update at five o’clock,” Liam said. “Are you sure he’s gone?”
“I saw him leave a while ago,” Otto said around a bite of cinnamon roll. “Mavis said he’d be out the rest of the day.” He waved a hand at both of them and left the kitchen.
“Well, I guess that’s a good thing,” Cora said with a sigh. “What’s the message say?”
Liam lowered himself into a chair and pressed the button for voice mail.
