Angel's Shield Read Online Free

day.”
    “Did you eat dinner?” Jeremiel asked, pushing buttons on her small
microwave. It beeped, then the fan went on. He folded his arms and leaned back
against the counter. The chipped linoleum didn’t seem to bother him.
    She shook her head. “No. I’ll have some yogurt or something.” The
bandage on his arm was very white against his skin. His black t-shirt hugged
his muscles. She stared. “Are those real?” she finally asked, whispering. She
couldn’t help herself. She had to know.
    He glanced down at his arms, but didn’t answer.
    “Here,” Haniel said, sliding a glass of water toward her.
    She blinked. She hadn’t even seen him turn on the faucet.
    “You look hot. Have some water.” He sat down across from her and
ran his fingers through his hair, tousling the golden strands.
    She picked up the glass and took a sip. It was good, but it wasn’t
what she wanted. She pushed it away.
    “Here, eat something,” Jeremiel said, setting the sandwich she’d
made for herself earlier in front of her. She’d forgotten all about it.
    She chewed the inside of her cheek. She didn’t want to eat. Her
stomach was in knots and she felt like she was standing on the edge of a
precipice.
    “Go on. Your blood sugar is probably bottoming out,” Haniel said,
pushing it a little closer. “You’ll feel better if you eat.”
    He stared at her until she picked it up and took a bite, forcing
herself to chew and swallow. Why did she feel so strange? Because one of these
men might be an angel and the other one is his best friend, she told
herself as she took another bite. Which
is crazy. To be honest, she didn’t really believe Jeremiel could be an
angel. Her grandmother’s stories were just that: stories. Angels and humans
didn’t mix. Especially not romantically, even though her grandma insisted they
sometimes did. Sometimes even fell in love. Charmeine took another bite of her
sandwich, surreptitiously staring at Jeremiel’s arms. She glanced at Haniel. He
had marks, too, but only on his left forearm. He couldn’t be an angel, but
Jeremiel? Maybe. The thought frightened her. Thrilled her.
    “God, that’s good,” Jeremiel said, licking his fingers. He stood
in front of the counter with his meal, eating standing up.
    Charmeine picked up her water and gulped down half the glass. The
expression on his face had her squirming in her chair. He looked blissed out.
Aroused.
    “Yeah, best burger I’ve had in a while, even reheated,” Haniel murmured
in agreement.
    He looked just as gorgeous when he swallowed as Jeremiel.
Charmeine had no idea why she thought it would be a good idea to invite them
inside the house instead of letting them stay in the shelter. Because you’re an idiot. A lonely idiot. “So, you’re hiking the trail?” she asked, out of sheer self-preservation.
    Haniel nodded. “Yeah. Going to try and get all the way to Georgia.”
He shrugged. “If not this year, maybe the next.”
    “A lot of people spend a year or more doing that,” she said slowly,
trying to figure out why these two men would want to. What was their story?
Usually people were running from something. Or to something. “My grandmother
set up the shelter outside decades ago. I’ve kept it up as best I could.” It
was little more than a shed set near the forest. The trail snaked down the
ridge just beyond the land she’d inherited from her grandmother.
    “Seems dangerous for a woman alone,” Jeremiel offered.
    “Most people are nice,” she told him, finishing off her sandwich. I
was hungrier than I thought.
    The men exchanged looks again. She wished they’d stop that. It
made her nervous.
    “Have you seen anything weird the past year or so?” Jeremiel
asked.
    “What do you mean by ‘weird?’” She leaned back in her chair. “I’ve
seen a lot of strange things in the forest, but nothing unnatural. Bear scat,
deer fighting, even a feral skunk once.”
    Haniel shook his head. “Nothing that tried to attack