Original Sin

Chapter 24

They were safe...for now. Hailey could only imagine the anger and jealousy that coursed through Michael as he watched the three of them disappear through the fog to a place unknown. 

The alley was dark, dingy, at the very bottom of society's night crawlers. Gabriel shivered, obviously out of his element. Alex leaned on Hailey, and she was leaning on Gabriel, who began to buckle under the weight.

"You two really have to thank me for bailing you out of that shit show. Monsters have no sense of class," Gabriel grunted while dragging them through a doorway and up the inner stairs.

Hailey decided to pointedly ignore him. 

She glanced at Alex, whose wounds were slowly healing. Curse him and his super, angel, healing abilities! Hailey winced in pain, whimpering slightly. She knew she'd ripped a few scrapes and scratches open again and probably burned through a layer of skin. The adrenaline has worn off a while ago. She needed to lean on both Alex and Gabriel to get up the stairs and through the door, ominously numbered 13.

"Seriously?" She looked at Gabriel as he kicked open the wooden surface, revealing almost nothing of value inside. 

He shrugged his shoulders. "Humans don't like the number 13. They think it's unlucky. These rooms are always unoccupied." He pushed past some sheet-covered couches towards the bedroom at the back. There was a single mattress left in the room. Gabriel was being strangely selfless, ignoring his own needs in favor of safety. How kind of him. Hailey made a mental note to thank him later, when she felt like being thankful. 

She collapsed on the mattress. Blood dripped onto the mattress and stained the ugly yellow color, turning it a rusty orange. Hailey wouldn't dare lay on her back, opting for her stomach instead.

"Go get me a washcloth or something!" Alex demanded. Gabriel let out a squeak, which reminded Hailey of a scared puppy, then vanished. The two of them were alone, finally.

A talon extended and Hailey could hear him ripping apart her shirt at the back, then her pants. There was nothing else underneath but a flimsy pair of panties and her tattered bra. Hailey's breath hitched, but she hoped Alex's only intention was treating her wounds. She didn't have the energy for much else.

Gabriel returned, threw the damp cloth and some bandages in Alex's direction, and disappeared again. Hailey couldn't see Alex's expression. All was still and silent for a time before the sting of alcohol on her back made her hiss and shrink further into the carpet.

"I'm sorry," Alex whispered. His breath was shaky, guilt laden. He must have blamed himself for her capture, but he shouldn't. Everything happened so fast no one had time to react. They'd been overwhelmed and betrayed. It was no one's fault. 

"It's okay," Hailey replied. "I'm okay. You got me out in time. For that, I'm grateful."

"You. Are. Not. Okay." Alex seethed, grabbing her jaw and roughly craning her neck to she faced him. Hailey closed her eyes. She couldn't argue with him on this topic. All he saw was her pain and suffering, multiplied ten-fold in his eyes, and he took responsibility for all of it.

Hailey decided to remain quiet for the time, the peaceful silence resting between them. She lay on her stomach, head down again, letting her husband dress her wounds and tend to her. In sickness and in health, after all. Hailey thought of the irony in marriage vows as they applied to them. A grin plastered on her face. It caught Alex's attention. 

"How are you still smiling, love?"

Alex's comment interrupted the peace and pulled Hailey back to earth. "What facial expression should I make then?"