Page 40 of A Leaner Meaner Midlife

Why hadn’t the Nephilim left with everyone else? I’d ordered them to leave.

They hadn’t listened.

And they’d paid the ultimate price.

Jolly Sue, Lura Belle and Dimple. Names I would never forget for the rest of my existence.

They had died in my place trying to save me.

My shock turned to fury as I hovered in the air with Gideon by my side. Pulling the dagger from my pants, I zoned in on the bastard who had only moments left to live. I would not be merciful. His death would be filled with the same pain now shooting through my body at the loss of Jolly Sue, Lura Belle and Dimple.

I was going to make him hurt.

Tory and Gabe strode out from behind the tree. They clearly had the same idea as me. Gabe’s wings were on display. His eyes burned a bright and angry gold. Tory was still not herself, but her rage was evident. Her silver hair blew around her head, and her eyes shimmered in barely suppressed hatred. The Dragon King was spent. He was unaware that anyone was behind him. Micky Muggles’ beady eyes were sunken, and he just stared in shock where the Nephilim had been only minutes ago. His magic was hanging on by a thread.

He was the one who had fucked around, and now, he was about to find out.

I landed in front of the platform. Gideon arrived by my side and placed a comforting hand on my back. My tears wouldn’t stop. My heart felt broken in half. I watched as Tory viciously kicked the feet out from under Micky Muggles. He hit the ground like a sack of potatoes and whimpered like a coward. She dragged him by his hair and yanked him to his knees.

Shoving his naked, disgusting body toward the guillotine, she made sure his tail was where her neck had been not very long ago. Her smile was so cold I shivered. Her pale hands were around Micky’s neck—her nails digging in and drawing blood. Gabe was with her all the way.

I stayed back. The Archangel Gabriel and Purgatory deserved to take the lead. The damage he had done to both of them was repulsive.

“Shall I lock the blade?” Gabe asked Tory with his knee firmly in Micky’s back so he couldn’t move away. “We wouldn’t want to miss.”

“Please do,” she said emotionlessly. “It would be a damned shame to have to castrate him twice.”

“No,” Micky begged in a shrill voice. “Let me leave. Don’t kill me. I won’t bother none of y’all no more. I swear it. Didn’t mean to kill them old ladies. It was their own fault. They got in the way. Stupid bitches.”

“Shut your filthy mouth,” Tory snarled. “The castration won’t kill you. You’ve lived on borrowed time at the expense of others for centuries. You murdered shamelessly… over and over. What little magic you have left is stolen. It’s not yours. It was never yours.”

“I won’t drink no more blood,” he whimpered. “I learned my lesson.”

Purgatory squeezed harder. Micky’s eyes began to bulge. I felt no compassion for the man.

“Hardly,” Gabe ground out through clenched teeth.

The golden glow around my brother and the silver around Tory wove together and became almost too brilliant to observe. They’d both suffered for thousands of years at Zadkiel’s hand, and just when they had the chance to live without sadistic abuse, Micky Muggles had come into the picture.

“I’m sorry,” Micky choked out. “I ask forgiveness. You’re a goddamned Angel. You ain’t got no choice. You gotta forgive a sorry man.”

“What are you sorry for?” Gabe demanded. “Tell me what you crave forgiveness for?”

The Dragon King’s pea brain couldn’t come up with anything. His mouth moved spastically but no words came out.

“There is nowhere you can hide in this Universe that will shield you from the memories of the heinous acts you’ve committed. Even in death, you’ll never escape it. The insidious cancer of your existence will eat you until there’s nothing left. Your repentance is fueled by the terror of knowing you’re about to suffer the consequences of your crimes. Here’s what I will give to you.” The Archangel Gabriel squatted down and got in the evil man’s face. “I give you my word that none of us will kill you.”

“Ohhh, glory be,” Micky shouted, nodding and sobbing. “Glory be!”

The Angel grabbed him by the hair. He smiled at Micky Muggles. It was terrifying. I took a small step back. Even the Grim Reaper backed away a bit. The man with his tail in the guillotine paled to the point that he looked dead.

“We don’t have to kill you,” Gabe explained in an icy tone. “Your greed and perverted misdeeds over the last thousand years will do it for us.”

“I don’t understand,” Micky blubbered. “I don’t get it. Not understanding. You gotta help a guy out. Come on now. Come on. Don’t the Bible say somethin’ about fuckin’ up is human and forgiveness is in the line?”

“Divine,” Tory corrected the fool.

“Right. Divine,” Micky grunted trying to stand up. “So are we all good now? I can go?”

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