Page 63 of Property of Azrael

HALLIE

When Asher spewedhis harsh truths, I had no plan besides the need to get away. Tears blinding me, I ran until my limbs couldn’t hold me up any longer. With no idea where to go, I found solace in the hospital’s chapel. Irony, doing its best to screw with me. It’s almost as if fate drove me straight here.

The room is empty, but for the soft organ music playing in the background, and a dim light illuminating the wooden cross above the altar. My sobs fill up the space like water bursting through a dam’s gates.

Had Asher been right? Had it been my fault? Azrael had already done so much for me, and now he was fighting for his life because of something that involved me, all in the name of love. The thought sends a chill down my spine and makes me sick to my stomach.

I grudgingly glance up at the altar. Growing up, my parents instilled religion in me from an early age. I attended church every Sunday, sung in the choir, and helped with Sunday school classes. Yet here I am, confused and drenched in uncertainty, desperate for answers in a scant dress. I look like a whore coming to confess my sins.

My parents would be livid with me.

The moment my mom got sick, I lost my faith. I couldn’t believe in a God who wouldn’t listen to me anymore or spare my mom from her fate, and yet here I was in the chapel, staring up at a crucifix as if it could save him. Praying for a miracle that Azrael would open his eyes again, filled with love like before.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and whisper out of desperation, “I’m not sure we’ve ever had much of a relationship, but I really need you now more than ever. I don’t know what to do or how to fix this.”

Silence. Nothing comes but the melody of music in the room, mocking my attempt to reach out to something above. Tears stream down my face as I confess my sorrows aloud.

“I’ve made so many mistakes in life,” I sob, “but I’d give it all up just to see his eyes open again and have him back by my side. Please, I need him. I never got to tell him I love him, and you’re going to take him away from me. I love Azrael. We may not have much time left with each other, but I want every single second of it.”

Asher be damned, because for the first time in my entire life, something felt right about a decision I’d made. Not once have I felt like a victim, or as though I’m settling for the path of least resistance. I’m choosing what I want, not what’s expected of me. Meeting Azrael changed all that. He made me realize that even in the few short days we’d known each other, that there’s something better out there for me. A life I’d only dreamt about as I wrote my books. A life I now want to share with him, no matter the cost.

I have to tell him.

Asher could bar me from that room. He could call the police and have me removed, but I’d only come back. Until I could tell Az how I felt, I would be the thorn in his side.

With newfound determination, I wipe away my tears and get to my feet. Azrael gave me the tools and courage to confront Asher once and for all. I’m done letting fear dictate my life, and I’m done letting other people rule my decisions.

I bolt from the pew and head toward the door, only to freeze in place as an unfamiliar figure at the door turns around, revealing himself to be someone very familiar

Asher.

He stands at the entrance, looking solemnly over at me, staring at me with those intense, unblinking eyes of his.

Hands shoved in his pocket, he steps forward, into the small chapel, his gaze cold and aloof. His sheer presence seems to take over the small space he’s occupying. The dust particles in the air seem to have frozen, as if afraid of what will happen next.

“Hallie,” he says softly. “Did you mean what you said? Do you love my brother?”

“I do,” I profess, feeling an inner strength stirring inside me which has laid dormant for years, like a tornado in my belly ready to be unleashed. “And I’m going back to him.”

Asher’s face reveals no emotion, except for a quick flash of anger in his eyes. His jaw ticks as he stands there, stoic and silent, barely holding on to his composure.

“I know why you told me,” I mutter as I move closer to him, closing the distance between us. “Though I’m appreciative to know just exactly how far Az has gone to keep me safe, it will not drive me away as you’d intended. Yes, it may have worked for a while, but I’ve realized something in my prayers and thoughts.”

“What would that be?” he growls deeply.

“You didn’t tell me those things to scare me away. You told me out of your own fucking misery. You’ve lived with pain and grief for so long, you can’t stand to see someone happy. You want everyone around you to be as miserable as you.”

Asher’s jaw twitches again as my words pierce through him like an arrow hitting its target straight on, his carefully constructed armor slowly starting to crack apart.

“I want to be with him, even if it puts my life in danger. There’s no other choice for me.”

He raises his brow and steps closer, blocking the doorway. “What about your family? Your decision will put them in harm’s way, too.”

My heart sinks, knowing he’s right. How can I protect them while still following my own dreams? Before I have time to answer, a deep voice answers for me.

“With our help,” says Orion, stepping forward with Fox at his back. “We protect our family.”

With their support, I find the courage to face Asher’s challenges head-on. He can hate me for the rest of my life, but I can’t go on like this. I can’t cower from fear, thinking that he’s going to break me. Not anymore. Azrael is all that matters.

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