Page 29 of Widow

Especially angels. For some reason, it was easier to wrap my head around there being werewolves and vampires. It changed things a bit, knowing there was a Heaven and a Hell.

"I'm a fallen angel. We’re referred to as just Fallen because the angels don't like their name associated with us. We’re left to rot away here on Earth. I used to be an angel. I guess I still am in a way, but I don't have access to my wings or any special abilities. Plus, I have the memory of my death." He shrugged as if it didn't matter that he could remember something so traumatizing.

I put my elbows on the table, laced my fingers together, and leaned my chin on them. I dealt with death daily. Knowing what happened when someone died fascinated me in a way I wasn't keen on admitting. "What do you mean, you have the memory of your death?"

"When you die, unless you go to Hell, you lose all the memories related to your death. Take, for instance, if someone dies in a war, they lose all of their memories from the war. They know they were in the war, they just have no memories of the pain and suffering." Lucifer sighed. "It's one of the many things I disagree with."

"I am a fairly lucky one. I died in a ferry accident during a storm. It definitely sucks to remember drowning, but things could be worse. Much worse." Kai looked over at the tank where a mermaid was getting out.

"So, you fell. What exactly did you do to fall?"

Ric tracked where Kai was looking and let out an approving grunt. My stomach flipped over a bit, and I tried to focus on my champagne glass.

Kai chuckled. "I was never ready to die. Refused to accept it. I became a guardian angel because I had hoped to be able to visit my family. I thought maybe I could just pretend I had washed up on the shore somewhere. I was warned repeatedly and then they took my wings away. They kept me in heaven until enough time passed that people would think I was a lunatic if I showed up on any doorsteps. Luckily, I have an entrepreneurial spirit. Otherwise, I'd probably be out on the street."

"That's fucked up, man." Ric was still looking in the direction of the mermaid, who had stood and was talking to another mermaid.

I felt a crawling sensation under my skin and drank the rest of my champagne. I shouldn't already be feeling the spiders’ presence. But what else could it be? I wasn't jealous he was checking out another woman. Not one bit.

"So, you are just sent here to live out the rest of your days with PTSD from your death?" When he nodded, I looked at Lucifer, who also nodded. "That is really messed up."

"Tell me about it. Most Fallen end up with substance abuse problems, or they just waste away. What would you say the survival rate is, Lou?"

"Twenty-five percent the first year, drops to ten percent the second." He sighed. "It has something to do with the magic that is used to create angels. There are strict rules that must be followed."

My mind was starting to feel overwhelmed, so I didn't ask about the magic.

"How is this kissing thing going to work?" Ric looked at me, and I nearly choked on the sip of champagne I had just taken. "On TV when it hits midnight, people kiss. There's three of us and one of you."

"Not everyone has to kiss." All three men looked at me, and my cheeks heated up. Kai had a smirk on his face. Lucifer's face was unreadable. "You're supposed to kiss your significant other, not just some random person."

"We aren't random to you anymore, are we? If you had to choose which one of us to kiss, who would it be?" Ric sat forward and winked at me.

That was a question I didn't want to touch with a ten-foot pole. I had just enough champagne in my system to actually consider who I would choose, though.

I was definitely attracted to Ric, and he would be fun to kiss. He was practically living with me now, so kissing him might lead down the wrong path. I wasn't sure how I felt about him being a wolf. Not that I had a problem with him being one, I just didn't know how to handle the fact that he might shift in the middle of a kiss. Or sex.

Oh my. What if he turned into a wolf during sex?

There was Lucifer. I was still bent out of shape in the worst way over the almost kiss in the car. At least it had felt like an almost kiss. I had gotten that feeling that he might have been thinking about it. But that could've been my imagination.

I didn't know if I wanted to go down that path. There was still a lot I didn't know. Did he have a different form with horns and a tail? What did he actually do down in Hell?

Plus, he was pretty clear he didn't date.

Probably the safest bet for a kiss would be Kai. He was attractive, sweet, and funny. I hadn't gotten to know him well enough yet for there to be any drawbacks. A kiss would be harmless, platonic.

"You don't have to answer-" Lucifer started.

"Kai." The champagne was definitely doing all the talking.

A grin spread out on Kai's face. "You won't regret your decision."

I was already regretting it as I looked at Ric's down-turned face. He had thought I'd choose him.

"Well, this is awkward." Lucifer chuckled uncomfortably. "A woman shouldn't have to choose."

I was taken aback by his response. Ric brought his hand to his chin in thought, and his eyes seemed to flash a darker green before returning to their normal color. "You'd share? You don't strike me as the sharing type. I'm definitely not one to share."

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