Finale

T.
    “I just do. How was your day?” he asked, clearly not going to elaborate.
    I told him about Marcie’s executive decision to move in, and about my mom’s compliance. The more I talked, the more worked up I got. “She has an agenda in this,” I told
Patch. “I have this nagging feeling that Marcie suspects I know who killed her dad. And moving in is a ploy to spy on me.”
    Patch rested his hand on my thigh, and I felt a surge of hope. I hated feeling like there was a divide between us. “There are only two people in the world who know you killed Hank, and
it’s a secret I’ll carry to hell and back if I have to. No one will find out.”
    “Thank you, Patch,” I told him sincerely. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings earlier. I’m sorry about Dante, and about this whole mess. I just want to feel close to
you again.”
    Patch kissed the palm of my hand. Then he laid it on his heart, holding it there.
I want you close too, Angel,
he murmured to my mind.
    I snuggled in beside him, resting my head on his shoulder. Just touching him made the string of knots inside me loosen. I’d been waiting all day for this moment. I could stand tension
between us about as well as I could tolerate being away from him.
Someday it will just be you and Patch,
I told myself.
Someday you’ll escape Cheshvan, war, fallen angels, and
Nephilim. Someday . . . just the two.
    “I found out something interesting,” I said, and I told Patch about Blakely’s football-star little brother, and Blakely’s perfect home game attendance record.
    Patch tipped his hat up and looked into my eyes. “Good work, Angel,” he said, clearly impressed.
    “What now?” I asked.
    “Friday night, we show up at the game.”
    “Do you think we’ll spook Blakely if he spots us?”
    “He won’t think it’s strange if you’re at the game, and I’ll be in disguise. I’ll grab him and drive him to some property I own near Sebago Lake. It’s
empty up there this time of year. Bad for Blakely, good for us. I’ll get him to tell me about the prototypes, where he’s fabricating them, and we’ll find a way to deactivate them.
Then I’ll keep him permanently under my watch. It’ll be the end of his days working with devilcraft.”
    “I should warn you that Marcie thinks she’s going to be involved in interrogating him.”
    Patch lifted his eyebrows.
    “It was the price I had to pay for getting this information,” I explained.
    “Did you swear an oath to let her tag along?” Patch asked.
    “No.”
    “Do you have a conscience?”
    “No.” I bit my lip. “Maybe.” A pause. “Fine. Yes! Yes, I have a conscience. If we ditch Marcie, I’ll spend the whole night feeling guilty. I lied to her face
this morning, and it has haunted me all day. I live with her now, Patch. I have to face her. Maybe we can use this to our advantage. If we show her she can trust us, she just might give us more
info.”
    “There are easier ways to get info, babe.”
    “I say we let her tag along. What’s the worst that could happen?”
    “She could figure out we didn’t really break up and tell the Nephilim.”
    I hadn’t thought of that.
    “Or we can let her tag along, and I can erase her memory later.” He shrugged. “No guilt here.”
    I mulled this over. It seemed like a viable plan. It also pretty much made me a hypocrite.
    A hint of a smile crept to Patch’s mouth. “Are you going to take point on this operation, or are you going to babysit Marcie?”
    I shook my head. “You do the dirty work, and I’ll keep tabs on Marcie.”
    Patch leaned sideways and kissed me. “As much as I’m going to enjoy questioning Blakely, I’m disappointed I won’t get to watch you battle it out with Marcie.”
    “There’s not going to be a battle. I’m going to calmly explain to her that she can come along for the ride, but that she’ll have to wait with me in the car while you face
off with Blakely. That’s our final offer. She can take it or leave it.” As I said it, I realized just how stupid I sounded for believing it would actually be that easy. Marcie hated
taking orders. In her book, the only thing worse than taking orders was taking them from me. On the other hand, she might very well come in useful in the future. She was Hank’s legal
daughter, after all. If Patch and I were going to build an alliance, now was the time.
    “I’ll be firm,” I promised Patch, adopting a no-nonsense expression. “No backing down.”
    By now