Fallen Angel

By Melissa Jones

Angelica can't remember who she is or what she is running from. All she has is a locket with a picture and the word Angel. When she wakes up in a ranch house with a handsome cowboy that makes her heart pound, she decides to embrace her new life. Just as she settles into Ranch life with her rescuer the past returns to haunt her.

When Luke finds an unconscious woman on his land in the middle of a storm he has no idea where she might have come from. It doesn't take him long to realize he doesn't want her to go back. Unfortunately, the return of her influential father and her memory, destroy his plans for happily ever after.

Angelica doesn't realize that a killer sent her running. Forced to return to her old life can she figure out where the danger lies before it's too late? Will Luke come to his senses before Angelica becomes the killer's next victim?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melissa Jones
• Release date: Jan 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311808202

Melissa Jones

MELISSA JONES was born in London, where she now lives. This is her third novel.

Book preview

Fallen Angel

By Melissa Jones

Fallen Angel

Melissa Jones

Copyright 2014 Melissa Jones

Smashwords Edition

Fallen Angel © 2014 Melissa Jones

This ebook is for your personal enjoyment and may not be resold. All rights reserved.

All characters, locations, and situations in this book are fictional and products of the author’s imagination.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

Next Book in the Fallen Series

Chapter 1

Angelica leaned low over the horse holding tight and trying to keep the driving rain out of her face. She didn’t have time to think about where she was going. She just had to get as far away as possible as fast as possible. She still couldn’t believe what she had seen. She didn’t think even her name would protect her this time. Her heart was still racing with fear. She didn’t know how many miles it would take to make her heart rate slow but she intended to ride until it did.

The driving rain and darkness made it impossible to see enough landmarks to know where she was as she raced across the country side. She finally allowed the horse to slow but not soon enough. A bright flash of lighting coupled with a clap of thunder caused the horse to rear and she slipped out of the wet saddle. She screamed involuntarily flailing trying to catch herself then everything went black.

Luke Harrison kept his horse in constant motion moving around his herd. The spring storms were the worst. They kicked up unexpectedly and the lighting and thunder always riled the cattle. As if that wasn’t bad enough the ground was already saturated so if they got much rain the gullies flooded. Any storm meant moving the whole herd to high ground. No easy task considering the high ground was quite a distance from the house. Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky followed closely by a crack of thunder. He lifted his face to the sky. At least this storm seemed to be fast moving. His sensitive ears picked up a sound that didn’t belong and he turned peering into the darkness. He could swear he’d heard a woman scream. He couldn’t see a thing in the darkness. He turned back toward the herd and put his thumb and forefinger to his lips producing a loud whistle. A few moments later another mounted figure rode out of the darkness toward him.

Boss?

Hey Tom, I heard something. I am going to go check it out. Keep an eye out.

Will do. Luke turned his horse out away from the huddled cattle into the rain. He was certain he had heard something but he had a hard time believing his first thought that it had been a woman’s scream. What would a woman be doing all the way out here in the middle of the night and in this weather? He scanned the horizon looking for any figures that didn’t belong. He couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He knew this landscape like the back of his own hand. Even in the darkness if there was someone out here he would know. He shook his head thinking he must have heard a frightened animal. He turned to head back to the herd and another bolt of lightning lit up the landscape. The brief flash was enough for him to see the outline of a person lying on the ground a short distance away.

Luke leapt off his horse and ran to the prone body. She was lying in a small dip that was rapidly filling with water. He rolled her onto her back and felt her throat for a pulse. She had a steady heartbeat so he shook her gently and called out but she didn’t respond. She was completely soaked and covered in mud. He looked around but he didn’t see a horse or any other people. He shook her again and tapped her cheeks but she remained motionless. He sighed. He couldn’t just leave her there. As gently as possible he hoisted her over his shoulder so he could get back in the saddle. Once he managed to get mounted again he turned her so she was cradled in his arms instead.

Whatcha got there, Boss? Tom asked, as he approached the herd.

It’s a woman.

A woman? What is she doing out here?

I have no idea. She is unconscious.

I’ll be dammed. it is a woman. Tom leaned in for a closer look.

I am going to have to take her back to the house. Will you guys be all right till I get back?

We’ll be fine. Don’t worry about coming back. Storm’s almost over. Luke looked up at the sky it was raining as hard as ever but he didn’t question Tom. He knew better. Tom’s sense of the weather was uncanny.

The unknown woman didn’t make so much as a peep on the ride back to the house. He leaned over her trying to use the brim of his Stetson to keep the rain off of her face and he found that as he got close to the house the rain was tapering off. He smiled to himself. Tom was right again.

He laid the woman on the bed and still she didn’t stir. He examined her quickly now that he had some light. She was covered in mud but it looked like there was blood mixed with the mud matted in her hair. He carefully moved her hair and found a gash on the back of her head. It looked as if she had a large bump on her forehead as well that was turning purple. The rest of her seemed to be relatively uninjured but she was still wearing the wet clothes. There was no way he was going to undress her but it had to be done. He sighed and went to wake his housekeeper. Housekeeper seemed like such an inadequate term. Ella kept the whole ranch running. She was like everyone’s mother. She made sure everyone was fed and clothed. She even made sure they all attended some sort of church service on Sunday.

Luke paced outside the door until it finally opened again.

Did she wake? Ella shook her head and he sighed and went back in the room. Ella had redressed her in clean dry clothes. most likely her own considering she was the only female at the ranch.

Where did you find her?

Out in the middle of nowhere. Not far from the high ground. I just can’t figure where she came from.

Well she is covered in bruises. I would say she took quite a tumble.

Maybe she was thrown from a spooked horse and it bolted because I didn’t find a horse.

Have you ever seen her before? In town maybe?

No. I have no idea who she is. I guess we’ll just have to wait for her to wake up and tell us.

I think her name is Angel.

Why? He frowned, wondering how Ella could have deduced that from the sleeping woman. Ella stepped forward and pointed at a locket around the woman’s neck. The word angel was inscribed across it. Oh.

Well one of us should stay with her so she doesn’t get upset when she wakes in an unfamiliar place. Ella said, still gazing down at the sleeping woman. Luke sighed.

I’ll stay with her. You go back to bed. Luke sat down in the chair beside the bed as Ella quietly left the room. He looked at her. With all the mud washed away she was actually very pretty. She had dark hair and light creamy complexion. Angel seemed to fit her. She could be an Angel.

Angelica moved slowly everything seemed to hurt. Her head most especially. She tried to open her eyes and it felt like daggers shooting straight back through her head. She forced them to open and all she saw was a white adobe wall. She turned slowly looking around the room. She saw a chest of drawers and a closet. There was an open door leading to a hallway. Nothing looked familiar. She felt slightly alarmed as her gaze fell on a man in the chair beside the bed. His long legs were stretched out in front of him one crossed over the other. His arms crossed over his chest. He had a black hat tipped over his face so she couldn’t see his features but nothing about him seemed familiar. In fact nothing at all seemed familiar. She didn’t know where she was or how she got there. She struggled to sit up despite the pain that seemed to be radiating from every part of her. The man moved, sitting up and pushing his hat back up on his head and pierced her with an intense and startlingly blue gaze. She felt herself shy away from the intensity, physically moving away.

W-Where am I? Her voice sounded strange in her ears.

The Double H. His voice was soft but the words meant nothing. She frowned, wondering if she should know what that meant. I found you out in the middle of nowhere. Do you know how you got there? She shook her head. She was trying to remember but all she could remember was waking up and being in pain. What is your name? Where do you live? She looked up into those piercing eyes and felt panic rise up in her chest.

I-I don’t know. Suddenly she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Why couldn’t she remember her own name?

Take it easy, you got a pretty nasty bump on the head. It will come back to you just give it time. The man said in a soothing voice. She took a deep breath trying to at least appear calmer, and pain shot through her head. She closed her eyes as a wave of pain induced nausea washed over her.

Ah she’s awake. She opened her eyes at the sound of a new voice and saw a plump woman stride purposefully into the room. She had brown hair with silver beginning to streak through it. How are you feeling dear?

Everything hurts. At least that question she knew the answer to.

I am sure it does. What happened did you get thrown in the storm? She opened her mouth to say she didn’t know but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything so she just shrugged.

She doesn’t remember anything. The man said softly.

Oh well that’s not unusual. Is there someone we can contact for you, family? The woman smiled warmly at her and she felt the tightness in her chest again.

Ella, she doesn’t remember anything. The man reiterated. The woman looked from him to her.

Oh dear, She said softly. Don’t worry Angel, it will come back to you. And I am sure someone will be looking for you. She nodded swallowing back the lump of emotion trying to creep up her throat. Well my name is Ella and this is Luke. I’ve got breakfast on the table. Do you think you could eat something? Food was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment but she felt herself nod anyway. She moved slowly to the edge of the bed but it seemed that every movement caused her pain somewhere. She tried to stand and winced instead. Angel just stay put, I’ll bring it to you. The woman said quickly. The man stood up and she was struck by how much taller he was than he had seemed stretched out in the chair. He walked silently from the room and she found it odd that his boots didn’t make a sound on the wood floor. The woman left as well and she eased back to the center of the bed. She looked down at herself. She was wearing a nightgown, it didn’t look familiar but it was most likely not her own. She looked at her hands even her own hands didn’t seem familiar. They didn’t give her any clues as to where she belonged either. There were no rings so she was most likely not married. Her nails were short and clean but really they were just hands.

Here we are Angel. The woman returned with a tray of food and placed it on the bed.

Why do you keep calling me Angel? Ella looked up and met her eyes and smiled. She leaned forward and gently lifted the locket. Angelica looked down at it then unclasped it so she could see it better. It was an oval shape and had the word Angel across the front. She ran her thumb across the front. The gold was smooth but the back was worn to high shine. It was obviously something she wore often so it must be important. Her brow furrowed as she concentrated on the locket. Why couldn’t she remember? She opened it and saw a faded black and white photo inside. She looked at the photo intently. The woman was smiling and very pretty.

Is this me? She held the locket out for Ella to see. Ella took the locket and examined the picture.

No, this woman looks a little bit older than you. She looks a lot like you though. Your mother maybe. She handed the locket back and Angelica looked at the front again. Angel it said, was that her name? Shouldn’t she recognize it if she heard it? Would you like me to call you something else? Ella asked, interrupting her thoughts.

No, Angel is fine I guess. You’re probably right it probably is my name. I just feel like I should recognize it. I should know if it is my name shouldn’t I? Ella smiled and patted her hand reassuringly.

Don’t force it dear. It will come back to you just give it time. You took a really nasty tumble. Now eat, you’ll need your strength. Ella left again and she sighed and fastened the necklace around her neck.

Luke watched Ella as she returned from the bedroom. She had already all but adopted the woman. He could tell just by looking at her. Not that it surprised him. Ella adopted everyone it was just the way she was.

Any problems last night? He asked turning his attention to Tom as he came through the door.

No sir. What is the story with the woman?

What woman? The three other men already seated at the table and the one following Tom in the door all seemed to focus their attention on him at the same time.

Luke sighed, There was a woman out there, not far from the high ground. Looks like she got thrown but I didn’t find her horse. Unfortunately, she has apparently lost her memory. She doesn’t know who she is or where she came from any more than I do.

So what are you going to do with her?

I am not going to do anything with her George. She’s not a stray cow. She can stay until her memory comes back and if it hasn’t by the time we need to head into town to resupply then we will take her in and let the Sherriff figure out where she belongs.

We just did a supply run. We shouldn’t need to do another one for a month, maybe two. Another man spoke up.

I am aware of that Joe. The men fell silent as they began eating their breakfast. Once they had finished their meal they all shuffled back outside. They all knew what they had to do. He didn’t need to direct anyone. He was the last to leave the table. He rubbed his eyes and picked his hat up off the back of his chair he was tired. It was going to be a long day. He was still wearing the same clothes as the day before. They were coated with a layer of dried mud so that they practically crackled when he walked but there wasn’t much point in changing them now. Not to mention there was a strange woman in his bedroom and he really didn’t want to go in there and fetch more clothes. He stepped outside and the bright Texas sun assaulted his tired eyes. He pulled his hat brim down low and continued to the barn.

Angelica stood carefully testing various parts of her body for pain. Everything seemed to be sore but nothing seemed to be broken. She could see several bruises but she couldn’t really assess the damage because there was no mirror. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself. She didn’t know if she should venture out of the bedroom or if she was supposed to stay in there. Her head was still pounding so she decided to lie back down on the bed and soon she was asleep again.

Luke washed his hands and face at the pump outside before he went in just as he did every day. Just as he had expected it had been a long day. He had started out tired and now he was beat. The smell of fresh bread greeted him when he opened the door and he inhaled deeply. Even dead tired that could make him smile.

Smells good.

Let’s hope it tastes as good as it smells. Ella grinned at him as she wiped her hands on her apron. He just smiled. He didn’t have any doubts about her cooking.

How is our guest? Did she have any luck remembering where she belongs? He hung his hat on the back of the chair and sank into it.

No she has slept most of the day. She hasn’t really said much of anything. Luke wasn’t really surprised. He hadn’t really expected that she would be up and about but he was kind of hoping. The sooner she remembered who she was the sooner he could get her back home and his life could go back to normal.

Would you be a dear and take this into her. Ella placed a tray on the table in front of him then turned back. He glowered at the tray. He didn’t want to take it in there. He was in no mood to play servant. If she was hungry she could come out and eat. He sighed knowing that any comment along those lines would draw disapproval from Ella and he wasn’t in the mood for that either.

Luke rapped lightly on the door, there was no answer.

Angel. He said softly pushing the door open. She was asleep in the middle of the bed. She was curled in a tight ball. He didn’t know how that could possibly be comfortable. He debated the idea of waking her and finally decided against it. He placed the tray on the table beside the bed and quietly retrieved a change of clothes.

Chapter 2

Angelica opened her eyes slowly. Her head didn’t hurt nearly as much but as she lay there trying to remember anything. She could only remember as far back as waking up the previous day. She sighed and sat up. She needed to get up. She was not going to be able to spend another day cooped up in this bedroom. She stood carefully testing her body again. She was still sore but she felt much better than she had the day before. She opened the door and peeked out. She didn’t see or hear anyone. She crept down the hall and peered around the corner. She saw Ella in the kitchen. She was alone so she eased out from behind the wall.

Excuse me, Ella stopped at the sound and looked up. Is it all right if I come out?

Of course it is. Ella laughed.

Um do I have any clothes?

Oh, well the dress you were wearing is going to need a good washing but I think I might be able to find something you can wear. Ella led her into her own bedroom and Angelica immediately spotted a mirror above the dresser. She went to it and examined her own reflection. She was disappointed that she didn’t recognize herself. She looked like a wild woman her hair was matted with dirt and tangled and she had a large bump and a bruise on her forehead. She touched her face gingerly as she looked at herself. It was like looking at someone else. She took a deep breath. She had the sudden urge to cry and had to will herself not to.

Come here and I’ll help you. We’ll see if we can wash some of that stuff out of your hair. Angelica sat in the chair Ella offered her and the older woman poured some water into a basin. She deftly began to wash the debris out of her hair. She was done much sooner than Angelica expected and she wrapped a towel around her head.

There much better, Ella proclaimed. Here I think this will fit as well as anything else I have. It’s only the length that might be a problem. Ella handed her a dress and she quickly changed into it. A glance in the mirror told her that the source of her pain was collection of purple and black bruises covering her back, hips and shoulders.

I look as if I had been trampled. She mumbled.

"If you had at least some of those bruises would look like hooves. No, you look more like you took a fall and rolled a piece. Angelica frowned as she put her hands in her hair and wound it up into an elaborate style on top of her head and pinned it in place. Ella smiled.

I guess some things you just don’t forget.

What? Angelica turned and looked in the mirror and realized what she had done. The style didn’t look familiar either, but it had felt so natural while she was doing it she hadn’t even thought about it. She began to wonder what else she could do if she didn’t think about it.

Well I better get breakfast on. The kitchen will be full of hungry men soon. Ella said before she left the room. Angelica took one last look at herself in the mirror before she followed Ella out.

Can I help?

Sure what would you like to do? Angelica thought for a moment, nothing felt familiar, she tried to think if there was something she could just do but it was impossible to think of anything. She looked at Ella and smiled.

I don’t know.

Why don’t you set the table? You can find what you need over there. Ella indicated a set of cabinets. When she was finished Ella surveyed her handiwork and laughed.

That is a beautiful table dear but this is a ranch not a formal dining room. Angelica looked at the table and frowned.

What is wrong with it? Ella retrieved most of the flatware she had laid out leaving only a single fork and knife and a single plate.

All right. Angelica said that was easy enough she could remember that. Not sure what else to do she sat down in one of the chairs and waited. It wasn’t long before the door opened and she saw a man come through it, he stopped short when he saw her and the man behind him ran into the back of him.

Charlie, what the… The other man stopped talking when he saw her and they both starred at her. Angelica fidgeted uncomfortably and looked down at herself unsure of why they were staring at her.

Boys, close your mouths and say good morning to Angel. Ella’s voice seemed to cause them both to remember their manners. Almost in unison they both swept their hats off their heads and mumbled,

Good morning ma’am.

Good morning. Having gotten over their initial shock they each retrieved a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table. Angelica was almost amused by their odd behavior, after staring at her initially now it seemed they were trying not to look at her.

Angel, this is Charlie and James. They are the night shift around here most of the time. Angelica smiled at the two men and they seemed to grow even more uncomfortable. They both looked relatively young. Both had shaggy brown hair plastered to their heads in the shape of their hats and were unshaven. Both were dirty but she guessed that was to be expected if they had just finished working. James was just a bit taller than Charlie.

The next man through the door stopped when his eyes fell on her as well. Then his ears turned red and he turned to get his coffee. He sat down beside the other men and Ella introduced him as John. He nodded at her but didn’t say anything. He looked like he might be even younger than the other