My Lost Hero (Angels of War Series #1) REWRITING 2024

Chapter One

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Do you ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right, and you're stumbling around life with no purpose?

That was me as I struggled my way up the hundredth step to my flat door with three shopping bags cutting into my hands and a case of bottled water under my arm. It was half-past seven on a miserable Saturday evening, and all I wanted to do was to cook myself some spaghetti carbonara, open a bottle of wine and enjoy whatever film they were showing at nine o'clock.

I squatted my knees together when I got to the door and rested the case of water on them to collect the flat keys from my handbag. When the oranges rolled out of the top of the carrier bag, I wondered why I hadn't put the bags down in the first place. I let out a loud sigh before reaching for the rolling fruit when the flat door opened.

My bottom hit the floor fast as my eyes travelled the length of a tall and lean body to fall onto a pair of emerald green eyes that held so much mystery. I blinked as my brain tried to conclude why the handsome man stood in my doorway.

"Are you Tabitha?" His deep voice echoed into the long hallway.

I cleared my throat twice to catch my breath. "Yes, and you are?"

The fog in his eyes cleared as he smiled, but the happiness didn't seem real. "Nice to meet you. I'm Joshua. Megan's brother."

Recognition hit me. "Of course you are. I'm sorry you took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting you to be here."

He helped me by picking up the forgotten shopping while I stood up and collected my bag. All the while, thinking how more handsome he looked up close. Megan was my roommate and was currently away visiting friends in Australia. There were several pictures of Joshua around the flat, but I'd never paid too much attention to them.

"I hope you don't mind, but I started cooking dinner. I thought it would be a good ice-breaker when you walked through the door. Megan said that food is the way to your heart," he said, resting the bags on the worktop.

"That would be right and wine," I replied, unbuttoning my coat. "It smells delicious in here. What're you cooking?"

"Spaghetti Carbonara."

No. Bloody. Way.

I laughed. "I've been craving that all day. I went to the supermarket just now to make sure I had the ingredients in."

I watched his shoulders shake as he turned his back to me and then his head fall forward with a sharp gasp. I stepped forward on instinct to see his body shuddering as if he were in pain, but the tension radiating from his face when he turned my way had me stepping back. "Are you okay?" I said instead.

"Yeah," he replied with discomfort lacing his tone. "I have to be careful with sudden movements."

"Why's that?" I found myself asking before cringing at my nosiness.

You've just met the guy.

"Sorry." I rushed over to the cupboard to get a glass out. "Ignore me. You don't have to answer that."

The surrounding air thickened as he stared at the floor for several seconds with a soft frown. The crease between his eyebrows only increasing at his silence. Megan had told me about his time in the army and how it changed him, but she wouldn't share the reason behind his leaving. I could only imagine how traumatic it would be to fight on the front line, but could never fully understand the terror of it.