Crescendo (Hush, Hush Series)

In Crescendo, Nora finds that her relationship with Patch has hit a rough spot when he stops returning her calls and refuses to tell her he loves her in his car when she admits her love for him. She is hurt when she discovers that Patch has been standing outside of rival girl named Marcie's window. Patch explains he can't tell Nora he loves her because it would potentially send him to Hell. This prompts her to begin talking to Scott Parnell, an old friend and possible Nephilim, and use him to make Patch jealous. Nora becomes involved in a fight in the process and ends up firing Patch as her guardian angel. Through Scott she finds that a person called the Black Hand killed her father. Nora becomes more depressed as she sees Patch start a relationship with Marcie and believes he has sent her a drugged apology letter. It's eventually revealed that Nora's mother had an affair with Marcie's father Hank, prompting Marcie's vendetta against her. She also comes to think that Patch is the Black Hand and that he's now Marcie's guardian angel. The true identity of the Black Hand is later revealed to be Hank Millar, Marcie's father. However, Rixon, a fallen angel and Patch's best friend, is revealed to be behind most of the book's events. His Nephil vassal is Marcie's father, Hank, who is revealed to have impregnated Nora's mother years ago, making him her real father. Due to her true heritage, Rixon attempts to sacrifice her to kill his vassal and obtain a human body. In the process of sacrificing Nora, Scott interferes and is shot multiple times. Rixon shoots Nora in the arm and is about to kill her, but Patch appears and he is unsuccessful. The book ends with Rixon getting sent to Hell, Patch and Nora making up, and her real father, Hank, appearing and cornering them, capturing Nora and asking her if she was responsible for the death of Chauncey Langeais.