Angel of Darkness (23 page)
“Gettin’ ready to stake her ...” This came from the same guy who’d spoken before, the one with a big red lump on his forehead.
Big Mike grunted. “He took us all out.” He waved a hand toward his tight-jawed men. “If we couldn’t take him, you damn sure ain’t gonna have any better luck with the guy.”
Maybe. “I will if you help me.”
Now that had Mike looking interested.
“Your mistake was that you tried to take ’em down when they were together.” Huge mistake, especially for humans going up against supernaturals. “We need to separate them.”
Mike started nodding.
“We want the vamp, right? She’s our target.” The idiot would believe anything he said then.
Mike licked his lips. There were murmurs from the men. A few “damns straights” and one “fuck, yeah.” After a minute Big Mike said, “Yeah, that bitch is the one I want to stake.”
“You’ll get your chance.” Eventually. “But first, we’ve got to break them apart. Break them apart, make them weak—then we attack.”
Because Nicole St. James, killer and Taken vamp, wouldn’t be nearly as fierce on her own. Not once she lost the angel on her shoulder.
“So how we gonna do it?” Mike wanted to know. “How the hell are we supposed to get her away from him?”
Now that was the hard part. But, luckily, he had a plan. “Leave that to me. You just get your men ready to jump her.”
Lie. Lie.
Mike and his men
were
his plan. They were his bait and his distraction. Because Nicole and her angel would be so focused on them, well ... the vamp wouldn’t even realize the true danger until it was too late.
were
his plan. They were his bait and his distraction. Because Nicole and her angel would be so focused on them, well ... the vamp wouldn’t even realize the true danger until it was too late.
“We’ve got to act fast,” he said. “We’re gonna need to attack before the sun sets.” No sense in going up against a stronger vamp. Not while there was still daylight left.
“You
know
where she is?”
know
where she is?”
Shifters had good noses for a reason. They were the best at tracking. Once he’d caught her scent at Temptation, he’d followed her all the way back home.
He’d always had the strongest nose in the pack. Blood, fire, and sex—it wasn’t easy to miss that combination. Tracking Nicole had been fucking child’s play.
“I know.” He smiled. “Now let’s go and drag that bitch into the sunlight.”
Nicole woke, her heart racing, her body shaking as the nightmare still played in her mind.
The alley. The blood. The monster.
She sucked in a deep breath.
She’d been the monster.
“Nicole?”
Her head turned. Keenan lay beside her in bed, his chest naked, and the sheet loose around his hips. She swallowed. “Ah, it’s nothing ...” It was still daylight. She could see the sun trickling through the blinds, could feel the weakness in her body. He’d chosen to sleep in the day? With her?
The lump in her chest had nothing to do with her nightmare.
“Something scared you,” he said.
Me. I scare myself. I have for a while now.
His fingers brushed down her arm and she shivered. “It—it’s really nothing—”
“Liar.” The word sounded like a caress. “Tell me about it.”
The drumming of her heartbeat wasn’t slowing down. She pulled the covers up and held them with tight hands. Right then, she needed some kind of shield, and it was the cover or nothing. “Before I was attacked, I-I didn’t even know I could kill.”
“Everyone
can
kill. People just have to be pushed hard enough,” he said flatly. There was a lot of dark knowledge tinting his voice. But then, he’d probably seen everything humans had to offer. Good. Bad. All that waited in between.
can
kill. People just have to be pushed hard enough,” he said flatly. There was a lot of dark knowledge tinting his voice. But then, he’d probably seen everything humans had to offer. Good. Bad. All that waited in between.
Death.
Right. He’d know all about killing.
“You said you saw me ... before.” Before she’d gotten the stylish new fangs, the bad manicure, and the pretty much unquenchable thirst for blood.
“Yes.”
“
She
never would have ripped a man’s throat open. Not once.” Her voice dropped. “Twice. I killed two humans.”
And one vampire.
She
never would have ripped a man’s throat open. Not once.” Her voice dropped. “Twice. I killed two humans.”
And one vampire.
“You were under compulsion, you didn’t—”
“I-I ...
liked the blood.
” This was the darkest part of her confession. Her gaze dropped to the hands that balled the sheets. “I liked the rush of blood, the power. I wanted to stop. I knew it was wrong. I knew I was killing them and that voice was in my head, pushing me ...
but I liked the blood.
”
liked the blood.
” This was the darkest part of her confession. Her gaze dropped to the hands that balled the sheets. “I liked the rush of blood, the power. I wanted to stop. I knew it was wrong. I knew I was killing them and that voice was in my head, pushing me ...
but I liked the blood.
”
And that was her shame.
“You’re a vampire.”
Uh, yes, she knew that.
“Nicole ...” He sighed out her name. “You’re supposed to like it.”
“Because vamps like the blood so much, that’s why they kill.” Why she’d had to fight her urges. “The schoolteacher I was ... the woman who always got in by ten on a work night, she wouldn’t have—”
His fingers curled over hers. “Why do you keep talking as if she’s someone else?”
Her gaze lifted to his. Why couldn’t he see? “She
was
someone else. She was someone
good.
” She’d tried to be, anyway. Volunteering her time in afterschool programs. Donating canned goods for the homeless. Recycling for goodness’ sake. That woman had been
good.
was
someone else. She was someone
good.
” She’d tried to be, anyway. Volunteering her time in afterschool programs. Donating canned goods for the homeless. Recycling for goodness’ sake. That woman had been
good.
Not a killer.
Not a monster who lusted for blood. Who fought. Killed. Who licked her lips as she stood over a dead man and thought—
More.
No wonder the dreams wouldn’t stop. “That woman died in an alley,” she told him, holding his stare. Even if she hadn’t died then, she wouldn’t have made it through the year.
His hand skimmed down her arm. Slowly, his warm fingers rose to her chest and pressed over her heart. “If she’s dead, then why do I feel her heart beating?”
“I’m not the same person anymore. The things I did—” Not just the killing. But with Connor ...
Her eyes squeezed shut. “I’m not the same.”
The warmth of his hand seeped into her skin. “You couldn’t be the same and keep surviving.”
She cracked open her eyes.
“The bloodlust is always strongest at first.” He rose, pushing up to sit beside her now. “I’ve seen it drive some crazy. They’d lose control and turn on anyone who came near.”
Nicole remembered that first, desperate hunger. The bite that she’d given the cop who’d come to her aid. “Yes.” She’d felt crazy then.
“You didn’t kill the cop you attacked.”
She shook her head. “It was a near thing. I ... couldn’t stop.” She never wanted to feel like that again. So hungry—the hunger an ache that burned her whole body.
“You did stop.”
Her lashes lifted fully. “Barely.” She wouldn’t let him think she was something that she wasn’t. “I didn’t have the control. If I did, I wouldn’t have ever bitten him. I wouldn’t have listened to that voice in my head—
I wouldn’t have killed.
”
I wouldn’t have killed.
”
She had to get away from him. His touch made her weak, and she was already weak enough. Nicole jumped from the bed, yanking the sheet with her. “Angels are real.” She tossed that out at him and glanced back just in time to see him blink.
“Uh, yeah, we are.”
This was the part that scared her. “I knew that—I always knew that.” She’d been a good Catholic girl after all,
before.
before.
His head cocked as he watched her.
“Angels are real,” she said again. “And demons are real. That means after this life ...”
Already knew this. Always knew.
Her knees locked. “After this life, there isn’t going to be any sunshine and paradise waiting for me.” Maybe if Keenan had taken her soul that long-ago night, but now ...
Already knew this. Always knew.
Her knees locked. “After this life, there isn’t going to be any sunshine and paradise waiting for me.” Maybe if Keenan had taken her soul that long-ago night, but now ...
He stared back at her. Didn’t deny her words.
No.
She choked down the very real fear in her throat. “I want a chance to make it up.” She sounded crazy, so what else was new? “I don’t want Az to take me, not until I’ve had a chance to
make it up.
”
make it up.
”
He climbed from the bed and didn’t bother covering with a sheet. “You can’t bring back the dead.”
He’d know.
A muscle flexed along his jaw. “And Az isn’t taking you anyplace.”
Nicole could only shake her head. “Why?”
Keenan blinked at that. “Because you’re not ready to go, you don’t want—”
“No.” Her head shook again, fast, as her hair whipped around her face. “Why does it matter to you? Why do you care what happens to me?”
He gave another slow blink, then said, “I don’t know.”
Well, great. She turned away from him and grabbed for her clothes. Not like she’d expected some big declaration or anything. The guy didn’t know her, he hadn’t—
He fell for you.
Obviously, that was bull. She yanked on her panties and shoved into her bra.
“What I said ... it angered you?”
Her lips pressed together as she snagged her jeans. Jeans
he’d
bought for her. “It confuses me.” Okay, that was a lie. Half-lie. He confused her
and
he made her damn angry.
he’d
bought for her. “It confuses me.” Okay, that was a lie. Half-lie. He confused her
and
he made her damn angry.
She spun back to him, her shirt gripped in her hands. “You lost everything, you gave it all up, and you don’t even know why.”
I wasn’t worth it.
The words just wouldn’t come out of her mouth. She wanted to say them, but couldn’t. She’d told him about her crimes, her needs. He should realize the truth for himself.
The words just wouldn’t come out of her mouth. She wanted to say them, but couldn’t. She’d told him about her crimes, her needs. He should realize the truth for himself.
Maybe he did. Her shoulders slumped and her chin dipped.
Maybe
...
Maybe
...
“For over two thousand years, I never felt anything.”
That had her head whipping up.
His eyes stared right at her, but Keenan didn’t actually seem to see her. “I saw babies born, parents die, wars, weddings, happiness,
life.
But I never felt a thing.”
life.
But I never felt a thing.”
His words were so cold she shivered.
“I only knew touch ...” He lifted his hand and stared at his palm. “When I killed. And then, there was no warmth in the bodies. I took the warmth away before I even touched them.”
His hand fisted.
Silence.
What could she say? “Keenan ...”
“I wanted more than that.”
Seemed only fair.
“Humans had more. Even the
Other
had more—and they were supposed to be the
mistakes
.”
Other
had more—and they were supposed to be the
mistakes
.”
Was that what she was now?
“Angels were created for a purpose. To protect. To guide. But not to feel.” His fist fell. “No sorrow. No pain. And no happiness either. Just ... duty. Just ... nothing.”
He stepped toward her. “I wanted more,” he said again. “I didn’t even realize it at first, but with every soul, I just—
wanted more.
”
wanted more.
”
Wanting. Didn’t he realize that was a form of feeling? Maybe the other angels hadn’t felt any emotions, but he had, and they’d driven him to the edge.
No, they’d driven him to fall.
“With you, I decided to take more.” His fingers curled around her chin, and he tipped her head back. “Silk,” he whispered. “Smooth, soft, and
warm.
”
warm.
”
She realized he was talking about her skin.
He lowered his head and pressed a kiss against her lips. “Just as soft here, but the taste ...” His eyelashes lowered. “A little sweet, and a hint of spice.”
Oh, he could seduce her so easily. Had, actually.
His knuckles slid down her neck. “And being inside you ...” His lashes rose. “
Pleasure.
”
Pleasure.
”
She licked her lips and wanted his mouth again.
“I was tempted, and I fell.” His knuckles were at her chest now, pushing against the edge of her bra. “Humans get to feel. They get to fuck. They get anything they want.”
Not always. Sometimes, they got nightmares they didn’t want.
“Try living with nothing for two thousand years, and then see just how hungry you are for
everything.
”
everything.
”
His mouth took hers in a hot, hard kiss that she met head-on. She knew about hunger, not just for blood, but for someone to hold you, to kiss you,
to want you,
no matter what.
to want you,
no matter what.
Was she just a body for Keenan? Just a temptation? Maybe, but for her, he was becoming so much more.
A man who stayed with her through the good and bad. A man who didn’t care about the monster inside of her. He’d known her before, but didn’t judge her now.
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