Angel of Darkness (6 page)
His gaze flew to the door behind her.
Then the door shook. Hard. Someone was banging a very powerful fist against that wood.
“I’m not the only one who thinks you’re the key,” he growled. “You ever wonder why all those demons were after you?”
“I just thought I had really crappy luck.” Even before her change, she’d been dealt one raw hand by fate.
If the vampire hadn’t taken me out ...
If the vampire hadn’t taken me out ...
“Actually, you may be the luckiest woman I’ve ever met.”
Bull.
The door shook again.
“There’s a demon on the other side of that door,” he told her. “He knows you’re here, but he thinks I’m just some human, so that means we’ll both be easy prey.”
She sidled away from the door. “I don’t care much for demons.” Not since that gang had jumped her.
His eyelids flickered just a bit.
“But I’m not scared of them,” she continued quickly. “I—”
The door smashed as wood splintered beneath the force of the intruder’s blow. Nicole jumped back as the demon shoved his way inside.
The guy was muscled and tall and had angry, pitch-black eyes. A demon’s real eyes were always black. The iris, the sclera—everything was black. But usually the demons used glamour magic to hide that telling indicator.
Guess this guy didn’t care that she knew what he was.
“Vamp,” his voice thundered, “I’m tired of chasing—”
His head snapped up. His eyes zeroed in on Keenan. And the demon paled. “You ... you’re not ...”
Keenan stepped forward and a grim smile curved his lips. “I’m her guardian.”
The demon’s black eyes seemed to double in size. “Bullshit! She’s a vamp, she don’t have—”
“No one touches her, no one hurts her, without going through me first.”
Oh, wait, that was ... Nicole’s breath rushed out.
Nice.
But she was a vamp with superhuman strength, and she could certainly manage to handle a demon or two.
Nice.
But she was a vamp with superhuman strength, and she could certainly manage to handle a demon or two.
Even if the guy in her doorway looked to be close to six foot four and made of bricks. Size didn’t equal strength. Not in this new world she lived in.
So she stepped forward, still holding her thin sheet. Her arm brushed Keenan’s because their bodies were so close.
The demon couldn’t seem to tear his gaze off Keenan, and yes, that was fear in the guy’s eyes.
She slanted a quick glance at her hero. He didn’t look particularly scary to her. Sexy and strong? Double check. Scary? No.
But he was sure making the demon tremble.
“You don’t want me as an enemy,” the demon finally said, but he made no move to approach them. Actually, she was wondering if the guy
could
move.
could
move.
“Yes,” Keenan said flatly, “I do. You ... and your boss.”
Why did everyone but her seem to know what was happening here?
“So go run back to Sam and tell him that she’s off-limits. There’ll be no more vamp hunting, not unless he wants to lose his demons.”
The demon’s head jerked in a fast nod, but as he stepped back, his gaze darted to Nicole.
Her breath sucked in on a hard gasp.
Hate.
There was no mistaking the hatred and fury in that demon’s stare.
Hate.
There was no mistaking the hatred and fury in that demon’s stare.
Even as the guy turned and ran, she knew she’d be seeing him again. She also knew that if she faced him alone, he wouldn’t hesitate to go for her throat.
“We have to get out of here.” Keenan’s eyes were still drilling through that broken doorway. “Even in a dump like this, that crash would’ve attracted attention, and the cops are the last thing we need now.”
Right. She realized her claws were out and that burning black eyes were imprinted in her memory. “He was scared of you.”
“He should be.”
“
I’m
the vampire, but he was scared of you.” She turned and caught his arm with her right hand. Her left still gripped the sheet and held it just above her breasts. “Before I go anywhere with you, I want to know just what the hell you are.”
I’m
the vampire, but he was scared of you.” She turned and caught his arm with her right hand. Her left still gripped the sheet and held it just above her breasts. “Before I go anywhere with you, I want to know just what the hell you are.”
That same grim smile tilted the corners of his perfect lips. “I just told you, sweet, I’m your guardian.”
“Bull.”
He turned away, those strong shoulders shrugging, and her gaze dipped down the taunt lines of his back. Golden flesh, muscle, and—scars.
Bright, angry red scars. Two of them—each about seven inches long—sliced right along his shoulder blades.
“What happened to you?” The scars were still fresh and damn vicious.
He grabbed a T-shirt and yanked it over his head. “I made a mistake.” He pulled another shirt out of a small gray duffel bag and tossed it to her.
She caught it and her fingers squeezed the soft cotton. “What kind of mistake?”
This time he tossed her underwear—her bra and panties. His gaze lasered on her. “The kind I won’t make again.”
Right. Nice and mysterious and broody. Keenan was sure striking her as a broody kind of guy. She let the sheet fall and saw his eyes widen when he stared at her naked flesh.
Uh, huh. Look.
“You realize that tells me nothing.”
Uh, huh. Look.
“You realize that tells me nothing.”
He didn’t speak. His eyes locked on her breasts as he took a step forward.
“Don’t even think about it,” she whispered. “Guardians are supposed to guard, not touch.”
That light flush stained his cheeks again. “Maybe we do both.”
Her nipples pebbled.
Down, girl.
She still didn’t know him. Sure, she’d tasted him, but she hadn’t gotten so much as a whiff of his past or his current life with that drink.
Down, girl.
She still didn’t know him. Sure, she’d tasted him, but she hadn’t gotten so much as a whiff of his past or his current life with that drink.
He could be anyone. Anything.
No matter how sexy, she
couldn’t.
couldn’t.
Yet.
“Why’d you strip me?” She put the shirt he’d given her on the table, then pulled up her panties. She took her time hooking her bra.
He licked his lips. “I had to bathe you ... to get the blood off.”
Nicole didn’t remember that. Actually, the last thing she remembered was that truck ride from hell. “Guess I should thank you for that.” She just kept on owing the guy. At this rate, her tab was going to be huge. Suspicion whispered through her. “Just what all did you touch while you were bathing me?”
The bra was in place, pushing up her breasts. Yes, his gaze was still on them. Men, supernaturals or humans, were always the same.
“Not enough,” he muttered.
Her eyes narrowed.
“When I touch you with sex in mind, you’ll know it, sweet.”
He seemed so confident. But why did she see a slight tremble in his fingers?
He spun, giving her his back and showing her those red scars again. “If we stay any longer, the cops will be here.”
“I can handle Mexican cops.”
He laughed, a rusty, rough sound. “Maybe, if we were in Mexico.”
Oh, no. She shoved her hands into the sleeves of the shirt and popped her head through the top. The shirt swallowed her and smelled like him. Her fingers rubbed the bottom of the T-shirt. “Tell me,
please
tell me that you didn’t drag me into the U.S.”
please
tell me that you didn’t drag me into the U.S.”
“Yeah, you’re welcome. When you passed out, I saved your butt and got you out of Mexico—and away from the locals there who were out for
your
blood.”
your
blood.”
She yanked up her jeans. In seconds, she’d found her boots. Nicole managed to shove her feet inside them just before he grabbed her arm and they stumbled through the broken door.
And, yes, sure enough, the wail of a siren was already cutting through the night. She stayed quiet while they stuck to the shadows and hurriedly jumped into the truck. They eased out of the lot, driving nice and slow, and cruised right by the black-and-white patrol car that raced into the hotel’s parking zone.
Nicole waited a minute, then five more, and as the truck ate up the miles, she finally spoke the words she
had
to say. “I’ve heard demons recognize each other on sight. That they can look right past the glamour and see the monster inside.” Her nails tapped against the rough armrest.
had
to say. “I’ve heard demons recognize each other on sight. That they can look right past the glamour and see the monster inside.” Her nails tapped against the rough armrest.
The truck sped up.
It was the way of the paranormal world. Like recognized like. She always knew when she was near another vamp. She’d heard that witches felt the power pull of their brethren.
“That demon,” she continued, “he took one look at you, and he got
scared.
”
scared.
”
“Because he was smart.”
Right. “But just what did he see?” She asked, letting her eyes sweep over him. “When he looked at you, what did he see that made him back off?” Not just back off—
run away.
run away.
Keenan’s head turned toward her. Even in the dim lighting, she could see him clearly with her vampire vision. He had such beautiful blue eyes—wait, those eyes were getting darker. Darker ...
Demon eyes.
“I guess he saw through the glamour,” Keenan told her, his voice quiet.
Oh, damn.
She was in trouble.
Sam stared up at the night sky. So many fucking stars. Millions of them glittered down on him.
Humans looked at the stars and they wished and they dreamed.
He looked at the stars and knew they didn’t matter. The stars were just chunks of glass in the black sky. No, the stars were meaningless.
Others
were up there, though, nestled in the heavens. Powerful beings were pulling all the strings and making the puppets dance.
were up there, though, nestled in the heavens. Powerful beings were pulling all the strings and making the puppets dance.
Footsteps thudded behind him. Sam inhaled, catching the scents of the one who approached. Alcohol. Cigarettes. Demon.
Elijah
.
Elijah
.
No vampire. Fuck. The bastard would bleed for failing again. How hard was it to bag one newbie vamp? The lady was so fresh she’d probably barely cut her fangs.
Sam turned around, ready to slam a burst of power right at the demon, but the fear in Elijah’s black gaze stopped him.
And made him smile.
Finally.
Finally.
“Y-you never said she’d have backup.”
Because Sam hadn’t thought the vamp would. He’d worked so hard to cut her off from the rest of the world. Her silly little comfort system she’d had in New Orleans—ripped away. Her job—gone. Her home—destroyed. No family, no friends—they were all terrified of her now. No one wanted to be close to a killer.
When you isolated your prey, it was always so much easier to take ’em down.
“He could have fuckin’ killed me!” Elijah snarled, spittle flying from his mouth.
Sam raised a brow. “He?” His voice came out mild, as always.
“Him—yeah that fuckin’
angel
that was at her side. And she smelled like him. Shit, ain’t there some rule about angels fuckin’ around?”
angel
that was at her side. And she smelled like him. Shit, ain’t there some rule about angels fuckin’ around?”
“Probably.” Undoubtedly. Another way to get cast out. Angels didn’t enjoy nearly the preferential treatment that the humans did. Screw up once ... get ready to burn.
“And fuckin’ with vampires?” Disgust etched deep lines on the demon’s face. “What the hell?” Elijah didn’t much care for vampires. Who did? And as for angels ...
Demons were right to fear them.
Sam took a deep breath and asked, “You’re sure the man with her was an angel?”
Elijah’s head bobbed in a quick nod. “There’s no damn way to kill one of ’em, you know that!”
“Everything dies,” he snapped, sick of the lies that the
Other
chose to spread, particularly lies about themselves. Only one being was immortal. All the others ...
we can all die.
Some of them just had the unfortunate pleasure of perishing over and over again.
Other
chose to spread, particularly lies about themselves. Only one being was immortal. All the others ...
we can all die.
Some of them just had the unfortunate pleasure of perishing over and over again.
Yeah, life could be one fucking blast.
Elijah yanked a hand through his thick blond hair. “Well, I don’t want to be that
everything.
”
everything.
”
Too bad. Elijah was already marked for death. Sam had seen the bastard’s end coming for days. Mostly because he’d planned it. Elijah had his uses. The guy was strong, evil, and usually ready to rip and tear. But even a killer had to die some time.
“Describe him to me.” There were hundreds of angels. Thousands. Could be any—
“Blond, black eyes, with black wings that hung over his shoulders ...”
Black wings.
An angel of death.
An angel of death.
“I didn’t even see the wings at first. They moved behind him, like weird-ass shadows.” A pause. “Just like yours.”
Sam rolled his shoulders and slowly stretched his back as he felt the ghostly flutter of wings that weren’t there anymore, not really.
Elijah hissed out a breath.
“Weird-ass
...
”
“Weird-ass
...
”
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