Avenging Angel (27 page)

Jonathan’s brows rose. “You wanted to kill. You wanted to punish.” His eyes were bright with a feverish light. “I punished for you. I killed for you, and I’ll do it again.” He rushed for her.

Marna was ready. She pushed out with her fire. He batted it away with one hand, but that was what she wanted him to do. In that instant, while his focus was on the flames, she kicked him, then drove her fist into his jaw. He stumbled back.

And Tanner attacked. He jumped up from the ground and struck with his claws out. His claws sank into Jonathan’s chest.

Jonathan screamed in fury and pain as he wrenched away from the attack. The hybrid stumbled back.

“I’m punishing now,” Tanner snarled. “I’m—”

Jonathan sent a wave of fire blasting right at Tanner. Tanner’s arms burned, and Marna leapt in front of him.
“Stop!”

The flames froze. Not by Jonathan’s will, but by hers. Fury pumped inside of her. So strong that her whole body seemed to ache. “You aren’t killing him.” Not when Tanner was the one thing on this earth that she cared about.

The flames disappeared into a wisp of smoke.

“You choose
him?
” Shock had slackened Jonathan’s features.

What? Was the guy really that delusional? Did he think—

“I’m just like you!” His hands fell limply at his sides. “I’ve killed . . .
for you.
” Now he sounded lost. “He’s done nothing for you, while I’ve done everything.”

Wrong. Tanner had done the one thing that mattered most. He’d given her a reason to live.

Jonathan shook his head. “We can put the world back to order. Punish the wicked. Send the monsters to hell.”

Didn’t he see? “You are one of those monsters.” One of the worst she’d ever seen. And he didn’t understand just how evil he truly was. “That cop you attacked, what was his crime?”

He’d left an innocent to die—why? The cop had never done anything to her.

But Jonathan shouted, “He
saw
you! I know he did! You were with Tanner, so he must have seen! And he would have told the others that you were still alive! That—”

“You almost killed him for that?” she broke in, stunned. Tanner was behind her, swearing, and . . . she could smell his burned flesh.

Jonathan’s lips curved. “I’ve killed for less.”

Monster.
“That’s not the way of our kind.”

Jonathan glared back at her. “I thought you’d understand. I thought you’d appreciate all I’ve done.” He shook his head and looked sad, but determined. “I see the truth now.”

The truth? What? That she was standing between him and Tanner, determined to keep her lover safe?

“You don’t see a fuckin’ thing,” Tanner growled, “but in a few minutes, I’ll be makin’ you see plenty.”

Marna glanced back quickly. Tanner was on his feet. Burned. Bloody, but not out. Not by a long shot. The floor creaked as he stalked closer.

She focused back on Jonathan.

He smiled. “You still think this can end well for you?” His furious gaze was on Tanner.

“I know it will.” Tanner pushed to her side and weaved a bit. He needed to shift, but if he did, he’d be vulnerable. Could she keep Jonathan busy long enough for Tanner to make that shift?

“Your brother is bleeding out in the back of a patrol car.” Jonathan spoke casually as he wiped his bloody hands on his shirt. “You’re both dying today, shifter. The only question is . . . which one of you gets to hell first?”

“
You
do,” Tanner promised him. “Then when we . . . get there . . . Cody and I will take turns kicking your . . . ass.”

Jonathan laughed. “Want to taste that fire again?” A ball of flames rose above his hand. “I’ll burn all your skin right off your body.”

No, he wouldn’t. She just had to get him away from Tanner long enough for her shifter to heal. To heal . . . and then kick ass. He did that so well.

“You’re not killing us,” she told him. “We’re killing you.” Not a lie. Promises weren’t lies.

But he laughed and sent his blasts of fire all around the room. The fire licked its way up the walls.

Marna pushed out with her own energy, whirling around as she tried to fight the blaze. Why was he so strong?

While she was still so weak?

Every time she put out the fire, he started it again. Bones were snapping near her, popping, and Tanner was shifting.
Yes.
She just had to keep battling the flames and keep Jonathan fighting her long enough for Tanner to—

Something sharp pressed into her side. Pain stabbed through her—no, she’d been
stabbed
.

The flames rose higher. She turned, and found Jonathan inches from her. “You disappointed me,” he said and sounded so sad. “So I have to punish you now.”

No. She shook her head. The flames were so hot.

Bones were still popping. A panther was growling and . . .

“Your lover wasn’t the first shifter I met,” Jonathan told her. “So many beasts over the years. So fucking many. Those animals begged for their justice, and I gave them just what they deserved.”

The pain twisted in her side. Marna glanced down. Her blood spilled down her clothing.

“At death, a shifter’s body always goes back to its human form.”

She knew this crap. Pain pulsed through her. The fire was rising again, and she couldn’t seem to muster the energy to fight the flames.

“But if you can cut off a shifter’s limbs before it dies, those pieces don’t ever change back. They freeze, and you get a real nice souvenir.”

He was a sick freak.

He yanked his hand back. Marna gasped at the agony. And she saw it wasn’t a knife that had stabbed into her. Heavy claws had dug into her flesh and torn her muscles.

Her gaze rose to meet his.

“I took these from that panther shifter in the swamp. Russell. The guy thought he was such a badass, but you should have heard him crying when I sliced off his hand. I took my time with him. I tore that animal apart with his own damn claws.” He smiled. “Then I kept my souvenir, because I knew just how well a shifter’s claws could work against the other supernaturals out there.”

Other supernaturals . . .
me.
Angels could be killed by those claws. So could every other supernatural beast that walked the earth.

Her body trembled. The scent of flowers deepened. And . . . was that an angel she saw? Slipping into the room?

“I didn’t want to use these on you. But you gave me no choice.” He lifted his hand and drove the claws into her chest. “If you’re not with me, angel, then you’re dead to me.”

Blood dripped from her lips.
“Bastion . . .”
She could see him now.

He’d come for her. Just like he’d said.

“You should have been more.” Spittle flew from Jonathan’s mouth. His face was right next to hers. Her body shook, and he snarled at her, “You were supposed to be mine. Supposed to be perfect! Forever!”

No one was perfect. Not even an angel. She hurt so much, but the pain wouldn’t last.
Nothing lasts.
She tasted blood and death on her tongue. But she heard the fierce growl of her panther and the sound had a smile curving her lips. Jonathan wouldn’t kill anyone else. Not after Tanner got hold of him.

“Go to hell,” she whispered and fell back.

Even as the panther leapt into the air.

 

Cody crawled from the car.
That bastard . . .
Cody had always told his brother that he had to watch out for the humans.
I was right.

Only he hadn’t been watching well enough this time, either.

Pain ate at his insides and twisted his gut. The blasts from Jonathan’s gun had knocked him out for a few moments, and he still couldn’t see straight.

Yeah, he knew the feeling, but . . .

The bastard cop had made a mistake. Demons and drugs . . . when you mixed them, you never knew what you’d get.

He wouldn’t listen to the whispers now. Couldn’t. He had to find Tanner. Find the lost angel. And he had a cop to kill.

He pushed to his feet. Took a heavy breath. Then, he put one foot in front of the other. Again. Again. Blood fell in his wake. The drugs had started to numb the pain but the blood, nothing was stopping it. With every step, more flowed from him.

I won’t be weak this time.
He’d show Tanner. He could be strong. He could be there to save his brother.

It was his turn.

He just had to . . . get to Tanner.

Good thing it was turning daylight. Otherwise, his blood would be drawing the vamps in.

Good thing . . .

Then he heard the faint whisper of footsteps behind him. His eyes squeezed closed. He’d
never
had good luck.

“Um . . . look at that,” a familiar voice drawled. “A walking blood buffet.”

Cody turned and saw the vamp stalking him.

No, he’d
never
had good luck.

Then he faced the creature that stalked him.

Tanner slammed his body into Jonathan’s. The jerk just laughed as he crashed into the floor.

He wouldn’t be laughing when Tanner ripped his throat out.

The scent of Marna’s blood filled his nose and drove the panther into a frenzy.
Hurt. His mate was hurt.
He’d destroy the bastard who’d made her bleed.

And how had he missed the evil in Jonathan? How had he looked right at him and not seen it?

No, Tanner had just thought the guy was human. He hadn’t smelled like a shifter, like a vamp, or even a demon. And he hadn’t possessed the telltale scent of an angel.

Just smelled human.
Smelled human. Acted human. But that had been nothing but a lie.

Now Jonathan was on his feet and holding some kind of claws in his hands. The SOB thought he was a shifter now, too? Tanner would show him the damage real claws could do.

Tanner sliced out and let his claws rip across Jonathan’s forearms. Jonathan screamed. Blood flowed.

Tanner slammed his paws into Tanner’s chest. This time when he took his partner down, the guy didn’t get back up. Because he didn’t want to make it easy on him, Tanner sank his claws into Jonathan’s chest. This bastard was going to suffer before he went to hell.

For Cody.
For the pain that he’d put his brother through.

For the young cop.
That kid hadn’t deserved to have his body mangled on a dark, lonely road.

For Marna.
Jonathan
never
should have come for her. To make her bleed, to make her cry out in pain . . .

That knowledge slowly penetrated the rage of the beast. With his claws still buried in Jonathan’s chest, the panther’s head turned to the right. He saw Marna. Lying on the floor. Blood all around her.

Not moving.

Breathing?

Yes, yes, she was breathing.
He could hear the faint rasp of her breath. And he could smell . . .

The panther roared, and his head swung back to face Jonathan. The guy was grinning his sick, satisfied grin. Not screaming anymore.

He’d scream again. Tanner would make sure of it.

“F-fuckin’ animal . . . you’ll never . . . have her again.”

He’d have her forever. Marna was his. This bastard was dead, and Marna was going to—

“I touched her . . . heart.”

The panther’s gaze flew to the claws that Jonathan still gripped in his hand.

Touched it? Or . . .
Took it?

“She deserved . . .” Jonathan coughed up blood. “To be p-punished.”

The beast snarled and his teeth sank into Jonathan’s throat. Jonathan struggled, shoved, tried to break free, but the panther held tight to the prey that would never escape.

Death didn’t come softly. He came hard. With a violent flash of fangs and fury. When Jonathan’s breath choked back into his lungs, when his body stopped spasming, Tanner let him go—straight to hell.

And he saw the angel standing over them. Only Bastion wasn’t reaching down to take the cop.

Bastion was staring over at Marna, and there was no missing the sorrow on his face. “I told her . . .”

No
.

The panther leapt back to her side, but—but there was nothing the beast could do. Nothing but kill and destroy and he’d done that job well.

With her breath barely rasping out, Marna needed the man, not the panther. The shift hit him, brutal and swift, as the fur melted away and his bones reshaped.

Hold on.
Marna just had to stay with him a few more moments. He’d shift, and then he could heal her. The same way he’d healed Cody. He could do this.

He reached for Marna with the hands of a man and not the claws of a beast. His fingers were shaking as he lifted her up against him. Her eyes were closed, but at his touch, her lashes slowly lifted.

“I was . . . waiting for you,” she whispered.

He’d spent his whole life waiting for her.

“Is he . . . d-dead?”

Tanner didn’t glance back. Bastion had done his job while he’d shifted. “He’s rotting in hell.” Jonathan had better be.

She swallowed. “You know . . . I . . . loved you.”

Screw this. “Baby, you’re gonna keep loving me.” He put his hand over her chest. Her blood was warm against his fingers. “You’re gonna love me for the next fifty years, at least.” Power pulsed through him, familiar, as if he’d been using it all of his life.

When he’d just been killing and fighting like a beast.

But this time, he was healing. Saving her life. He’d used the power before, and he could use it now. He
would
use it.

He pulled the healing magic from deep inside of him and pumped it toward her. He could feel the death angel coming closer to him.

“Stand back,” Tanner snarled at Bastion. “You aren’t taking her.” No one was.

“Another soul must be taken,” Bastion said quietly.

“Well, it won’t be her.” Energy poured through him, and drove right into her. She gasped and arched beneath his touch, and a faint white light appeared where his hand touched her chest.

His hands had always been used for killing. His claws came out so quickly. But not now. Now was all about healing.

Tanner bent close to Marna. Did she even realize just how important she was to him? “I knew from the first moment I saw you.” Covered in blood. Broken, on the ground. Broken, but still so beautiful. The most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He’d taken one look at her, and realized his life would change. “I knew . . . you were mine.”

He’d planned to kill Brandt for hurting her. Brother or not, he’d been a dead man. But Azrael had beaten him to the punch.

After that, he’d tried to give Marna space. Tried to let her go. He knew how dangerous he was.

Her breathing steadied. The flesh seemed to close beneath his fingers.

He’d tried, but he hadn’t been able to stay away from her. He’d needed to see her, just to make sure she was safe.

Once he’d actually had her body against his, had his body buried
in
hers, there’d been no turning back.

Love?
The word was too tame for the way he felt about her. And he’d never be tame. She consumed him. Made him wild, desperate.

For her. Always her.

There was another wound in her side. Deep, and bleeding too much. Lethargy pulled at him, but Tanner lifted his left hand and pressed it against her side. Bastion was still there, watching him, but not touching. The guy needed to leave. Just drag his winged ass away and go.

“She’s not dying,” Tanner growled. Not on his watch. The bad guy was dead. This was the point where they got to live happily ever freaking after.

He was getting his princess. She’d get her beast. The rest of the world could go and screw off.

“Tanner!”
He didn’t look up at his brother’s shout. He couldn’t take his attention off Marna. She needed his focus. His power. If that power broke, what would happen to her?

He dug deep, pulled more energy from within, and pushed it toward her wounds.

“No! You can’t!” Now Cody was beside him. He could smell his brother’s blood. So Jonathan hadn’t been lying. The bastard had shot him and left him to die.

“Help me!” Cody shouted to someone. Bastion? But then Riley’s form appeared as the vamp crouched down next to Marna. He reached for her.

“Touch her,” Tanner managed, voice barely human, “and die.”

“A soul must be taken,” Bastion said quietly.

Riley jerked and his gaze flew up. Had he heard Bastion? With Marna’s blood in him, he just might have—

Cody’s hands grabbed Tanner. “You’re
killing
yourself! Let her go!”

Never.

She just needed a little more energy.

“You’re shaking, dammit! Blood is coming out of your eyes!”

Was that what the moisture was? He’d thought it was tears.

Yeah, well, without her, he might as well be dead. What was he supposed to do? Go back to the life he’d had before her? Not when she’d shown him what he could be.

What he
would
be.

Cody tried to pull him away. Tanner didn’t budge. He wouldn’t move. Not until her eyes opened again. Not until he saw that she was going to be okay.

“You’re all I’ve got, man! The only family who ever meant shit to me!”
Cody was still jerking on his arms.

“And she’s . . .” Tanner swallowed. Why was talking so hard? “She’s . . . what matters to me.”

Marna’s eyes opened. Her eyes weren’t filled with pain. They were so bright and blue that it almost hurt to look into them. Her gaze found his. Widened. Her lips curled in a smile. “Tanner.”

The light vanished from beneath his fingertips. His heart raced in his chest. Far, far too fast, that drumming beat seemed to shake his whole body.

But then fear flashed over her delicate features. No, she should never be afraid of him. He’d never hurt her. He’d protect her, take care of her and—

“Tanner?” She sat up.

He slipped back and fell onto the floor.

Then her hands were on him, touching him lightly, but he couldn’t seem to feel her touch. Why couldn’t he feel her? Her skin was silken and soft, and he wanted to feel it one more time.

But he couldn’t seem to feel anything.

Bastion looked down on him. “You traded yourself for her.” He sounded . . . surprised?

Tanner couldn’t speak, but, hell yes, he’d made the trade. He’d known the risks. Gladly accepted them. His death, her life?

Fucking fair.

Then Marna slapped him. “You aren’t doing this to me!” Good thing he couldn’t feel anything, or that hit might have hurt.

She caught his face between her hands. “You aren’t dying for me.”

“Yes.” Cody’s voice. Sad. Hopeless. “He is.”

Bastion reached down for him.

Marna stiffened. “Bastion, you’d better yank that hand back, or you
will
lose it.”

“So someone else does see him,” Riley whispered and eased back a few feet. “Thought I was goin’ crazy.”

“Vampire . . .” Marna’s voice held a lethal edge. “Don’t even think of leaving.”

Why was the vampire there? Tanner tried to push up but found his arms wouldn’t move. No,
he
couldn’t move.

Marna leaned over him again. “You save me, I save you.” She bent and pressed a kiss to his lips. He tasted salt. Tears? “That’s how it works,” she whispered.

She pulled back. He didn’t want her to pull back. Didn’t want her to leave.

But Marna lifted her arm and bared her wrist. “Bite me, vamp.”

A growl broke from Tanner’s lips. Riley had better not—

“It’s okay.” Marna’s eyes were on his. Bastion stood at her back. The angel was always too close to her. “He’s not drinking from me.”

“Uh, I’m not?” Riley asked. Then Tanner saw him, coming up on Marna’s side. Taking her offered wrist. “Then what am I doing?”

“Opening a vein.” Her eyes didn’t leave Tanner. “And saving my shifter.”

Her blood. He’d told her not to give him her blood again. It was too addictive. The blood connected him to her even deeper, so deep that if she ever left him, what would remain?

“I’m not leaving you.” Did she know what he was thinking? A flash of pain crossed her face. “And you’re not leaving me.” She put her wrist to his mouth. Blood trickled past his lips. “There’s no time for a fancy transfusion, but it worked when you drank my blood before.”

Because the beast inside lived on blood and death.

Not her blood.
It was the beast’s denial, and the man’s.

“If you want to stay with me, if you want to be sure all the vampires and the demons out there don’t get my blood or me, then you’ll drink.”

No one would get her. No one would hurt her.

“Drink,”
Marna said again, and he did.

Her blood slid down his throat. The panther had taken blood from prey plenty of times, but the man hadn’t. He choked, hating what he was doing to her. Hard hands held him down. His gaze flew to the left. To the right. Riley and Cody were pinning him down, making sure he couldn’t move.

“Drink for me,” Marna whispered, “because I don’t want to lose you.”

He closed his eyes and drank. At first, the blood didn’t seem to do anything to him. Maybe he was already too far gone. He’d wanted to stay with her, wanted to be at her side forever, but maybe fate had other plans.

Fate had always screwed with him.

Marna pulled her hand away. Tanner licked his lips. He still tasted her, and now, he could almost feel her, inside his mind. A warmth spread within him and filled him with energy and strength.

Deep within him, the panther seemed to stretch and roar.

Tanner opened his eyes. “I’m . . . not leaving you.”

Her smile was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. “No, you’re damn well not.” Then she bent toward him and her lips feathered over his cheek.

Cody and Riley eased their grips and pulled away from him. Over Marna’s shoulder, Tanner saw Bastion. Waiting. Watching. His dark wings curled toward his body. His eyes flickered with emotion.

Was he going to have to fight the angel now? He’d killed one jerk-off already. What else was he gonna have to do?

Tanner rose, but kept a strong grip on Marna. He was naked because of his shift, but that was the least of his worries right then. They’d cheated death, for the moment, and
that
was what mattered.