“Azrael.”
Fuck. “What’s happened?” He didn’t let any emotion show on his face. Thanks to his time in heaven, he knew just how to camouflage his feelings.
“It hasn’t happened yet. It will happen.” Mateo exhaled and the scent of smoke deepened around him. “I’ve seen what’s coming. I know what he’ll do.”
“Yeah? Well then cut through the BS and tell me. Because I never f**king liked riddles.” And he didn’t like the hard gnawing in his gut, either. Even since his fall, he’d planned to get back at his uptight, rule-following ass of a brother. Then Az had started hunting him. Az the ass**le.
Sam had thought he’d have to kill Az during those days.
But since his own fall, his brother had changed. Az had sacrificed. Nearly given his life in order to protect Seline.
So he’d let the guy keep living.
Had that been a mistake?
“His human will die tomorrow, and when she does . . .” Another long sigh from Mateo, only this one carried the scent of death. “He’ll break.”
Sam found he couldn’t speak.
“When Az breaks, he’ll go after anyone in his path. He’ll kill everyone, do anything.”
No, no, this was bullshit.
“She dies tomorrow,” Mateo said again, “and that fate won’t change. It can’t. So you and I damn well have to figure out a way to stop him.”
Az was fond of his human. No, more than fond. Sam had seen the way his brother looked at the woman.
The way I look at Seline.
And he remembered what he’d felt like when he lost his Seline. Remembered how desperate he’d been.
Desperate enough to take on hell and heaven.
“If you don’t stop him,” Mateo’s gaze searched his, “if you don’t kill him, we’ll all suffer.”
Sam still didn’t speak.
“Will you really just stand back, and let him destroy the world? All for one lost human life?”
Not just any human though. Not just any life.
A Fallen’s mate. Death couldn’t take her away, not without one hell of a fight.
“Many have said that Az is the embodiment of all that is evil.”
He’d heard the tales. “They say that about me, too.” Some tales were just stories to frighten children.
“With Az,” Mateo continued, “the chains of heaven held him in check.”
Sam knew that was true. Az had always clung so tightly to his control, because he knew well the beast that waited inside.
“There are no chains now.” Mateo’s gaze was stark. “There is nothing to stop him. The veneer of good will crack, and the true being that is Azrael will emerge.”
Sam glanced back over his shoulder. Seline was safe in the room, protected.
Seline—his life. “My brother is still chained.” Not with chains forged in heaven, but with a delicate chain that had been created on earth.
As long as his female lived, Az was bound to Jade.
But when she died . . .
Azrael’s dark side would definitely be coming out.
And it might just be one coming out party that the world couldn’t survive.
The world didn’t stop spinning for Jade. When Az slowed down his super speed, she found herself inside what looked like a bedroom. Gleaming wood surrounding her and—
And Az kissed her and the spinning continued. His tongue pushed into her mouth and his hand skated down her body.
The kiss was hard, almost brutal in its intensity, and she knew it was fueled by rage.
Jade didn’t want his rage. She’d had enough rage to last a lifetime. She turned her head away. “Az. Stop.”
He instantly stilled.
There was so much to say, and Jade was very much afraid there wasn’t enough time to truly say anything. Nothing that mattered, anyway.
Az drew in a deep, shuddering breath and stepped away from her. “I should . . . see about bandaging your arm.”
The arm didn’t hurt anymore. Actually, the deep wound was closing. Probably thanks to that angel blood still pumping through her body.
“Don’t worry about it,” she whispered as she lifted a hand to her head. That super speedy bit just didn’t work so well for her. “Az, I’m sorry.”
He blinked. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
Yes, she did. Jade turned away from him. “Where are we?” She just threw out the question to buy herself more time. If Az had brought her there, then she knew it was a safe place. She trusted him.
He shouldn’t trust her.
“It’s one of Sam’s safe houses in New Orleans.”
Ah, Sammael again. The Fallen who liked to be prepared.
“While I was . . . following him a while back, I found this place.”
Glancing over her shoulder, Jade lifted a brow. “Following him?” She asked carefully.
“I intended to kill him.”
“Not very angel-like of you,” she whispered.
His head cocked and his gaze sharpened on her. “But then, I’m not an angel, am I?”
Was she supposed to be afraid of him? “I should never have brought you into this mess.” By helping her, he’d lost the one thing he wanted most.
That big trip back upstairs.
“I chose to help you.” The wooden floor creaked beneath his feet.
“And I knew the minute I saw you,” she stared down at her hands, realizing that she’d clenched them into fists, “that I would use you.”
The words fell into the room and were followed by thick silence.
Her heart raced too fast, and she forced herself to lift her chin and face him. “That’s why I’m sorry, Azrael. You came to my aid, and I—selfishly—knew just how powerful you were. I tried to play on your emotions. I wanted you to be willing to fight for me. To do anything for me . . . because I realized you were the muscle I needed to destroy Brandt.” She swallowed. He wasn’t talking, and she was just digging one very big hole for herself. “I didn’t care what you wanted or what kind of life you might have. I just wanted to use you to kill the nightmare stalking me.”
He deserved this truth. They had the bullets now. She could take them and face Brandt on her own. Az could walk away.
Maybe even get his heaven back.
“You played on my emotions?” He repeated, voice quiet. “How?”
Now this was her shame. “By seducing you.”
She waited for his rage. Instead, he just laughed.
“Uh, Az?” Did he laugh when he was really pissed?