No one was.
Not. Yet.
Az froze and stared at Jade. So beautiful. His frantic heartbeat began to slow. The shaking left his hands.
The center of his focus narrowed just to her. Brandt had his mouth close to Jade’s ear and Az heard him growl, “He never was as powerful as me.”
My cue. Az took a deep breath. She won’t die. “No,” Az said quietly, and Jade’s desperate gaze flew to his. “But I am.” He looked away from Jade and held Brandt’s blazing stare.
You’re dying tonight.
Az lifted the gun and pointed it at Brandt. “Let her go.”
Brandt’s eyes narrowed, and he made no move to free Jade. “You’re not going to shoot her.” Brandt’s voice mocked him as Jade twisted and shoved against her captor.
Such a fighter. She was the strongest woman he’d met. Human or Other. She made him want to be stronger.
To be better.
I will be. He wouldn’t be the monster from the vision. He’d be the man that she needed him to be.
Brandt held her easily in his grasp. “You did this,” he told her, voice snarling. “You should’ve just been happy with me.”
Never would have happened, bastard.
Jade strained against him. “And you should have left my parents alone, you sick freak.” Her head turned back to Az. Her eyes held his. So many emotions shone in her stare. Determination. Love. Fury. No fear as she said, “Shoot.”
Brandt laughed. “He won’t—”
Because Az didn’t want to hurt her. He wanted to protect her. To keep her safe and keep her happy.
But he’d watched this scene before, and he was damn well getting a different ending. “I love you,” he told her, the words halting.
Her lips parted in surprise. “Wh—”
He would try to hurt her as little as possible. With his angel blood in her, he wasn’t sure what the bullet would do to her. I’m sorry, Jade.
Aiming carefully, Az fired. The bullet tore through Jade’s shoulder, ripping past flesh and muscle. She didn’t cry out, just watched him with eyes that saw straight into his soul.
The bullet drove through her—and sank into Brandt’s chest. Brandt staggered back, releasing Jade.
She fell to her knees. “Thank you,” she whispered as blood and a sliver of smoke spilled from her wound.
Brandt hadn’t fallen to the ground. He was still on his feet and staring in shock at Az.
Guess I missed his heart. But he hadn’t wanted to risk aiming at any other location on Jade. If Brandt had moved her, had so much as jerked her a few inches . . .
My shot would have killed her.
Brandt’s bones began to pop and crack as he started his shift. The guy thought he’d heal. That he’d attack and get stronger.
Not happening.
Az leapt forward. He pressed the gun right against Brandt’s heart. “I’m not losing her, and I’m not f**king losing my sanity either.”
Brandt grabbed for the gun. Az had seen this scene before, too. Only he hadn’t been struggling with Brandt. He’d been battling Sam.
Change fate. He would do it.
Another bullet exploded from the gun. Brandt’s eyes widened, and he stumbled back. This time, he hit the ground.
Brandt’s claws retracted. His fangs turned back into a man’s teeth. And his blood thickened on the earth.
“Jade?” Brandt whispered her name. “I’m . . . I’m sorry . . .” He broke off, gasping, and stared up at the sky.
Smoke rose from his chest. The brimstone bullets were burning him, from the inside out.
“Wanted . . . different . . .” Az could barely hear Brandt’s words now. He felt a touch on his arm and found Jade standing beside him. She stared down at Brandt, her body stiff, but her lips trembling.
“Guess . . .” Brandt’s breath wheezed out. “Can’t change . . .”
Sometimes, you could.
Brandt stilled.
Az didn’t move. What if this were just another vision? What if Mateo was jerking him around?
Be real. Because he didn’t want to live in a world without her. That truly would be hell.
Jade wrapped her left arm around him. “It’s over.” Her breath blew lightly on his neck. Her scent—sweet strawberries—filled his nose. She was warm against him. Soft, silken, alive.
He pulled her close. Held her as tight as he could. He’d been given something special tonight. A second chance he would have gladly traded his soul for.
Over her shoulder, he saw Sam walk out from behind a crypt. His brother stared down at Brandt’s unmoving body, then he waved his hand. Flames engulfed Brandt, a white-hot fire that would destroy all traces of the shifter.
Brandt wouldn’t be able to withstand the fire now—he was already gone. Only the empty shell of his body remained. He wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Not ever again.
Az pressed a kiss to Jade’s temple.
“I told him you could handle things,” Sam said with a nod. “I knew Mateo was just being a paranoid ass**le.” His brother sauntered past the fire.
His brother.
“Ouch,” Jade said as she pulled back a bit. His fingers had accidentally brushed her wounded shoulder. “You need to ease up a bit there, Fallen.” She offered him a half-smile that made his heart ache. The smile lit her eyes and made her dimple wink. “I’m wounded.”
He brushed back a lock of her dark hair. “I’m sorry.”
She pushed her hand over the wound. “Hey, I’m the one who told you to shoot. We had to take him out. Who knows what would have happened if—”
Az kissed her. Not a hot, wild kiss, though he knew that would come later. It had to. No, this kiss was soft. As gentle as he could be. He kissed her with tenderness and with love.
Because he knew exactly what would have happened.
He’d be seeing those images for years to come. Every time he closed his eyes, he’d see her die in his nightmares.
And he’d see his own destruction.
We can change.
Slowly, his lips left hers. She tasted sweet. Fresh. Like life.
Paradise.
Her lashes slowly lifted. “You saved me.”
Az shook his head. That hadn’t happened. Not at all. “Wrong, sweetheart. You were the one who saved me.” She’d stopped him from losing everything.
She was the bravest woman he knew. The one who’d reached right into his dark soul and made him need, made him want.
More than just death.
More than heaven.
Jade was everything.