Izzy crossed his arms. “When you told me people might be watching me, you failed to mention it was your people.”
“Technically, we’re watching Holden.” She didn’t want to look him in the eye. Her answer was no better than his suspicion. “This is more about him than you.”
Izzy sighed. “What’s going on? Tell me everything. And I mean all of it.”
“I don’t know everything. Just what he is, and that...” Lucifer was going to throw a fit, but Lucifer could go fuck himself. “I don’t know where to start.”
He his jaw. “A year ago, you were lost, confused, and a friendly-as-hell newbie demon. You hated how much Lucifer and Gabriel kept from you. Now that you have the Metatron part of your life back, you’re one of them. Playing office politics. Sending people to watch over me. Pulling strings. Doing the same things you resented them for. At least Michael had the sense to walk away before you sucked him back in.”
The words hurt worse than a slap. Not only the accusation—Izzy was right about that. But throwing Michael in her face... The Metatron half of her had loved him with such an intense, burning passion, it had turned to hatred when she thought Michael had betrayed her. Uriel had wanted that, and thought they could have had it again.
Michael disagreed. Walked away from that opportunity because he thought falling in love would be distracting. Okay, that wasn’t quite what he said, but that’s the way she saw it. She shouldn’t miss him. Hadn’t known him long enough in this incarnation for the longing to make sense. And she had Irdu, whom she adored. That didn’t stop her from missing Michael so much it left a persistent, empty pit in her gut..
She couldn’t swallow past the lump in her throat. “Fuck you. What am I supposed to do? Ignore what’s going on? Sorry we didn’t all choose to surrender responsibility for freedom.” This wasn’t fair of her, but he’d pushed one too many buttons.
“Freedom? Really?” Disbelief hung heavy in his voice. He shook his head. “Forget it. I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
“Me too. I didn’t want things to unfold this way. I wanted to be wrong about this—which I probably still am—and let you be happy with your new guy.” The last bit was harder to force out than Ronnie wanted. She’d rather Izzy was happy with her and Irdu... and Michael. Maybe with a little Lucifer on the side. Since most of that scenario wasn’t happening...
“Wanted to be wrong about what?” Izzy asked.
Right. She was explaining as best she could. “Something’s happening to us. To demons and angels. We don’t know what. Agents are disappearing. Rumor is”—she didn’t like to think about the rumors, the implications—“a group of mortals saw the clips of what happened with Ariel. If people are looking for answers, for a way to get to us...”
Izzy’s irritation shifted to anger. “And you think Holden might—”
“I don’t know. I can’t rule out his involvement, but like I said, I want to think he’s here for you.”
“You want to, but you don’t.”
She had so hoped to avoid this conversation. “He spilled his heart out to you right after the incident with Ariel, and you know how I feel about coincidences.”
“I know Michael feels coincidences don’t exist.”
There was that name again. Why did it dig so deep? She knew him in this incarnation for a month, and hadn’t seen him in the several since. She tried to shrug it off. “Anyway. I don’t think Holden attacked himself, and if it was Abaddon, it’s not like her to hurt other agents. Keeping you and him safe is more important than theories.”
“You can’t have us stay here.”
Ronnie agreed. It was too much of an imposition on Tia. “There’s an empty apartment upstairs. It’s not much, but I can put wards on it. Stay there for tonight, and we’ll get you something longer term in the morning.”
“Yeah. Okay.” He didn’t look happy about it, and she didn’t blame him. Until they knew what was going on, there weren’t a lot of options. She had all night to make some headway on her research, though. She liked sleep, but if she stayed in her ethereal form rather than her mortal one, she didn’t need it.
Ronnie asked Tia to keep an eye on things, then set up wards around the apartments. They were a series of ever-shifting puzzles that had to be solved before they changed, in order to be brought down. Or destroyed—but it took more power than most angels or demons had to make that happen.
When Ronnie was at least a little comfortable with Izzy’s safety, she headed home. Fortunately, that was only a few blocks away, and she was in the mood to walk. The humid night air might help clear her thoughts.
She reached the building where Michael’s condo was. The place she’d been staying, convincing herself she’d look for a new place tomorrow. She kept walking. Her mind still whirred too quickly for her to process any single concept.
Two hours later the situation hadn’t improved. Her feet were sore, but the pain would go away if she lost her physical form for half a second. Too bad phasing wouldn’t give her answers.
She grabbed her phone and dialed.
“Hey, hot stuff.” Irdu’s greeting made her smile.
“Can I come over?” Visiting him wouldn’t give her answers either, but it would be a fun distraction.
A LOW HUM DRAGGED IZZY toward consciousness. Correction—it wasn’t humming, it was a voice. He forced his eyes open. Every inch of him ached as if he’d been caught in an explosion less than twenty-four hours ago. Why hadn’t he gone to the hospital? Oh, right, because he was sick of hospitals, and he’d been certain he could shake it off.
And who was talking? Light from the hallway spilled under the door, and a crack in the curtains let in more from outside. Holden stood near the window, silhouetted, phone to his ear. His voice was low, most of his words vanishing in the whir of the air conditioner. Izzy caught snippets, though.
“It’s possible.” Holden pressed his palm to his forehead. “He knows how....” He stumbled, and his hand shot to the windowsill, holding him up.
Apparently Izzy wasn’t the only one who had faked their way through a series of injuries. But Holden seemed fine earlier. Hadn’t even had any scratches from when my living room window exploded.
“Don’t know...” More of Holden’s words floated to Izzy. “He doesn’t, but I think his demon friend does... Mortal, yes... Lucifer.”
None of the words made sense. He could be talking to a friend, but with the names he threw around, that was disconcerting. He turned back toward Izzy, who snapped his eyes shut.
Something hard pressed against Izzy’s temple, and Holden’s voice was close and clear now. “I’m sorry. We have to go.”
The genuine regret only set Izzy further on edge. He made a show of forcing his eyes open. “Huh?”
Holden’s sigh echoed with the climate control. “I wish it hadn’t come to this. I just needed a little more time. But the gun is loaded, and you know as well as I do you can’t survive something like a bullet hole to the head these days.”
Betrayal, hurt, and fury shoved aside the aches in Izzy’s joints. This was bullshit. He’d fought with Ronnie about keeping secrets, when the man he loved was prepared to hold a gun to his head. Izzy didn’t know if he wanted to roar in fury, or break things. Maybe both. Anything to not have to acknowledge the hollow pit in his chest.
“Your angel friend was wrong.” Holden kept the gun trained on Izzy. A slight tremor ran through him. Or was the dim lighting playing tricks on Izzy’s eyes? “This is all about you, not me. And yeah, I heard most of what she said. Do they have any idea how shitty the thin walls in this place are?”
That explained why Holden was talking softly now. Screw this. Instinct, driven by fury and betrayal, coursed through Izzy, and he let it have its way. His hand shot up and grabbed Holden’s wrist. He twisted at the same time that he kicked a leg to the side to propel Holden away. The gun clattered loose, struck the nightstand with a horrific clunk, and landed on the ground. Izzy kept his attention on Holden.
&n
bsp; The move knocked Holden’s support out from underneath him and flattened him. He was on his feet again before Izzy finished rolling to his.
They both lunged for the weapon. Izzy’s reactions were sluggish, even given what had happened earlier. He couldn’t shake off the haze around his thoughts. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go.
Holden’s fingers closed around the pistol grip, but Izzy kicked it aside. Holden elbowed him in the gut. Izzy stumbled into the small space between the window and bed, ducking when a fist flew at his head. He drove a shoulder into Holden’s gut, and used momentum to flip the other man.
This was hard work as a mortal. Izzy fought to catch his breath as he grabbed for the weapon, rolled onto his back, and leveled the barrel at Holden. Speaking of paper-thin walls, where was everyone? If he and Holden were here to be watched, shouldn’t they at least be drenched by Tia saving them right about now?
Damn it, why hadn’t Izzy seen this coming? Why didn’t Ronnie say something sooner? Why couldn’t Holden just be the wonderfully perfect boyfriend he’d pretended to be?
Holden struggled to stand, then sank back to the floor again. His chest heaved with each breath. At least Izzy wasn’t the only one struggling.
He wasn’t as assured by the thought as he wanted to be. There was still the huge looming question of why did Holden turn on me?
Izzy leaned against the bed for support, keeping the gun trained on Holden.
“The wards your angel put in place are gone,” Holden said. “Replaced with something different. In case you’re wondering why no one has come running.”
Well, fuck. Izzy licked his lips. He needed something to drink, and was desperate for a different something to take away the pounding in his head and body. He also wouldn’t complain about anything going the way he expected. “You could have just asked me to leave with you. Until you pulled a gun on me, I probably would have agreed without a second thought.”
Holden shrugged. “You might have been compliant, until we crossed into another state. Then you would have started asking questions, and gotten suspicious... I wish you’d finished your drink. It would have knocked you out all night, and we’d be gone by now. But you had to let your irritation with Ronnie distract you.”
Realization spread through Izzy, amplifying the hammering in his skull. “You... slipped me a roofie?” Bad news under the best of circumstances. Now, the information pushed out a bitter laugh of rage. “Are you serious?”
“I didn’t want to hurt you.” Holden scrubbed his face. The regret in his voice had to be fake. “Read what you want into the sentiment, but I don’t have a choice. We’re out of time.”
Izzy let the gun droop. Killing of any kind was high on his list of Things to Avoid. Could he make an exception if he had to? “You’re not leaving me with many choices either.”
“Call one of your angel friends. For backup.” Holden’s suggestion came too quickly, setting Izzy further on edge.
“I think I’ll hold on off on that.” As much as Izzy wanted to, he wouldn’t draw anyone else into this... whatever it was.
A sharp crack split the calm air in the room, rocketing in his skull. The door slammed open, connecting with the wall at high speed. Someone grabbed Izzy from behind, hooking their arms under his and resting their hands at the base of his skull. Electricity crackled over his skin.
“Izrafel. Oh how far the mighty have fallen.” The familiar voice brushed his ear, summoning centuries of regret, and a healthy dose of fear.
Abaddon. Shit. Apparently things could get worse. And the only reason for her to blast the door open was to make an entrance. She was powerful enough to phase into the room without a second thought.
The assassination attempts earlier were for show as well... The fact that only Izzy was surprised by her presence here implied Holden was working with Abaddon. Which also meant Gabe knew about it. But Ronnie said they were kidnapping angels. Even though Izzy could see so many pieces, none of them made sense when he tried to snap them together. What the fuck was going on?
He needed to get out of here, find answers, and reconcile this abrupt desire to make Holden suffer. He resumed his struggling—twisting, testing for a weak spot. He jerked his head, and his gaze landed on her left wrist. If he hadn’t been certain before, he knew for sure now.
Most angels and demons wore their names on their backs in stark, tattoo-like marks. Abaddon kept hers on her wrist, which currently peeked out between her sleeve and glove. She wanted people to see who destroyed them without having to expose herself.
He brought his heel down on her toe. And not any further. Of course, she was wearing Docs. This wasn’t a sparring workout with Ronnie. Abaddon wouldn’t hold back. He ignored the reminder, especially the part asking why she hadn’t snapped his neck yet.
“What are you waiting for?” Her bark tattered his eardrums.
Holden stared at them, jaw set. “You told me you weren’t working for Gabriel anymore.”
Abaddon’s sigh echoed in Izzy’s skull. “And who told you otherwise? A flakey little demon with poor intel? Besides, you told me you could bring this one in without having to blow anyone’s cover.”
Why the hell did she want Izzy? Wait, so Ronnie really had lied, and this was about him after all? He should feel grateful he wasn’t dead yet, but he didn’t find as much comfort in it as he wanted. Holden climbed to his feet and vanished behind them. Panic surged inside Izzy when Abaddon tightened her grip.
“You don’t get to do this one unconscious.” Was that regret in her voice?
“I’m sorry.” That was Holden. Hands that didn’t yield pulled Izzy’s arms back, and rough plastic bit into his wrists and bound them. Zip tie? Maybe. The sharp edges cut his skin with even the slightest movement.
“No car ride.” Ice lined Abaddon’s words. “You took too long.”
Seconds later, Izzy’s entire world shifted, and the dimly lit apartment faded from view. He closed his eyes before it vanished completely, already knowing what was going on and not wanting to watch the nothingness. It was the same sensation as falling in a dream, a spiraling free fall where his brain didn’t have a spot to land. Except he wasn’t falling, he’d just temporarily ceased to be physical. His feet hit solid ground again. The overwhelming stench of ocean during a storm, mixed with stale grease made his stomach churn.
She’d moved Izzy with her. Not a lot of angels could phase a mortal. It required too much energy.
“God, I love that feeling.” The exhaustion was gone from Holden’s voice.
And apparently, Abaddon was strong enough to phase herself plus two mortals at the same time. Fuck.
Chapter Eight
When Lucifer found Irdu, years ago, with a hitchhiking cherub, he gave Irdu a choice. Asked him if he could be any kind of demon or angel, what would he be?
Irdu was twenty-five, horny constantly, and an awkward nerd who was convinced he’d never get laid. His answer seemed easy and straightforward at the time. He wanted to be an incubus.
He’d never complained about the choice. There were a lot of things he didn’t like about being beholden to Lucifer, but the ability to seduce anyone who was interested, and the confidence he needed to go along with it? He’d never wasted that gift.
But having Ronnie in his life was comforting. Knowing when she knocked on his apartment door and he let her in, there was a good chance sex was on the table, but cuddling was nice too.
Neither of those was happening right now, since she was pacing his living room and raking her fingers through her hair.
“Talk to me,” he said. When she’d called, he meant to make tonight when he talked to her about her event-finder activity.
That would wait until she was a little calmer.
“I don’t know where to start. This shit with Izzy and his boyfriend... Have you met him? Creepy, creepy fucker. He just stares.”
Irdu stepped up behind Ronnie and settled his hands on her shoulders. She paused. When he kneaded into the musc
le, she groaned. Technically she shouldn’t have any aches from stress, but the gesture would feel good regardless. “Most people stare when it comes to me. Gay guys too. So... can’t say I noticed.”
She leaned her weight back into him, and pulled his arms to drape over her shoulders. The contact was pleasant, as was the trust it implied. He was glad she’d come here and not invited him to her place.
Correction—Michael’s place. Irdu didn’t blame her for staying there. It was huge. Free rent. The keys were literally just handed to her. He was a little jealous that she still missed Michael. She didn’t talk about it much, but the sentiment was there. Michael hadn’t earned her adoration. His missing presence didn’t deserve to be mourned.
But that wasn’t why Irdu stayed away. The place reeked of heaven and it made his skin crawl.
“It’s just...” she sighed. “As if this whole agents are going missing thing wasn’t stressful enough, today it’s all falling apart.”
Between Tia and Ronnie, Irdu knew most of the story, and why Ronnie had suspicions about Holden. He understood exactly why it added to her tension, so he squeezed her tight instead of interrupting.
“And then today, out of the blue, Abaddon showed up and—”
“Wait.” Irdu’s entire body went rigid. “Abaddon? The assassin of heaven?”
Ronnie pulled away and turned to face him. “Yes...”
“And you left Tia there? Alone? Watching someone being hunted by a vengeful angel? One of Gabriel’s most loyal?”
Ronnie winced. “She’s capable. I trust her. And she’s got strict instructions to observe only. Not to engage. They’re in a separate apartment that’s warded, and so is her place.”
Irdu wasn’t reassured. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he stepped back. Flashes from that night, so many months ago, filled his memories. “Ariel took out an entire Ubiquity apartment block. If Tia is in the same city, I’m worried. You left her a few feet away.”
“We’re all in the same city. And she’s creeping up on a century old. You have to let her grow up sometime.”
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