Saint Or Sinner

by Cynthia Eden

  “Malik won’t hurt me!”

  “He’s not your Malik any longer,” Luke snapped.

  Sirens screamed outside. Josephine could hear the voices of humans. Firefighters? They couldn’t fight this blaze. They’d die if they tried to rush inside.

  Malik’s flaming wings seemed to be growing even bigger. And he was running right toward them.

  “Shit.” Luke’s hold tightened on her. “I almost forgot, I’m supposed to be the one watching over the mortals. It’s a crap job, but someone has to do it. For now, that’s me. Sorry about this, Josephine.” And he yanked her up as he flew—as his dragon wings flapped and beat the flames back. He yanked her up and flew right through the cracking ceiling.

  Malik’s roar followed them.

  She twisted and strained in his arms, reaching out for Malik because Malik was…following them.

  “You’re the bait, Jo, sorry. Had to think fast.” Luke’s wings moved around them as he zoomed higher into the air. “Have to get him away from the city. Don’t know what kind of damage he can do yet…”

  Malik could fly fast, that was obvious. Because Malik was racing after them with his wings of fire. And there was such fury on his face. Such complete rage.

  “Mine!” His bellow seemed to shake the very sky.

  Luke grunted. “I know one thing that will put out his flames.”

  She looked down. Were they over the Hoover Dam?

  “Sorry about this, especially with your history…” Luke swooped toward the water. All of that dark, deep water. “But I’ve got to stop him, or at least, slow him down until Leo and I can figure out a way to kill the bastard.”

  “No!” He wasn’t going to kill Malik. Not on her watch. She fought harder. Clawing, tearing, and her body twisted as her fangs flew toward—

  “Sorry, sweetheart, but my blood is never on the menu.”

  He dropped her. Dropped her right before Malik slammed into Luke’s body. She looked up as she fell, seeing the two of them battling in the air. The wind whistled around her as she plummeted, and when Josephine twisted around, she could see the water waiting beneath her. She needed to position her body so that she didn’t hit—

  No time.

  Her head slammed into the water first, and the impact was brutal. Like smashing into pavement. Josephine felt her neck snap.

  Shit.

  She sank beneath the water.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Rage. Fury. Hate. Malik could only snarl and growl as he battled the bastard who’d taken Josephine.

  He’d woken to flames. To a fire inside of him and out. And this SOB had been holding Josephine. His Josephine.

  Malik shouted, “She doesn’t like the water!” His enemy—it was Luke. Malik knew who he faced. Who he would destroy.

  “Hope she can swim,” Luke threw back. “Oh, wait, the dead can’t swim.”

  The dead?

  Malik peered below. Didn’t see any sign of Josephine floating or swimming in the water.

  “I think she hit the surface pretty hard. You know, from a drop this high, the impact probably would be like slamming into a brick wall.” Luke smiled at him. “Think she broke anything important?”

  Another roar blasted from Malik. His fiery wings flew at Luke—and the bastard screamed in pain.

  But then Luke shouted, “Save her…or kill me. Your choice, bastard!”

  Save her…

  Once more, he looked at the water. Where was Josephine? Why didn’t he see her? Why wasn’t she floating to the surface?

  “Are you so far gone that you don’t even remember why you fell in the first place?”

  He knew. For…her.

  And Luke had dropped Josephine. He’d taken her, then dropped her into the water below. Malik jerked the bastard closer. “I thought you couldn’t burn.” But Luke was burning. Malik’s fire was burning the bastard and pain was clear to see on Luke’s face. “I’ll kill you.”

  Luke’s face showed only grim determination. “Told her that you were dead. The angel she knew is dead, and, soon, she will be, too—”

  Malik tossed the jerk away. Then he turned and he dove for the water. Josephine had drowned before. She’d told him that. She’d drowned for the human she’d loved. Was she drowning again? Is that what was happening to her?

  He surged into the water. It was icy as it surrounded him. He stared through the murky depths, desperate to find her. Desperate to see—

  His hands touched her hair. Soft tendrils that were drifting near him. His arms curled around her, and he pulled her against him. Her body seemed to be a dead weight, and her head sagged against her shoulder.

  He kicked out, surging to the surface, keeping her close against him. He kicked and kicked until they broke free of the water, and he sucked in a huge gulp of air.

  She didn’t.

  He swam to the nearby rocks. Barely a shore, but just enough space for him to haul Josephine out of the water. He stretched his body over hers, water dropping off him as he touched her face. “Josephine?”

  ***

  Malik’s wings weren’t burning any longer. Luke watched from his perch on top of the dam as Malik dragged his limp vampiress out of the water. The plan had worked as Luke had hoped—the icy water had put out the fallen’s flames, for the moment.

  If he hadn’t gotten Malik away from the bar, away from the humans who’d thought they were there to help, the whole block could have gone up in smoke.

  Luke glanced down at his arm. His shoulder. Blisters still covered him. The fire shouldn’t have injured him, but Malik’s flame had seared his flesh. A special fire? One as hot…as hell.

  “Fuck me,” Luke muttered. Things were bad. Fucking bad. That meant it was time to bring in his brother. Because now there was a being walking the earth who just might be able to kill them both.

  Luckily, Luke knew the guy’s weakness.

  Sorry, Josephine. I did give you the choice…

  But she’d picked the wrong side.

  ***

  A bright light hit Malik, momentarily blinding him.

  “What in the hell are you doing here?” A man’s voice shouted. “This is a restricted area! You can’t be—”

  “Get the fuck away or die,” Malik blasted back. He didn’t have time for BS. Josephine hadn’t opened her eyes yet. Did she need blood? He’d give her blood. Had she swallowed too much water? Maybe he should pump her chest. His hands slid over her body.

  “What are you doing to that woman? Get away from her!”

  He just got closer.

  “I have a gun! Don’t make me shoot!”

  Josephine’s eyes flew open as she coughed out water. Then her head whipped toward Malik. He heard the snap of bones.

  “Oh, God,” Josephine wheezed. “That hurt like a bitch.”

  Luke was dead. Absolutely dead. Malik was going to rip him apart. Burn him to ash. He was going to—

  Josephine locked her arms around Malik as she surged up. Her mouth crashed into his. Her lips were soft—wet from the water—and they parted beneath his. Her tongue met his. Desire raged. Fucking raged as it shook him to his very core.

  “Uh, this isn’t the place for that stuff,” the male groused. “I’m calling the cops on you!”

  Malik tore himself from Josephine and leapt at the human. He moved in a blur, and the human let out a frantic yell before he fired his gun—

  The bullet whizzed past Malik’s shoulder, barely missing him.

  You will pay for that.

  Immediately, fire snaked down Malik’s arm, flying toward his fingertips as he prepared to launch the flames right at the human.

  “Don’t.” Josephine stood in his path. A dripping wet Josephine who stared at him with her wide, dark eyes. “Look, I’ve got this, okay? Hold off on killing him for the moment.” Then she spun toward the man with the gun.

  If he fired at her…

  “Put down the gun.” Her voice was soft, husky. “Because you don’t want to hurt me.”

&nbs
p; The human’s face went slack. He immediately lowered the gun.

  “Excellent. Now, is there an easy way out of this place?”

  “Stairs.” He pointed to the side.

  Josephine’s head turned as she glanced to the left. “Huh. How about that. Pretty hidden. Clever.” Her shoulders rolled back. “Do you have a vehicle we can borrow? Preferably a motorcycle?”

  Face still slack, the man replied, “No motorcycle.”

  “Can’t win them all,” she muttered, shoving back wet locks of her hair.

  Malik just stood there, drinking her in. His alive Josephine. Rage still fueled his blood, but the desire flooding through him was far stronger than the rage. Desire for his Josephine. He wanted the human gone. He wanted to be alone with Josephine. He had to be alone with her.

  He had to have her.

  His hand lifted and curled around her shoulder. The flames were gone, but he was burning up—on the inside.

  Need her. Want her. Crave her.

  “What kind of, um, ride do you have?” Josephine asked the human as she slipped closer to Malik. His arm closed around her shoulders, and he hauled her against him.

  “Truck.”

  “That’ll do.” She held out her hands “I’ll need the keys.”

  The guy immediately tossed them toward her. She caught them easily, her fingers fisting around the key ring.

  Josephine gave a little hum of approval. “Now I need you to walk away. Forget you saw us. Go take a majorly long break. Think about your life choices and shit like that, k?”

  He nodded. Walked away. Didn’t look back.

  Her body softened against Malik. “See how easy that was? I’m the compulsion queen, remember?” A huff of breath. “Though I didn’t have time to try and work a compulsion on that trigger and blast happy asshole at the bar. If I had, maybe things would be different now. Maybe I need to think about my freaking life choices.” She turned toward Malik. “You are so hot.” Her hands stroked over his chest. “And I’m not just talking about the sex appeal. Malik, you are burning up. Literally.”

  His hands went to her hips. He lifted her up against him even as his mouth took hers. His cock—heavy, eager—pushed against her, and he thrust his tongue into her mouth. He was burning up. From the inside, out. But she felt cool against him. Cool, soft, perfect.

  His.

  “You can never die,” Malik growled against her lips.

  “I’m undead,” she whispered back. “Dying is totally my thing.”

  No, it wasn’t.

  He kissed his way down her throat, lifting her higher and getting ready to rip those wet clothes right off her.

  “Malik…that feels…oh, um, no, we can’t. Not here.” She pushed against him.

  Here. Here. Need her. Here.

  “Luke could come back with reinforcements.”

  Luke. “I’m going to kill him.” He kept holding her against his body. “Forget him.”

  Her lips parted. Her gaze searched his. “Malik?” Now there was a question in her voice. In her gaze.

  He smiled at her. “And I’m going to fuck you.”

  Her lashes fluttered.

  His smile dimmed. “You were in the water. I had to get you out.” His hold tightened. “I will not lose you.”

  Josephine swallowed. “I’m…going to need some blood. It’s not exactly easy to heal from a broken neck.” She nibbled on her lower lip. “Probably should have bit the human before I sent him on his merry way.”

  The hell she would bite another. “No.” His denial came out as a dark, hard rumble. “You drink from me. Only me.”

  “If I drink from you now, we will be having sex right here. And I don’t want Luke catching us unaware. We need to get out of here. Get someplace safe. Fast.”

  He needed to get in her. That was where he needed to be.

  “But Luke can see everything. Everyone. Shit. This isn’t going to be easy.” She pushed against him. “Let me go, Malik. Now.”

  He never wanted to let go.

  “Listen to me! We have to run.”

  He wasn’t running. Not from anything. Not ever again.

  “You’re not safe here.”

  Her gaze searched his.

  “That didn’t work, did it? Shit, how about this? I’m not safe here.”

  She’s not safe.

  That penetrated the fog of his lust and rage. He slowly lowered her to the ground, but he didn’t let her go. He kept his fingers locked with hers as they found the stairs and then ran up through a long, winding tunnel. The tunnel eventually shot them into a parking lot, and Josephine pressed the key fob until a black truck’s lights flashed at them.

  “Better than I thought,” Josephine murmured as she gazed at the ride.

  It was a sleek, amped-up black beast, and she yanked open the driver’s side door. But Malik urged her over, sliding her into the passenger seat.

  “Angel, look, I get that you can—”

  “Not an angel.” His words were guttural, and his control was absolutely shot. Fire built in his veins again. So hot that he could actually see smoke coming from his body and clothes. The only thing that seemed to cool him down—it was her. His Josephine.

  Her hand touched his cheek. She sucked in a quick gasp of breath. “What is happening to you?”

  He didn’t know. He only knew… “Need you.”

  “Malik, steam is coming off you—like, coming right from your pores or something.”

  “On fire…” He caught her wrist. Brought it to his mouth. Kissed her above her racing pulse point. “For you. Need you.” If he didn’t have her, right then, he thought he might just go insane. The lust was tearing him apart. “Josephine!”

  He was sitting in the driver’s seat. He’d slammed the door shut when he’d jumped inside. Now, Josephine stared at him. Her eyes were so wide and deep. He bent toward her, taking her mouth with his. Feasting on her. Thrusting his tongue deep and tasting absolute paradise.

  His fingers slid down her body. Slid over the damp fabric of her denim jeans. He stroked her through the denim, rubbing the core of her body, needing her to want him just as badly as he wanted her.

  But was that even possible? His need for her was a ferocious hunger. He wanted her more than breath. More than life. More than anything.

  Her tight nipples thrust against the front of her wet shirt. He bent, took her nipple and her shirt in his mouth. Sucked. Felt the lust surge even hotter. Even higher as she moaned for him.

  Her fangs were out. Sexy little fangs. He wanted them in him. He wanted in her. He grabbed the snap of her jeans, yanked them open, and with her help, he shoved the jeans and her shoes into the floorboard.

  The sound of their panting breath filled the truck. The windows had gone foggy, and he didn’t care. He didn’t care about anything in that moment, except her.

  The pounding of his heartbeat rushed him onward. Made him need so much.

  His hands were rough on her as he pushed her thighs apart. His fingers slid into her, thrust deep, retreated. Got her to arch toward him. Made her call out his name.

  He needed in.

  Her hands slapped against his chest. “Not a whole lot of room in here.” Her sexy voice stroked along his cock. “Let’s try it this way.” She pushed him back and then Josephine straddled his hips, her body caged between his chest and the steering wheel. “Your clothes don’t burn with your fire. Good to know, but these jeans are in the way.” Her hands slid between them and yanked open the snap of his jeans. The zipper hissed open, and he felt her cool, silken fingers curl around his cock.

  He jerked against her. Growled out her name.

  She lifted her hips and took him inside. He sank deep, surrounded by her, and the fire in his blood raged hotter. Wilder. So much stronger.

  His mouth was on her neck. He was licking her. Kissing her. Feeling her pulse race beneath his lips. Up and down, she moved her body. Taking him in fast, quick plunges. And it was heaven. It was hell. It was everything in between and
the only thing he wanted.

  She rocked forward. His hips surged against her, and he felt Josephine come, felt the contractions of her release around him, and he wanted her pleasure. Wanted to taste her pleasure. Wanted to taste her—

  There was a burning along his upper gums. A hunger that drove him, made him bite.

  She gasped beneath him, jerked, and then was coming again. He could feel her pleasure. It surged into him, filling every cell in his body, and he exploded on a release so powerful that the world went dark. He lost everything in that moment, but her. The pleasure ripped through him, seemed to tear him apart, and he licked at her throat, lapping at the drops of her blood, wanting more of her taste. Wanting every single thing that Josephine had to give.

  Until there was nothing left.

  ***

  Luke landed on the top of the casino. The Vegas strip was teeming with people, voices were drifting to him, laughter floated on the wind, and a thousand lights seemed to flash in the night sky.

  The fountains were moving below him. Dancing in their show that drew in the tourists every single night. He didn’t look at the fountains. He’d seen that show a time or a thousand. Instead, he focused on his prey.

  “Hello, brother,” Luke said quietly.

  “Luke.” Leo’s shoulders stiffened before he turned away from the view of the fountains, and his gaze swept over Luke. “I could feel you coming from a mile away.”

  Luke released a long, slow breath. “Didn’t know you were in Vegas.” Though he was damn grateful for his brother’s close proximity right then.

  Leo’s face—a face exactly like Luke’s—showed no emotion. “I came to clean up your mess. Or did you think I wouldn’t notice the little matter of an angel falling?”

  “He’s not falling. He’s fallen.” An important distinction. “We’re both too late.”

  Leo tensed. “What?”

  Luke held up his arm—the arm still covered in blisters because he wasn’t healing the way he normally did. “Malik can kill us.”

  He felt his brother’s fear. And an instant later, Leo was grabbing his arm. “Brother, what in the hell happened?”