by Cynthia Eden
And he’d been the one to toss the demon across the room.
So screwing up my plan.
“Go.” Az pushed her toward the door. Jade guessed that he didn’t realize the door was now blocked by two really pissed-off looking demons. “I’ll handle them.”
She didn’t go.
The demon he’d hurled across the room had now risen to his feet. His eyes—no longer a warm green but instead a cold, pitch black—locked on her. “You set me up, bitch.”
Well, no, she hadn’t. She’d come in, intending to do this deal right. Couldn’t a girl hire a paranormal hit squad anymore without issues coming up? No deal was ever simple these days.
“I didn’t set you up,” she told the demon. William. A hard-hitter with a reputation for taking care of business. She’d worked for weeks arranging this meeting. Jade tried to step around Az. He glared at her and blocked her path. Wrong time, hero. “There’s just a—a misunderstanding going on here.”
She needed these demons. If they went after the panthers, they could take out the whole pack.
“He had a knife at your throat,” Az snarled. “You’re bleeding because of him.”
“The lady wanted a close look at my silver blade.” William shrugged and offered a smile that was icy. “She wanted to see how I’d killed the last two shifters who were dumb enough to cross my path.”
No matter what the stories said, silver didn’t just work on werewolves. It was an all-purpose weapon against most shifters.
But in order to take down Brandt and his panther buddies, they’d need a whole lot more than just a few silver tricks.
Been there, done that.
Az turned his head, and she saw his gaze searching the room. Scanning all the demons who now wore kick-ass expressions.
Her master plan was so screwed. “We can still make this work,” Jade said, fighting to keep her voice calm, but the desperation she felt wanted to leak into her words “You can take the money, take the hit—”
“Oh, I’ll be taking the money.” William snapped his fingers, and one of his freaking minions swiped up the money in an instant. “As far as the hit goes . . .”
Take it. Take out Brandt. Do it.
He flashed her a grin. “I’m afraid you’re not the first one to come at me with a deal, honey.”
Crap.
“Your boyfriend came to me first. And he paid more.”
Now Jade took a step back and wished, really, really wished, that she’d run as soon as Az appeared. But when you couldn’t run—
You fought as hard as you could.
“He’s put a price on your pretty head.” William smirked at her as he sidled closer. With the back of his hand, he swiped away the blood that trickled from his busted lip. Az had made the demon bleed nicely when he’d tossed his sorry assassin butt across the room.
“He wants me dead?” Jade asked, but she wasn’t really surprised. It had only been a matter of time before Brandt grew tired of the game and decided killing her was the best option.
“No, he wants you very much alive.” William’s gaze darted to Azrael. “But he didn’t say a fucking thing about me not getting to kill any assholes who were with you.”
Az straightened his shoulders and he just—smiled. The smile made him look all the more gorgeous, but, um, did the guy get that he was surrounded by some cutthroat supernatural killers?
Az’s gaze raked over the demon. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”
“A dick who’s about to die?”
The other demons snickered.
Jade saw the glint of the knife. It had fallen under the table. Not too far away. If she moved fast enough, she might be able to grab it.
“I guess I don’t come in here often enough for folks to know me,” Az said slowly, speaking in a thoughtful tone. He paused, “But I bet you know my brother.”
William lifted his hands, and a ball of fire appeared between his palms. Demons and fire. Such a deadly mix. “Do I look like I give a shit whose brother you are?”
Az didn’t look particularly scared of those flames. “Since you’re in his bar, you should.”
For some reason, that statement made some of the demons blanch. And she caught the whisper of. . . “Fuck, Sammael!”
Then Az just walked toward that demon and his ball of fire. “Tell you what,” Az said, “to be fair, I’ll even let you take the first shot.”
What? “No!” Jade screamed, but it was too late. William had already thrown his ball of fire right at Az.
She dove for the knife. Her fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt. Jade leapt up. Don’t burn, don’t! She spun as fast as she could—and buried the knife into William’s side. “Get away from him!”
The demon shuddered and stumbled back.
“Az?” She barely breathed his name. Her gaze swept over his chest, but—but there was no sign of any burns. Not even a wisp of smoke.
His eyes were on the demon. “My turn.”
Then he reached out and pressed his hand against William’s chest.
The demon’s eyes widened. His lips opened as if he were trying to speak, but then his body tumbled back, and he hit the floor with a hard thud.
Dead.
Jade glanced down at him. Then she looked back up at Az. “What did you do?” Her voice was hushed. But . . . this was just like in the alley. He’d touched, and he’d killed.
His gaze met hers. Az didn’t speak.
“What are you?” Her stark whisper. She had to know.
Now his lips turned up in a smile that chilled her. “I’m Death.”
Like he was the first man to tell her that line.
“I’m death.” Brandt’s yell echoed in her ears. “Wherever you go, whoever you turn to—I’ll know. And I’ll fucking kill them all.”
She bent down and yanked the knife from William’s body. Then she held up the knife because it was the only weapon she had. “Stay away from me.”
A line edged between Az’s blond brows. “I helped you.”
Where was the demon who’d taken her cash? She’d be needing that back. But it looked like those guys had scrambled. They probably had been racing out of that place even as William’s body hit the floor. “Did you follow me here?” Her heart pounded so fast that Jade was worried it might break right out of her chest.
Az shook his head. “I was already at Sunrise when you came in.”
Lie or truth? But, wait, he’d said his brother owned the place. Maybe his words were true.
Maybe not.
She began to back away from him. Jade kept the bloody knife up. She wasn’t dumb enough to drop her guard with him, not when she knew how easily he could kill. “Just stay there, okay?” Stay where she could see him as she fled.
“You’re afraid of me.”
Yeah, because she wasn’t an idiot. Men who could kill with a touch—any sane person would fear those guys. “Keep your hands to yourself, big guy, and we won’t be having a problem.”
“I thought you liked it when I touched you.”
Five feet separated them. Not nearly enough space. And now he was getting all personal and sexual on her? Now?
She cleared her throat. “That was—”
“Your nipples were hard against me. Your hips pressed up against my cock like you were hungry for me.” Why did his words sound almost clinical? Cold words, but his gaze looked hot enough to burn.
She was feeling scorched. “Okay, look, there’s a dead demon on the floor. How about we just talk about this other stuff later?” Because she had another demon to catch. A demon who thought he was getting away with her cash. As if she’d just kiss that dough good-bye.
Her gaze darted to the distance between her and Az. Alright. That looked like enough space between them. Well, enough for a good head start anyway. Jade spun away from Az and raced for the door.
He caught her. Just appeared right in front of her. She screamed in surprise and then again in real fear when his hands closed around her.
“Don’t kill me!”
But his mouth pressed against hers. Stole the words. His tongue thrust into her mouth.
She had the knife in her hand. She could use it on him. Could shove it right under his ribs and twist for optimum pain.
She’d done that to a man before.
But Az hadn’t hurt her. He’d killed twice, both times to protect her. He could destroy with a touch, but right then, his hands were light upon her skin and his mouth was almost caressing hers.
So she didn’t shove the knife into his ribs. Instead Jade lowered the weapon.
“Good choice.” He growled the words against her mouth as his lips lifted. “You don’t kill me, and I won’t kill you.”
Fair plan. Then his mouth came back to hers. Just the touch of his lips, and dammit, she wanted. She’d tried to play it safe with him, tried the whole do-the-freaking-right-thing routine, but—
But Az seemed to want her just as much as she wanted him. So Jade’s mouth widened. Her tongue met his. She tasted. She took. She craved so much more.
His hands were on her ass now. Pulling her up against him. There was no missing the hard length of his arousal. Death and desire.
Some men fed on that dangerous combination.
So did some women.
Jade pushed her left hand against his chest. The demon. Her mouth broke from his. “I have to . . .” She shook her head, then just twisted away from him.
He watched her with an unblinking stare.
“The demon’s got my money,” she said, breath rasping.
“I’m not letting him get away.” Luckily, she’d become pretty good at tracking over the years. Good for a human, anyway.
She eased around him. Az didn’t stop her, though she expected him to.
Wanted him to?
Jade rushed forward—and nearly slammed into the chest of a tall, smiling god.
Big, dark. Features so perfect it had to be a sin.
“Is that a dead demon in my bar?” He asked, voice almost. . . amused.
His bar?
But before Jade could answer, the guy shook his head. “Really, Az, I’m beginning to think you enjoy playing down here.”
Playing?
Then the man’s eyes locked on her. His blue eyes were just like Az’s. Only one glance into this man’s eyes and her heart felt chilled.
“And what have we here?” He drawled, lifting a hand toward her. “Something tempting . . .”
“Don’t touch her.” Az’s snarled order. Then he was there. Moving in that too-fast way of his that still freaked her out. He put his body between her and—
“Sammael, don’t ever fucking touch her.”
But this Sammael just laughed. “Language, language . . .” he chided. “Each day you just seem to grow more and more like the whole fucking rest of us.”
She peeked around Az’s shoulder and saw Sammael’s gaze rake him.
Sammael asked, “I guess you’re not so perfect anymore, are you, brother?”
Az lunged forward and grabbed Sammael. Okay. Right. Family thing. Whatever. She had her own business to take care of. So Jade took that moment to dive for the door.
There was a demon out there someplace, with her last wad of cash. She should have known five grand was too low a price to pay for death, but she’d been desperate.
Once she got hold of that thieving demon, he’d be the desperate one.
Surprisingly, Sam didn’t fight. Az shoved his brother to the ground and expected to feel a bolt of lightning hit his chest.
But Sam was too busy laughing. “I knew,” Sam threw out, “I knew the longer you were down here, the more tempted you’d become.”
Sam was right. Damn him. The feelings and needs and wants were pressing on him all the time. Constantly tempting him.
No wonder humans were so drawn to sin. If Sam hadn’t interrupted, Az would have taken Jade right there.
“She’s gone, you know,” Sam said as his laughter slowly faded, and he rose to his feet. “Ran away like a frightened rabbit.” He frowned. “You know, on second thought, perhaps you should go in easy. A human truly isn’t the best choice for your first lover.”
First. Because angels didn’t need sex. They didn’t hunger for the pleasure and the—
I hunger for her.
“We can get a bit . . . rough.” Sam continued as he shrugged his shoulders. “You’d better start off with a shifter, or maybe a vamp. Someone who can handle our excess power. Once you get more control, then you can work up to bedding a human.”
Az ground his back together. “I don’t want another.” That was part of the problem. Other women had come to tempt him, trying to sway him, but his body had never burned with hunger as it did for Jade. One kiss—and he craved her.
Must. Have. More.
He wanted to see why humans were willing to die for their pleasure. Was the sex truly that good?
It couldn’t be.
Could it?
Sam’s brows shot up. “If you don’t want anyone else, then why’d you let her rush out of here?” His gaze swept to the dead demon in the corner. “They’re hitters, you know. Pay ’em enough money, they kill whoever you want.”
“He’s put a price on your pretty head . . .” The demon’s words drifted through Az’s mind and his hands fisted. “You know that they do—yet you still allowed them in your bar?”
“Well, I was planning to kill them all tonight.” Sam seemed completely unconcerned. “But then you just had to jump in and play hero before I could take out the trash.”
Az’s eyes narrowed to a slit at that.
“Now the other assholes are out running loose.” Sam tapped his chin. “And the little human you were so intent on guarding is out there all alone.”
Snarling, Az shoved past his brother.
“Careful,” Sam’s voice hardened, and Az glanced back at him. “They really aren’t as weak as you might think,” Sam warned.
But Sam was wrong.
Nothing was weaker than a human.
Az headed after Jade.
“You’ll learn.” Sam’s taunt followed him. “Soon enough.”
The demons had run, fast. They’d hauled ass and gotten out of the bar at near light speed.
Jade stood outside of Sunrise, ignoring the crowd. Her gaze searched the street. If she had a shifter’s nose, she’d just be able to smell the demons and follow their scent.
She didn’t have that talent.
She didn’t have claws. No magic. No super strength.
But she was smart, dammit. She could figure this out without any paranormal mumbo jumbo.
Her gaze followed the dips and turns of the street. If she were running, she would have kept to the shadows. She would have gone away from the crowd. Tried to disappear into the darkness.
Jade marched for that darkness. Her fingers still curled around the knife, but she had the weapon lowered and hidden near the side of her hip. Its weight reassured her as she walked through the night.
One step. Another.
The bar faded away behind her. Her steps came faster. Faster. More running than walking.
She heard the whisper of laughter on the wind. The growl of an engine.
Jade rounded the corner. Oh, hell, no. She recognized the demon currently shoving her cash into the saddlebag on a black motorcycle.
Pushing herself as hard as she could, Jade lunged forward. She whipped up the knife and wrapped her arm around the demon. Her stomach pressed into his back and the tip of the blade slipped over his throat. “You’ve got something of mine.”
He stilled.
Then he laughed. “Figured you’d be coming after me.”
“You figured right.” Did he want some kind of bonus points? “Now give me back my money!” A girl had to live. and she had to possess enough money to keep the devil off her back.
He yanked up the saddlebag and tossed it to her. She let the blade of the knife slide deeper into his skin.
“You’re gonna die,
” he told her, his voice a snarl.
Now it was her turn to laugh. Like a little death threat would bother her. It wasn’t the first time she’d gotten one—or even the fifth time. “You’ll be the one to see hell first. How do you think Brandt’s going to react when he finds out that you had me, but you just let me walk away?”
Brandt didn’t exactly take well to failure.
She felt the sudden tension in the demon’s body. She brought her mouth close to his ear. “Get ready to have some of that skin clawed right off your body. Brandt enjoys taking his pound of flesh.” Very true.
But she didn’t. Jade jumped back, taking the knife and saddlebag. The demon could use that bike and get the hell out of town. If he was smart, that was exactly what he’d do.
The motorcycle growled behind her.
“Fucking bitch . . .”
And she knew the demon wasn’t going to be playing it smart. Pity. That would have made things easier. She’d tried to give him an out. No dice.
Jade started to run.
The motorcycle’s engine stopped growling and started to roar. Sparing a fast look over her shoulder, she saw that the demon had spun his bike around. He was coming right at her.
Some guys just had a death wish.
She zagged to the left. Felt the breath of the bike behind her.
So close now. So close.
She dove over a pile of garbage. Slammed into the cement. The motorcycle missed her right foot by about two inches.
Then the demon circled back around.
The beam from the headlight cut through the darkness. “No human bitch is getting away from me!” the demon yelled.
Jade rose to her feet. The motorcycle had braked about ten feet away. She walked forward, dodged the garbage, and stood in the middle of the street.
She’d left the saddlebag full of money behind the garbage. Her hands were down, half hidden behind her jeans. She lowered her head, offering a pose of submission.
Weakness.
All Other knew just how weak humans were.
Wait for him. Wait . . .
The motorcycle roared once more. He came racing toward her.
Jade tilted back her head and met his stare. She smiled. In that instant before impact, she leapt to the side, then struck out with her knife. His scream filled her ears even as metal screeched and the motorcycle slammed into the road.