by Cynthia Eden
Too confident.
And his hands were currently cuffed. Just for show, of course, because even though the cuffs were supposed to be some sort of Other-proof trinket that Heather had pulled out of her box of tricks, Az had snapped free of them earlier in about two seconds.
A test breakaway. To make sure he’d be able to ditch the cuffs when the real action came. And the real action was coming, soon.
“Wait until he comes toward you,” Tanner told Az with a hard glare. “Don’t go charging up to him. Brandt can move faster than any other shifter I’ve ever seen. If we attack first, the game is gonna be over for us all.”
Because the plan was for Az to wait until Brandt came to him. When Brandt was close enough to touch . . .
Az would do his thing and the nightmare would end.
So they hoped.
“We all know the plan,” Heather muttered. “We’ve gone over it enough times by now.”
Yeah, they had.
Tanner exhaled. “Alright. Let’s do this.” Jade wondered if he knew that his voice trembled. The cop was scared. You didn’t need a shifter’s senses to smell his fear.
Tanner and Heather climbed from the car. Hesitating, Jade glanced at Az. After the fury of sex and pleasure, she wasn’t sure what to say. Except . . . “Please be careful.” A hollow ache filled her gut. She’d never planned on Az. Wasn’t even sure what she felt for him, but she knew that she didn’t want to lose him. “Brandt is very smart and very dangerous.”
Az cocked his head and studied her. Then he lifted his cuffed hands. Touched her cheek. “You were my first.”
She blinked at that. “First?” First what? First human who’d dragged him into a hell of a mess with her psychotic ex?
“I watched death and suffering for centuries,” he said as his eyes searched hers. “I never stepped in. Never stopped it, until you.”
Oh, wait, that was . . . um, not sweet, exactly. Something more.
“It seems only fitting that my first taste of real pleasure came from you.”
She hadn’t meant for last night to happen. She’d stared at him, needed, and her self-control had vanished. So much for holding back and keeping him—
Whoa. Wait. His words sank in. Was he saying . . . first? She was pretty sure she lost her breath right then. “You should have told me.” Things could have been different, she could have—
He kissed her. Her lips were open, and his mouth just seemed to fit hers so perfectly in that moment. No danger. No fear.
Just him.
She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed against his chest. Her tongue met his, and she realized how very much she loved his taste. Jade didn’t break the kiss, just enjoyed it. As she enjoyed him.
When he slowly pulled away, she had to whisper, “Where were you ten years ago?”
He didn’t speak. Jade opened her eyes and forced herself to smile. “I guess you were upstairs, looking down on us mortals.”
His eyes narrowed.
I wish I’d met you first. Wish I’d known you before Brandt.
Life could have been different. Her family would have been alive. She wouldn’t have been a murderer.
Tanner cleared his throat and knocked on the window. “Let’s do this.”
Because it was time to face her own personal devil. She pulled away from Az and opened her car door. He exited on his side, and they met in front of the vehicle car.
Heather was moving nervously from her left foot to her right, then back, over and over. Tanner stood with his arms crossed and stared into the darkness.
Jade’s heart was racing, and the fear swirling in her gut had her whole body tensing up. Because of last night, she knew Az’s scent was all over her. Just as her scent marked him. That scent would infuriate Brandt. Before they went into this battle, she needed Az to understand. “I’m not going to watch him kill you.”
If something went wrong, if the plan didn’t go the way they’d figured . . .
He lifted a brow. Gave her a faint smile. “You won’t have to,” he said. “You can just watch me kill him.”
So confident.
Why was she so afraid?
They stared at the trees and the fog that drifted from the swamp. Insects chirped and called out. The heavy odor of vegetation filled the air.
Heather approached Jade. The witch pulled out a gun and pushed it into Jade’s back. It had better still be unloaded. She’d checked the gun right before they parked. No bullets. At least, there hadn’t been any in the chamber then.
“Move,” Heather told her, but the word broke with nervousness.
Jade exhaled heavily and started walking. Az was beside her, being “pushed” forward by Tanner. They went straight ahead, going deep, deeper into the swamp. As they walked, the calls of the insects began to die away even as the fog thickened around them.
Maybe the insects sensed the predators in their midst.
Shadows began to move in the fog. Big, menacing. Growls reached her ears. Those were the same growls that she heard in her nightmares.
A pond waited up ahead. The water lapped lightly against the shore.
Laughter drifted in the air. Cold, cruel. The sound made her spine snap even straighter.
Then Brandt stalked toward them, seeming to just appear in the heavy layer of fog. He was smiling and his eyes were on her. “I missed you, baby,” he said. The words were those of a lover. The claws that ripped from his fingertips were the weapons of a beast.
The barrel of Heather’s gun shoved harder into her back. “I want my money!” The witch’s frantic call. Heather should really try playing this thing cooler.
Slowly, Brandt’s gaze trekked from Jade’s face to the witch. He took another step toward them. One more. His eyes narrowed on Heather. “I suppose it’s a good thing you lived. You have proven useful over the years.”
Okay, now that gun was jabbing Jade so hard that it hurt. “I guess we were both more than just pieces of trash to be thrown away.” Now this came from Tanner. Az wasn’t speaking. He was just glaring at Brandt as if he were marking the panther for death, which he probably was.
Brandt smiled at Tanner. “Welcome back, brother.”
Jade’s gaze flew to the cop. His claws were out and at Az’s throat.
Then Brandt clapped his hands together. A guy with a big, black bag came running toward them. “Payment,” Brandt said with a wide smile, “for a job well done.” He pointed at Jade. “You led me on a nice chase, but the hunt’s over now.”
He shouldn’t be so calm. Jade clenched her hands and refused to show fear. Brandt should have caught the mixed scents by now. He should be enraged. Not mocking and controlled.
Brandt tossed the duffel bag through the air. It landed in front of Jade’s feet. The barrel of the gun was immediately removed from her back. Heather scrambled around and grabbed the bag. She jerked it open.
Nothing was inside.
Heather’s head whipped back. “What the hell are you trying to do?” Her gun lifted and pointed at him. The barrel shook.
“Since when does a witch need to use a human weapon?” Brandt asked, voice flat. “Why not just use a spell to knock out your captives?”
Because they hadn’t been willing to play that way. Heather had sure wanted to use her magic mojo, but Jade hadn’t been willing to run the risk. The witch could just kill them while they were out. No, thank you.
“Because he can’t be knocked out,” it was Tanner’s snarl that answered Brandt.
Jade slipped back a step. Her right hand began to rise slowly. Not time to pull her own weapon, not yet.
“You know he’s not human.” Tanner’s claws had drawn blood. The red drops slid down Az’s throat. “He can resist Heather’s magic.”
Brandt’s nostrils flared as he studied Az. “Who are you? Why the hell are you in this fight?”
Because she’d pulled him into it. Because—
“I’m the man who made Jade scream last night.”
Oh, ahem, yeah,
but she’d made him shout, too.
Brandt’s claws lengthened. She saw a muscle jerk along his jaw. Finally, his control was showing signs of cracking. “I will make you wish for death.” A promise he’d carried out before, to others.
Even when she’d begged him to stop.
Begged and fought, but Jade hadn’t been strong enough to help.
This time, things would be different.
“You’re not doing this to me again!” Heather threw the bag back at him. “I did my part. I brought them here, now I want my money!” Power, magic, seemed to vibrate in the air around her.
“Walk away, Heather,” Brandt told her softly. “While you have the chance, just turn and walk out of here.”
Yeah, it was time for the witch to head for safety.
“What about my pay?” Tanner demanded. “I was promised money, too. Are you just going to double-cross me, too?”
Brothers. Jade had known that, though, from the first moment she’d seen Tanner’s scars.
The only other pack member with scars like that was Brandt—and Brandt’s bastard of a father had been the one to slice his flesh. His flesh—and his brother’s.
“You brought me the thing I want the most in this world.” Brandt’s body was held painfully still. He’d never been one for restraint, so where the hell was his self-control coming from now? If their attack was going to work, he had to move within striking distance of Az. “For that,” Brandt said, “you can come back. You can be pack again.”
Silence.
Then Heather drew a deep, shuddering breath. “You almost killed me once.” She still had her gun. The useless gun?
Now Brandt did take a step, but it was toward Heather and not to Az.
“You slashed me, drove your claws into me,” Heather’s voice grew louder as wind began to whip through the area. A furious wind fueled by the witch’s magic. “Then you left me to die.”
Brandt shrugged. “You betrayed me. What else did you think I’d do?”
“I never—”
Another gliding step toward her. “You took my blood, witch, I know you did. You used it to scry. To see what future we’d have. You looked when I fucking told you never to see!”
“I saw nothing! Only darkness with you because—”
Then he had her. One lunge, and he’d ripped the gun out of her hand. He tossed it into the bushes and his fingers closed around her neck. He lifted her up and her feet dangled in the air.
No, no, this was not the way the deal was supposed to go down.
“This time,” Brandt told Heather, “I’ll make sure you die.”
“No!”Jade screamed and she brought up her gun. But she didn’t have a clear shot at Brandt. Heather’s body blocked him. “Let her go!”
Brandt laughed. “Now how did I know that you weren’t the defenseless little prisoner brought in by the big, bad witch?”
Then he tossed Heather’s body, slinging her through the air. Her head slammed into a tree, and she crumpled on the ground like a broken doll.
Brandt brushed his hands as if he were wiping away dirt. He glanced at Jade’s gun, then back up at her. “Come on, baby, we both know that you won’t—”
She fired at him. Fired again and again until the gun just clicked because all of the bullets were gone.
But . . . Brandt didn’t fall down. Blood poured from his chest, and his eyes narrowed on her. “That hurt, Jade.”
“It was fucking supposed to, Brandt!” But, dammit, how had she missed his heart? How was he standing? Silver bullets in the heart should kill a shifter but—
I missed?
Brandt shook his head. “I’m gonna have to punish you for that . . .”
“No, you’re not.” And just like that, Az stood in front of her. Big, strong, the cuffs broken and his hands free. “You’re not touching her ever again.”
“Neither are you.” Brandt’s voice had roughened into a snarl. “Neither the hell are you!”
Jade’s head swung to the left. Four panthers had sprung from the shadows, and they had launched at Tanner. He was fighting, swiping with his claws, but the guy was weak against them because he was still in his human form. No time to change, not for him. If he stopped to shift, the panthers would slaughter him during those vulnerable moments.
Heather wasn’t moving.
Jade’s gun was empty.
Screwed.
Jade tossed the weapon and put her hands on Az’s back, right over his shoulders and those thick scars. “Kill him,” she whispered.
Her angel assassin.
Then Jade stumbled back so she wouldn’t get in Az’s way.
Brandt raced forward, finally coming at Az with his claws up and ready to attack. Jade couldn’t breathe. She stood there, watching, waiting for death to come. I hope you like hell, Brandt.
Az caught Brandt’s hands. Held those claws just inches from his body. Yes, yes, Az was touching him. Brandt would hit the ground, immobile, any moment. In the meantime . . .
Jade yanked her silver knife from her boot and ran for the swarm that was attacking Tanner. She wasn’t about to let those panther bastards slaughter him. She drove her knife into the back of the nearest panther. Roaring in agony, he swung around and tried to swipe out at her. Ducking low, she avoided the slice and raked her knife down his stomach.
The panther rolled away, bleeding, breath heaving. Tanner tossed another panther a good ten feet then turned to drive his claws into the back of his next attacker.
A vicious fighter. She liked that. It would help—
Brandt’s laughter froze her. A dead man shouldn’t be laughing. She glanced over her shoulder. Brandt stood over Az . . . why was Az kneeling on the ground?
Brandt’s fingers dripped blood.
She started running then. Jade barely felt the sting of claws as they raked down her back. “Az!” Her scream.
He turned his head slowly to look at her. His eyes were puzzled, and she could see the pain on his face.
“Know your enemy, fool,” Brandt taunted him. “And know when you’re up against someone who doesn’t give a shit about your Death Touch.”
His claws shoved into Az’s chest. “I know who the fuck you are, Azrael,” Brandt taunted. “And I’m not scared of you.”
“Stop!” A few more feet. She just had to get—
“You can’t kill me,” Brandt said as he yanked out his claws. Blood dripped from Az’s lips and poured from the giant hole in his chest. “But I can slice you apart while she watches.”
Not going to watch. Az had tried to help her. When he’d needed her, she’d turned away. Raced to fight others.
I shouldn’t have left him. Shouldn’t have—
Jade threw her body against Brandt. Using all of her strength, she drove the silver knife into his side. Then she jerked it as hard as she could to the left. His bellow hurt her ears even as . . . as the scent of flowers drifted in the air around them.
Flowers? In hell?
Brandt caught her arms and yanked her closer against him. “You fight for that bastard?”
“He’s not the bastard.” Brandt never seemed to realize just how screwed up he truly was. “You are.”
He shook her, sending her head whipping back. “After all I’ve done for you, after I—”
Her slick hands found the handle of the knife. The weapon was still embedded in his side. She caught it and twisted.
And he kissed her. His lips crushed down on hers, and she could taste his rage and lust.
“No!” She shoved against Brandt even as she was ripped from his arms.
Az. Holding her tightly. On his feet again. Bleeding, but strong.
“So like me,” Brandt whispered. His gaze found hers. “Dark and dangerous . . . killer instinct, it’s right there.”
“I’m nothing like you!” She didn’t want to be like him.
Az pushed her behind him. “What are you?” He threw the words at Brandt.
Brandt yanked the knife from his side and tossed
it to the ground. “I’m the man who’s gonna kill you, angel.”
Jade eased to the left and saw Brandt lift his claws. “So get ready for an ass kicking.”
The two men lunged at each other. Fire crackled in the air around them. Thick, hot flames that forced Jade back. Brandt cut with his claws while Az pounded the shifter with powerful fists. Over and over. The crunch of bones and the thud of flesh filled the air.
Jade rushed forward, but the fire pushed her back. The flames circled around the men. Caging them, and keeping all others away.
Az. Damn him. He’d put up the fire. To keep her out. To protect her.
But he was bleeding. Stumbling.
Her gaze darted around the area. Tanner was fighting the last two panthers. Heather—Heather was trying to rise to her feet. Jade ran to her side. “We have to help him!”
Blood dripped down the side of Heather’s face. She stared at the line of fire. At the two men locked in brutal combat.
Heather nodded quickly. “We have to . . . we have to distract him,” Heather whispered as she yanked a knife from a sheath on her thigh.
A hidden weapon. Huh. Maybe they were more alike than Jade had thought. But . . . “We’re going to need a lot more than silver to stop Brandt.”
But just then Brandt let out a long, screaming cry of agony. Jade’s gaze flew to the men. Az had broken Brandt’s wrist and just plunged the shifter’s own claws into Brandt’s chest. Brutal.
Smart.
But Brandt head-butted Az and sent her angel sliding back.
“Az has lost too much blood . . . the panther weakens him . . .” Heather’s voice pulled her attention back to the witch. Jade saw the woman’s fingers tighten around the knife. “Brandt is . . . more than a beast. I should have seen it before.”
Screw this. “Send out some magic! Help Az!”
“We need to weaken Brandt . . .” Heather’s voice was so soft. She weaved a bit as she stepped forward. “Have to take his heart . . .”
Then she raised her knife and plunged it toward Jade’s chest.
Jade tried to jump away, but she didn’t move fast enough. The knife drove into her chest. A white-hot slice of pain cut through her and stole Jade’s breath. The blade sank to the hilt, and then Heather yanked the knife out.