A pile of what-the-fuck steamed on the floor in front of him. The thing bubbled in a black swamp, but he’d be damned if he could make out what it was. He crawled away from the mess until his leg muscles took over. Standing was a bad idea. He listed, almost falling flat on his face, before his balance got with the program.
Half the factory was awash in light.
“Ionie!” He scanned the various bodies he passed, satisfied to see every one counted was a bloodsucker. His team had luck and superior training on its side.
Luck bolted a second later when Jarrid reached the source of the illumination.
Nesty and Cain were juiced and hitting the Renegade with all they had. Beleth’s arm stretched out to Ionie, a stream of white-blue energy pulsing around her. She glowed so bright Jarrid’s eyes watered.
“Ionie!”
The outlaw’s sphere grew brighter, while hers dimmed.
God of All, no! Ionie was recharging the angel!
“Take her down!” Kas said, cradling his chest. “Take her down now!”
Blood drained from Jarrid’s face. He raised his guns and took aim at her back. She turned her head, her wild eyes pleading with him.
His mind was in disarray. He searched for another answer, anything to keep from pulling the trigger.
His training told him to follow orders.
His heart told him he loved her.
She’s an innocent. He vowed to protect her. Ionie was his life.
Her whole body shook. She turned to face Beleth, raising her other arm, fingers outstretched.
God, forgive me. With the prayer on his lips, Jarrid pulled the triggers.
Bullets exploded from his Desert Eagles, launched on a collision course with the Renegade’s upper body. The first shots tore through the exposed wings, shredding the bones. Ionie cried out as a fireball of energy flew from her hands. The sphere cratered Beleth’s chest just as another round of Jarrid’s bullets blasted holes through the angel’s ribs and sliced his organs to ribbons.
Ionie’s power turned the Renegade into a pyre. Beleth howled as flames consumed him, burning away his flesh. He looked like a phoenix, his wings arched wide, smoking behind him.
Nestaron released a piercing cry at the angel. Beleth’s head exploded.
Ionie cried out as the power inside her abruptly shut off. Jarrid scooped her into his arms before her legs gave out, and gently lowered her to the floor. She stared up at him, her pupils blown wide, but she lived.
God of All, she lived!
Cain limped over, his left leg twisted at an angle. He extended his arm. Jarrid pressed his lips into a hard line. He gave his brother a sharp nod and accepted three blackened feathers from his hands.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The Think Tank offered little to remove the snag of worry hitching Jarrid’s thoughts. He paced, aware tonight would bring a new beginning — or an end — for him and Ionie. He stared out the windows at Detroit’s skyline, backlit by a blanket of stars.
Tanis walked over and stood beside him. The angel’s mood hadn’t improved in the week since he had reported to the Directorate. No one believed the pricks would send a congratulatory fruit basket for ending Beleth. That was the Order’s job. Taking out the outlaw’s vampire underworld connection was a satisfying bonus, but Saul and his thugs didn’t mean a damn thing to Heaven.
What ate away at the team was the lack of a response about Ionie. They’d taken time to heal her — and themselves — after the fight.
Four days for her to regain conscious. When she had, she refused to talk to anyone. Jarrid was persona non grata, so he kept his distance.
“How is she?” He’d been forced to use second-hand intel to track her progress.
“Stronger than any of us gave her credit for,” Tanis said. “Her stab wound self-healed because of Beleth’s Grace. The rest will take time.”
Time that was running out. Jarrid rubbed his temple.
“Talk to her,” the angel said. “You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“Too late.” He dropped his head. “I betrayed her.”
Tanis sighed next to him. “I’m on a first name basis with regret, or have you forgotten?”
Jarrid looked up. He’d never forget the man who had killed his mother, and then spared his life. “That was a long time ago. You’re not the same person now.”
“Neither are you. I saved you only to turn you over to the same assholes who ordered your death. They abused you and your brothers, suppressed your emotions, and made you kill your own sires.”
“Renegades deserve what they get,” he said, his tone frigid.
“Heaven made you an assassin. You weren’t born one.”
“You think I don’t know that,” Jarrid said. “Damn it, Tanis, none of that matters now. I used Ionie. I risked her life. I got her friend killed.”
Tanis rested a hand on his shoulder. “You couldn’t have known why Beleth wanted her. If you hadn’t found her, she’d be dead and the bastard would be commanding warrior angels. Can you imagine the kind of power he would have gained?”
Jarrid leaned forward, bracing his hands against the cold window. He could deny his friend’s conclusions, but he didn’t. All he wanted was to talk to Ionie.
• • •
Ionie woke to a damp sheet stuck against her. The bed was a sauna, drawing sweat from her pores like a broken faucet. A heavy weight trapped her legs. Two more sandwiched her on each side.
“Come on, bed hogs. I’ll die from dehydration if you don’t let me get some water.”
Bowie lifted her head, yawned, and then stretched her long legs. The Great Dane resumed snoring.
“Of all the nerve, Bowie Young Gifford.”
She tapped the thick body on her left. Echo’s drowsy eye opened, a circle of sea blue, then closed. Ionie tapped again. When the gaze held her, she signaled with her fingers. Echo stretched and climbed off the bed. The second she made her escape, the dog jumped onto the mattress and settled into the vacant spot. She laughed and turned on the bathroom light.
Getting JP’s dogs from their old house was the only good thing that happened in the last week. After she’d awakened from her injuries, Ionie had insisted the pack be brought to the Stronghold until she found a place large enough — and cheap — to move. It was the least the Eternal Order could do.
Since then, Bowie, Echo, Mighty Moe, Ky, and QT never left her side.
She splashed water on her face and neck, gazing in the mirror, no longer terrified by the reflection. Her eyes were lighter, almost pale brown, the irises ringed in gray. Tanis had told her she’d had two souls — her human one and Beleth’s — but her ancestor’s Grace was gone. Her eyes, though, would stay their freaky new color.
The next time I complain about being plain human I’ll swallow my tongue.
Ionie sighed, lowering her eyes. Heaven was deciding what to do about her. According to Cain, the Order is the only place sanctioned for nephilim. With the Renegade’s power gone, she was normal, even if, technically, she was just like him, Jarrid, Kas, and Nesty.
Jarrid. She leaned against the sink, her arms folding tight around her waist. She’d spoken to the others a little, but not to him. When the topic turned to their brother, she shut them out. She’d managed to avoid the man, but she wasn’t a fool. Part of her missed him.
Yet he’d lied to her. He’d used her. At this point, she wouldn’t believe a word out of his mouth.
• • •
The Eternal Order received the summons to appear before the Directorate that afternoon. The brothers grumbled. Ionie stood between them, her chin jutted forward. Jarrid loved her strength so much it hurt. Surrounded by seven warrior angels in glittering armor, and walking in the shadow cast by Kas, Cain, Nesty, Tanis, and himself, she showed no fear.
/> Several angels guarded the chamber and, more than once, cast disdainful looks at the group. Jarrid scissored his jaw. The Order was used to the disrespect, but Ionie deserved better treatment. Kas peeked back at him, face grim, and nodded. The mind reader agreed.
The silence annoyed the hell out of him. A good hour passed before the ruling board appeared, pompous as usual. Azriel and Puriel took their customary seats behind the curved table, then the others followed.
“We’ve discussed Tanis’ report of recent developments,” Azriel said. His cold stare landed on Ionie. “The human appears to have extinguished the Renegade’s Grace, which is the only reason she still lives.”
Jarrid heard her gasp. He glared hard at the angels. “The human has a name. Ionie aided in locating the enemy. She endangered her life to assist The Order when we engaged the Renegade and his allies.”
Azriel flicked his hand. “Yes, yes. The report stated her actions. Her behavior and motivations are not in question. Yours are, half-breed.”
“What?” Ionie asked.
The Directorate ignored her to focus their full attention on him.
“The woman is your lover,” Puriel said. “Carnal relations with a lower species is forbidden.”
“I thought I was a lower species,” Jarrid said, earning a muffled chuckle from Cain. “I’ve been called worse by better.”
High and mighty. That’s what angels believed themselves to be.
More like arrogant, self-serving, out of touch, blind, ridiculous, and foolish. He could go on.
“Silence.” Azriel’s voice sent a tremor through the room. “You disobeyed our explicit command to remove yourself from The Order and cease interactions with the human. Not only did you ignore those orders, but you and your impure brethren continued the mission.”
“So, why are you bitching?” Ionie asked. “It sounds like they got the job done. Beleth is dead. Saul is toast. The guys are all mended, and Detroit’s recovering from the chaos those two caused.”
Holy shit, Jarrid wanted to kiss her unconscious. He glanced down. Ionie’s body language said it all: lips pursed, arms crossed over her ample breasts, head cocked to the side like she’d heard enough bullshit. Hell, so had he, but she made ‘fuck off’ look hot.
Azriel stood so fast he overturned his chair. “How dare you speak to us in that manner.” The angel’s eyes held a dangerous glow, aimed at Ionie. “You’re no better than the whores who slept with their sires.”
Jarrid reacted to the insult and threat. He stepped in front of Ionie and sent a shimmering shield over her. Kas and Nesty closed in on both sides, while Cain and Tanis angled towards the nearest guards, arms raised for a fight. The surprised angels mouths hung open at the show of force.
“The next asshole who blinks at her wrong will pray he hadn’t,” Jarrid said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Holy crap! This meeting just went to hell. Ionie couldn’t see much through the solid wall of muscles crowded around her, but she wasn’t stupid. Jarrid and her friends were in Heaven — wait until I tell Grams! Now they faced off against a room packed with full-blooded angels. Tickles of electricity danced over her skin. One wrong move and people would die.
She touched her lover’s arm, giving a gentle squeeze. Jarrid glanced at her, his silver eyes glowing. With a small smile, Ionie stepped around him. The Directorate stood across the room, wings flared.
“I don’t know the rules up here, so cut me some slack,” Ionie said. “I don’t understand what crime he’s committed.” She motioned to Jarrid. “He’s half-human. It’s natural for him to feel emotions, like love. You can’t order someone to ignore what they’re born with.”
“Nephilim are abominations,” Azriel cried. “Their existence is an affront to the God of All.”
What a crock of bull. “The God of All,” Ionie said. “All what?”
Sharp inhales filled the chamber. She watched the angels whisper together, casting her side-long glances as if the sign of the beast was tattooed on her forehead.
“The God of All creation,” Puriel said.
“So we’re talking about the same supreme being who created you, me, and nephilim, right? The one who made vampires, shape shifters, werewolves, et cetera?”
“What is your point?” Azriel scowled at her. She didn’t like him at all.
Ionie took several cautious steps, away from the safety of her protectors, until the obsidian table touched the front of her thighs. Her back straightened. She studied the men glaring at her in equal parts hostility and curiosity.
“If everyone in this room was created by the same being, it makes sense we’d share some of the same dreams, hopes, and desires,” Ionie said. “We’re all a little different, but that didn’t stop us from finding common ground. Beleth threatened your people and mine.”
She offered Jarrid a sweet smile. “He followed his heart, despite your rules. He saved my life and stopped that outlaw from sneaking back to Heaven. Who knows what trouble he’d cause if he had succeeded.”
Ionie waved her hands at the team. “These men believed in doing anything to stop two maniacs. They didn’t fail, even if one of them fell in love in the process. Punishing them doesn’t make sense. You should be happy they didn’t pack their bags and leave the city.”
Puriel darted a look at the other board members. All shared the same contemplative expression, which she prayed meant she’d made a good argument. The silence dragged on. Her heart thundered like galloping ponies. Then the angel turned his attention to her.
“You’re an observant young woman, Ionie Gifford,” Puriel said. “The Renegade sought to deceive us about his past indiscretions, which you are living proof.”
Ionie refused to show a reaction.
“But Jarrid and his team disobeyed orders, which cannot be ignored,” he said.
Her heart plummeted. The close-minded idiots seemed set on punishing the nephilim. Ionie’s eyes burned with the urge to cry. A hand brushed her lower back, comforting her. She stared into Jarrid’s handsome face.
“Thank you,” he said, wiping away a tear that slipped down her cheek. qct
They remained close like that for long minutes, clinging to what could be their final moments together. Ionie wanted to stay with him forever.
Christ, he hadn’t met Grams. Jarrid deserved to be happy. In her eyes, Jarrid, Cain, Kas, and Nesty weren’t abominations or impure. They were her family.
Without lifting his gaze from her face, Jarrid spoke to the Directorate. “If I’ve repeated my father’s sin, then so be it. I love this woman more than my own life. She’s my soul, but I don’t want to endanger her more.”
He loves me? Oh, God! Ionie’s tears fell in an uncontrolled stream. “Please, don’t.”
Jarrid smiled at her. The warm gleam shattered her heart into a million shards. “There is so much I should have told you. I lied to you.”
The shards turned inward, stabbing her abused heart. Ionie opened her mouth to speak, but Jarrid raised a finger to her lips.
“Nephilim Grace — our souls — are restricted. We’ve each inherited some of our fathers’ powers, but the Directorate feared our mixed blood may have changed it. They created a spiritual shield to cause pain if we used our abilities.”
Ionie raised her chin. “What does this have to do with you lying to me?”
“No one has the right to change another’s soul.” He stepped closer, no longer concerned with their audience. “The angels call us abominations. Say we’re impure. We’ve been denied a part of ourselves every living being takes for granted. I believed if I captured Beleth I could petition for Ascension.”
Her brow wrinkled at the unfamiliar term. “What’s Ascension?”
“Freedom. It means the binding would be removed.”
Unshed tears rimmed Ionie’s eye
s, blurring her vision. Jarrid smoothed the pad of his thumb over her cheek as the first tear fell.
“I used you, my beloved reporter, to gain that chance for myself and for my brothers. I risked your life, lied to you. My actions exposed your friend to danger, costing her life.”
Ionie’s throat constricted. He’d used her to free his family. She gazed deep into his eyes, wanting to hate him. JP died so he could catch Beleth.
For his family. Would she have done the same in his place?
“I don’t expect your forgiveness.” He bowed his head. “But you’ve changed me. Ascension no longer matters. Only your safety.”
Murmurs drifted around her as the Directorate, the guards, and the rest of The Eternal Order reacted to Jarrid’s confession. Ionie peeked to the side. Every head was bent in rapid conversation. This was huge.
Jarrid raised his hands and cupped her face like he held a precious object. “I love you, now and always.”
• • •
Jarrid’s heart swelled with the power of his love. His world was cold and analytical before Ionie’s soul ended his loneliness. He had lost his shot at Ascension, but he had found indescribable joy in her arms. Content, he’d take the experience to his grave.
Tanis’ voice broke through the low buzz of conversations. “Before you pass judgment, I have one question.”
“Ask it,” Azriel said.
“Have you found the Renegade sympathizer?”
A shock wave cracked the chamber. The assembled angels shouted at once. Jarrid tugged Ionie behind him, securing her under another shield.
“What ridiculous accusation is this?” Puriel asked.
Jarrid glared at each board member before he settled on Azriel. “Someone convinced Beleth he’d be reinstated to his former position. I’ve never heard of a Renegade being granted absolution for his crimes.”
The angel guards whispered to each other, their suspicious eyes trained on the Directorate. All of Heaven knew only the ruling board could grant such a pardon. Jarrid glanced at the cabal and noticed the shroud of unease on their faces. He grinned.
Angel Bait (Angel Assassins #1) Page 21