Broken Angel (Bad Things Book 4)
Page 19
“Lila…” Rayce rasped. “Don’t. Don’t trade anything for me.”
She shook her head and stared back up at him. “What? You think you’re the only one who gets to make a big sacrifice?”
“You almost died to save everyone else.”
Lila glanced back at Leo. He was watching her with wide eyes, staring at her as if he just couldn’t understand why she wasn’t rushing away with him. It was simple, really. “There are things in this world that are more important than wings.”
“And beasts,” Rayce said.
The balcony door slid open. A gust of wind and snow flew into the room, and, just that fast, Luke was there.
“Damn convenient timing.” Rayce’s voice was hard and rough. He immediately moved in front of Lila.
“I was in the neighborhood…” Luke drawled back.
I won’t let him shield me again. Lila side-stepped to stand between Rayce and Luke. She could feel the fury swirling between them.
“You were going to kill her.” Rayce’s hands were fisted. “You knew the magic was too strong. You knew—”
Luke’s chin lifted. “I knew that a fallen angel needed a strong mate. The strongest one out there. Not the best one…not the one who’d be a fucking good guy…” His gaze slid to Leo dismissively. “I knew she needed a mate who could make the hard choices. And the hard sacrifices. So I put you on the angel’s trail. I made sure you had your time with her.”
Lila sucked in a quick breath. Suddenly, she could see Luke with different eyes.
There was pain on his face as he stared at Rayce—the pain was in the deeper lines near Luke’s mouth. The sadness in his gaze. You had to look so closely to see it but…
It’s there. Luke hates the way Rayce feels toward him now. Because, as Rayce had once told her, he and Luke had been pack. Family.
“You stayed with her, no matter what.” Luke spoke grimly. “You sacrificed so that she would survive. And look, there she is…good as damn new.”
Rayce surged toward him. “She could have died!”
Luke met him toe-to-toe. “Only if she didn’t have a werewolf mate ready to give his life for her. Only if she didn’t have someone there to take the force of the blast for her. Only if she didn’t have you.”
Silence.
“You…set us up,” Lila realized.
Luke shrugged.
Leo squeezed his eyes shut. “You meddling sonofabitch.”
“What can I say?” Luke murmured. “Everyone needs a hobby.”
Lila grabbed tightly to Rayce when he tried to charge at Luke. “Deal,” Lila snapped.
Luke and Leo exchanged a long look. “Isn’t she back to being yours?” Luke cocked his head as he gazed at his brother.
“I’m not so sure she ever really stopped.” Leo had gone pale. “You saw Kale…he still had his wings. They were…different, but they were still wings. I-I thought angels changed completely after the fall, but maybe they just adapt. They have to fit in this world…” He exhaled. “I’ve seen the future. Cordelia looked for me. Lila’s wings come back.”
“So does his beast.” It had better. Lila glared at them both. “I want a deal, and I want it right now. Your magic took away what he had—so you bring it back. Give Rayce back his wolf.”
But Rayce turned her toward him. “No.”
No? Her mouth dropped.
“Don’t trade. Don’t deal. Don’t do anything for me. You—”
“What will you offer?” Luke called out.
“Lila,” Rayce snarled. “No deal. No. Deal.”
Lila glanced at Luke. “I love him.”
“Angels don’t love beasts. If he stays this way, won’t it be easier for you? No dangerous shifts, no wolf running wild in the streets…” Luke stroked his chin. “Some would say this could be your perfect ending.”
It wasn’t perfect if Rayce had lost half of his soul.
“You don’t love only the good parts of someone.” She smiled at Rayce. “A werewolf taught me that. You love everything—good and bad. You love when the wolf runs wild in the streets or when he lets his claws out. You love all of him.”
Just as Rayce had loved her even when she was at her darkest.
“What will you offer?” Luke asked again.
“My wings.”
“No,” Rayce yelled.
“My magic.”
“No.” Rayce shook his head. “Stop it, Lila. I’m not worth it. I’m not—”
“Yes, you are.” Didn’t he see that? To her, he was worth so much. Everything.
“This is incredibly, um, moving and what-not.” Luke waved his hands with a flourish. “But I’m afraid Rayce is right. There is no deal.”
Rayce’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. Now you and your dick brother can get the hell out of here—”
“I had Cordelia scry, too.” Luke slanted a fast glance at Leo. “And what my brother has failed to mention…is that Rayce’s werewolf is just resting. Healing, if you will. The beast will be back, too. No worries on that score.”
Leo’s lips parted. He started to speak, then seemed to catch himself.
“So no big sacrifice needed.” Luke gave a little laugh. “But the thought was fun.” He winked.
Lila threw her arms around Rayce. She held him as tightly as she could. And as she held him, she could have sworn that she felt a warm surge of magic surround them.
Magic?
Love?
Maybe they were the same.
Leo and Luke slipped away. The balcony doors shut behind them. Lila was left with her werewolf. She was left with the one man she loved.
The one man who was worth any price.
Rayce brought his mouth to hers.
She loved her beast.
***
“You are such a fucking liar,” Leo muttered as he stood with Luke on the snow-covered street in New York. “That beast was gone. We both saw it happen.”
Luke glanced up at the hotel. He wondered what gift Rayce had been planning to give his angel.
“You gave the guy back his beast, didn’t you? No deal needed. Cordelia scryed, and she did not see his beast. You lied about that part.”
“I lie about many things. It’s part of my charm.”
“You changed his fate, didn’t you? In that room, I felt the swell of magic. You gave it back to Rayce. You just—you did something—”
“Good?” Luke laughed. The sound was hard and grating. “What am I? The good one?”
Leo took a step back. “If you are…then what in the hell does that make me?”
Luke smiled at him. “You know…it was always just assumed that you were on the side of right. That I was the one destined for fires and everything that was evil.” He cocked his head. “You ever wonder if maybe folks got that part confused? Maybe they got us confused?”
Leo gave a frantic shake of his head. “That’s not possible.”
Luke kept his smile in place. He did so enjoy screwing with Leo’s head. “Are you sure? Because I’m the one who just worked a Christmas miracle.” He started to whistle. “Now, I’ve got to go…my mate’s waiting for me.” He turned from his brother and headed down the street.
“Why?” Leo’s voice blasted after him. “Why the hell would you give Rayce that gift?”
Because he’s family. Because Rayce is pack. But Leo didn’t understand. Maybe he never would. So Luke just kept walking…
And the snow started falling once again.
For that day, Luke was going to find his precious Mina. He was going to hold her. Kiss her. Forget the troubles that haunted his every step.
Soon enough, he’d be dealing with the dark ones again…like the zombie he still had in his prison or the muse who thought she’d slipped past his radar. As he’d once said, it was hard to keep track of all the paranormals out there. So many dangers. So much pain.
So much darkness.
The snow slid over his cheek.
An angel and a beast. Luke laughed. Who would have thought
it?
I fucking did. And that’s why he was the Lord of the Dark.
THE END
###
Did you catch all of the BAD THINGS that have been released so far?
The Devil In Disguise (Bad Things, Book 1)
On The Prowl (Bad Things, Book 2)
Undead Or Alive (Bad Things, Book 3)
Broken Angel (Bad Things, Book 4)
A Note From the Author
Happy Holidays! I hope that you enjoy a magical holiday season.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read BROKEN ANGEL. I hope that you enjoyed the story.
If you’d like to stay updated on my releases and sales, please join my newsletter list www.cynthiaeden.com/newsletter/. You can also check out my Facebook page www.facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage. I love to post giveaways over at Facebook!
Again, thank you for reading BROKEN ANGEL.
Best,
Cynthia Eden
www.cynthiaeden.com
About The Author
Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a three-time finalist for the RITA® award. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over fifty novels and novellas.
Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings. More information about Cynthia and her books may be found at: http://www.cynthiaeden.com or on her Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage. Cynthia is also on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cynthiaeden.
Her Works
Boxed Sets
Blood and Moonlight Series
Blood and Moonlight (The Complete Series)
Dark Obsession Series
Only For Me (Dark Obsession, Books 1 to 4)
Purgatory Series
The Beasts Inside (Purgatory, Books 1 to 4)
Bound Series
Forever Bound (Bound, Books 1 to 4)
Paranormal Romance
Bad Things
The Devil In Disguise (Bad Things, Book 1)
On The Prowl (Bad Things, Book 2)
Undead Or Alive (Bad Things, Book 3)
Broken Angel (Bad Things, Book 4) - Available 12/13/2016
Blood and Moonlight Series
Bite The Dust (Blood and Moonlight, Book 1)
Better Off Undead (Blood and Moonlight, Book 2)
Bitter Blood (Blood and Moonlight, Book 3)
Blood and Moonlight (The Complete Series)
Purgatory Series
The Wolf Within (Purgatory, Book 1)
Marked By The Vampire (Purgatory, Book 2)
Charming The Beast (Purgatory, Book 3)
Deal with the Devil (Purgatory, Book 4)
The Beasts Inside (Purgatory, Books 1 to 4)
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I’ll Be Slaying You (Night Watch Book 2)
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Burn For Me (Phoenix Fire, Book 1)
Once Bitten, Twice Burned (Phoenix Fire, Book 2)
Playing With Fire (Phoenix Fire, Book 3)
The Fallen Series
Angel of Darkness (The Fallen Book 1)
Angel Betrayed (The Fallen Book 2)
Angel In Chains (The Fallen Book 3)
Avenging Angel (The Fallen Book 4)
Midnight Trilogy
Hotter After Midnight (Book One in the Midnight Trilogy)
Midnight Sins (Book Two in the Midnight Trilogy)
Midnight’s Master (Book Three in the Midnight Trilogy)
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A Vampire’s Christmas Carol
Loved By Gods Series
Bleed For Me
ImaJinn
The Vampire’s Kiss
The Wizard’s Spell
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Immortal Danger
Never Cry Wolf
A Bit of Bite
Romantic Suspense
Killer Instinct
After The Dark (Killer Instinct, Book 1) - Available 03/28/2017
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Broken (LOST, Book 1)
Twisted (LOST, Book 2)
Shattered (LOST, Book 3)
Torn (LOST, Book 4)
Taken (LOST, Book 5)
Wrecked (LOST, Book 6) - Available 05/30/2017
Dark Obsession Series
Watch Me (Dark Obsession, Book 1)
Want Me (Dark Obsession, Book 2)
Need Me (Dark Obsession, Book 3)
Beware Of Me (Dark Obsession, Book 4)
Only For Me (Dark Obsession, Books 1 to 4)
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Mine To Take (Mine, Book 1)
Mine To Keep (Mine, Book 2)
Mine To Hold (Mine, Book 3)
Mine To Crave (Mine, Book 4)
Mine To Have (Mine, Book 5)
Mine To Protect (Mine, Book 6)
Montlake - For Me Series
Die For Me (For Me, Book 1)
Fear For Me (For Me, Book 2)
Scream For Me (For Me, Book 3)
Harlequin Intrigue - The Battling McGuire Boys
Confessions (Battling McGuire Boys...Book 1)
Secrets (Battling McGuire Boys...Book 2)
Suspicions (Battling McGuire Boys...Book 3)
Reckonings (Battling McGuire Boys...Book 4)
Deceptions (Battling McGuire Boys...Book 5)
Allegiances (Battling McGuire Boys...Book 6)
Harlequin Intrigue - Shadow Agents Series
Alpha One (Shadow Agents, Book 1)
Guardian Ranger (Shadow Agents, Book 2)
Sharpshooter (Shadow Agents, Book 3)
Glitter And Gunfire (Shadow Agents, Book 4)
Undercover Captor (Shadow Agents, Book 5)
The Girl Next Door (Shadow Agents, Book 6)
Evidence of Passion (Shadow Agents, Book 7)
Way of the Shadows (Shadow Agents, Book 8)
Deadly Series
Deadly Fear (Book One of the Deadly Series)
Deadly Heat (Book Two of the Deadly Series)
Deadly Lies (Book Three of the Deadly Series)
Contemporary Anthologies
First Taste of Darkness
Sinful Secrets
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Until Death
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Christmas With A Spy
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The Better To Bite (A Young Adult Paranormal Romance)
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“All I Want for Christmas” in The Naughty List
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“Wicked Ways” in When He Was Bad
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“In the Dark” in Belong to the Night
Howl For It
Holidays
Contemporary Anthologies
“All I Want for Christmas” in The Naughty List
Paranormal Anthologies
A Vampire’s Christmas Carol
Other Romantic Suspense
Christmas With A Spy
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