by Cynthia Eden
Again, almost believed. “Where is your brother now?”
“Probably working on his tan at my place in the Keys.”
Someone seemed disgruntled.
“He’s down there, living the bad life, while I’m trying to keep the world from exploding. Typical.”
Once more, the wind rushed toward her.
“Though I will say, Malik will be Leo’s problem soon enough. If you can’t get the job done, that is.”
Again with the insults? “I’ve got a success rate of one hundred percent, buddy. Maybe try talking a little sweeter to me next time.”
He smiled, but the smile didn’t reach the gold of his eyes. “Be careful, Josephine. You’ve come too far to die now.”
What?
Then he was gone. The wind died away as he vanished.
Just to be clear though… “I’m not planning on dying!” Josephine yelled. She glanced at the tally mark on her wrist. Once it was removed, she planned on living—finally.
***
A pile of casino chips waited in front of him. Easily fifty grand. Everyone at the table stared at Malik with wide eyes. They were waiting for him to make a move. Waiting to see if he’d double his prize or lose it all. Waiting to see if he had the balls to play hard.
He just smiled. Then he tapped the table.
The blackjack dealer flipped over the card. A six.
He’d just hit twenty-one.
The table erupted. The blonde next to him sidled even closer, bringing the scent of expensive perfume with her. Her hand slid along his collar. “That was fantastic.”
Hardly. He’d just tapped a table. Not exactly noteworthy.
She put her mouth near his ear. “Let’s go upstairs. There are so many things I want to do to you.” The tip of her tongue licked along the shell of his ear.
Malik reached for the drink on the table. The waitress kept the whole table well stocked. He understood why, of course. The more you drank, the more you’d gamble. The more you gambled, the more you’d lose. That was typically the way things worked. Not for him, though.
Because he couldn’t lose.
He wasn’t playing by the human rules.
He was manipulating the cards. Manipulating the dealer. Doing whatever the hell he wanted. Because he was playing for the end game.
When two men in dark suits approached his table—men who were both wearing ear pieces—Malik knew he’d just hit pay dirt. He’d finally attracted the attention that he wanted.
“Sir.” The man to his left gave a quick nod. “I need you to come with me.” The fellow had the rough, woodsy scent of a shifter.
“Right now,” added the guy’s sidekick. His eyes gleamed a bit too brightly for him to be human.
“But we’re having fun!” the blond woman protested.
Malik smiled at her. “I think the fun is just starting.” He pointed to his chips. “Have them,” he told her. Because he knew her story. Her life had never been easy. She’d fought for everything she had from the day that her parents had abandoned her. She’d been seven. “Take the chips and get out of Vegas. Use the money as a down payment on that place you always wanted in Montana.”
“How did you…” She shook her head. “You’re giving this to me?” A startled gasp.
He smiled. “Have fun, Sarah.”
“I-I didn’t tell you my name…”
He’d known Sarah would be in that particular casino. Had known she’d be at the table. She was one of his few wards, and he’d just guaranteed that she’d be getting out of town. A good thing because if she hadn’t, he’d seen her die. Sarah McKenzie would have died that night. Been beaten to death by a man she’d picked up in that very casino. Only her fate had just changed. He’d changed it.
Maybe a fallen could make a difference.
“Come on, buddy,” the shifter snapped.
Malik gave Sarah a little salute as he left the table. Her happy scream followed him as he was led up the stairs and out of the bustling casino. The thick carpeting swallowed the sound of his footsteps. “I’m guessing that your boss is waiting for me?”
“Oh, you guessed right,” the shifter told him as they entered a private elevator. “Boss doesn’t like it when folks cheat in his place.”
Malik smiled. Finally.
He didn’t speak again until he was led into a plush office. Located on the top floor of the casino-slash-hotel, the room was filled with floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the busy city.
“Boss, you want us to stay?” the shifter asked.
The “boss” was staring out of the windows, with his back to them. “I’ve got this one.” His voice was low, mild. Not even a little angry.
He would be angry, soon enough. He’d be plenty angry when Malik attacked. And this attack had been a very long time coming.
A few moments later, the door closed behind the two goons. It just clicked shut ever so softly.
Malik braced his legs apart. He kept his hands loose at his sides. And he got ready for the fight of his life.
The boss slowly turned toward him. The man’s blond hair glinted under the lights and his hard stare swept over Malik. “You don’t belong here, Malik.”
Malik offered a smile to the former angel who’d once been his friend. “Merius, you’re a hard man to find.”
Merius smiled back, a slow grin that revealed his razor-sharp fangs. “I’m not a man.” He took a step toward Malik. “I’m not an angel. I’m not even fallen.” His gaze was lethal—and a little hungry. “I’m a vampire.” A hard pause. “Because of her.”
Malik rolled back his shoulders. He’d served with Merius for centuries. Even fought at the other angel’s side. But Merius had lost his wings. No, they’d been taken from him. Only Merius hadn’t suffered the normal fate of a fallen. Because, once, very long ago, he’d been bitten. A vampire had broken the cardinal rule. Committed the ultimate sin. She’d bitten an angel. She’d marked him.
“I am going to find her,” Merius swore. “I will find my Josephine.”
Right. That was the whole reason Malik had sought out the fellow. “I’m afraid that can’t happen.” His wings stretched behind him, unfurling from his back, shoving through his clothes. Angels were able to glamour clothing to fit around their wings, as needed. A very handy talent considering how often wings would pop out. When he was angry, like he absolutely was right then, the wings seemed to have a mind of their own. “You won’t touch her.”
Merius laughed. “Who in the hell will stop me?”
“I will.” With that, Malik launched himself straight at Merius. He grabbed the vampire around the waist, and they smashed through the windows. The thick glass wasn’t paranormal-proof. It never was. The glass broke all around them. Merius punched and fought, and the tricky SOB yanked out a knife, jabbing at Malik, cutting deep so Malik—
He dropped the vamp.
Chapter Four
Josephine glanced up when she heard the sound of shattering glass. Her eyes widened. “Oh, shit. Here we go.” Malik had just erupted right out of what had to be a twentieth story window. His wings were flapping in the night, and he was holding something—no, someone. Someone who was fighting the angel. The two figures dipped low, rushing toward the ground and then—
Malik dropped his prey.
Josephine had a quick impression of a powerfully built blond plummeting toward the earth. He was roaring, screaming out a name—
Wait, is that my name? Was the fellow screaming her name?
Curiosity had her lunging forward. She’d grab him, maybe save the fellow from a broken neck and keep him alive for a wee bit longer. Long enough to find out why he was calling for her. She reached out her hands for him.
“No, Josephine!” Malik bellowed.
It was too late. She’d caught the plummeting blond male. Or at least, she’d helped to cushion his fall. People were screaming all around her, but she caught him, staggered, and then they both slammed into the cement. He crushed her beneath his bo
dy. Even a vamp as strong as she was couldn’t hold up a guy who’d just fallen that far, that fast and—
“You…helped me.”
He was still alive. Wonderful. Now she could question the fellow.
He raised his head, and the first thing that Josephine noticed was his fangs. “Hell, you’re a vamp.” Disgusted, she shoved against him. “And here I thought I was doing my good deed for the century.” The fall wouldn’t have killed him. Maybe banged him up a bit, but even if he’d twisted his fool neck all the way around, the guy would have kept right on living. Or, well, being undead.
“Get away from him, Josephine!” Malik roared.
But Malik didn’t give her a chance to obey, not that she was the obeying sort, as a general rule. Malik flew down toward them, and his body pounded into the vamp’s, taking the fellow off Josephine in one quick swoop.
There were more screams. And there was even a smattering of applause. What the hell? Josephine jumped to her feet. She saw some of the tourists were filming with their phones. Of course, they’d film. Who wouldn’t want to video an angel flying around?
But maybe they’d just figure this was some sort of publicity stunt for one of the Vegas shows. Humans usually bought that line to cover most of the Sin City craziness.
Her gaze shot to the left. Malik had just taken the vamp that way—they were hurtling toward the alley. So she gave chase.
More applause followed her. Humans.
She rushed into the alley. “Malik!” The alley twisted and snaked, shooting out behind the large hotel and casino combo building. She used a burst of enhanced speed and got herself to the bend in that alley and found—
Malik pressing a knife to the vamp’s throat. “I will take your head,” he snarled.
She staggered to a stop. “What in the hell is happening here? Since when do angels go on killing sprees?”
“It’s not a spree,” Malik snapped, not looking at her. “One vamp doesn’t make a spree.”
The vamp on the ground turned his head and glared at her. “Not your fight, lady. So be smart and get the hell out of here.”
Why was the whole world against her doing a good deed? Why was she even bothering to try and pull a good deed?
“Lady?” Malik’s knife sliced into the vamp’s throat. “You’re acting like you don’t know her.”
“Because I fucking don’t!” the vamp yelled as he turned his stare on Malik.
“She’s…Josephine.”
And the tension in the air suddenly got very, very thick.
The vamp’s gaze swung toward her.
She decided to flash a little fang at him. Why not? “Guess my rep has proceeded me?”
“She is Josephine Saint,” Malik snapped. “And you will not touch her.”
The vamp didn’t look as if he was particularly interested in touching her. In fact, his eyes had scrunched up, and he stared at her as if—
“She is not.”
Josephine sashayed closer. None of the humans had followed down the alley. Lucky them, they’d get to keep living that night. “Since this little party is obviously about me…” Josephine was super confused as to why the party was about her, “it’s a good thing I showed up outside of the casino, huh? Just in time for you both to come flying my way.” That hadn’t been a coincidence. She truly was one hell of a tracker, courtesy of an ex-shifter lover who’d taught her to hunt like a, well, beast.
She had Malik’s scent. An oddly sexy, rich, masculine scent, and she could follow it practically any place.
“You are not Josephine Saint,” the vamp blasted again. He didn’t seem to be aware of the blood pouring down his throat courtesy of Malik’s knife.
Her nose twitched. “Obviously, you’ve heard of my killer reputation.” She nodded. “I know, you expected someone bigger, right? Don’t let appearances fool you. I can get the job—”
“Josephine Saint is blond. About your height, but…less curved.”
What?
“Her skin is pale. Her eyes are green. She…she has a dimple in her left cheek.”
Josephine tensed. “What in the hell are you talking about, vamp?”
“My Josie!” Fury twisted his face. “I don’t know what kind of game you two are playing, but you are not Josephine Saint! You aren’t my vampire.”
She gave the guy a long, hard look. Tall, powerfully built—actually, his build was very similar to Malik’s. Blond hair. Dark eyes. Dangerous features. “You’re right.”
Malik’s head whipped toward her in surprise.
“I’m not your vampire,” Josephine continued in what she thought was a rather sweet tone. She liked to use sweetness to throw off her enemies. When you were kind, they didn’t see your killer side until too late.
The vamp used Malik’s distraction to his advantage as he shoved the knife away. He punched hard at Malik’s mid-section and leapt to his feet. The vamp charged straight for Josephine.
“Merius!” Malik bellowed.
Josephine threw out her arm—and her stake. A smart girl never left home without an assortment of weapons. She drove that stake right at the vamp’s chest in a lightning fast move.
He froze. Stared at her with wide eyes.
She gave him her sweetest of smiles. “If I push so much as another centimeter, you won’t like what happens.”
He barely seemed to breathe.
“Wise decision,” she praised him. “Merius, was it?” She even gave him an encouraging wink. “You stay exactly as you are, and I won’t use this stake to carve out your heart. But if you twitch in a way I don’t like, I’m afraid your heart will be the latest to join my collection.”
Malik raced toward her. “Josephine!”
“I’ll be dealing with you in a second.” Yeah, she couldn’t believe she’d just put him on the back burner, but there was other business to attend to, first. Business that involved… “You just described a woman that I think I know.” Keep your voice flat, Josephine. Don’t show any emotion. “Why in the hell, though, would you be calling her by my name?”
Merius didn’t speak.
But his eyes did dart down to the stake.
She laughed. Mockingly. “Oh, right. You can talk. Only talk. And if I don’t like what you say…hello, heartbreaker.” She leaned a bit closer. “That is my nickname, in case you didn’t know. Heartbreaker. And I didn’t get that name because of the line of sad lovers I leave in my wake.”
“I was…bitten.”
She feigned surprise. “Really? And here I thought you were one of those amazing born vampires.” Josephine rolled her eyes. “No, wait, that’s me. And I can always tell my own kind.” The guy before her had obviously been made. Though there was something about his scent that was a bit off. Something about his scent that reminded her of…
Malik?
“Josephine changed me. Thought she…hated me. But now, I know she did it to save me.”
She looked at Malik. “What in the hell is he talking about?”
But Malik was staring at her in confusion. “Josephine Saint transformed him.”
“Uh, no, not unless there is another Josephine Saint running around, and trust me, the world isn’t that fortunate.” The description of the blond woman was nagging at her. Especially the dimple part.
“I was an angel,” Merius growled. “She…bit me.”
Josephine sucked in a sharp breath. Talk about taking a bite of the forbidden apple.
“Was told…she said her name was Josephine.”
Fucking figured. Josephine didn’t pull the stake out of his chest. “Yeah, that’s probably right. She’s been using me to cover her ass for years.”
Malik made a choking sound.
“Here’s the deal. I’m still confused as hell, but I think the vamp has me confused with my sister. Blond, about my height, but without my, um, awesome curves.” She did like her curves. “Celeste has a dimple in her cheek, and she does have a tendency to toss around my name when she thinks it will save her ass.” A lon
g-suffering sigh escaped Josephine. “But she actually bit an angel? I think I’m impressed.” And also worried. She narrowed her eyes on the angel turned vamp. “You thinking of hurting my sister?”
“I would never—”
She yanked the stake from his chest. Blood soaked his shirt front, and he staggered. Vamps and blood loss—a terrible combination.
“Good,” Josephine told him. “Remember that, Merius. You never want to hurt her. Because if you do, then the next time we meet, I will take your heart.”
Merius sank to his knees.
She focused on Malik. “I want to know what in the hell is happening.” She was missing big puzzle pieces, and she didn’t like it.
A furrow still appeared between Malik’s eyes. “I was told…Josephine Saint had crossed the line. She’d bitten an angel long ago. I was assigned to watch her. To report her every move back to Leo.”
Leo. The ex-ruler of the so-called good things. “Got a newsflash for you, Malik. Leo is a liar. Probably a family trait that he shares with Luke.”
Malik shook his head. “Merius…when he became earthbound, I knew he’d go after you. He always wanted his vampire.”
She held Malik’s gaze. “I am not his vampire.”
Merius hadn’t moved. Was that due to his blood loss? Or the fact that he seemed shocked as hell? Did it matter?
“I wanted to protect you,” Malik whispered.
Her heart was beating faster. “Are you saying you fell for me?”
His gaze seemed to burn as it swept over her.
But he didn’t answer.
And it got a little hard for her to breathe. “Just how much of my life have you watched?”
His wings shot out of his back. Oh, no, absolutely not. He was not going to fly away from her again.
“Not…Josephine…” Merius was mumbling to himself. And appearing a wee bit on the side of crazy. She didn’t have time for his crazy.
Her angel was trying to fly off again.
Not this time.
Malik had already risen into the air. She leapt for him, caught him, collided her body with his, and then Josephine wrapped her legs around his waist even as her arms looped around his neck. “You’re not leaving me again.”