by Cynthia Eden
His wings flapped higher.
“Josephine?” The confused cry came from below her. Merius was on his feet. Staring after them. Glaring.
“Hold on tight,” Malik ordered her.
She already was.
He surged high into the air, taking her with him, and, sure, she could have called for Luke. She could have fought the angel. But…
But her agenda had changed. For the moment. So Josephine held tight to her angel, and she tried to ignore the fact that she liked the way he felt against her. Hard muscles. Warm flesh. Her head was on his shoulder, her mouth ever so close to his throat. She could feel the vibration of his heartbeat. See the flutter of his pulse. Her head slid toward him. The beat of his heart was calling to her. The rush of his blood.
Drinking from an angel was absolutely forbidden.
But…
Josephine could admit to herself that she was tempted. So very tempted.
Her mouth pressed to his throat. Her tongue licked over the skin. It would be so easy to take a bite. To just—
“Shouldn’t you ask?” Malik’s voice rumbled. “Before you bite? If I have to ask before I touch…”
What am I doing?
She pulled her head away.
“But the answer is yes…yes, baby, you can bite. Anytime you want.”
Shock rolled through her. Shock and—
Bam, bam, bam!
Something tore into her shoulder. A hit that seemed like fire burning right through her flesh and muscle. Malik jerked, they dipped a good two feet, and then he was swearing.
Really inventive words for an angel.
Bam, bam!
Someone was shooting at them, and the angel was twisting his body, moving to protect her so that the bullets were tearing into his wings instead of hitting her.
“Stop it!” Josephine demanded. She could handle a few bullet wounds.
Who was shooting at them? That jerk Merius?
Or—
More bullets hit, and this time, her angel fell straight out of the sky.
“S-sorry…” Malik gasped out. He pulled her even closer. They were rushing toward the ground and he twisted once more, moving so that he’d be on the bottom when they landed.
Again with the protection bit?
“Malik—”
But she didn’t get to say more. Because they’d just slammed into the ground.
***
Kellan smiled when the angel plummeted. He’d crashed hard, and bonus, Josephine Saint had gone down with him. He’d told his men to aim for her, wanting those bullets to tear through her flesh. The more a vamp bled, the weaker she’d become.
He wanted her weak.
“Close in,” Kellan barked to the gang of coyotes with him. They weren’t just using claws and teeth this time. Not when bullets could work so much better. The animal in him liked to tear and destroy, but the man knew that the way to win this war—it was with distance. With the bullets that humans used. “Empty your guns into Josephine. She’s the first threat. Then we cut away the angel’s wings.”
They’d been lucky. Some dumbass had posted an image of the angel flying on social media. He’d gotten to the scene almost instantly. And when Josephine had tried to fly away with the angel—
We just shot them out of the sky.
Payback and an angel bonus. This night was absolutely freaking perfect.
The coyotes rushed through the twisting and turning back streets of Vegas. They’d shot the angel and vamp out of the sky, and it was ridiculously easy to figure out where they’d crash landed.
“Josephine first,” Kellan barked again. She was the big threat.
Josephine first…
And then the angel.
***
“Fabulous,” Josephine muttered as she levered herself up. She was sprawled on top of the angel. Unfortunately, all of those big, hard muscles that he had didn’t exactly make for the softest of landings. But he had tried to cushion her fall. Nothing felt broken, well, maybe her left arm, but she was a wicked fast healer when it came to breaks. A little genetic mutation she possessed and—
The angel wasn’t moving. His eyes were closed, and the scent of blood was incredibly strong. Too strong.
“Malik?”
She touched his face with her right hand, trailing her fingertips over his skin. He didn’t stir, and for some reason, her heart began to race way too fast. Incredibly, ridiculously fast. The kind of fast racing that came from fear. And she wasn’t afraid. She hadn’t been afraid in two hundred years. She’d given up fear when she made her deal with Luke. Just like she’d given up most of her emotions. There wasn’t room for emotion in her new life.
There wasn’t—
“Angel, I need you to open those baby blues for me.” Why did it sound as if she was pleading with him? She wasn’t.
Her nostrils flared. The scent of his blood was so strong. Overwhelming. But beyond that blood, she could detect a faint, woodsy scent. A shifter scent.
And she could hear the rush of footsteps. Heading toward them. Closing in.
Sonofabitch. “The coyotes shot us.” Of course, they had. Like Kellan would be smart and stay away. Only the bullets hadn’t just been for her. Carefully, she eased off Malik. Turned him over and then hissed out a breath at the damage she saw. His beautiful wings were littered with bullet holes. And those bullet holes—
They’re in his back, too.
How fast did an angel heal? Could an angel heal? She didn’t know. Not like she spent all of her free time hanging out with them. In fact, Malik was pretty much her only experience with them.
The experience wasn’t ending well.
Her hand—now covered in his blood because maybe she’d been unconsciously stroking his battered, bloody wings—moved back to his shoulder as she eased him down on the cement. They’d cracked the cement with their powerful impact. The cracks slid all around Malik’s body.
The body that wasn’t moving.
He was out cold. Contained. But also, maybe dying. All she had to do was pull out that shiny amber stone Luke had given her and summon the guy. Easy as pie.
Malik protects me. Every single time. She’d never had someone protect her before. Or, come to think of it…
Her temples were pounding.
If Malik had been telling the truth, if he was really her guardian angel, then had he always been protecting her, and she hadn’t known it?
Impossible.
As impossible as an angel.
As impossible as a vampire.
Sometimes, the impossible things were real. The realest things in the world.
The scent of the shifters grew stronger. Their steps louder. They were coming for her. And for Malik. Only this time, Malik couldn’t defend himself.
Kellan got smarter. He knows claws and fangs don’t work on me. So he’s using his gun. He probably thought the bullets had slammed into her. The jerk was betting on blood loss to make Josephine weak. He didn’t know that Malik had protected her from all but one bullet.
So, okay, fine, she owed the angel. This time, she’d protect him. Just this once. To be fair. Not because she was forming any kind of attachment to the guy. Absolutely not.
She leaned over him. “Malik?”
Nothing.
He’d lost a lot of blood. And the deal hadn’t been for him to die. At least, not within those first forty-eight hours. So she had to do this. Not like it was any sort of emotional reaction. She didn’t do those. Josephine brought her hand to her mouth. With the edge of a fang, she made a small slice on her wrist. Then she put her bleeding wrist to his lips. When he didn’t move to take her most kind offer, she just shoved her wrist inside his mouth. “Drink.”
He’d heal once he had her blood in him. Maybe. She’d seen shifters heal with her blood. Seen a siren heal once. She’d even healed a witch. Never an angel, but, well, surely there was a first time for everything.
And she found herself stroking back his hair with her other hand. Her le
ft arm had definitely been broken during the fall, but it was already feeling better.
The rush of footsteps was almost upon them. Knowing Kellan, he would have given orders for his pack to shoot first. To riddle her with bullets. A wise attack. Only she wasn’t going to be easy prey like he wanted.
“I’ll be back for you,” Josephine whispered.
She didn’t think that Malik heard her.
He still looked dead to the world, but he wasn’t.
He had her blood. He would be connected to her. And she’d be connected to him.
The footsteps thundered now. The scent of the shifters grew stronger—
And Josephine pressed a kiss to her angel’s cheek. Right before she left him there for the shifters to find.
Sorry, Malik.
Chapter Five
“She left him!”
The sharp yell jerked Malik back to consciousness. His eyes flew open and—
He found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
“The vamp is gone!”
Wait, he knew that fellow, didn’t he? The brown hair, the scar, the hate in his eyes—
The guy smiled at him. “Well, at least we’ve got you.” He laughed. “Hello, angel. From now on, consider your ass property of the Vegas Coyotes.”
He’d do no such thing.
“I’m Kellan. I’m the bastard who is gonna cut those wings right off your back.”
Malik knew he’d been hit with at least five bullets when he’d been flying. They’d slammed into his back and side as he fought to protect Josephine from the attack.
Josephine.
His gaze darted to the left, then the right as he tried to find her. If those shifters had hurt her—
Laughter.
From Kellan.
“Seriously, you guys, look at him. He’s searching for her. The fool doesn’t get it.” More laughter. “The bitch left you, angel. She probably smelled us coming and knew she couldn’t defeat my whole crew. So like the coward she is, Josephine ran. She left her lover behind.”
“Not…her lover.” But he wouldn’t deny he’d had that fantasy a thousand times or more. Even though angels weren’t supposed to fantasize. Even though they weren’t supposed to give in to the dark fire of lust.
I lust.
I want.
Her.
“No?” Kellan raised his brows. “Then why the hell are you even bothering to try and—”
A high-pitched whistle cut through his words.
All of the shifters—and Malik—immediately glanced to the left, toward the alley’s yawning entrance. Toward a smiling Josephine. “Hi, there, boys.”
She hadn’t left. Malik felt his lips start to curl. She’d stayed with him.
But now they’re raising their guns at her. His smile vanished as he shouted, “Josephine, run!”
“Fire!” Kellan blasted at the same time. “Make her bleed!”
The bullets erupted, but Josephine was already moving. She jumped on the shifter nearest her, yanked him in front of her, and when the bullets hit, they tore into him. His body jerked and heaved, and the shifters stopped firing because they were shooting one of their own—
Josephine snatched the gun from the now limp hand of the man she’d grabbed. With zero hesitation, she lifted that gun and took aim.
Bam.
One shifter hit the ground, grabbing his chest.
Bam.
A second fell like a stone.
Bam.
“Fire, you assholes!” Kellan yelled. He raised his gun and aimed at her.
Malik heaved upward. He’d expected to be as weak as a babe because of all the bullets he’d taken, but he felt surprisingly strong. And it took zero time for him to leap at Kellan. For him to grab the gun. To crush it in his fingers.
Kellan swiped out with his claws, and those claws sank into Malik’s side. Blood flowed, soaking him. Malik stumbled back. His wings rustled behind him.
“Cut him!” Kellan yelled. “Leave her for now—shit, she’s not weak enough! Just take his wings, and we’ll get the hell out of here!”
Footsteps thundered toward him. The shifters closed in fast and their claws went for his wings. He kicked out, he punched, he raged—
“Don’t touch his wings.” Josephine’s lethal voice.
And she yanked one shifter off him. Threw the guy against the brick wall of the alley.
Then another was gone. She’d tossed the fellow a good ten feet.
Malik and Josephine punched the jerks back until only Kellan was left standing.
Kellan’s breath heaved in and out. Blood dripped from the claws at his sides. “I’m getting those wings.”
Josephine moved to stand in front of Malik. He frowned. Was she protecting him? But that didn’t make sense. He was there to guard her.
“He’s my bounty. My mission. You aren’t so much as touching his wings ever again, got me?” Her voice was low and ice cold.
And Malik realized it wasn’t about protecting him. She was doing her job. Hunting him, taking him in. Nothing more. It certainly wasn’t personal for her. Was it ever?
“Get out of my way, Josephine.”
“I’m giving you a chance here, asshole. A chance to pick up your injured and walk away. That chance will end in ten seconds. Because you aren’t taking his wings.”
Kellan laughed. “I won’t turn tail and run. Not from you. We end this. You think I’m scared of you?”
“Ten…”
“You have Luke at your beck and call. Everyone knows that. You aren’t so special. Aren’t so bad ass. I’ve seen you bleed. I’ll make you bleed again.” His gaze drifted just a bit to the right, over her shoulder. Beyond Malik.
Malik glanced back, but he didn’t see anyone there.
“You have five more seconds…” Josephine murmured. “Make the smart choice, if you can.”
Kellan smirked at her. But his claws lifted and moved in just the slightest of motions.
“Four, three, two…”
Josephine didn’t get to one. Instead, she whirled around, grabbed Malik, and they went flying for the ground. At the same time, Malik heard the crack of gunfire. He looked up—and saw the bullet plow into Kellan’s chest. The shifter appeared absolutely stunned as he staggered back. Staggered back and then sank like a stone to the cracked cement as a small tendril of smoke drifted from his chest.
“Guess that was meant for us,” Josephine said, “so keep your ass low.”
The shifter leader wasn’t moving.
“Silver to the heart. He won’t be fighting us any longer.” She was on top of Malik, guarding him. “Guy should’ve had better reflexes. Or maybe he should have moved before I got down to number one.”
She’d known the shooter was there? Malik hadn’t sensed anyone, but—
“The look Kellan gave over my shoulder was a dead giveaway. I still don’t smell a shifter, so Kellan must have gone off-pack for this little attack. Pity—guess he didn’t realize the shooter would pack silver. You just can’t trust anyone these days.” She gave him a wide smile, one that showed the sharp tips of her little fangs. “You up for a run? I don’t know that your wings can handle flying us out of here right now.”
Actually, they could. He didn’t know how it was possible, but he felt strong. So he locked his arms around her. “Hold tight.”
“So you keep saying…”
His grip tightened on her.
And he erupted straight into the sky. He heard the crack of gunfire again, but the shooter missed. And Malik got them the hell out of there.
He held his vampire, and Malik knew he wasn’t going to ever let her go.
The control he’d kept so carefully inside—it was unraveling. Fast, fast, fast…so fast. He wanted to roar. He wanted to rage. Emotions battered at him like never before.
Something was happening. Maybe he’d been earthbound too long. Maybe he’d been wanting her for too long.
But…
I won’t let go.
His wings pounded against the air, and he rushed away, taking the vampire he’d always been so desperate to possess. His weakness, his desire…his.
***
She wasn’t sure where they were headed. Josephine didn’t exactly love heights, so she didn’t look down as Malik flew. She did hold him tight, her legs wrapped around his hips and her arms curled around his neck. And in the position that they were in, it would have been absolutely impossible to miss the fact that the angel was turned on. Very, very turned on.
Very well-endowed, too.
Score one for the angels.
And she didn’t mean to do it—okay, maybe she did—but Josephine rubbed her hips against him just a little bit.
He gave a ragged groan.
Oh, angel, the things we could do together.
Then the guy went flying right toward the top of a building. Alarm surged through her. “Hey, angel, go up! Up! We’re going to—”
Fly right in an open balcony door.
He touched down nice and easy. But he didn’t let her go. Her legs were locked around his hips. His hands were on her hips. Her head lifted as she stared first at him—incredibly, his eyes were even brighter than before. A blue that seemed to pierce Josephine straight to her soul.
Oh, wait, I don’t have one of those useless things.
She gave him a flippant smile. “Did we just break into someone’s place? Naughty angel. You’re picking up some bad habits.”
If anything, his hold on her tightened. “It’s my place. I left the balcony doors open because I knew I’d be flying back in.”
She glanced over his shoulder. His wings had—hold up, had they turned to shadows again? Yes, they seemed to be fading even as she stared at them. Interesting. Very.
Then her gaze darted to the penthouse they were in. Definitely top of the line. The place even smelled rich. Marble everywhere. Big chandeliers. Thick, lush carpeting. Leather furniture in every corner. “How does an angel score a place like this?” She unwrapped her legs from his hips. Pushed against his chest as she slid down.
For a moment, his hold tightened on her once more. But a muscle jerked in his jaw, and he let her go. He even took a few steps back.
But he didn’t answer her question.
“Uh, angel?” Josephine prompted. “How’d you get this place?”