Angel Betrayed (The Fallen #2)(15)

Her bare feet pressed into the hardwood floor. Her dripping blood—maybe his?—had already stained the floor. “Because you need me.”

He laughed like that line was hilarious. Jerk.

“You need me,” she snapped out, raising her voice to be heard over his laughter, and then she played her trump card. “If you want to find your brother.”

That stopped his laughter. “Seline . . .” Her name was a warning. “You don’t want to make me angrier than I am.”

Oh, was that possible? She hadn’t realized. She almost rolled her eyes. “If you want your brother—” Hell, what had been the guy’s name? Azik? Azra? She couldn’t remember for sure because she’d just heard Alex say it once. Better shorten it to be safe. “If you want to see Az, then you’ll back off.” She flashed him what she knew was her own wicked grin. “Or you’ll never get the vengeance you want.”

The lines around his eyes tightened, but Sam made no move to touch her. Good. She didn’t trust his touch.

Seline didn’t lower her guard. She knew better than to relax when a snake was close to striking. “I didn’t come in alone. You were right. Earlier, we were being watched.” The guys in the van were her backup.

If Sam’s eyes narrowed anymore, she figured that they’d be slits.

“We need to get out of here,” she told him. “If we don’t, then they’ll blow this house up with us inside.” She wasn’t lying then. As soon as Rogziel realized she hadn’t been successful. . .

Burn, baby, burn. Folks in the city would see the flames from this house as they lit up the night.

Sam waved his hand, and just that easy, he was dressed. Huh. Interesting trick that she’d never been able to manage.

He still didn’t touch her. Sam just stared at her with enough heat in his gaze to singe her flesh. “Take me to Az.”

She nodded, more than ready to deal. But first . . . “Promise that if I do, you’ll let me walk away.”

He grabbed her arm and they flew through the window. Flew. More glass shattered around them. Seline clamped her mouth closed, refusing to cry out. Won’t let him hear the fear. Some monsters liked fear too much—another lesson she’d learned the hard way. She plummeted straight down and choked back a scream. But her body didn’t slam into the unforgiving earth. Sam wrapped his arms around her and when they hit the ground, he cushioned her.

Seline blinked. “Why did you—”

He twisted and dragged her to her feet. Then they were running. Not toward his car, but toward the waiting darkness of the swamp.

Smart. If anyone actually was still watching, their eyes would lock on the Jag. Not on the gator-infested swamp. The insects chirped around her, but Seline refused to tense. Hate bugs. Hate snakes. The Fallen will pay for this. Once she figured out how to make him pay.

A weathered dock waited up ahead. A small motorboat was tethered close by. Sam jumped in the boat and glanced back at her.

The wooden dock trembled beneath her feet. “You didn’t give me your promise,” she reminded him stubbornly as her hands clenched into fists.

“What do you actually think a promise from me is worth?” He started the motor with a quick yank that flexed his muscles. The black water lapped at the boat.

“You don’t trust me,” she whispered. “And I can’t risk trusting you.” But she wanted to. Her life was hell, and she was on a kill mission that she didn’t want. If Sam could just get her out of this mess . . .

He’s strong enough. He can give me freedom.

Or she could take him out and earn her own freedom. Provided, of course, that Sam didn’t kill her first.

He turned slowly and fixed his intent stare on her. “Who sent you after me?”

“Does it matter? I’m sure that I’m not the first assassin put on your trail.”

“Not the first,” he agreed as the motor hummed and water spit out behind the boat. “But you’re the only one I let live.” His body was a big, strong shadow. His voice seemed to make the water shudder.

“I wasn’t going to kill you tonight.” She felt obliged to point that fact out. Not that she expected it to earn her any points—

“Because you couldn’t.”

No, he didn’t realize how strong she really was. She’d held back with him because she needed him.

But for a few moments there, she’d been afraid her grand plan had blown up in her face. Your ass is mine.

“I’ll take you to your brother,” Seline said, “but you have to promise to help me once you have him.” Couldn’t the man see the benefit to her offer? She’d thought to seduce her way into getting his aid. Put the guy under, get him hooked—and then she’d been sure he’d do anything for her.

Even kill.

But it looked like that plan wasn’t working so well. Time for the back-up plan.

Sam moved again in that blur that he seemed to do so well and snagged her wrist. “Still making deals? Don’t you know better than to bargain with the devil?”

Her laughter was bitter and weak. “I do. The bargain with him is what got me into this mess.” She let her glamour fall away, and she knew that her eyes would be as black as the water that surrounded them. “I want to be free, and you— you’re the only one who can help me.” Now that she knew what he was, Seline was even more certain that Sam was her ticket to freedom.