Angel Betrayed (The Fallen #2)(9)

But Seline hadn’t gone back on the stage. Not because she was modest. Modesty was something she’d long ago sacrificed. She hadn’t gone back on that wooden stage with the bright lights because she was afraid that she’d steal too much energy from the humans. If she did that, then Sam might start suspecting the truth about her.

“Does it really matter what I am?” she asked him, her fingers still on the door handle.

There was a soft snick of sound as he released the lock. “Everything matters.”

She hurried out of the car. Yeah, fine. She jumped and nearly fell. So what? Only a sprinkling of stars lit the dark sky so maybe he hadn’t seen that less-than-graceful exit.

“The black van didn’t follow us.”

Crap. “Wh-what van? Someone was following us? Why didn’t you say—”

He slammed his car door shut and shook his head. “You really have to do better than that.” Then he started walking toward the house. Gravel crunched beneath his feet. Seline stood there a moment and figured there was no option other than giving chase.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. “What van?”

He moved in a blur, just like he’d done in the alley. Rushing too fast for her to see the full motions of his body. One instant, they stood a few feet from the car, and in the next second, he had her on the steps of the house, with her back pressed against the wall and his fingers holding tight to her arms. “The black van that was watching us, sweetheart. The one I know you saw, too. Now if you want to keep lying to me . . .”

His breath blew against her cheek.

“You’re really gonna piss me off.”

She shoved back against him. He didn’t move, and she’d even used a bit of her enhanced strength. Fine, if he wanted to play rough, she’d show him rough soon enough. “I’m not trying to piss you off,” she gritted out as she kept her chin up. “I’m trying to stay alive. I came to you for help, but you told me to get my ass out of your bar and to take care of myself.”

The moonlight showed her his slow blink.

“I got out of Sunrise, and I was jumped in the alley.” She pushed against him again. This time, he eased back a bit. “You’re the one who came charging out of the club. You didn’t have to save me.”

“No, I didn’t.”

If she hadn’t already been hired to kill the guy, she really would have thought about doing it for free right then. Jerk. “Then why did you?”

He shrugged. Shrugged. Time for some payback. “It’s been a really long night for me.” Seline let her voice tremble. “Please, I just want to go inside and get some sleep.” Dawn would come within a few hours.

Perhaps only one of them would make it to see that sun come up.

His hands dropped. “Go to the top of the stairs. You can take the first room to the left.”

“Is this your place?” The surprise in her words was real. No one had scoped out this location. Big mistake on their part. Someone on the team had been sloppy.

“It belongs to a friend.”

He had friends? Doubtful.

“He owed me, and this place was part of the payment.”

Sam turned away and opened the door. “Get inside, Seline. My men will check your story tonight, and if I find out that you’re lying, if you’re trying to set me up . . .”

“Does that happen a lot?” Seline asked as she brushed by him. “Are people always lying to you?”

“Yes.”

Her chin lifted as more lights flooded on inside the house. “Then that’s sad. You should be able to trust someone in this world. I mean, don’t you even have any family that—”

Oh, yeah. Wrong thing to say. She glanced back and saw his face harden as he slammed the door shut behind them. “Get upstairs.”

Wow. That was a barely human growl.

“You know, you really should work on trying to be polite. Try asking instead of snapping at people all the time. Charm can work, honestly it can.” She shook her head and headed for the stairs.

“Seline. ”

She didn’t stop. Her hand curled around the smooth wood of the banister.

“My brother wants me dead.” His rumbling voice followed her. “And the feeling is more than mutual.”

Okay, now that made her stop. Seline darted a fast glance back at him, frowning.

“It’s a race,” he muttered. “We’ll see who gets shoved into the ground first.”

What was she supposed to say to that? “I’m sorry.”

He smiled at her, and the sight wasn’t reassuring. “Don’t be. It’s long past time I ripped Az apart. The world will be a whole lot better once he’s gone.”

“Why?” She shouldn’t ask, but she did anyway. “What’s he done? Why would you turn on your own family?” His words hit too close to home for her.

Turn on your own family. She’d been there, done that, and had the scars to prove it.

“Az sent me to hell,” he said, voice flat.

She laughed at that, a nervous, rough sound. “Ah, you mean it felt like he did—”

“No. The bastard actually sent me to hell.”

All the moisture in her mouth dried away.