Angel in Chains (The Fallen #3)(13)

Sam was right. Damn him. The feelings and needs and wants were pressing on him all the time. Constantly tempting him.

No wonder humans were so drawn to sin. If Sam hadn’t interrupted, Az would have taken Jade right there.

“She’s gone, you know,” Sam said as his laughter slowly faded, and he rose to his feet. “Ran away like a frightened rabbit.” He frowned. “You know, on second thought, perhaps you should go in easy. A human truly isn’t the best choice for your first lover.”

First. Because angels didn’t need sex. They didn’t hunger for the pleasure and the—

I hunger for her.

“We can get a bit . . . rough.” Sam continued as he shrugged his shoulders. “You’d better start off with a shifter, or maybe a vamp. Someone who can handle our excess power. Once you get more control, then you can work up to bedding a human.”

Az ground his back together. “I don’t want another.” That was part of the problem. Other women had come to tempt him, trying to sway him, but his body had never burned with hunger as it did for Jade. One kiss—and he craved her.

Must. Have. More.

He wanted to see why humans were willing to die for their pleasure. Was the sex truly that good?

It couldn’t be.

Could it?

Sam’s brows shot up. “If you don’t want anyone else, then why’d you let her rush out of here?” His gaze swept to the dead demon in the corner. “They’re hitters, you know. Pay ’em enough money, they kill whoever you want.”

“He’s put a price on your pretty head . . .” The demon’s words drifted through Az’s mind and his hands fisted. “You know that they do—yet you still allowed them in your bar?”

“Well, I was planning to kill them all tonight.” Sam seemed completely unconcerned. “But then you just had to jump in and play hero before I could take out the trash.”

Az’s eyes narrowed to a slit at that.

“Now the other *s are out running loose.” Sam tapped his chin. “And the little human you were so intent on guarding is out there all alone.”

Snarling, Az shoved past his brother.

“Careful,” Sam’s voice hardened, and Az glanced back at him. “They really aren’t as weak as you might think,” Sam warned.

But Sam was wrong.

Nothing was weaker than a human.

Az headed after Jade.

“You’ll learn.” Sam’s taunt followed him. “Soon enough.”





The demons had run, fast. They’d hauled ass and gotten out of the bar at near light speed.

Jade stood outside of Sunrise, ignoring the crowd. Her gaze searched the street. If she had a shifter’s nose, she’d just be able to smell the demons and follow their scent.

She didn’t have that talent.

She didn’t have claws. No magic. No super strength.

But she was smart, dammit. She could figure this out without any paranormal mumbo jumbo.

Her gaze followed the dips and turns of the street. If she were running, she would have kept to the shadows. She would have gone away from the crowd. Tried to disappear into the darkness.

Jade marched for that darkness. Her fingers still curled around the knife, but she had the weapon lowered and hidden near the side of her hip. Its weight reassured her as she walked through the night.

One step. Another.

The bar faded away behind her. Her steps came faster. Faster. More running than walking.

She heard the whisper of laughter on the wind. The growl of an engine.

Jade rounded the corner. Oh, hell, no. She recognized the demon currently shoving her cash into the saddlebag on a black motorcycle.

Pushing herself as hard as she could, Jade lunged forward. She whipped up the knife and wrapped her arm around the demon. Her stomach pressed into his back and the tip of the blade slipped over his throat. “You’ve got something of mine.”

He stilled.

Then he laughed. “Figured you’d be coming after me.”

“You figured right.” Did he want some kind of bonus points? “Now give me back my money!” A girl had to live. and she had to possess enough money to keep the devil off her back.

He yanked up the saddlebag and tossed it to her. She let the blade of the knife slide deeper into his skin.

“You’re gonna die,” he told her, his voice a snarl.

Now it was her turn to laugh. Like a little death threat would bother her. It wasn’t the first time she’d gotten one—or even the fifth time. “You’ll be the one to see hell first. How do you think Brandt’s going to react when he finds out that you had me, but you just let me walk away?”

Brandt didn’t exactly take well to failure.

She felt the sudden tension in the demon’s body. She brought her mouth close to his ear. “Get ready to have some of that skin clawed right off your body. Brandt enjoys taking his pound of flesh.” Very true.

But she didn’t. Jade jumped back, taking the knife and saddlebag. The demon could use that bike and get the hell out of town. If he was smart, that was exactly what he’d do.

The motorcycle growled behind her.

“Fucking bitch . . .”

And she knew the demon wasn’t going to be playing it smart. Pity. That would have made things easier. She’d tried to give him an out. No dice.