Angel in Chains (The Fallen #3)(18)

Just as he couldn’t kill her.

“I’ll tell you what he is,” Brandt smiled as his fingers slid down to stroke the edge of his chin. “He’s f*cking dead.”

Let the hunt begin.





The three-story cabin sat nestled on a lake, its large glass windows gleaming in the early sunlight. Jade braked near the edge of the long, winding drive and jumped out of the car. Vaguely curious, Az watched as she ran from the vehicle. But she didn’t go far. A few seconds later, she was back—and tossing a FOR SALE sign into the back of the BMW.

“I figure we can stay here for a night, maybe two.” She slanted him a concerned glance as she drove the car up the drive. “We can crash here long enough to get you patched up.”

But he was already healing. At least, his shoulder was. His back ached and burned where the bullet still lodged near his spine.

Pain was an unusual sensation. Since falling, he’d realized there were so many different ways to feel pain. Fast cuts, slices with a knife that opened the flesh in an instant. Deep, burning pain that tore beneath the skin when a bullet lodged in muscle and— “You’re not going to pass out on me, are you?” Worry had roughed her voice.

Jade braked the car, and Az realized she was staring at him with wide eyes.

He lifted a brow. “Hardly.” Her suggestion was fairly insulting. As if he couldn’t handle a few bullet wounds.

“Good.” Her breath expelled in a fast rush. He watched her hurry out of the car and race around to his side. She opened his door and reached for him. “Come on. Just lean on me.”

How . . . interesting. She was trying to help him again.

Once out of the car, he leaned. Az didn’t need to, of course, but he liked the feel of her body against his. She took his left arm and draped it over her shoulders. Her body angled toward his, and the lush fullness of her breasts pressed into his chest.

So soft.

Her scent teased his nose. Those strawberries again. He needed a taste of them. Of her.

His head tilted toward her as she maneuvered them along the stone path that led to the dwelling. It was odd, but her body—small, slender—seemed to fit just right beside his.

When they got to the front door, a rectangular lock box waited for them. Jade yanked on it. Nothing happened. She yanked again, swearing— Az grabbed it for her and ripped it loose. A key popped free. Jade caught the key in midair and gave him a sunny smile.

The smile stopped him. She had a dimple in her right cheek. He hadn’t noticed that before, but there it was. Small, almost hidden. And her lips looked even fuller than before.

Taste. He’d gotten to sample her mouth, but he wanted it again. Wanted so much more from her.

She opened the door. Az barely glanced at the cabin as he entered. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Jade was biting her lower lip. She wasn’t looking at the cabin’s interior, either. Instead, she stared at him with eyes that were too big and dark.

Those eyes that made him think far too much of sin.

Az reached for his shirt. He yanked it over his head. Dropped it on the floor. There was no missing the hitch in her breathing.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “Your-your shoulder. . .”

He knew that wound had already closed. Az turned his back on her. “I can’t reach the second bullet.” This was the area that bothered him.

Silence.

Then the wooden floor creaked as she walked toward him. When her silken hand touched his shoulder, Az tensed.

“I don’t . . . I don’t want to hurt you.”

Glancing back over his shoulder, he said, “You won’t.”

Her gaze held his. “You don’t know that.” Her gaze fell to his back. He saw the faint flare of her eyes as she took in the damage. After a moment, she gave a grudging nod. “But we have to get that bullet out.” She bit her lip. “We should get you to a doctor. It’s so close to your spine—”

“I don’t need a doctor.”

“Uh, yeah, trust me, you do—”

“A human doctor can’t work on me.” Not unless they wanted the doc to freak and call in the cops.

She sighed as she eased away from him. “There’s a bedroom through there.” She pointed to the doorway. “I—”

“You’ve been here before.” Not a suspicion. A certainty.

Her smile seemed sad. “It helps to have a backup plan in place.”

He wasn’t sure what those words really meant.

Jade headed toward the kitchen area. She said, “I’ll see if I can sterilize—”

“No need.” He rolled his shoulders and felt the pull of the bullet. “I’ll heal from any infection almost immediately.”

Jade wasn’t looking at him as she said, “Those aren’t . . . normal bullets.”

He’d already figured that out. Weapons of man couldn’t hurt his kind. A normal bullet would have been nothing to him. This—it had ripped and torn, and inside, it burned.

She washed her hands. “Go get on the bed,” she said again. “I’ll be right there.”

He turned away from her and stalked to the bedroom. The bed was big, easily wide enough for him and Jade, and he could picture her there. Naked. Waiting for him.

Focus on the pain.