Angel in Chains (The Fallen #3)(21)

An angel.

Jade stood in the shower, letting the rough blast of water slide over her skin. The shower was supposed to cool her off, but, um, no.

Because she kept picturing Az. His intense gaze. His wide, muscled chest, those lick me abs. She could feel his hands on her skin. His mouth on her breast and— A Fallen angel.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she put her face under the water.

Sure, she’d heard tales about angels. When she’d been seventeen, she’d had a brutal awakening to the supernatural world around her. Since then, she’d seen just about everything out there—demons, vamps, even a djinn once—and he’d scared the hell out of her.

But—an angel? Oh, damn, if he knew all the things she’d done . . .

She was covered in blood and sin.

The shower curtain was yanked to the side and the sudden rush of cold air had her eyes flying open as she spun around.

Az stood there. His gaze swept slowly over her.

Should she pretend a modesty that she didn’t feel? His stare was scorching and— “Someone’s outside,” he said.

Aw, crap. This wasn’t about wild sex.

And, ah, so much for a safe place.

She jumped out of the shower. He didn’t move back. Her body brushed against his as she yanked for a towel.

“You’re afraid of me,” Az charged with his voice flat and cold.

But, no, she wasn’t. “Should I be?” Jade asked as she secured the towel between her breasts.

She expected an instant denial. He’d been the one saving her ass for the past few days. He was the hero. The angel for goodness sake. But— “Yes.”

Then she heard the pounding at the door. What had to be a fist thudding into the wood. Somebody sure wanted inside the cabin awful badly. Not a good sign.

“Get dressed,” he told her as he backed up. Finally. She could breathe. “I’ll take care of our visitor.”

Wait, take care of—how exactly?

But he was gone and she rushed to pull on her jeans even as she heard a voice call out . . .

“This is the police. Open the door!”

No, no, no! “Don’t, Az!” Jade yelled back and she lurched forward. She’d managed to put on her jeans—no underwear—and her bra.

Az turned to stare at her.

“You can’t let the cops in,” she told him, her voice hushed.

No one could be allowed to get in. They had to run.

He frowned at her.

Oh, jeez. Angels.

The front door thudded again. “Open up!”

She jerked a fresh white T-shirt over her head. “We stole a car,” she reminded Az and grabbed his hand. A car that had probably been equipped with some kind of anti-theft tracking device. Dammit, she hadn’t even checked for that. Beginner’s mistake, but she’d been in a rush. “He probably tracked us.” It had been three hours since they’d made it to the cabin. Three too-fast hours.

Plenty of time for a cop to hunt them down.

“We’ve got to get out of here.”

He just stared at her.

Okay, maybe she needed to break this down for him. “He’ll throw us in jail.”

Az offered her a crooked smile. “No, he won’t.”

She blinked.

“Because he’s not really a cop.”

Then Az pulled away from her. He stalked to the front door. She could all but see the tension that coiled his body with fierce energy.

Wait—had he said . . . not really a cop?

The door shook again. Even harder this time.

Az yanked the door open. She caught a fast glimpse of a police officer’s uniform. A badge. A gun that was aimed at Az— And then Az snatched the gun right out of the guy’s hands. In an instant, the gun was flying across the room, and Az had the cop by the throat.

Um, he sure looks like a cop to me. Over the years, she’d sure encountered her share of those uniformed men and women, too.

Jade rushed across the room. “Az! Put him down, you can’t—”

Then she saw the cop’s teeth. The too-sharp canines that hung behind his lips. The man’s claws were out and currently digging into Az’s arms.

Despite the attack, Az wasn’t letting go of him.

“I could smell him,” Az said, lifting the fellow even higher into the air. “Shifter. Same scent those other jerks carried.”

But she didn’t recognize this guy, and she’d thought that she knew every panther shifter in Brandt’s pack.

She rose onto her toes and peered over Az’s shoulder. Was this maybe-cop another hunter Brandt had hired?

“Call him . . . off . . .” The guy grunted. “I’m not . . . gonna hurt you.”

Like she hadn’t heard that one before. Jade scrambled back and found the discarded weapon. She checked to make sure it was loaded—oh yes—and then rushed around Az to aim the weapon at the cop. “Step back, Az.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he did.

The shifter fell to the floor, gasping. Az had a killer grip.

“Who are you?” Jade demanded as her hold on the gun tightened. “And why the hell are you dressed like a cop?”

His palms flattened on the wooden floor. “Because I am a cop.” He looked up at her, revealing a hard, chiseled face—and a wicked smile that flashed his sharp canines. “And a shifter.”