Avenging Angel (The Fallen #4)(29)

The warning wasn’t just for the monsters. It was for the angel who lurked nearby. She wasn’t the same woman she’d been. Every day, she was changing. Becoming more. It was time for the rest of the world to realize that fact.

And to stay out of my way.





He watched the action from his perch on the rooftop. The little lost Fallen enjoyed her fire. He could see the thrill on her face.

Angels didn’t enjoy the rush of power. Angels didn’t enjoy anything.

She wasn’t an angel anymore. She liked the crackle of the blaze. Liked the heat of the licking flames.

She’d used her fire on the vampires. Finally, that power had broken free for her.

He watched as the shifter took her from the alley. Bundled her into an SUV and shot down the street.

He would be a problem. The panther watched Marna too closely. Touched her too much.

Do you think she’ll be yours?

That wasn’t the fate that waited for Marna. She deserved to have her vengeance. Deserved all the power that would come her way.

The panther? He’d get what he deserved, too. Death.

Because Tanner Chance was the key that he needed. In order to unlock all the power and magic inside of Marna, she would have to break. Chance could be used to break her.

When she broke, it would be brutal, and it would be beautiful. Just like her.

He leapt off the rooftop.

There was still plenty of time in the night, and there were some vamps that needed killing. Did they truly think they were just going to get away after attacking her?

No. Not likely. He’d make them pay.

And he’d enjoy the sound of their screams.

But first he’d follow his little angel. Just in case the shifter planned to stash her someplace else.

He liked to know where she was—all the time. That way, she’d never escape him.

Never.





Tanner raced through the streets. A fast left. A hard right. His blood seemed to burn in his veins, and he clutched the steering wheel so tightly, he could feel it starting to bend beneath his fingers.

Control.

He was losing more of it by the second.

He spun the SUV to the left. They were out of the Quarter and heading down a lonely, oak-lined street that would have to do for now. He slammed on the brakes and turned on her. “What the hell was that?”

Moonlight spilled through the windows. Onto her face. Made her look as if she were glowing. Beautiful. “I-I don’t know, the fire came back to me and—” Her voice was all but humming with excitement.

She’d saved his ass back in that alley. No getting around it. But she’d also scared a good ten years off his life when she sent that fire blazing out, missing his body by, oh, about two inches as she aimed it into the alley and at all the pricks who’d waited in the darkness.

“A little warning next time would be good,” he managed to snap. Enough of a warning that he could jump out of the way and not get singed.

Her head tilted back. More moonlight fell on her. Damn. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but don’t worry. There isn’t going to be a next time.” Then she shoved open the passenger side door and jumped outside.

What the hell?

He pushed open his own door and followed right after her. Tanner caught her almost instantly, and pushed her back against the side of the SUV. “You walked right into that vamp’s trap.” Yeah, he was pissed over that, and would be for the next year or so. The bastard could have drained her and tossed away her broken body.

“I could have handled him!”

With her fire? With her stake? Didn’t she get it? “Baby, when there are enough of them . . .” Six to one odds. It still had his stomach clenching. “They can take you out.” Especially if they sank their fangs into her and drained her until she was too weak to fight back.

But then Marna drew in a ragged breath and said, “I don’t want you getting hurt because of me.”

He wouldn’t have been more shocked if she’d stripped right then. Tanner forced his back teeth to unlock as he said, “And I don’t want you dying when I can keep you safe.”

Their eyes held. The night seemed so still. And she . . . f*ck, she was even prettier by moonlight. How the hell had he managed to walk away from her before? Had he really left her alone in bed? Some days, he could be such a damn idiot.

I knew playing the gentleman wasn’t my bit. But he’d still tried. For her.

“There are times”—Marna paused and her tongue swiped nervously over her lower lip—“when we have to fight our own battles.”

She wasn’t doing this alone. The angel needed to think again. “You forget, this isn’t just about you.” And if that tongue of hers swiped out again, he’d pounce. Simple fact.

A furrow appeared between her brows. “But I thought—”

The murders were being pinned on her, but this thing stretched far wider than that. “If there’s some rogue Fallen in the city, I need to know.” Because he had to be ready to deal with the bastard. Fallen weren’t easy to kill, but luckily he had the particular skill set—claws and fangs—to get the job done.

Marna shook her head. “A Fallen didn’t kill the demon in the alley.”

Maybe. Maybe not. The knife attack sure hadn’t fit a Fallen’s usual MO, but maybe their killer was just trying to throw them off the scent.