Avenging Angel (The Fallen #4)(8)

Once upon a time, this doctor had saved her life. When Tanner had found her broken and bloody in the swamp, Cody had been there with him. The demon had been the one to patch her up.

He’d been scared of her then, too.

Cody glanced away from her. “What are you going to do with her?” he asked Tanner.

“She’s going to get herself out of here,” Marna said. Enough. She’d been in a morgue, for goodness sake. A morgue. Time to ditch this place, and the shifter who kept staring at her way too intently. Like he was starving and she was the best meal option in sight.

Marna headed for the door, but found her path blocked by said shifter.

Tanner shook his head and said, “You’re a dead woman. Cops are staked out at the entrance to the hospital. Don’t you think they’ll notice when you just go waltzing out?”

Did she look stupid? Maybe she was still new to being earthbound, but she’d been around for centuries. Marna knew more than this guy could ever guess. “There’s more than one way out of this place.” She could blend. “I can grab a pair of scrubs and put on a face mask. No one will recognize me. I’ll blend in with the staff and walk away. You won’t see me again.”

“I just risked my job for you. There’s no way I’m just going to let you waltz away from me now.” Tanner crossed his arms over his chest. “With all the evidence in this case, the department had you dead to rights.”

Why did he keep up with the dead bit?

“Those witnesses described every single detail about you.” Tanner’s gaze glittered. “They said you walked right by them. That you were less than five feet away. Being so close, there’d be no mistaking you.”

“I didn’t do it.”

“I know.”

His words had her floundering. Well, if he thought she was innocent, then why—

“Why the hell do you think I did all this?” He waved his hand to indicate the icy morgue. “I had to get you out of that station because, baby, you are being set up.”

She was sure happy to hear he realized that fact. “Stop calling me baby,” she muttered.

A faint line appeared between his brows. “An angel can’t go to jail, so I had to take you out of the equation.”

“Consider me out,” she said.

Cody edged toward the door.

“Out doesn’t mean you’re clear.” Tanner was like a brick wall in her path, big, strong, and totally blocking her exit. “It means you don’t have to worry about cops and reporters trying to dog you, but we sure as hell need to find out who is setting you up.”

She knew that. But she also knew . . . “The only enemies I have are in your brother’s panther pack.”

“Then you’ve got some dead enemies.” This bit came from Cody.

But Tanner shook his head. “No, being what you are, trust me, there are plenty of paranormals in this city who’d want to take you out.”

Marna swallowed. Angel blood was a rare commodity in the paranormal underworld. Vamps would love to drain her. Witches would try to steal her power, but . . . setting her up for murder? How would that help any of the supernaturals?

“Until we find out what’s happening, you’re staying with me,” Tanner told her as he took a step toward her.

Wait—what? Becoming this guy’s 24-7 buddy was not part of her plan. Getting out of the city ASAP? Yes, that was more her agenda. “No, I’m—”

“You’re on someone’s list, angel. To either be taken down . . .”

By getting tossed to the cops? When had she made an enemy who wanted—

“Or taken out.”

Marna straightened her shoulders. She hated feeling helpless. Another new concept for her. She should have been more than able to protect herself, but since losing her wings, she’d suffered a serious power shortage. Did Tanner know the truth? Did he realize what had happened to her?

Angels of death could kill with a touch. Even the Fallen could kill. But she . . .

She’d lost the touch. She’d tried to get it back. Oh, jeez, but she’d tried. She had gone after those men in the panther pack. Marna had tracked and hunted Michael LaRue and Beau Stokes. She’d tried to send those two straight to hell.

Not in that alley. That attack truly hadn’t been her. She’d gone after the shifters weeks before.

But her touch hadn’t worked on them. She couldn’t kill.

She might as well be . . . human.

Emotions and needs battered her all the time. They clawed at her, threatening to rip her apart. She just wanted it all to stop.

Wanted to go back to her old life.

Not going to happen. Stop mourning, move the f*ck on. Not her words. The words of another Fallen in the city, Sammael. He wasn’t exactly the comforting type. When he’d come to see her just days before, he hadn’t wasted time with false sympathy. This is your life now. Adjust or die.

Cody opened a closet and pulled out some green scrubs. She was rather surprised that he hadn’t already snuck out. He lifted the scrubs and said, “You’ll need these.”

She took the scrubs. Fine. She’d go with the shifter cop . . . for now. At the first chance she had, Marna would slip away. It was past time to leave this city. She’d go somewhere new—preferably some place that wasn’t soaked in blood. There, she’d be able to start over.