Avenging Angel (The Fallen #4)(89)

“Do you know what it’s like to be different?” Jonathan was just talking to her like they had all the time in the world to chat. Like he hadn’t shot her lover and killed people all over the city. Insane. Yes, she could see the madness now. He wasn’t bothering to hide it anymore. “To know that you’re all alone, while the rest of the world is running around, blind?”

She licked her lips. Okay. If he wanted to talk, she’d keep him talking. That would give Tanner and his shifter self more time to push the drugs from his system. “You’re earthbound.”

Jonathan blinked. “I’m an angel, just like you.”

Not even close. “You don’t have wings. Not even shadows.” Like the Fallen did. She took a deep breath and fought to keep her voice flat. She didn’t want to give him her fear. “We call—we call those like you the earthbound.” Because no matter what, they weren’t supposed to make it up to heaven. Not while they were still alive, anyway.

The only earthbound who’d ever made it upstairs had been Seline. And Sammael hadn’t been about to let his lady go without a fight.

Sammael. She could sure use some of his power right then.

You have to get angry enough. You have to want to kill. That’s what he’d told her, but well, hell, wanting to kill wouldn’t help her now. Even if she could summon up that power, the Death Touch never worked on those with angel blood.

Angels weren’t supposed to kill their own kind.

But then again, there was a lot that angels weren’t supposed to be doing.

“Earthbound.” Jonathan seemed to be tasting the word. His smile flashed again, and he lifted his hand toward her. “Come. It’s time to leave him behind.”

She wasn’t going anywhere.

“At first, I didn’t realize why I needed to kill.” Jonathan’s voice was smooth, thoughtful. He still offered his hand to her. “I mean, I was only fifteen when I made my first kill. I thought something must be wrong with me. I just—I couldn’t stop myself. I found my prey. Stalked him. Made sure he suffered.”

She didn’t want to hear this. But the stiffness of Tanner’s body told her that he was definitely coming around. Now if he’d just use those fierce claws of his . . .

Jonathan’s hand dropped to his side. “He was one of my old foster dads. I was always being bounced around. Fucking abandoned as a kid—why would an angel do that?”

Marna didn’t answer. Not that she had time to talk. Jonathan’s eyes were burning brighter, and his words came faster as he said, “He never should have touched me. I told him . . . told him I’d get him back. Vengeance. And I did. I found him. I hunted him. I killed him while he begged and screamed.” His breath sighed out. “The first kill, but not the last.”

The way he was talking about vengeance . . . “Your—your mother or father—one of them could have been a punishment angel.” Only the way he’d been killing—that wasn’t the way punishers worked. When they punished, it was never about emotion or payback. It was just . . . duty.

The punishment angels weren’t supposed to enjoy their dark work.

“How many?” Marna asked quietly. The guy wasn’t coming closer to her. She needed him closer. “How many more did you kill over the years?”

“Hundreds.” Said with relish. “Criminals. Thieves. Whores. Murderers. They all needed to be punished, and I was the instrument of that punishment.”

Her mouth was so dry that it hurt to swallow. “How did you know . . . what they’d done?”

He took a gliding step toward her. “I could see the sin on them. Almost smell it.” His gaze dropped to Tanner. “Like I see it on him. Evil. He reeks of it. He’s got blood on him, and it will never wash off.”

Like the crazy jerk in front of her could talk.

“I’m going to kill him for you,” Jonathan promised with a nod. “Just like I killed the others for you.”

For you. Her heart lurched as she began to fully understand.

The two panther shifters in the alley . . .

“I knew you wanted those animals dead. You tried to do it. I saw you.”

A shiver slid over her at his words. She’d felt eyes on her, but she’d thought it had been Tanner watching over her. It had been Jonathan?

“I shot ’em full with one of my special mixes. A quick injection . . .”

Back in the interrogation room, he’d mentioned drugs. The cocky bastard, he’d been telling her what he’d done to them.

“They never even had the time to scream.”

No, they’d just had time to die.

Jonathan’s gaze dropped to Tanner’s still body. “He’s the one who led me to you. He was so focused on you, almost addicted. I wondered about the woman who was driving him crazy. Then I saw you. Your wings. And I knew.”

“You knew nothing,” she whispered. Tanner’s body was completely still against her. Still—but tight and tensed for battle. He was ready to attack, she knew it. And when he made his move, those claws of his had better go deep. She stood up, determined to distract Jonathan. She needed to give Tanner the perfect moment to strike. “You don’t know anything about me. I am nothing like you.”

Jonathan’s brows rose. “You wanted to kill. You wanted to punish.” His eyes were bright with a feverish light. “I punished for you. I killed for you, and I’ll do it again.” He rushed for her.