contorted by both his vampirism and fury. Eve hunched low, prepared for a blow.
The muffled report of a silenced gun had Eve dropping to the floor. She watched, wide-eyed, as Tim’s body erupted into flames. He writhed against the wall, his claws ripping into to the drywall as if trying to crawl out of his own skin. His flesh sizzled off of his bones, dropping to the floor in burning chunks.
An outstretched hand came into her line of vision, snapping her out of her horrified fascination.
She looked up and found the gate guard from Adrian’s place. “Adrian sent me to help Pam,” he explained.
Alec climbed out of the ruins of the closet. “I forgot how bad it hurts to be mortal.”
The guard arched a brow as he helped Eve to her feet. “Adrian didn’t mention that part.”
“I didn’t tell him.” Which turned out to be a good thing. If he’d known, then Pam would have known, and then Tim would have known through Jesse.
Pam . . .
Eve scrambled into the hallway. She hit the light switch. The sudden flood of illumination revealed walls splattered with crimson. Jesse lay on her back, chest heaving. Half her throat was missing. Blood gushed in rhythmic pulses from her ruined neck, spreading across the floor in a thick, glistening puddle. Beside her, Pam sprawled with eyes open and sightless. The handle of Jesse’s dagger protruded from her heart.
The guard joined Eve in the hall. Dressed in loafers, slacks and V-neck sweater, he looked too polished and powerful to be anyone’s pet.
He lifted his arm and pointed his gun at Jesse. “Your mother will be missed.”
“Fuck you, lycan dog,” she gurgled, blood running from the corner of her mouth. “Tell Adrian . . . we’re both free.”
He pulled the trigger.
“You are like a tornado, Ms Hollis,” Raguel began, staring at Eve. “You always leave a path of destruction and chaos in your wake.”
Alec’s mouth kicked up on one side. They were presently crammed into the guest bedroom nearest the upstairs landing. Zaphiel sat on the mattress, while Eve stood at the foot of the bed next to Raguel. Alec grabbed a corner and settled in to enjoy the show. No one flustered Raguel like Eve did.
He watched as the archangel pointed at the blood in the hallway, then at the destroyed closet, then at the burn marks that shadowed the torn wall.
“Hey,” Eve complained. “I didn’t do any of that!”
“You arranged this confrontation, did you not?”
“Noooo . . . You and Zaphiel arranged this mess.” She looked at the cherub. “What exactly did you expect would happen when the vamp came after us?”
“I expect you to clean this up,” Raguel interjected. “Since I need you both to stay under cover to manage the neighbourhood reaction to the mysterious speedy departure of three residents at once, you can oversee the repairs during that interim.”
“Thank you for your help,” Zaphiel said, before shifting out.
Raguel moved towards the door. “You may use your expense account, Ms Hollis, to pay for the necessary repairs. I expect it will take at least three weeks to cement your cover story and settle the other residents. I will speak to Abel about removing you from rotation during that time.”
The archangel shifted away as quickly as the cherub had.
Alec frowned. “That’s it? Raguel usually likes to lecture us for an hour or more.”
“I knew it,” she said quietly. “The whole thing was too convenient. Too fast. Too easy.”
“Speak for yourself, angel. Seeing you in the hands of one of the Fallen damn near killed me.”
She looked at him sombrely, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “We didn’t get our Marks back. We’re still mortal.”
“Lucky for them.” He pushed away from the wall. “They wouldn’t want to see how pissed I’d be if I didn’t get you into bed first.”
Eve began to pace, which meant she was thinking hard.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, hating to see her upset. “Are you still worried about
The muffled report of a silenced gun had Eve dropping to the floor. She watched, wide-eyed, as Tim’s body erupted into flames. He writhed against the wall, his claws ripping into to the drywall as if trying to crawl out of his own skin. His flesh sizzled off of his bones, dropping to the floor in burning chunks.
An outstretched hand came into her line of vision, snapping her out of her horrified fascination.
She looked up and found the gate guard from Adrian’s place. “Adrian sent me to help Pam,” he explained.
Alec climbed out of the ruins of the closet. “I forgot how bad it hurts to be mortal.”
The guard arched a brow as he helped Eve to her feet. “Adrian didn’t mention that part.”
“I didn’t tell him.” Which turned out to be a good thing. If he’d known, then Pam would have known, and then Tim would have known through Jesse.
Pam . . .
Eve scrambled into the hallway. She hit the light switch. The sudden flood of illumination revealed walls splattered with crimson. Jesse lay on her back, chest heaving. Half her throat was missing. Blood gushed in rhythmic pulses from her ruined neck, spreading across the floor in a thick, glistening puddle. Beside her, Pam sprawled with eyes open and sightless. The handle of Jesse’s dagger protruded from her heart.
The guard joined Eve in the hall. Dressed in loafers, slacks and V-neck sweater, he looked too polished and powerful to be anyone’s pet.
He lifted his arm and pointed his gun at Jesse. “Your mother will be missed.”
“Fuck you, lycan dog,” she gurgled, blood running from the corner of her mouth. “Tell Adrian . . . we’re both free.”
He pulled the trigger.
“You are like a tornado, Ms Hollis,” Raguel began, staring at Eve. “You always leave a path of destruction and chaos in your wake.”
Alec’s mouth kicked up on one side. They were presently crammed into the guest bedroom nearest the upstairs landing. Zaphiel sat on the mattress, while Eve stood at the foot of the bed next to Raguel. Alec grabbed a corner and settled in to enjoy the show. No one flustered Raguel like Eve did.
He watched as the archangel pointed at the blood in the hallway, then at the destroyed closet, then at the burn marks that shadowed the torn wall.
“Hey,” Eve complained. “I didn’t do any of that!”
“You arranged this confrontation, did you not?”
“Noooo . . . You and Zaphiel arranged this mess.” She looked at the cherub. “What exactly did you expect would happen when the vamp came after us?”
“I expect you to clean this up,” Raguel interjected. “Since I need you both to stay under cover to manage the neighbourhood reaction to the mysterious speedy departure of three residents at once, you can oversee the repairs during that interim.”
“Thank you for your help,” Zaphiel said, before shifting out.
Raguel moved towards the door. “You may use your expense account, Ms Hollis, to pay for the necessary repairs. I expect it will take at least three weeks to cement your cover story and settle the other residents. I will speak to Abel about removing you from rotation during that time.”
The archangel shifted away as quickly as the cherub had.
Alec frowned. “That’s it? Raguel usually likes to lecture us for an hour or more.”
“I knew it,” she said quietly. “The whole thing was too convenient. Too fast. Too easy.”
“Speak for yourself, angel. Seeing you in the hands of one of the Fallen damn near killed me.”
She looked at him sombrely, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “We didn’t get our Marks back. We’re still mortal.”
“Lucky for them.” He pushed away from the wall. “They wouldn’t want to see how pissed I’d be if I didn’t get you into bed first.”
Eve began to pace, which meant she was thinking hard.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, hating to see her upset. “Are you still worried about
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