Page 104 of Angel Betrayed

Smoke swirled around them.

When the world stopped spinning, Seline found herself on another deserted road. In the middle of freaking nowhere.

The get-the-fuck-away spell. “Sam!”

But he wasn’t there, and neither was the Fallen who’d just dumped her in the middle of Mexico.

Sam had the spear at his brother’s throat. “Any last words?”

Blood trickled down Az’s neck.

Sam could see the struggle in his brother’s eyes. Rage. Fear.

Regret?

“How does it feel?” Keenan pressed. He stood beside them. “Because you are feeling now, aren’t you, Az?”

Before Az could answer, Nicole stiffened. “Seline.” She glanced back. Stared at the quiet house. “I thought she screamed.”

When Sam looked over his shoulder, Az broke free and leapt away.

No, Az wouldn’t escape this time. “Check the house,” he told Nicole, never taking his eyes off Az.

“No need.” The rumbling voice came from the left.

Tomas walked from the brush, his steps slow and his face grim. “Your Seline isn’t inside.”

Az wasn’t moving. Nicole and Keenan were eyeing Tomas with suspicion, and Sam—his guts were twisting. “How the fuck do you know that?”

“Because I’m the one who took her.” A shrug. “You shouldn’t have trusted Mateo, you know. Once he saw your death, he figured it was time to align with someone stronger.”

“You?” From the corner of his eye, Sam saw Nicole run into the house. Checking to see if Seline was still there. No need for that. Angels, even Fallen, couldn’t directly lie.

“No.” Tomas’s lips twisted. “I’m just the errand boy. Guess it was my turn to play messenger.”

Sam’s blood chilled. “Rogziel did catch you, didn’t he?”

A sad, regretful nod of Tomas’s head. “You didn’t arrive soon enough.”

Sam could smell the blood that still coated Tomas. He couldn’t see the wounds, but he knew they were there. “Why are you still living?” A brutal question, but one that had to be asked.

Nicole appeared again and shook her head. No Seline.

“Rogziel wanted me to trick you. To get you to come in willingly with me.”

Sam waited.

Tomas held his stare. “I agreed.”

“You traded your life for mine?” And to think, he’d once saved Tomas’s sorry ass. A pack of vampires had closed in on the Fallen just days after he’d hit earth. The angel blood was often a lure for the undead. The taste of it made them feel alive again.

I should have let him die.

But he’d been in the mood to kick vampire ass at the time.

“Something like that,” Tomas muttered. He glanced at Keenan. “You need to get out of Mexico, K. Get out.” His jaw tightened when he saw Nicole. “And make sure you take her with you.”

Tomas hadn’t been real keen on vampires since his attack. But then Tomas said, “The last thing you want to do is leave her unprotected.”