Page 29 of Angel Betrayed

Pleasure blasted through him, and he held on to Seline tighter than he’d ever held on to anyone or anything in his life.

And he knew…

More. For him and Seline, this would be just the beginning of the pleasure to come.

Sam began to thrust again.

The flames were out. The warehouse smoldered but the fire no longer lit the sky. Rogziel stared at those drifting plumes of smoke.

Seline hadn’t perished in the fire. Pity. It would have made things easier on him.

But she’d escaped and so had that bastard Fallen, Azrael.

“I know she took the keys from me,” Alex snapped behind him. The human, always so impatient and so certain of what he knew.

In reality, humans knew very little in this world.

And Alex knew only what Rogziel told him. Rogziel glanced at his guard dog, because that was all Alex was. A dog that he used to hunt his prey.

Humans did have some uses. Pity they weren’t more durable.

“She hit me,” Alex said, rubbing the back of his neck. Was he still complaining about that bump? The man acted like he’d never known pain.

When pain could be such a wonderful companion.

“She hit me,” Alex said again, his face hardening, “and then she took my keys. She helped that freak escape!”

Angels weren’t freaks. The faintest hum of what could have been anger moved beneath Rogziel’s skin, but then the feeling faded. Feelings always faded for him.

Angels weren’t supposed to experience emotions. They only had duties. No desires.

His duty was to punish the wicked.

Azrael was wicked. Sammael had sinned too many times to count, and little Seline…

Now you’ve betrayed me.

And after all he’d done for her. Years spent—wasted—trying to save her immortal soul, only to have her give in the first time she was tempted by a Fallen.

He’d expected her to hold out a bit longer. Her mother hadn’t caved in so easily.

No matter. The choices had been made. Now he’d have to punish her, too.

“Seline’s gone.” Alex’s voice roughed with the fury Rogziel knew humans carried so often. “And the watchers you put on Sunrise can’t find a trace of Sammael.”

Now Rogziel’s eyebrows lifted. “You think Seline was working with him?”

“I think Sammael saw a chance to bust out one of his brethren, and he took it.”

But Alex didn’t understand. Sammael wouldn’t have wanted to free Azrael. Based on what Rogziel knew, Sammael would want to kill his brother. Perhaps torture him, then kill him, but not help Azrael. Never that. Sammael wasn’t the forgiving sort.

Another sin to put at his feet.

But Rogziel began to understand as his gaze drifted back to the warehouse ruins. Sam, did you underestimate your brother again?

Azrael wasn’t easy pickings, even if he was still a fresh Fallen.

Azrael—Az—they’d once been friends, as close as angels could be to friends, but Rogziel still planned to punish the Fallen. He always did his duty.

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