Page 44 of Angel Betrayed

“A slaughter?”

Yes. She nodded. “The kills are clean and quick, and only for those that Rogziel has?—”

“But Omayo was on his list, wasn’t he? Another Fallen to take down.”

“He was only to be watched, not killed! Dammit, not killed!”

“I guess someone didn’t get that message.” Sam pulled away from her and yanked out his phone. He punched the screen and lifted the phone to his ear. A pause, then he barked, “Cole, dammit, I need a cleanup crew at Omayo’s, and I need the crew now.” He ran a hand through his hair. “We aren’t leaving him like this.”

She turned away, not wanting to look at the body. But the blood was all over the place. So much and?—

Her heart slammed into her chest. The blood on the left wall…Someone had written in that blood.

The letters had dripped, become slanted and twisted, but she could still make out the one word.

Fallen.

“Sam,” Seline said his name too softly. He was still growling into the phone. She spun around. “Sam!”

He turned to face her.

She lifted her hand and pointed to the wall. “I think we’ve got a problem.”

Sam marched to her side. He stared at the letters on the wall. After a moment, he asked, voice lethally soft, “Did Rogziel have other Fallen who were being watched?”

She swallowed to ease the desert dryness in her throat. “Other than you?” she asked, wanting desperately to be out of that apartment. “Not like he even told me you were Fallen.” No, he’d just let her walk blindly into that one. “Rogziel wasn’t exactly sharing confidences with me.”

Sam’s eyes were still on the bloody wall.

She had to get out of there. Seline rushed for the broken door, nearly running because she couldn’t stay in the apartment with the body another moment. She’d done plenty of things that she regretted in her thirty years, but she’d never seen anything like that. Sam was right. It was a slaughter.

Had Rogziel really gone that far past reason?

She nearly flew back down the stairs. Seline was desperate to get some air that didn’t taste like death. She shoved open the building’s front door. The light hit her, too bright, but the air was clean. She sucked in deep, gulping breaths and stumbled away.

Oh, crap, had Rogziel done that? She’d tried to put on a front with Sam, but she’d seen what Rogziel had done on his last hunt. His attack hadn’t been quick and easy, and she wasn’t even certain that his prey had been marked for punishment.

That’s when I knew I had to get away from him.

She’d wanted her freedom for years, but it hadn’t been until that moment that she’d truly realized…if I don’t get away, I’m dead. Her fingers yanked through her hair as she sucked in another desperate gulp of fresh air.

Had he done this…and, oh, God, did I help him?

Because she’d been the one to first find Omayo. She’d been the one to keep tabs on him and give those ridiculously punctual reports to Rogziel.

I might as well have just tied him up with a big, red bow for Rogziel.

If…if Rogziel had been the one to kill him.

Another deep breath. Maybe one more gulp and her hands would stop shaking.

Seline didn’t get that breath. A hand slapped over her mouth, blocking the air and choking back the scream that built in her throat.

Chapter Seven

In the next instant, Seline was shoved back against the side of the building. The bricks bruised her skin as she stared up at the man who’d attacked her.

Not like she’d ever forget those icy blue eyes.

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