Page 53 of Angel Betrayed

She wasn’t as heartless as she wanted to pretend. The sight of blood impacted her too much. Strange for a demon.

“Besides, the last time you left me…” Seline threw a quick glance over her shoulder toward the line of perfect houses on the opposite side of the street. Perfect houses. A seemingly perfect human world. “Your brother jumped me. From now on, where you go, I go.”

His jaw clenched, but she had a point. Az could be close by, and Sam wouldn’t risk Seline again. He caught her hand and hurried forward.

The door was locked. He lifted his left fist, ready to blast it right open.

“No!” Seline frowned at him. “What if they’re just inside, having coffee or something? We can’t burst in there!”

But then he heard a faint sound. Not a moan, more of a gasp. One filled with pain.

Seline’s eyes widened. She’d heard it, too. “Bust that door down!”

The door shattered, and he ran inside. The stench hit him like a punch. Fresh blood and death.

The gasp came again, even weaker now, and he leapt across the room. Blood pooled on the floor, deep and dark, and it spread beneath Anthea’s body.

Her chest was cut open. Blood gushed out. Her dark eyes were wide and filled with pain. Tears leaked down her cheeks even as blood dripped from her mouth.

And her heart was gone.

She should have been dead—she would be dead, soon. There was no way she could survive. She was in agony, fighting to keep going. Able to manage these last moments only because of her angel blood.

“Anthea.” He said her name with fury. Pay. Bastard would pay.

She didn’t look at him. Those wide-open eyes were to the left. Sam followed her stare and saw Ron’s body.

“Oh, God,” Seline breathed in horror.

God hadn’t done this.

He positioned his body between Anthea and Ron, forcing her to see him. He didn’t touch her, not yet. “Who did this?”

More tears. More blood.

“Sam, she’s suffering!” Seline grabbed him. “Help her!”

They both knew there was only one way to help her.

“Why is she still alive?” Seline whispered. “Why won’t she let go?”

Anthea’s wet lashes dipped a bit. Her gaze seemed to focus on Sam. Seemed to. “Hell…”

Her body began to shake. Great, hard shudders that made the blood pump faster. There were gashes on her arms. Her legs. Her neck.

And that hole in her chest…

“Was it Az?” he demanded, his hand so close to her cheek.

More shudders. More blood.

“Help her!” Seline screamed.

But there was nothing to do.

Anthea’s body stilled. A slow whisper of breath slipped past her lips as she surrendered to death.

His fingers rose and pressed lightly against her eyelids. There wasn’t anything else she needed to see in this world.

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