Page 59 of Angel Betrayed

Then he came at her with that knife.

Oh, hell, no.

Chapter Nine

When Seline looked like she’d take a swing at Mateo, Sam surged forward. He grabbed her right wrist, then her left, and held her tightly.

She glared up at him. “You are making one huge mistake here.”

No, he was just doing what he had to do. He’d been misled by an innocent face before. Once upon a time, he’d even thought he was in love, then the human had found out exactly what he was. Even genteel ladies in 1880 could have a very dark side. Helena had drugged him with laudanum, then lit him on fire while he slept. The fire had burned through his skin. The drug had dulled his power so he couldn’t control the flames. He’d just burned, for hours.

When Helena saw that he wasn’t dying, she’d brought in every man she could find from town. The good preacher had called him a devil, and the men had stabbed him. His muscles had been slashed, bones hacked, and he’d still lived.

Torture could come in many forms.

When the drug finally wore off, he’d shown them just how much of a devil he could be.

Helena hadn’t been the first—or the last—human to betray him, but these days, he was far more careful.

“Keep that creep and his knife away from me!” Seline blasted.

Not possible. “He needs your blood.”

Her eyes widened. “Vampire?” A whisper, one he was sure Mateo heard.

Sam shook his head. “Witch.”

She paled even more. Apparently she knew that witches could be far more dangerous than vamps. Good for her.

He glanced over his shoulder but kept his hold on Seline’s delicate wrists. Mateo had placed his scrying mirror on the floor. Its black surface gleamed up at them. The witch chanted softly.

It wasn’t easy for a witch to look into the future. Many considered it forbidden. Good thing Sam and Mateo didn’t fall into that “forbidden” category.

“Give me the knife,” he told Mateo.

Mateo glanced up at him. “You always did like to get your hands dirty.”

Seline kicked Sam in the shin. “I don’t know what you think is about to happen here?—”

Mateo rose and closed the distance between them. “I’m going to take a few drops of your blood. Then I’m going to get a little glimpse of the future.” Said flatly and with only the faintest hint of his Spanish accent. Mateo sounded like he cut women all the time and peered into their futures—because that was exactly what he did.

Just another ordinary night for him.

“One glimpse will show us just where your allegiance lies,” Sam explained because that part was what mattered. The body count was rising. Az and Rogziel would be closing in soon. Not just one threat—two. When the end came, could he trust Seline to have his back? Or would she serve him up to his enemies so that she could save herself?

Been there, done that.

“You expect me to bleed for you?” she demanded, voice sharp.

Yes.

Her eyes darkened with fury. “Then you will damn well bleed for me, too.”

Now he hesitated.

“Uh, boss?” Mateo muttered. “I don’t know about taking your?—”

“You bleed,” she snapped, baring her teeth in a wicked grin. “I bleed. You want to know what my future holds? Well, I want to know what’s gonna happen with you. I want to make sure when the cards are down that you don’t turn on me, too.”

---