Page 144 of Angel Of Darkness

Now wasn’t the time for easy. Two angels were trying to kill each other, and one of those angels—I love.

Wind whispered against her body as she fought against Sam’s hold. “We have to help Keenan!”

“I don’t think Keenan’s the one who needs help,” Sam muttered. “Where’s the coyote? We need to stop him!”

She broke Sam’s hold. “He’s dead.” She hurried for Keenan as she tossed that bit out.

Az didn’t seem to be fighting anymore. The angel just lay there, taking the hits, as he stared up at Keenan with swollen, confused eyes. Then his gaze drifted to her. “You...” He licked busted lips. “Should be...dead.”

Keenan yanked him up. “No, you’re the one who’s dying.”

“T-touched her.” Az shook his head and managed to stand up on his own. “She should die.”

Yes, he had touched her, and she was sure he’d touched with the intent to kill. But she was still breathing. How about that?

“Maybe it’s not her time to die,” Sam drawled as he stalked closer.

Az weaved on his feet. The blisters and burns on his body weren’t healing. Keenan already seemed fine once again. Powerful and strong, with not a mark on him, but Az was quite the opposite.

“She was on the list.” Az shook his head and tried to straighten. Two fallen angels surrounded him on either side, and Nicole saw the fear in his gaze. “I saw her death. Here. Tonight.”

“Really?” Sam didn’t sound convinced. “If you were so sure she was gonna die, then why team up with the coyote?”

Az didn’t answer. He did spit out a mouthful of blood.

“Maybe you weren’t so sure she’d die,” Sam added grimly. “Maybe you were just trying to change fate your own damn self.”

“I was trying to give Keenan a chance at redemption!”

Nicole’s claws dug into her palms. “You didn’t see my death.” Az was so good at twisting truth. “And you didn’t see Keenan’s.”

His eyes hardened. “I saw death!” His brows furrowed. “Should have died...you should have died! The touch only doesn’t work on those with angel blood—” He broke off and his gaze lasered on Keenan. “You—you gave her your blood, damn you! You made her stronger so she could hold off the death touch!”

Nothing was stronger than an angel’s blood.

Az took a lurching step forward. “I’ll touch her again, she won’t be able to hold off the Touch. I’ll touch her again!”

“You’re not touching her.” Keenan’s hands were fisted and bloody. “And the death you saw? Maybe that was your own death, asshole.”

Az blinked. “I was trying to help you. We’ve worked together for two thousand years. I didn’t want to see you lose everything for a damned soul!”

Damned? Goose bumps rose on her flesh. She didn’t want to be damned. She wanted a second chance. When she looked up, Nicole could see the crosses over the cathedral. Black against the pink dawn. Before the sun comes, death will take a soul.

Keenan’s voice vibrated with fury as he snarled, “I don’t want your help, Az. I don’t want redemption.”

“What do you want?” Az screamed.

Her gaze focused on him. It seemed to her that the angel was losing control of his emotions.

“Now you’re sounding human.” The smug observation was Sam’s, but his words echoed her thoughts.

Keenan caught Nicole’s hand and smoothed his fingers over her knuckles. “I have what I want.”

The wailing sirens were nearly on them. The cops would be bursting into the alley any moment. They wouldn’t see Az, she knew that. The cops would just see her, Sam, and Keenan—and two dead bodies.

“You have nothing.” Disgust tightened Az’s mouth. “You think she’ll stand by you? The bloodlust will get to her again, and she’ll take any man who comes her way. She’ll kill, she’ll destroy!”

“Who are you to judge me?” Nicole’s voice came out ice cold. “You’ve killed. You set up these two—” A jerk of her head toward Carlos and the woman. “You set them up to die. You knew they wouldn’t make it out of this alley. But you put their deaths in motion. If you’d left them alone, they’d still be breathing!”

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