Page 30 of Angel Of Darkness

“You’re that certain he’ll take you out?” The demon’s fear was new. Elijah had never been afraid of a hunt before.

But Elijah was backing down. “I know death when I see him.”

Yes, Sam was rather betting that he did.

“We’re done,” Elijah said, turning away and giving Sam his back. Oh, bad move. “I’m sick of dancing on your damn string.”

Right. Same song, different fucking dance. “And where will you get your special brew, Elijah? When you walk away from me, who will help you?”

Now that stopped him.

Elijah looked back, and the struggle was clearly etched on his face. Like so many of his kind, Elijah had a bit of an addiction. Demons and addictions. When Elijah used his drugs, he could focus his thirst for blood and violence. With the drugs, he didn’t kill just anyone—he killed specific targets.

Without the drugs, women and children—everyone—became his prey.

Sam liked to think he’d been doing his part to keep the dog on the leash these last few months. But if Elijah was ready to bite the hand that had been feeding him, Sam just wouldn’t be able to play nicely with him any longer.

“You’re not the only game in town,” Elijah muttered and kept walking.

Oh, but I am.

“When you change your mind,” Sam called after him, “maybe I’ll help you.”

Elijah was nearing the top of the small hill, his body a dark shadow.

“And maybe I’ll just kill you,” Sam whispered, smiling, because he knew that the demon couldn’t hear him.

His attack dog would be back. Probably within forty-eight hours. And if he wasn’t, there were always other demons. Others who needed what he could give them. Others who were weaker, and so easy to control.

Demons came in every size and power. Some barely tipped the scales, those with powers between one and three. Those poor bastards might as well be humans. A power scale of ten was supposed to be the strongest. A level ten, or L-10, was the alpha of the demon land. So the stories said.

The stories were bullshit.

Sam glanced back up at the sky and all those glittering stars and he began to whistle.

It took a while for a Fallen’s powers to come back. The crash and burn wiped out an angel. This new opponent wouldn’t be at full strength yet.

It was the perfect time to play.

And time to see just how attached the “guardian” truly was to his charge. Would he kill for her? Bleed for her? Die for her?

One way to find out.

A star fell, blazing a trail across the sky.

Chapter Five

Nicole lunged across the truck and grabbed the wheel. She jerked it hard to the right and the truck careened across the road.

Keenan fought to push her back, but he’d been totally unprepared for her attack. “Nicole, what are you?—”

The truck plowed into a wooden fence and fought to hurtle forward.

Keenan shoved his foot down on the brake, and the vehicle bounced twice, then steam exploded from the engine as the truck finally stopped.

Of course, Nicole had already flown from the truck by then. Her door hung open, swaying in the breeze, and he caught sight of her curving, come-get-me hips as she ran away from him.

Again.

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