Page 76 of Angel Of Darkness

“Why?”

“Because if we’re fighting Az, we’ll need help.” He turned to leave.

“This fight isn’t yours.” Did he think he needed to do some kind of penance because of what had happened before?

“It is,” Keenan growled. He looked over his shoulder at her. His gaze seemed to burn. “Because you are.”

Her breath froze in her lungs. “We aren’t—” Okay, they’d had sex. Great sex.

But she was a vampire, and he kept thinking she was just a woman. If he knew the things she’d done, he’d be the one sending her to the afterlife.

And what’s to say he won’t? When he finds out that you’re not sweet Nicole any more, maybe he’ll change his mind. He’ll be the one to give you that death touch and then he’ll go back to the life he had.

While she—what? Got the death she deserved?

“You were my charge. Mine. Your life was mine to take or to spare. No one else’s.”

Oh, okay. He hadn’t meant that whole you’re mine thing in a sexual kind of way. Got it. Awkward.

Not as awkward as dying, of course. But a close second.

Her fingers dug into the sheet.

“You lived in that alley. All the rules changed when you survived. Everything changed.” His hands fisted. “The angels have been acting like we’re the ultimate power for too long. Just because we can kill, it doesn’t mean we have to.”

“And you really think we can stop that guy, that Az?—”

“Azrael.”

Oh, damn. She knew that name. “He’s not just another death angel.”

“No. He’s the angel of death. The strongest. The one we all reported to.” He shrugged with a little ripple of movement and her gaze went to his back. Again, she had the quick impression of darkness surrounding him, of shadowy black wings spreading high, but she blinked, and they were gone. “Az is the one who’s after us.”

Not really “us.” Just her. From what she’d heard, Az hadn’t wanted to kill Keenan. He’d wanted to give Keenan the secret key—me—back into heaven.

“Lucky for us?—”

Again with the “us.”

“—Az has a powerful enemy.”

And what? This enemy was their new best friend? “Who?” Her voice came out too rough.

His lips tightened.

Nicole knew she wasn’t going to like this even before he said?—

“Sam.”

Damn.

Sam stared at the brightly lit stage. He watched the new girl as she came out to the driving beat of the music.

Tall, a little too thin, but she had nice breasts. She didn’t really look like a stripper, though, and she didn’t move like one with that dancer’s grace, either, but?—

She turned to face him and her eyes—dark and deep—pinned him to the chair.

Power.

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