Page 59 of Into the Fire

He smiled and looked around my place. “Doesn’t have to be food. Could be a good conversation with old friends. Could be someone making a promise to someone else.”

I let out a soft huff of laughter. “Get to the fucking point. I have shit to do.”

“Ah, Archangel.” He shook his head as the men formed a circle around me. Three I knew. One I didn’t. Familiarity wasn’t in their favor though for the three. I never played favorites with monsters.

“You killed Alice,” Everett said, his entire demeanor shifting. “There will be retribution.”

“You broke a promise to me,” I snarled back, keeping my attention focused on the men at my back. I let my years of watching my back rear its head. “You sent that soulless cunt to my doorstep after promising me Rosalie would remain safe.”

“I had no control over her—”

“Don’t fucking lie to me,” I snapped at him. “We both know what game you played. You told her about it, and knew she’d do anything to please you and would bring you what you wanted.”

He stared me down wordlessly.

“Join me. Come home, Archangel.”

“Go fuck yourself.” I spat at him. “I’ll die before I lay myself at your feet.”

“Is that your final answer?”

“Is that your final question?” I countered. “Because the way I see it, time is limited, whether it’s your time or mine. Best say all that needs to be said right now before things go from bad to worse.”

He was quiet for a moment before he clicked his tongue. “It’s a shame you won’t join us. I had been so optimistic you would. I was prepared to keep your pretty redhead off the menu.”

I ground my teeth.

“Your death will be her death. Is it really your final answer?”

I quirked my lips up at him, the wicked creature who dwelled inside me rearing its ugly head. The Archangel. The monster. The demon. The violence.

“Are you prepared to go to war with me,” I said, my voice low.

He chuckled. “I do not fear you, Archangel.”

“Perhaps I haven’t put that fear into you yet.”

Without missing a beat, I lunged, my elbow hitting the first guy in the face and putting him to his knees so fast he didn’t have time to react. I bounded to the next guy and snapped his neck, sending him dead to the floor before the other two even realized we were fighting. They made to pull their weapons, but I was fast. I disarmed the third guy, sending him toppling to the floor with a bloody nose before I rounded on the fourth one and blasted him between the eyes. The gun was silenced. The only sound was the body hitting the floor with a thump.

Wasting no time, I turned and put bullets in the other three’s heads before throwing the gun aside and pulling the piece my father had given me from my waistband. I pressed the barrel to Everett’s forehead.

Everything had happened so fast that I was sure he was still trying to compute it all.

“Beg me,” I snarled through gritted teeth. “Give me one good fucking reason why I don’t end your life right now.”

“Archangel—” He raised his hands.

“Speak to me on your motherfucking knees.” I guided him to his knees and glared down at him.

“OK. What do you want?”

“Tell me you’re weak.”

He crinkled his brows. “I’m not weak.”

I hauled off and cracked him across the face with the gun, sending blood flying from his nose as his head snapped sideways.

He spat blood onto my floor and looked up at me, both eyes already bruising from my hit.

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