Page 5 of Death Deals

I choked. “Th-Thirty-six…”

“Hours, yes.”

I’d lost a day and a half?

Panic rose. I went to sit up but was quickly reminded of the cords holding me down. I growled. “Should I ask why you have restraints on your bed?”

The corner of his mouth lifted in a sly smile. One that was also full of secrets. “I wouldn’t.”

Yikes.

“What’s the chance of you letting me out?”

“Not accustomed to being bound?” he asked, the double meaning to his words obvious.

“What? No.” Heat crawled up my neck, my thoughts suddenly jumping to a dark place.

“Ah, well, I suggest you try it sometime. It really is a life-changing experience.”

Double yikes.

The things my mind was coming up with… I could probably get thrown out of Heaven for.

I swallowed. Hard.

Seeming unfazed by his admission, he continued, “Now, tell me. Who are you and why do our paths keep managing to cross like this?”

“That’s a loaded question,” I said.

He walked over to a winged chair that had been pulled to the side of the bed and sat down. That made me wonder if he’d been sitting there while I slept, watching me.

“I have forever,” he replied simply and leaned back. “If you have any hopes of getting out of my bed, I’d start at the beginning.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Like I said, I’m not in a rush.”

ButIwas.

Did I beat around the bush, tell him the basics? Eli had said before I wasn’t allowed to expose what I really was to the living, but then again, things had changed abruptly. With how shitty everything was, did it even matter anymore?

Fuck it.

“My name’s Jade Blackwell and I’m an Archangel. Well, not fully. I’m supposed to be, but I ran into some issues and wound up back on earth.” I gauged his expression. To my surprise, it remained unchanged. Not even sure if he blinked. As a century-old vampire, I’m sure he’d seen some shit, but I’d bet he hadn’t seen anything like me before. I’d expected more of a reaction.

I went on. “I actually came here with Cole that night he asked you to watch Kay, but I was in spirit form so I couldn’t be seen.”

I remembered how Andre’s gaze had followed me as if he’d had an idea I was there but couldn’t be sure. It’d freaked me out then. Chalk it up to vampires’ complicated relationship with death and their honed senses.

“Kay, the Medium,” he clarified, seeming to be following along so far.

“Yes. Her.” I was a bit surprised he didn’t ask more about the spirit part, but I kept on. “She’s a friend of mine, which is why I came back for her. Her life was in danger.”

“From a demon.”

“Yes.”

“So, you know Masters.”

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