Page 57 of His Angel

“I dunno.” I shrug, sighing. “I stopped listening after I heard I missed something vital within a quarter of an inch.”

“Amateur,” he scoffs. “I’ll call Gabriel and let him check if they got any surveillance comms coming in through the port. Maybe he can stall it, buy us some time.”

“Good idea.”

“And hey.” His expression turns serious, something I’ve never seen on him before. “Favor coin aside, I’m doing this because the devil knows I’d do the exact same thing if it were my rabbit.”

As he strides out of the office, I sit back, the enormity of what I’ve just set into motion pressing down on me. This isn’t just about eradicating a threat anymore; it’s about protecting a lie that has become too tangled, too vital to my future with Everly. The truth is a blade hanging over us, and I’ve just sold my soul to delay its fall.

Turning back to my desk, I pick up the knife again, the cool metal a reminder of the edge I’m walking. The game is dangerous, the stakes life-altering, and I’m in deep—so deep that pulling back now would unravel everything. Everly, my heart, the reason for the breath in my lungs and the fire in my veins can never know the depths of my betrayal. And this is the only way.

The room feels colder as I ponder the next steps, the silence thick with the echo of Davian’s departing footsteps. The path forward is murky, lined with shadows and traps, but it’s one I have to walk. For her. For us.

I spin the knife and stab it deep into the mahogany, the sound piercing the silence like a gunshot. Shoving my hand through my hair, I scrub at the stress lines etching my forehead. This has to work. But even if it does, there’s one thing my father’s life has taught me.

Hidden secrets are like live grenades, only they don't explode on impact; they wait, and when least expected, they go off, destroying everything in their path.

Chapter18

ISAIA

Imagine my sanity exploding when I get to the room and Everly’s gone. The bed’s empty, sheets bunched like she fought her way out, and my pulse slams into my throat, rage roaring up my gut like a goddamn furnace.

I’m choking on air as I snatch the radio off the table, my grip so tight the plastic creaks.

“Talon, where the fuck is Everly?” My voice tears out, each word a jagged edge slicing through the quiet.

Static buzzes back, then a voice slips through. “Calm down, baby Del Rossa. Your girl’s just gone for a swim.”

I freeze. “Poppy?”

“I prefer Rabbit, you prick.” Her tone’s silk wrapped around a blade, like she’s grinning through the line.

My fist balls up, knuckles cracking, and I snarl, “Where’s Everly?”

“Outside by the pool. Chill, she’s fine.” Poppy’s voice lilts, teasing, but a sharpness lurks underneath.

“Thank fuck.” I exhale hard, air rushing out like I’ve been gut-punched, relief flooding my chest, but it’s a flicker, snuffed out fast.

“You might wanna haul ass there from the east side, though,” she adds, casually as if she’s picking lint off her shirt.

I’m already moving, boots slamming the hardwood. “Why?”

“Got a peeping pervert sniffing around.”

My blood ignites, wild, molten, every muscle locking tight as I barrel down the hall. “Someone’s watching her?”

“Uh-huh. One of ours—recognized the gear. Greedy bastard’s eyes all over your girl.” Poppy’s tone cuts deeper now, a razor’s edge in her calm. “Want me to pop him?”

“No.” I growl it out, voice thick with venom as I hit the stairs. “Keep your scope on him—don’t let him fucking twitch ’til I’m there.”

“Got it, boss man,” she quips, and I hear the faint click of her rifle adjusting. “Make it quick. I’m itching to pull the trigger.”

Adrenaline surges through me as I tear through the mansion, my mind a screaming storm of fury and possession. Each thud of my feet is a war drum, pounding out a dark, twisted beat I’ve danced to too many times.

The night air slams into me as I burst outside, cool against my flushed skin, but my blood’s boiling—hot, vicious, a need to rip and tear clawing at my veins. What dumb fuck dares to look at her like she’s meat on a hook?

The moon hangs fat and low, casting a silver sheen over the grounds. It’s too damn peaceful for the predator I’ve become.

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