“NO, NO, NO!” Dec flung himself toward Rori’s empty body. She’d collapsed in a heap, her head narrowly missing the corner of the coffee table. Automatically feeling for a pulse, he exhaled with relief when he found it. Thank God! It was erratic and fast, but she was alive. Straightening her limbs so she wouldn’t cramp up, he smoothed a stray lock of hair from her face and glanced skyward. Please come back to me, baby.
Begging wouldn’t help. She’d come back when the past was done with her. Where was she? What was she seeing? It wouldn’t be good. It never was. When she came back, she’d be wigged out and weak. Damn it! He friggin’ hated this! Hated the loss of control. Hated the risk to her soul. The warding sigil tattooed on her shoulder didn’t mean squat. He didn’t trust it to work—not when it came to his girl—he was the only protection he trusted, and he couldn’t reach her now.
Thanks to Ikini and Azrael, she would always feel tainted inside. No matter how many times he tried to reassure her that it wasn’t true, she felt dirty, used, broken. That lack of confidence left cracks in her armor; left her vulnerable. That tat could only do so much if she wasn’t inside the body that held its power. Spontaneous astral projection was one of the only times she was an easy target for a demon with enough mojo to snatch her soul from an alternate plane.
It was one of the only times he couldn’t get to her if she needed him. He hated feeling this helpless! These little trips of hers took decades off of his immortal life. Tucking her against his chest, he stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Don’t go too far.”
Rude and obnoxious even now, Af invaded their space without waiting for an invitation. “Is she dead?”
Dec ground his teeth together and tried to count to ten. Why, oh why, didn’t he break the fucker’s jaw? “You can sense her heartbeat, you dumb fucking dickhead. Why would you even ask that stupid question?” He rounded on Af and shoved his ass out of the way. “Sometimes I wonder how in the hell you got to be an angel.”
Af’s smart mouth puckered up like he’d been drilled again. Instead of defending himself, he flexed his fingers like he wanted to restart the festivities from the kitchen. Bring it. He was game if Af felt froggy.
After a few seconds of glaring at each other some more, he shrugged. Whatever, man. He might as well do something useful while he waited for Rori. The disaster in the kitchen wasn’t going to clean itself up. Af stared off into space before crouching next to Rori, expression curious. Dec warned, “Don’t you dare touch her!”
“Calm down, Prince Charming. I’m not going to hurt her. I’ve never seen anyone astral project before—just curious—that’s all.” He reached for her hand and Dec snatched his wrist, hauling him upright again.
“I. Said. Don’t. Touch. Her. Your energy isn’t safe for her. Especially while she’s vulnerable.” He crowded Af’s space until he retreated several feet. “In fact, why don’t you stay this far back? I don’t know how much of your darkness will leech out, and I’m not willing to risk her soul.”
Af threw up his hands and backed up, eyes lingering on Rori’s face. The attention made Dec nervous. Very nervous. The last thing they needed was the Angel of Wrath sticking around. It was shitty luck that he ended up here in the first place. Friggin’ bad omen for sure. No one in their right mind wanted anything to do with Af. He trailed hate and chaos behind him like a fog. Even the most tenderhearted creature snapped eventually. He was toxic. The longer he was around, the worse the darkness became. For him to show up right before the wedding . . . Well, he wasn’t going to let that thought even rattle around his brain. The wedding would be perfect. He and Rori would get married and live happily ever after as he promised.
Af chuckled, the sound more menacing than amused. “Ever the optimist, aren’t you, my wingless friend? Happily ever after’s for romance novels. What makes you think you really have a chance at that with her? Because you love her?” He shoved his sweaty hair off of his face and barked a hard laugh. “There isn’t enough love in the world to get past the stain on that girl’s soul.” A sudden icy contempt flashed in his eyes. “I’m telling you now—she’s not what you think she is. You’re a fool if you think she’s yours.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Rori’s fine.” He was so close to clocking Af again that he had to back away. Rori’s color was starting to pinken up, which usually meant she was coming around. The last thing she needed was to wake up to the two of them beating the crap out of each other again. So, instead of slamming Mr. Doom and Gloom into the nearest wall, he sucked in a few deep breaths and counted to ten. Come on, Zen, I know you’re out there.
“You don’t sound too sure about that.”
“I’m as sure as I need to be. Get away. She’s coming back.”
As usual, the tremors started in her extremities and got stronger by the time they passed through her torso. Delicate gold particles coalesced above her before spreading out to coat her skin with a sweat-like sheen. In the blink of an eye, her soul settled into its proper place and she shuddered one last time. He had seen her project several times, but it always gave him the heebie-jeebies. It just wasn’t natural. Now that she was back, he cradled her in his arms. “Rori?”
She blinked in slow motion as awareness gradually came back. After drawing a shaky breath, she frowned. “What is he still doing here?”
Af ignored Dec’s order to stay back and copped a squat beside them. His eyes gleamed with a faint reddish hue as he dragged them over Rori’s body before finally fixing his gaze on her face again. Those eyes. They creeped Dec out more than any demon had. Something about them was just . . . off.
“Does it hurt when you do that?”
Instead of answering, she went to the sink to get a glass of water. Finally turning back to them, she said, “It feels odd. Like I’m coming out of my skin. But it’s not painful. Honestly, I’m getting more used to it now. It’s not that bad. It’s the visions that hurt.” She rubbed at her stomach and swallowed some more water. “The gory details make me sick. Sometimes the visions are very specific.”
“What did you see?”
She leaned into Dec’s side and rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, seeking some comfort; reassurance, maybe. He wrapped his arm around her to fit her more tightly to his body. He felt the same connection he always felt when they touched. Her blood, her heart, her soul, all seemed to call to him. Everything was perfect. She was perfect. Af was wrong. She was his. All his.
The details of the scene were fading but not completely yet. Rori closed her eyes for a few seconds to pull the fragments back together before saying, “Hand me that note pad. I need to write it down before I forget.” Dec tossed her the small pad they kept on the bar, and she made notes while explaining, “It’s a woman. I’m sure of it. I can’t make out the whole situation, though. I’m getting it in pieces. I’ve dreamt about her the past few nights. This time I ended up in some coastal town. It felt foreign. Maybe Asia?”
“Asia? Weird. We don’t have any cases there.” Dec lifted his butt to the counter top and rested his shoulders against the kitchen cabinets. Tipping his head back, he closed his eyes while his thumb tapped a helpful rhythm against the top of his thigh.
She knew him well enough to know exactly what was going through his mind. Dec and Sean had a kill list, called simply “The List” whenever it came up in conversation. The List included certain perps, usually child killers, who somehow got away with terrible crimes. So far all of the people on The List were in the U.S. since the guys were stationed in the eastern part of the U.S. since the country was founded. Although they sometimes did a job in Europe, they rarely did any Primani work in Asia or South America. There were other Primani stationed in those locations, like her father, Keil. He spent all of his time in Asia. Maybe this was a gig for him?
Knowing he’d need all of the details she could remember, she closed her eyes and blurted out the rest of the vision before the images vanished. “There were soldiers. It seemed like they were invading the town, but it was the middle of the night. They were sneaking in.” She paused to think and added, “There was a ship full of them and they were armed to the teeth.”
“Pirates?”
Inserting his big body between them, Af snickered rudely and sneered, “Not pirates, dumbass. Guerilla fighters.” After a few seconds, he pinned her with those unreadable eyes, demanding in a vicious tone that almost made her forget her name, “Think hard. Were there mountains by this town? Was it on a lake or the sea? What language were they using?”
“Do you know something?”
“Just answer my questions, woman.”
“Stop bullying me! I can’t think with you all up in my space.” She nearly smiled at his expression. He looked like he’d swallowed a bug, but he backed up a couple of feet and inclined his head for her to continue.
She drew another shaky breath and muttered, “Thank you,” while trying to reclaim the vision.
The men had come by boat, but the body of water didn’t seem large. “It was hard to see. There was a lot of rain coming down. There were mountains directly across from a small harbor. It didn’t feel like an ocean to me. Too small. No surf. Enclosed. Maybe an inlet? The men were dressed in black cammies and had Russian weapons.”
Af’s eyes narrowed in surprise. “What makes you so sure they were Russian?”
“I’m not an idiot, Af. Dec’s trained me on these things. If I’m going to help him, I need to know what I’m looking at. So, yes, I’m sure they were Russian. You don’t have to believe me, you know. Feel free to go away anytime you get bored with my report.”
Dec agreed with an evil smile. “Yeah, Af. Feel free to fuck off and die. We don’t need your input.”
“And miss out on the only skill Uriel’s pet project has to offer? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” He waved a hand for her to keep talking. “Do continue. I’m sure you’re going to fascinate me. I’m hanging on your every word.”
“Whatever.” Stretching tiredly, she blinked and yawned. “I’m going to make coffee and plant my butt in front of the laptop for a while. Maybe surfing some maps will help me figure out what I saw.”
“That’s your plan? You’re going to sit on your ass and surf the web?” Af rounded on Dec, voice rising with disbelief. “This is how you do things around here? No wonder your city is so jacked up. How the hell do you expect to keep the demons in check with this lazy-ass attitude? What’s the point of having your own juicy little psychic if you don’t exploit her visions? For fuck’s sake, use your powers to siphon her visions so you can follow the breadcrumbs. Your dumb ass should be halfway across the world by now!”
Whoa! Siphon her visions? Was that possible? Dec heaved himself away from the counter and backed Af against the nearest wall. With eyes spitting anger, he wrapped his fingers around Af’s bicep, digging hard, leaning in close for a little one-on-one chat. “You need to chill your jets, asshole. I’m just about sick to death of your mouth. No one asked you to survive.” Shoving him hard, he ordered, “Get the hell back to your room and leave Primani business to me. You hear me?”
And so the next pissing contest begins, but this time Af didn’t respond with a snarky comeback or scathing insult. No. Instead, he calmly reached out to pinch Dec’s chin between his fingers, forcing his head up so they were eye to eye. Af’s eyes gleamed like hellfire and Dec’s went totally blank. His face drained of color as Af leaned even closer. Nose to nose, Af’s hard features were like stone now, except for his lips. They moved as he spoke words too quietly for her to hear. Dec’s body began to twitch, subtly at first, the trembling increasing until his hand dropped away from Af’s shoulder and swung limply at his side. As the shaking intensified, his color blanched to white, his eyes rolling back and forth in their sockets.
“Dec!” She lunged at Af, clutching at his arm, trying to drag him away. “Stop it! Let him go!”
Without breaking eye contact, Af said simply, “No.”
Dec’s brain was going to explode. The pressure was too much. There was no way his noggin wasn’t cracking like a walnut. He would kick himself in the ass if he could get some control of his body, but that didn’t seem to be happening any time soon. Hanging limp as a puppet, he cringed inwardly as Af’s will forced its way into his mind like a million needles stabbing his grey matter; the pain unexplainable; the violation horrifying. This was his fault. He knew better! Raphael had warned him to not ever touch the other angel. He’d warned him not to listen to his taunts or let him get under his skin. This was what Af had wanted. If he was trapped on the human plane, he’d use all of his powers to stir up a shitstorm wherever he was. And he’d fallen for it. Just like that.
Fuck.
Next to them, Rori yelled and cussed at Af, but her voice faded until he heard nothing at all. Ignoring her completely, Af smiled coldly as his fiery eyes bored holes into Dec’s brain. He’d finally gotten close enough to act and he wasn’t letting go.
Again, fuck.
He was so screwed.
As the angel’s will drilled more deeply, he braced for the onslaught.
You’re angry, Declan. I can taste the fury surging in your blood.
No shit. I’m pissed at you, asshole. Stop fucking with my head. Get out and fight like a man.
Af snickered, easily maintaining eye contact, only stiffening slightly when Rori grabbed his arm.
No! Rori, don’t touch him!
Unable to hear his thoughts, she tugged and pulled at Af’s forearm, becoming furious and terrified as her efforts did nothing. Af’s lips curled into the barest mockery of a smile.
No! Stop it. Rori, let go! He struggled to free himself, but his body wasn’t his to command; his voice was silenced even as he got his full hearing back. Rori’s pleas broke his heart. Her voice choked with sobs, tears rolled over her cheeks, but she wouldn’t give up.
Good girl! Keep your hands on me. Af’s mouth tightened in concentration before relaxing into a satisfied smile of victory.
The transformation was almost instant. Blood swarmed to Rori’s face, her eyes narrowed to slits, her voice rose as she tugged at Af’s immovable arm. Her nails dug into his skin as she pulled at him. Dec felt her heart pounding in her chest, smelled the sweat dripping down her back, and Af’s blood coming through the rips in his skin. Knowing full well what his touch would do to her, Af ignored the pain and let her tug and pull at him without flinching. The longer she touched him, the more affected she’d be. Panting now, she pounded her fists against Af’s back but he ignored her. Still he murmured just under his breath and Dec hung helpless.
Spun up to furious shrieks, she shouted, “Stop it! Let him go!” until her voice was hoarse with strain and thick with tears.
Leave her alone, Af! She’s a good woman. You’re hurting her!
The burning in Af’s eyes dimmed. It sounds like you’re ready to beg, Primani. Are you? The satisfaction in his voice sent shivers racing over Dec’s skin. Will you beg me to leave her alone? There’s no shame in groveling. Everyone does eventually. It’s the weakness of humanity. You want to protect what’s yours. I get that. Though why you’d want that dirty soul is a mystery to me.
You sonofabitch! She’s not dirty. Let her go. I’m warning you . . .
Af raised an eyebrow in amusement. Warning me? I’ve got you by the balls. You’re not going anywhere until I decide to release you.
With his free hand, he reached around to Rori and captured her wrist in his hand. The effect was catastrophic.
Her heart rate spiked faster and faster as Af’s rage raced through her brain, the chemicals overwhelming her system, overloading her psyche until she snapped. Her harsh breathing and thundering heartbeat simply stopped and the room went deathly quiet as she crumbled to her knees, eyes blank as a broken doll.
Rori! No! Dec’s saol burst into flame as a rage more powerful than anything he’d ever felt lit him up from the inside out. As the emotion lashed him, his fingers finally responded to his brain’s commands and he snatched Af’s neck in both hands. With the eye contact broken, Af’s hold wavered enough to give Dec the advantage again.
His eyes burned incandescent as he cut Af’s air supply to zip. Af’s face flushed, his evil eyes went wide, his pupils dilated. Not in fear. No. He wasn’t afraid of Dec. He was enjoying the rush. Enjoying watching Dec lose his mind and act on the rage he’d been holding inside. No, not fear.
Let it go, Primani. Let it take you.
Satisfaction.
Ride the rage.
Knowing perfectly well that he couldn’t kill Af, Dec roared with frustration before slamming Af’s head into the wall until blood ran.