He kissed her. Had to. He didn’t crush his lips down on hers like he craved. He just caressed with his mouth and his tongue and he tasted her.
She moaned into his mouth, a breathy, hungry little sound that made him want her all the more.
But not there. Not with the stench of the alley around them. Not with onlookers so close. This time, it would be right.
He caught her hand once more. “Come with me.” They’d go back to Sam’s. He’d strip her and taste her and savor the time they had left.
Because he knew … that time wouldn’t last long.
But I won’t kill her. His darkest fear and the reason he’d tried to force her away. One touch … but for her, his touch only brought pleasure. He’d make sure that pleasure was all she ever knew from him.
For the others who came after her … he’d make sure they would only know pain.
Az stared down at the still body of Bobby “Bo” Reynolds. Reynolds hadn’t been a particularly nice or remarkable human. Sure, he’d had a few good moments, but Bo had let bitterness lead him to vicious acts.
Now, he was just dead.
Az had been the one to shuttle Bo’s soul. He’d seen Bo’s last moments. Az had known that Bo would try to go out fighting, and he had.
Az turned away from the body. Just a shell now. Keenan was already gone with his vampire—running away from the scene of his crime without looking back once. No remorse. No guilt. Killing was becoming easier for him.
Keenan was changing. Adapting. Evolving?
Soon there would be no stopping him.
Az wouldn’t be able to ignore Keenan’s threat much longer. If he did, Az knew it could prove to be a fatal mistake.
So he flew away from the crowd. He let his wings brush through the air in powerful arcs as he sought the ones who would aid him. The coyotes were done mourning their dead. And at least they’d mourned—some Other didn’t care about those who passed.
He landed near the coyotes and touched ground close to the alpha. The alpha—Carlos was his name—tensed as his nostrils flared. The coyotes wouldn’t be able to see him, but with their enhanced sense of smell, he knew they might pick up on his presence.
He was counting on their enhanced senses to help him. Because projecting his voice and energy for too long would be a dangerous drain on his strength.
“Find Sam.” To him, his voice boomed, but to the coyotes, it was probably little more than a whisper.
Carlos tensed, then spun around in the next breath. His gaze swept the clearing.
Helping fate could be a real pain. “Find … Sammael.” He used all of his energy to blast at Carlos.
“Sammael,” Carlos repeated, voice soft and subdued.
“He’ll take you … to the Fallen.” Projecting out of his realm was nearly impossible. But, at least he was dealing with a shifter. Humans hardly ever heard the whispers, well, roars of angels.
With his strength dwindling, he left the shifter and hoped that Carlos would be successful in his hunt.
It grated that he had to leave his fate in the hands of a cold-blooded killer.
But sometimes, you couldn’t really choose your allies … or your enemies. You just had to be ready to fight, to kill, or to die.
He was ready.
Was Keenan?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sam’s place was as quiet as a tomb. The lights were off, the silence thick and deep. As soon as he walked inside, Keenan knew they were alone.
He’d taken five steps up the stairs when Nicole caught his hand. “Keenan … wait.”
Her voice was weak, breathless. They’d run back through the city, moving so fast humans wouldn’t remember them.
“I need …” Her husky voice had his body tensing. He knew what she needed. He turned, took her into his arms, and pressed her up against the stair railing.
“Drink from me,” he whispered as he urged her head closer to his neck.
Her lips pressed against his skin. Her mouth trembled and then he felt the slight sting of her teeth.
At her bite, the whisper of pain disappeared and pleasure pumped through his body. Had she really been close to biting Sam earlier?
A growl built in his throat as his hands tightened on her.
But then he froze. Ice poured through his veins, and he pushed her away.
“Keenan?” Her tongue swiped out and licked away the drops of blood on her lips. “Wh-what’s wrong? Was I taking too much?”
His hands clenched. “I …” He took a breath and tried to fight down the rage that had risen within him. “I was afraid I’d hurt you.” A careless touch. An angry thought. Was it that simple? What if he crossed the line? Control.