“There are rumors that Sammael has set a bounty on Eve’s head,” he explained. “Demons from all over the world are flooding the area where we live. You’re a prime target. You always have been.”
“Like Evangeline is?” she rejoined. “And now she doesn’t have you to lean on.”
His teeth ground audibly, his temper barely checked. “Abel will keep her safe. That’s his job. Not that he’s been doing it so far—”
“Then, he can keep me safe, too.”
Alec pushed to his feet. “For fuck’s sake, Ima! She’s a Mark. She is trained to kill demons. You can’t compare the two of you.”
“Don’t use that tone with me!” Her hands went to her hips. “You need me. Evangeline needs me. I’m sure your home is a veritable fortress in order to protect her. It can protect me, too.”
“Not like Shamayim. Nothing can get to you here.” He ran an aggravated hand through his hair. “I can’t deal with worrying about you right now, okay? I can’t,”
“I’m coming along to worry about you, not the other way around.” His mother left the room, heading toward the back of the house and her bedroom.
He followed, but stopped when he found his father filling the front doorway with his broad-shouldered frame.
Adam shrugged. “Her mind is hard to change once it’s been set. I’ve never been able to do it.”
“She could be killed’ Alec bit out. “It’s as dangerous now as it’s ever been.”
“I heard.”
Which meant that after Alec had come inside, his father had left the field to make inquiries and get brought up to speed on events. Since Jehovah was probably unaware of the full extent of the story, either Adam still didn’t know everything or he had a source of information within the ranks of the seraphim.
The seraphim didn’t give anything for free.
Alec was beginning to wonder if his entire family was a pawn in a bigger game he couldn’t see because he was in the thick of it.
“How much were you told?” he asked.
As Adam stepped inside, he pulled off his hat and met Alec’s gaze squarely. “Enough to know that your mother isn’t going anywhere without me. So you better have enough room for both of us,”
***
The new Alpha of the Black Diamond Pack met Reed outside the gates of the Charleston Estates community and together they began walking toward a nearby public park. Although the Alpha appeared to be alone, Reed knew wolves followed them. If Chaney was an idiot, he’d try an attack. Taking Abel down could be seen as a way to firmly establish his new position. But if Chaney was smart, he would consider a long-term alliance more valuable than a quick strike that would bring the wrath of God upon his pack.
California had three Brentwoods—one in Northern California, where Reed presently was; one near Victorville; and one in Los Angeles. This particular Brentwood had once been a farming community, but it was becoming increasingly residential as the years passed. The sidewalk they traversed framed a wide street. Around them, the youth of the buildings was evidenced by their modern architecture.
As they walked, Reed worked judiciously to keep his connection to Eve at bay. At the moment, the less she knew, the safer she’d be. He had no choice but to trust that Cain and the guards would keep her safe for now. Cain was a prick, but he wasn’t idiotic enough to jeopardize her life over personal issues.
“To say I’m surprised you came to see me would be an understatement,” Chaney said, after they’d walked a couple of blocks. “Are you here about the breeding operation?”
“No. I’m well aware that Grimshaw’s hellhound whispering days are done.” Reed had moved on to the next problem in line.
“So, then,” Chaney glanced at him. “What do you want?”
“I think we’d better start off with what you want. Are you taking part in the bounty hunt for Evangeline Hollis?”
The Alpha’s stride faltered, a mistake Grimshaw would never have made. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
It didn’t matter that Reed had no intention of following through with his plan. Just discussing it aloud—especially to an Infernal—scared the shit out of him, but he needed a bargaining chip to get things rolling. Later, he could work on the logistics of the double cross. There were a lot of bigger fish in the pond than Eve, even with her ties to him and Cain.
“Well, you’re still up here,” Reed continued. “So I could take that as a sign that you’re not interested in collecting the prize. But it’s such a rare opportunity to participate in the kind of free-for-all we’re seeing in Orange County now.” Reed kept his gaze straight ahead. “I thought every ambitious demon was pursuing it.”
“Like you said,” Chaney muttered tightly, “I’m still here and I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment. Besides, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Right.”
They reached the park and turned into it, taking a winding cement path toward a cluster of sheltered picnic tables. The night air was temperate, the breeze light and pleasant. Around them, Reed could sense wolves watching, moving, even though he couldn’t hear them. They kept downwind and he wondered if they thought he was stupid, or if they were just poorly trained.
Stopping abruptly, Reed said, “Then we’re done here.”
Chaney rounded on him, slightly hunched as if prepared to pounce. His lip curled back, revealing pointed canines. “You didn’t step out of your comfort zone for nothing,” he growled. “What do you want?”
Reed shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. “I want Raguel back.”
“What the fuck? Since when is he gone?”
It was clear the Alpha was clueless about the archangel, as evidenced by the strength of his reaction compared to the one he’d had to the mention of the bounty hunt. Sammael was cunning enough to know that the knowledge would be more valuable to upper-level demons when kept a secret; whereas for lesser demons, sharing would be of greater benefit.
Chaney straightened, his eyes glowing yellow in the moonlight. “Whatever it is, I want in.”
Reed hid his satisfaction behind a bored mien. “It will take more than enthusiasm to get the job done.”
“And it’ll take more than vague references to missing archangels to get the rest of what you need from me?’
So. . . the Alpha had a little bite to go along with his bark.
Rocking back on his heels, Reed asked, “Were you privy to the discussions Charles had with Asmodeus?”
“I was privy to everything.”
“Excellent. Let’s get him involved again.” The overly-ambitious king of Hell needed to be dealt with as well.
Chaney’s head cocked to one side. “I take it you’re offering your brother’s whore in trade? I’m not sure that’s fair. An archangel for a green Mark.”
“Sammael clearly thinks she’s valuable.”
“But you don’t?”
“Like you said, she’s Cain’s whore,” Reed drawled, fists clenching in his pockets.
“You two still haven’t gotten over yourselves?” Chaney laughed, the yellow of his eyes softening. “His promotion must really sting.”
“You assume I couldn’t have prevented it, had I wished.”
The narrowing of Chaney’s eyes betrayed his renewed unease. It was best if the Alpha didn’t get too comfortable around Reed.
Clearing his throat, Chaney said, “Ah, well... Works in my favor, doesn’t it?”
“I’m also willing to discuss sweetening the deal, but first, I need to know that Raguel is alive.”
“I’ll get to work on that.”
Reed extended his hand to the Alpha. When the gesture was accepted, his mouth curved.
The Alpha began to scream, then howl, his knees giving way so that he kneeled before Reed like a supplicant. As dark forms rushed out of the bushes and - leaped over backyard fences, Reed released him. Chaney held his injured hand in the palm of the other, gasping.
“You should memorize that,” Reed suggested, gesturing to his cell phone number now seared into the Alpha’s palm, “before it heals.”
Chaney’s head tipped up toward the moon and his true visage shimmered just beneath his mortal guise. As his pack bounded toward them, his mouth widened into a terrible maw, his yellow eyes glowing from pain and the resulting bloodlust.
Reed sketched a quick bow, then shifted to Gadara Tower.
* * *
“You hired bodyguards to protect you from... demons?” Riesgo asked carefully.
“Um.. .“ Eve’s mark heated, even though she hadn’t yet voiced the lie.
“Do you believe the reverend is a demon?”
“No! He’s a pain in my ass, but he’s not a demon.” He shook his head, as if she were a troublesome and frustrating child.
“Those two are guarding you like they expect something to run onto the field and tackle you.”
“How do you know so much about guards?” She shifted in an effort to get more comfortable on the cold metal bleachers. Mark or not, a hard seat was a hard seat.
He bent forward, putting his forearms to his thighs. “I was born in Inglewood, raised in Compton, and nearly killed in a knife fight when I was fifteen.”
“Gangs?”
“Sureno.”
“Wow. Is that how.. . ?“ Eve touched her cheek in echo of his.
“No. Got the scar in the Rangers.”
She nodded to herself. That made sense. Military service explained the confident, capable, yet dangerous vibe he gave off as well as the knowledge hinted at by his comments.
Eve wondered if he’d joined the priesthood as a way to save his life. Most gangs were “blood in, blood out”—you killed someone to get in and you had to be dead to get out. But a priest’s robes would be a hard barrier for a would-be killer to get past.