Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
He couldn’t make it back to his house. Too far. Tanner needed her, naked and beneath him, needed to be in her, so badly that his whole body shook.
But her first time wouldn’t be in a vehicle. Or up against some dirty alley wall. She deserved better. He’d give her everything that he could.
He parked the SUV near the river. She followed him out of the vehicle, asking no questions. Just staring at him with eyes that reflected his own hunger. Tanner caught her hand and led her inside the old building and up the winding stairs. Up higher, higher, to the small apartment that he kept as an escape in the city.
He’d never taken anyone else here. Before, he’d wanted to be alone. To be able to stand above the city. To look out at the river.
Freedom.
“Tanner?”
He led her into the bedroom. Threw open the balcony doors and let the sunlight pour in.
She was beautiful with the sunlight on her. As beautiful as she was in the moonlight.
Always so perfect to him.
Don’t fuck this up.
The panther was snarling inside of him. As desperate for his mate as any predator could be.
He took a breath. Tasted her. “Get on the bed.” He had to give her pleasure first. Had to make sure that she enjoyed what was to come.
But his angel wasn’t looking shy and innocent. Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes bright. As she headed for the bed, her perfect ass doing a little roll that he hadn’t even realized she could do, Marna stripped.
She kicked her shoes away. Tossed her T-shirt to the floor. Slid out of her jeans in a move that had his cock twitching.
Clad in her underwear and bra, she slid onto the bed. Big, king-sized, the bed was positioned to face the river.
The view of the river was amazing. But it was nothing compared to the view he had of her right then. Damn, she looked good enough to eat.
And he did like to bite.
Tanner yanked off his own T-shirt and began to stalk toward her.
“Do I get to…taste this time?” she asked him, her voice a mix of sin and innocence.
The beast inside snarled.
If she put her mouth on him— fuck, yes— he was done. “Me first.” Then he caught her ankle. Pulled her legs apart. His nostrils flared as he inhaled her scent.
Nothing had ever smelled as good. Sex and flowers. Sin and temptation.
Paradise.
He climbed onto the bed. Settled between those long, silken legs, and put his mouth right between her thighs.
She whispered his name, and he kissed her through the thin silk of her underwear.
The panties were getting wet. Good. He wanted her wetter. He needed her wetter. Marna had to be ready for him. She had to want this as much as he did.
Want me more than your next breath. The way he wanted her.
His fingers slid under the panties. Found the tight entrance to her body. Thrust inside. She squirmed beneath him. Not trying to get away. Closer.
He tore away her panties. Put his mouth against the hot heaven he wanted to taste. And he tasted. His tongue slid over her. Into her. Her hips arched and her breath panted out.
He licked. Learned every curve of her body.
She whispered his name.
He kept tasting. More. More.
She came against his tongue.
The first time.
The second time, he’d make sure she came when he was buried deep in her.
The climax had her stiffening beneath him. Arching her body. Closing her eyes.
He loved the taste of her pleasure. Rich, but sweet.
He jerked open his jeans. Pulled out his cock. Her body waited, open, perfect. With one hand, Tanner guided his cock to the entrance of her body. Her eyes were on him. Wide. Eager. No hesitation. No fear.
Jaw clenched, he began to thrust inside her. So hot. Hot and tight. He pushed slowly, yanking back on the beast and fighting for control as hard as he could.
“It’s okay.” Marna’s whisper. “I want you.”
But for her first time, he had to use care. Later, he’d let the beast break free. This time…
Has to be for her.
His mouth took hers as he pushed deeper into her. His tongue slid over hers. Her legs wrapped around his hips. Nothing had ever felt so good. So damn perfect. Her sex wrapped around him, the best dream he’d ever had. Wet. Warm. Tight.
His muscles clenched as he fought the urge to plunge balls-deep into her. He wouldn’t hurt her.
Her nails dug into his shoulders. Her mouth broke from his. Her hips lifted up against his, demanding, even as she said, “More!”
Tanner gave her more. He pushed into her, one long, deep glide, and they both gasped.
So good. But…“Am I hurting you?”
Her nails dug into him. “Give me pleasure… again . ”
What his angel wanted, he’d make sure she got.
He withdrew, thrust, again and again. Sweat slickened his back, and he kept the beast inside chained up tight.
Not too hard. Not too wild. Not this time.
He caressed her breast. Sucked her nipple. Enjoyed the way her moans filled his ears, and the lush scent of sex deepened in the air around them.
He took her hips and positioned her so that he could thrust deeper. One hand dropped down, and his fingers raked over her clit with each move of his body.
She gasped his name again. Her sex tightened more around him. Her climax was close. He could see it in the blindness of her eyes. Hear it in her gasps. Close .
The panther snarled inside.
Tanner put his mouth on the curve of her shoulder. Licked her skin. Scored her with his teeth.
Bite.
Beasts liked to mark what was theirs. After this, there’d be no denying what she was anymore.
Angel.
Fallen.
Mine.
He thrust. Withdrew. Thrust?—
Marna came. Her sex clenched around him as pleasure flashed across her face.
That was what he’d wanted. Her climax milked his cock. Silken strokes that shredded his control.
Mine.
Deeper. Harder. He drove into her. Again and again. He pushed her legs over his shoulders. Opened her to him completely. Fast. Frantic. He plunged. The base of his spine tightened. He took her mouth. Tasted her?—
And came harder than he ever had in his life. Tanner held tightly to her, shuddering, as the pleasure pounded through him in a powerful wave that left him hollowed out.
But wanting more.
Of her, always, more.
His head lowered. He licked the small wound he’d made on her shoulder. She wouldn’t know the mark for what it was.
Claiming.
But he did.
“I understand.” Her voice was soft and satisfied.
Tanner forced his head to lift. His cock was already getting hard inside of her again.
Her gaze found his and a smile lifted her lips.
Fucking trouble. His chest began to ache.
“Now I know why.” She licked her lips, a fast swipe of her pink tongue. She’d offered to use that tongue on him before.
He thrust into her again.
Her eyes widened.
But he asked, “Why…?” Not sure what she’d meant.
Marna’s smile widened. The sight took his breath away even as she breathlessly explained, “I know why humans are so interested in sex.”
Ah, getting that part, was she?
He pushed up onto his elbows and stared down at her.
“They fight, lie, even kill…” Her breath whispered out as he pushed into her. “For the pleasure.”
A pleasure that could make a strong man break. Or drive him to destroy anyone or anything that came between him and the woman he wanted.
“I-I didn’t know…” Marna’s voice stuttered a bit as her hands curled around him.
He almost slid out of her, then pushed back.
“I didn’t know how good it would be,” she told him in a rush.
Tanner stilled and stared down at her. “Baby, it’s only gonna get better.” Time to show her that he was a man who could keep his promises.
Always.
Her sex was still slick from their releases. Pushing deep, he had her arching toward him. He rolled them, sliding so that she was on top, and giving him one phenomenal view.
Her hands flattened on his chest. “Tanner, I?—”
He locked his hands around her hips. Lifted her. He saw the flare of her pupils. She liked that.
Her knees pushed into the mattress as she pressed back down. Up. Down.
The second time should have been easier. Softer.
It wasn’t.
It was rougher. Harder.
She moved quickly on him, rising and falling, and he thrust into her wet heat. His hips pushed off the bed, and she gasped when he went deep inside of her.
Then Marna tried to take him even deeper.
Did she know her nails drew blood on his chest?
The panther growled.
His own claws wanted to break free— were breaking free. He yanked his hands up and away from her. The claws would be too sharp.
Not. Her.
He lifted his arms over his head and drove his claws into the wooden headboard. She stilled for an instant, and her gaze tracked up to his hands.
“Won’t…hurt you,” he grated. It was pretty phenomenal that he’d managed speech in that instance. All he could think was fuck her.
Her gaze came back to his. Held. “I know.”
Then she started moving again. Faster. Stronger. This time, she didn’t come with a whisper.
Marna shouted his name.
Only fair, since he roared hers when he exploded. His orgasm barreled through him. White-hot. The pleasure was so intense that he shuddered.
Fucking an angel had given him a taste of heaven. No, it had been better than paradise. Much better.
Her gasps filled his ears as she fell forward. Her blond hair covered them. He yanked his claws from the wood. Carefully, he put his arms around her. Held her close.
One taste wasn’t gonna be enough.
Not nearly enough to satisfy him—or the beast he carried.
Bastion turned away from the scene of the lovers, his hands clenched.
Marna was lost to him.
It shouldn’t have been this way.
Not for her. Not for him.
His wings beat against the air as he soared higher, higher into the sky. His heart raced, and his guts seemed to twist. And he wanted to destroy the shifter.
Rage.
Angels weren’t supposed to care about others. They did their jobs. They did their duty. There was nothing else.
Rip. Him. Apart.
How could she have let the animal touch her? Tanner’s own brother had been the one to slice away Marna’s beautiful wings. Why would she allow the beast to defile her now?
Humans lusted. They fucked. They took their pleasure when they wanted.
Angels were better than that. Marna had been better. Until the shifter came to her.
His wings beat faster against the air. Tanner would pay for what he’d done. Defiling an angel? Did the fool truly think there would be no consequences? There always were.
Punishment would come.
The fury deepened as he flew higher.
The shifter would suffer.
Just as Marna had suffered. And… just as I do.
Tanner’s phone rang, a loud peal of sound that had him swearing. He didn’t want to move. He wanted to stay buried inside of Marna and go for another round of lovemaking.
Maybe six more rounds?
Never get enough.
But the phone kept pealing at him. Swearing, he fumbled around the bed and found the jeans he didn’t remember ditching. Tanner fished out the phone—good thing he’d managed to snag it after his shift—then he tensed when he saw the number revealed on the screen.
Jonathan.
He glanced at Marna. Her wide eyes were on him. Slowly, carefully, he withdrew from her body.
A light gasp left her, and he caught the faintest scent of blood.
Virgin.
He’d just had sex with a virgin angel. There had to be some kind of special place in hell for a guy like him.
If she only knew all the things I’ve done.
Marna never would have let him touch her. Funny, because he would’ve traded the last remaining scrap of his soul for another chance to take her.
The phone rang again, vibrating in his hand. Turning away from her, he lifted it to his ear. “Chance.”
“You’ve got a real big problem,” Jonathan told him, voice low. There were shouts in the background. The sound of sirens.
Frowning, Tanner headed toward the balcony. “And that’s new…how?”
“A rookie cop was just rushed to St. Mary’s. The guy was left for dead in the street, and guess just who the hell was the last person he radioed in about?”
“I didn’t?—”
“He was still conscious when the EMTs pulled up, and the guy ID’d you.” A low hiss of breath whispered over the line, followed by the scream of more sirens. “Man, you need to come in to the station, freaking now, and clear this mess up.”
Tanner’s hand tightened around the phone.
“Otherwise,” Jonathan said, “you’re going to find your ass on the Most Wanted list, and every cop in the area will come gunning for you.”
The line went dead.
Sonofa—
“Tanner?” Marna’s voice. Soft. Worried. “What’s going on?”
He turned away from the balcony. “Looks like I’m wanted for an assault on an officer.” Assault? Attempted murder?
What. The. Hell?
“That kid who pulled us over…” He yanked on his clothes. Checked for his badge. He’d kept it shoved in his back pocket after flashing it to the other cop. “He’s on the way to the hospital.”
“What?” She jumped from the bed and gave him an eyeful that was enough to make his cock jerk up.
Down, dumbass. Now wasn’t the time for wanting. Though she could sure make him want more than any other.
“What happened to him?” she demanded as, with a wave of her hand, she had her clothes magically back on her body. Handy talent, only he liked it better in reverse, when those clothes hit the floor.
“What happened?” Tanner repeated, gut clenching as he thought about the possibilities of just what could have gone wrong on that stretch of road. “According to the young cop, me.”
Marna blinked. “I don’t understand.”
“He said I was the one who hurt him. And if I don’t get my ass down to the station and figure out what’s going on, then, baby, we could be in for a whole world of trouble.” Because Jonathan had been right. The rest of the cops would come looking for him.
And they might find her. He’d rather not explain a dead woman to the PD. Or a not-so-dead woman. It looked like he had enough shit hitting the fan without adding that to the menu.
Let the kid be all right. The thought whispered through his mind. The rookie had seemed like a decent sort. Na?ve, but— but he didn’t deserve death.
Tanner stalked toward Marna. He buried his hand in her hair—like silk—and tipped her head back. “Stay in the apartment. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
“I can help you!”
“You can stay out of sight.” The whole damn thing had to be a setup. One designed to make him a target. “Someone is trying to pin this attack on me, so that means someone wants me out of the way.” Why?
To get at Marna.
“I was there.” Her eyes searched his. “I know you didn’t do anything to that officer.”
No, he hadn’t done anything. This time.
She was staring up at him with those big, blue eyes. Looking at him like he was some kind of hero.
What will you do when she realizes just how like your brother you really are?
He swallowed back the fury that wanted to build and brought his lips to hers. One taste. Fast. That was all he allowed himself. For now. “I’ll come back,” he promised. “I’ll figure out what happened, and I’ll be back for you.”
Then, because there wasn’t anything left to say, he headed for the door.
He’d taken only a few steps when…
“Thank you.”
Her words stopped him cold. His hand was reaching for the doorknob. “For what?”
“Teaching me about pleasure.”
She was gonna break him.
“After all the pain…” Marna stopped, and he heard the faint inhalation of her breath. “I didn’t know that much pleasure was possible.”
Helpless, Tanner glanced over his shoulder. “Baby, we’re just getting started.”
Her smile lit up her face. “Yes, we are.”
And he realized that there had been something left to say, after all.
The police station was swarming with activity when Tanner marched inside. But all that activity sure stopped dead when folks got a look at him.
Every eye in the place turned to him. Every conversation—ended.
Great. He’d managed to piss off too many people in the PD over the years—people who were now only too eager to watch him burn. Just a few months back, he’d managed to anger even more cops when he’d donned a uniform and jumped into an investigation—one that had been headed by other officers. But that case had involved another angel and Brandt’s ex-lover. He’d had to get involved, or else those human cops would have wound up dead.
He stepped on toes. He made enemies. But the humans just didn’t get it—he’d done it all to keep them safe.
Now they were lining up to burn his ass. Too bad for them. He wasn’t in the mood for a bonfire.
“What the hell are you looking at?” Tanner snapped. He’d brought in his weapon and still had it holstered on his hip.
Two uniformed cops headed for him with eyes narrowed and we’ll-kick-the-shit-out-of-you expressions on their faces.
“Tanner Chance.” The captain’s bellowing voice stopped them all. Tanner glanced to the left and saw that Captain Jillian Pope had left her office. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest as she glared holes at every officer in the room.
After a moment, that glare of hers turned to him. “In my office,” she ordered.
Tanner began to cross toward her.
“Your ass is gonna fry,” one of the uniforms muttered as he passed. A guy named Lawson Phillips. They’d clashed before. “You think you can turn on one of your own?”
“I haven’t turned on anyone.” Tanner kept his voice flat. “It wasn’t me.” The fact that he was echoing words Marna had once said to him—well, yeah, that was damn fitting.
“Unlike people, video cameras don’t lie.”
That stopped him. He frowned at Lawson. “What are you talking about?” What video camera?
Lawson’s smile was evil. “The next time you play a game of hit the cop, make sure his car video isn’t turned on, dumbass.”
Oh, someone was begging for a beating. He could oblige.
“Chance.”
His head whipped back toward the captain. Her cheeks were flushed. “Inside. Now,” she demanded.
This was gonna be ugly. If his face was on that video, how the hell was he supposed to talk his way out of this mess?
“We’ll talk later,” he promised Lawson. The man backed up a step.
With one last glare at the uniform, Tanner headed into her office. She slammed the door closed behind him. Held up her hand. “I want your weapon, Detective Chance.”
With those words, Tanner knew he was screwed.
When she heard the pounding on the apartment door, Marna tensed. Was that Tanner? Back already?
But why would he be knocking at his own place? He had a key.
Not Tanner.
She crept toward the door.
The pounding shook the wooden frame. “I know you’re in there!” A man’s voice shouted through that wood. “Now open the door!”
Definitely not Tanner. Her hands flattened on the door. She glanced through the small peephole. Saw a tall, muscled man. Her heart began to race. Like she’d forget him anytime soon. It was pretty hard to forget the face of the cop who’d shot you.
Jonathan something. She couldn’t recall his last name, but she sure recognized Tanner’s partner.
As she stared at him in growing horror, he held up his gun and pointed it at the door. “Open up,” he ordered, “or I’ll just start shooting my way inside.”
She believed him.
Captain Pope marched back and forth in front of Tanner as anger tightened her small body. She’d been promoted just six months back, but she’d already gained a reputation for being one of the hardest ass-kickers in the New Orleans PD.
“You wanna tell me what the hell you were thinkin’?” she demanded, the South rolling hard in her words.
“I didn’t do it.” His conscience was clear on this one. “I didn’t hurt that kid cop.”
She scoffed. “You’re on the video. Big and bold as life.”
His jaw clenched. “How is he?” Because he was worried about the kid. The young cop had just been trying to do his job. And for that, some SOB had tried to kill him.
No, not for that. Tanner knew the killer had gone after the other cop deliberately. To pin the crime on me.
“Officer Paul Hodges is in intensive care,” the captain told him, and her voice was grim. As grim as her eyes. “Too many internal injuries to count. He’s spitting blood. Barely breathing.”
Hell.
“I don’t even know how he’s alive.” She turned away. Headed toward her small window and stared down at the street. “But he is alive. And he was able to ID you.”
“It’s a setup. I didn’t?—”
“Do I look like a moron to you?” She tossed a glare over her shoulder. “Even on video, I can tell one of my own kind.” And as he watched, the captain’s green eyes faded to black.
Demon black.
Tanner didn’t move. But he did sure wish that his gun wasn’t locked in her desk drawer.
Not that he needed the gun to kill but…
“Whoever that asshole was, he didn’t count on another demon watching that video.” She ran a tired hand over the back of her neck and paced back toward him. “Hell, that’s even if he knew that he was being recorded at all. My guess is he just used the glamour to fool that poor SOB he sent to the ICU.”
Even more careful now, because Tanner wasn’t sure just how much he could trust his captain—if at all—he said in a disbelieving tone, “Demons?”
Her eyes were still pitch black. Every part of them. Sclera. Lens. One of the supernatural rules? One demon was supposed to always be able to see the true eyes of another demon. The eyes could never deceive their own kind. A demon’s true eyes were always black—some said to match their souls.
Though Tanner didn’t believe that bullshit. His brother, Cody, was half-demon, and the guy wasn’t evil. Not even close.
Cody had been the only one to escape that particular family curse.
“Do I look like a freaking idiot to you, shifter?” the captain snapped.
He almost smiled. Would have, if he hadn’t been knee-deep in paranormal hell. “No, ma’am, you don’t.”
“Then let’s start shooting straight with each other, because if we don’t, there’s a roomful of cops out there I can toss your ass back to. Wanna see how fast they lock you up and throw away the key?”
Like any cage could hold him.
“Lady, don’t make me shoot you,” Jonathan told her, then paused and said, “again.”
Her eyes narrowed. Jerk.
“I watched the surveillance video from the patrol car. The techs on scene played it back, and I saw you. You were with Tanner when that cop questioned him.”
She’d worried that the officer might have seen her, but she’d never even thought about a camera in the squad car.
“I don’t have time for this crap.” The cop glanced over his shoulder, then back toward the door. Marna still had her eye pressed to the peephole. “I’m giving you to three, then I’m going to start firing. Once people realize who you are, do you really think they’ll care that I emptied a few bullets into a killer?”
Wasn’t he a charmer?
“One.”
Marna whirled away from the door. If she let him in, wouldn’t he just shoot her then? Probably, so letting him in didn’t exactly make sense to her. The fire escape was right outside the balcony. She could get out that way.
“Two!” he shouted.
She shoved open the balcony doors. Hurried outside.
“Three!” A shout and…he fired.
Fired?
So much for waiting.
Marna glanced back and saw him kick in the door. His bullet had taken out the lock, making it easier for him to bust inside. His gaze met hers. He had his gun up.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” he called out to her. The faint lines on his face tightened. “It doesn’t.”
There was no other way for it to be.
Marna grabbed for the fire escape.
And the thunder of another bullet chased after her.
The captain sat on the edge of her desk and lifted one brow. “Some rare demons are so strong when it comes to glamour magic that they can change every aspect of their bodies. Not just eyes. Everything. When humans look at them, the fools see only what the demon wants them to see.”
Yeah, he knew this bit. So Tanner finished, “And in this case, some rare demon wanted that kid to see me?”
She nodded. “Looks like you’ve got yourself one powerful demon for an enemy.” Her head cocked to the right. “Know someone like that? Someone strong enough with glamour magic that he could copy your face and body? That he could be your twin?”
Tanner made sure to keep his expression blank. “No. I don’t know many demons.” He offered her a tight smile. “Demons and shifters aren’t exactly close.”
“Really?” One dark brow rose. Her nails tapped on her desk. “That’s odd, especially since the gossip I heard said that your own brother was a demon.”
Someone had been talking too much.
“A demon gifted with a high level of glamour power.” She gave a low whistle. “Now, that same gossip also told me that you had two brothers.”
“Brandt is dead.” She would know about him. In the paranormal world, everyone had known about his panther-shifter brother. Hard to ignore a sadistic alpha bent on raising hell. And slaughtering everyone in his path.
“So the stories go.” Captain Pope rolled her shoulders. “But the stories also say that your family has a history of being some twisted fucks.”
True. So much for sugar coating. Tanner rose. “You shouldn’t listen to so many stories.” Time to leave. Either she could throw his ass in jail or?—
“And maybe you’re trusting the wrong person. Maybe fate didn’t just screw you with one sadistic killer of a brother. Maybe you’ve got two who want you dead.”
Tanner kept walking. “You’re wrong. I know Cody.” He’d protected his brother over the years. Taken punishments meant for his younger brother, over and over.
So much pain.
Cody wouldn’t turn on him.
And he sure wouldn’t turn on the only family he had left.
“We never know people nearly as well as we think.” Now a note of sadness had entered her voice. “We usually find out the truth far too late.”
He already knew the truth about Cody.
“We could clear this up quickly enough,” the captain offered. “Let me talk to Cody. Let me find out just what he’s capable of.”
Not a good idea. “My brother isn’t in the city.” He’d gone back to his place in the swamp. Cody craved his solitude. Being in the city just drove him crazy.
“So where is he?”
He could hear the rumble of voices on the other side of the door. “He’s got a makeshift clinic in the swamp. He helps out there.” Did she catch his not-so-subtle emphasis on help ? Because Cody wasn’t a killer. He was a doctor. Tanner exhaled. Time to make a move. “What happens now?” If he walked out of that door, was he gonna have to beat off the uniforms who came gunning for him? He’d just like to know, so he could be ready for the fight.
“Three responders on scene saw that video.”
Tanner glanced back over his shoulder.
“Me,” she said with a shrug and lifted her hand. “Your partner, and a loud-mouthed uniform named Lawson. I think you know him.”
Yeah, he knew the dick.
“Now we just have to convince those two that the footage was fake.”
“And you think that’s gonna be easy?” Lawson had probably already picked out Tanner’s cell.
“Easier than letting them know that demons are running wild on the streets, yeah.” Her eyes flashed black again. “Because some demons aren’t ready for the truth to be spilled to humans.”
He was guessing that she was one of those demons. Tanner cleared his throat. “Jonathan already knows about the supernaturals.”
Her gaze seemed to chill. “Is that why he was so eager to run off with his gun?”
Tanner hesitated. He didn’t like where this might be going.
“Humans who know the truth can be very, very dangerous,” she said.
Like he had to be told that. “Where is Jonathan?” A chill had settled in his gut.
“He left the crime scene. Raced away right after we rewound the footage some more, and he caught sight of the woman you had with you.”
Oh, hell, no.
The captain shook her head. “I’m not sure where the detective is now, he could be?—”
Tanner yanked open the door before she could finish. He rushed out into the bullpen. Slammed right into Lawson.
Lawson grabbed his arms. “Where the hell do you think?—”
Tanner tossed him aside. “Not now, asshole. Not now. ” He’d been tricked. Jonathan had lured him out, lured him away?—
So the prick could go after Marna.
Sonofabitch.
Jonathan was one of the few people in this town who knew about Tanner’s apartment in the city. Since he was Tanner’s partner, he’d needed a list of all Tanner’s residences, in case of an emergency. Does this count as an emergency?
“Stand down, Lawson!” he heard the captain shout behind him.
Then there were gasps. The faintest snick of a safety being released.
Humans wouldn’t have heard that sound.
A shifter wouldn’t have missed it.
“Stand down!” the captain screamed.
Tanner spun and saw that Lawson had taken aim at him. The cop’s gun was shaking, but he said, “A killer’s not just walking away.”
The other officers had frozen. What? Were they just gonna stand there and watch?
Then let’s give them a show.
Tanner leapt forward and yanked the gun right out of Lawson’s hand. He moved so fast that Lawson couldn’t even squeeze the trigger.
Then he turned the weapon right back on the human. “The captain cleared me.” He made sure his voice carried. He wanted everyone in the bullpen to hear this.
“No damn way!” Lawson’s whole body was shaking now. Staring down the barrel of a gun could do that to a man. “I was there, I saw?—”
“What the killer wanted you to see.” The captain’s footsteps rushed toward them. “I had my techs take another look at the video. The footage had been altered. One minute—one damn minute—and they knew it wasn’t Detective Chance.”
Tanner slapped the gun down on the nearest desk.
“He’s clear,” the captain’s voice thundered out, “and our job is to find out who the hell is trying to set up one of our own.”
Lawson’s breath heaved out. Tanner saw the fury— the hate— gleaming in his dark eyes. Another day, another time, and he would give the SOB the fight he wanted.
Today…
I have to get to her.
“Go,” the captain told him with a jerk of her head toward the door. “You have your orders.”
No, he didn’t. But then, he didn’t need orders. He knew how to kill on his own.
He’d learned to kill when he was nine years old. Too young?
Hell, yes.
And the blood was still on his hands.
He rushed for the precinct’s exit. Everyone made sure to get out of his way.
“You can’t run from me!”
The bullet had missed her and slammed into the metal of the fire escape.
She couldn’t run? What did it look like she was doing? Hanging around, waiting to have tea with the trigger-happy idiot?
Marna’s legs raced down the metal stairs.
And he followed right behind her. Fast, so fast for a human.
“I know what you are!”
She jumped to the ground. Staggered. Righted herself and?—
He grabbed her.
Very fast for a human.
And to touch her? No, he had no idea of what she was. “You shouldn’t do that,” she warned.
His breath heaved out. His face had reddened as he gave chase. “I’ve got…to know.”
She stared at him with wide eyes while her heart raced. “I don’t want to hurt you.” But she would. Pain was a part of life that she’d grown accustomed to since her fall.
His face—maybe some would have found it handsome, but she thought it looked too soft, too weak, not like Tanner’s fierce features—tightened. “And I don’t want to hurt you. If I had…” He lifted the gun in his hand. “I would have aimed better.”
But he’d already shot her once. Was she supposed to forget that? What was a little matter of blood and bullets between not-friends?
His gaze swept over her. “I knew you weren’t dead.”
She didn’t like the way his eyes dipped down her body.
“I thought you’d have wings.”
Her breath seemed to burn in her lungs. Maybe he did know what she was.
He whirled her around. “Shouldn’t you have wings?”
Not if they’d been cut away.
“Doesn’t matter.” He locked a cuff around her wrist. Snapped another around his own.
The human was asking for so much pain.
“There’s someone who wants to see you. You have to come with me.”
No, she didn’t. Marna yanked on her cuff and broke the chain linking it to his. One tug, that was all it took. She was getting stronger, too.
Time to show the human just how dangerous she could be.
The darkness inside of her—a darkness that she’d always sensed and fought to suppress—seemed to stretch as it filled her.
She smiled at the human and knew he’d never see what was coming for him—not until it was too late. A fire built inside of her, burning brighter. Hotter.
No more.
Time for her to stop being afraid. Time for others to fear her.