it could be his death. “Sinistari?”
“Surprise,” she singsonged. “You were expecting someone a bit more macho?”
“Oh, I think you’ve mastered macho.”
And he had only to stab his fingers between her ribs and rip out the hard, metal heart that, like his, never beat.
He couldn’t take her out in the club. Everyone would notice. And he guessed she’d put up a splendid fight.
“Could you put the blade away?” he asked calmly. “One thing I do know is that thing only works on me when I’m in half form.”
More specifically, when he was half human, half angel, and attempting to have sex with his mortal muse. Like that was ever going to happen.
“Sorry to break this to you, Red, but I’m not going to give you what you want.”
“You’re a liar.”
“We just met, sweetheart. And frankly, you don’t know anything about me and what I want on this earth. And how are you a female?”
She kicked back in the booth and put up one snakeskin-booted foot on the table. If she weren’t Sinistari, Cooper would find her attractive. Hell, he’d already been thinking about what he would do if she were naked and was allowed to unleash his arsenal of kisses upon her.
But not a Sinistari demon. No way in Beneath or Above. The Sinistari’s only task was to slay the Fallen. That meant him.
The pretty redhead with the bubble-gum smile and savory scent was the last female walking this earth Cooper wanted to touch, unless it was to rip out her heart.
And yet, one always kept their enemies close if one wished to draw breath the following morning.
“This is the way I was forged,” she offered, her elbow hooking over the back of the booth. She chewed the gum and snapped it loudly. “You don’t like it? Tough. Now, I don’t want to spoil your fun, and I am disappointed you’re not sexing up your muse right now, but tell me why vampires are following you.”
“Vampires?”
“You didn’t notice? Figures. You’re too busy picking out tonight’s sheetmate. There are two bloodsuckers in the club, and they are hot on your plaid butt.”
Cooper wasn’t sure how vampires played into the game between Sinistari and Fallen. Nor had he noticed, or would he notice, if a couple of vampires had been eyeing him up. They blended easily with mortals, and their kind could only determine one from another by a touch called the shimmer. An angel could connect to that shimmer, but only if he were searching for such a connection.
“You’re mistaken,” he said.
“I’m never wrong.”
“That’s funny, considering you can’t have been on earth more than a few days. Never hasn’t quite the impact.”
Twisting her hair about a finger, she nodded toward the balcony railing. “Look down there.”
He followed her pointing finger, but was wary she had not put away the blade. The Sinistari demon wielded the only blade that could pierce his solid glass heart and kill him.
Over by the balcony a man in a dark suit with dark hair and a neatly squared red tie cast his glance over the dance floor below.
“He’s not a vampire. How can you possibly know?”
“He smells like blood and I saw the fangs.
Besides, I can sense them the same way I can sense the Fallen. Vibrations, baby. He’s a vamp. There’s another one below. They’re doing the tag team thing. But whatever. If you won’t listen to me, fine. I’ll follow your wake when you leave the club. Did you, um … bring your wooden stake?”
She twirled her knife, smiling mockingly as she did, then tucked it away in the leather sheath strapped under her arm. How she had gotten past security with that thing was beyond Cooper.
“Guess not.” She snapped her gum and the tilt of her head dusted a swath of gorgeous hair over a shoulder. “So, Juphiel.”
“That’s not my name,” he corrected quickly. “Not here. Not on earth.”
“Yeah? Okay, I’ll play. What’s the name of the man I’m going to poke with my big pointy knife and rip the heart out of?”
Chapter 2
“You’re kidding me, right?”
The man was ten kinds of sexy. And Pyx had been on earth such a short time even one kind of sexy was intriguing. His gray eyes featured wild spots of color. Each time she looked at them she saw a new one, azure, green, violet—or it could be the club lights. The shadow of a mustache emphasized his lips. And his square jaw advertised power and strength, a warrior.
Warriors she appreciated, and could definitely waste some time admiring. Angels were warriors, but so not her type.
It wasn’t fair. He was the enemy. She existed on this earth to kill him, not admire him.
And don’t forget it.
“Cooper Truhart?” she said after he’d given her his name. “What kind of name is Cooper?”
“I was conjured to earth and landed on top of a car,” he said casually. A wink was followed by a dangerous melt-her-steel-heart smile. “You should be glad I didn’t go with Mini.”
“You don’t use your angel name?”
“I have no desire to defame my divine name as I walk this earth. You don’t like it, that’s not my problem. What is my problem, is you. If I can’t kill you—and I’m not into murdering women—then I’ll need to turn my back. I’ll be leaving now. Not that you’re not a peach to talk to, but demons are not my thing.”
“You’re not my thing either, angel boy,” she called as he slid from the booth and strode off.
The kilt hem hit at his knees, and revealed tight, muscled legs with dark hair. He scratched his hip and batted that same sexy wink over his shoulder at her.
Pyx nodded, but couldn’t find a smile. “Idiot. He has no clue about the vampires. Guess someone better keep an eye on the poor, lost fallen angel. Because if I don’t, he’ll never survive to find his muse.”
And why not kill her? Since when did angels discern the moral quandary between killing a male or female?
Curse the black sea Beneath! Why breasts and curves? If this was a joke on her for something she’d done or not done the previous round she’d been summoned to stalk the Fallen, she did not appreciate it now. Because, okay, she had slipped up then. Then, she’d not located the Fallen she’d been assigned to kill until it was too late—a nephilim had been born.
She would prove herself this go-around. Her pride—yet another necessary sin—demanded it.
Easing
