Broken Angel (Bad Things Book 4)

by Cynthia Eden

  Not too deep. But he hurt her.

  So the guy was a dead man. Done deal. Rayce didn’t normally kill humans, but when a human attacked an angel…

  Death wish granted.

  “Stay here, Lila,” Rayce ordered her.

  She blinked those incredibly, absolutely unearthly eyes at him.

  “I have two SOBs to kill.” Then he smiled at her. “Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”

  He could hear their footsteps racing away. The men thought they could flee through a back door? Ha. They needed to think again. He bounded after them.

  “No, wait!” Lila cried out. “I—”

  He wasn’t going to let those bastards get away. Hell, no. He surged through that narrow room and saw their exit door, still gaping open. Rayce shot through it and heard the ragged breathing of the idiots who thought they’d get away after hurting an angel.

  His angel.

  Another narrow flight of stairs led up and he jumped up them and was then racing into the cold night. Flecks of snow fell down on him. The men were fleeing toward a battered pick-up truck. The one who’d used the knife on Lila was at the passenger side door, fumbling to get it open.

  Rayce grabbed him and with one hand, he tossed that worthless piece of waste fifteen feet. The guy’s body slammed into the side of the low-rent bar as he screeched in pain.

  Rayce rolled back his shoulders and closed in on the screeching fool. “You think it’s fun to cut a woman’s throat?”

  The guy frantically shook his head. He’d risen to his feet, and he still clutched the knife in his hand.

  Rayce heard the truck engine growling behind him. Oh, the other guy thought he could get away from the scene? Not happening. Rayce turned back toward the truck. The tail lights were flashing. He lunged forward and grabbed the bumper just as the driver tried to fly forward. The guy obviously had’nt counted on a werewolf’s strength. Rayce lifted up the back of the truck and the two rear wheels spun in the air.

  “Freak!” An angry shout from the jerk who’d cut Lila. Only that human—

  Shit. He just stabbed me!

  Rayce felt the knife slide into his back. And the wound burned because the tricky sonofabitch was using a silver blade.

  “Bet you don’t like that, do you?” the man taunted. “Got plenty more for you…” He withdrew the knife, only to plunge it into Rayce again. Rayce had no choice. He had to let the truck go so he could defend himself. He dropped his hold on the bumper and whirled to confront the fool stabbing at him.

  The knife was coming for him once more. Rayce caught the guy’s wrist in his hand.

  “Know it makes you weak…know all your weaknesses…” the man gritted out as spittle flew from his mouth. “Gonna kill you…then I’ll go back…take all those feathers from her…”

  So the guy knew exactly what Lila really was. “You won’t touch her,” Rayce swore and he shoved the man’s wrist back—his wrist and the knife—and it sank into the human’s chest. The guy gave a garbled cry. His eyes widened and the blood rushed to soak his shirt-front.

  Rayce let the bastard fall. His body twitched and—

  “What did you do?”

  His head snapped up. Lila was there, standing just a few feet away. Her hood was still thrown back, and he could see the snowflakes that had landed in her red hair.

  She crept forward and her gaze fell to the man on the ground. The man who wasn’t breathing any longer.

  “You…killed him,” she whispered.

  Rayce’s blood soaked his back. “He was having too much fun shoving his knife into my back. The dumbass thought he’d take me out.” Rayce shook his head. “Not happening.” He stepped toward her, wanting to look at her throat again, but Lila flinched and hurriedly moved away from him.

  Rayce stilled.

  “You…you’re a killer. You have…you have blood on your hands.”

  He glanced down. Sure the fuck-enough, he had the guy’s blood on his hands.

  “I thought…I thought you were something else,” she said in that soft voice of hers—soft and sexy, it was the voice that had filled his dreams. Only in his dreams, she’d been saying something one hell of a lot different.

  And she hadn’t been looking at me as if I were the monster.

  In the distance, Rayce could hear the screech of tires. The driver had gotten away. But I have your scent. I’ll be finding you.

  “Did you have to kill him?”

  “He wanted to slice off your fucking wings.” Each word was savage with fury. The first time Rayce had ever seen Lila, back when she’d been held by Simon, her body had been bloody. He’d hated the sight of her pain. “Not happening.”

  Lila backed away. She looked terrified, as if she’d cut and run at any moment.

  As if he’d let her get away again.

  Shit. I need to calm the hell down. I’m the one scaring her. “Lila…”

  Her chin jerked up.

  “You’re still bleeding.” Should she have healed from the wound already? There was so much he didn’t know about angels. So much no one knew. They didn’t exactly mix and mingle with the other paranormals very much. “Let me help you.”

  But she shook her head. Her hands twisted in front of her. “You think…I’m yours.”

  His heart stilled in his chest.

  “I…I heard what you said, but I’m…I’m not. I don’t even know you.”

  You will. He swallowed and tried to tread very, very carefully. “I was sent to find you.”

  “F-find me?”

  Fear had made her stutter. What could he do to make her not fear him? But then, his gaze dropped to the ground. Oh, right. He was standing over the body of a dead man. A man he’d just killed. That wasn’t exactly going to inspire warm and sweet feelings from her. “I did it for you.”

  “What?”

  His head lifted and his gaze met hers. “I’ll protect you. You can trust me.”

  But once more, she shook her head. “I don’t think so…you’re…you’re one of Luke’s, aren’t you? You’re dark.”

  He was one of the darkest of the dark, the baddest of the bad, and still…he would not hurt her. “The driver got away. Tall, thin, with skin that made him look like the dead—he got away and he knows what you are.”

  Her gaze jerked to the left—to the dark parking lot. The humans had cleared out fast after the brawl. Typical. He’d have to be leaving soon, too. Someone might have called the cops.

  Someone…like the bartender he’d left inside of Maverick’s.

  “What in the hell were you doing with him, angel?”

  She backed up another step. “I had to make a trade.”

  Uh, oh. His gut tightened. Rayce knew he wasn’t going to like this. “What did you trade?’

  “The only thing of value I have.” She lifted her hand and rubbed tiredly at her temple. “I think…I’m being hunted.”

  Yes, she was…and I found you.

  “But not just by you.”

  Wait, she’d known he was after her? And she’d kept running?

  “I can feel the danger all around me.” Her gaze held his. “And I see it.”

  Shit—she thought he was dangerous. “I can help you.”

  “No, you can’t.” She pointed to the dead man. “I saw what you did. I see…what you are.”

  Oh, hell. “Lila…” This wasn’t some kind of debate. He was there for her. He wasn’t leaving without her. “Luke Thorne wants you at his island. I need you to come with me.”

  She shook her head.

  “It isn’t exactly an invitation,” he growled. He was trying to be the nice guy. Did she not get that? Or did he just really suck at the nice guy role? “When the Lord of the Dark says he wants to see you…most folks go running.”

  But she lifted up her slightly pointed chin once again. “I don’t answer to Luke Thorne. I’m not one of his.”

  His hand flew out and wrapped around her wrist—a damn delicate wrist. Too breakable. I’ll have to be careful
with her. “No, that’s right. You answer to the one who pretends to be good, right? You answer to Leo…” The Lord of the Light. Luke and Leo were twins, fucking all-powerful beings. Luke had been tasked with overseeing all of the dark paranormals, the “bad” ones, while Leo and his self-righteous ass had been given the job of protecting the “good” paranormals…the ones who walked in light.

  Too bad Leo was really just a bastard who had no concept of good or bad.

  Rayce’s thumb stroked along her inner wrist. He felt her pulse race beneath his touch. He stepped even closer to her and murmured, “How’s that working out for you, sweetheart? Trusting Leo? Relying on him? Because, unless I’m very mistaken, wasn’t he the one responsible for you being tortured and held prisoner for so long by Simon Lorne?”

  Her lips trembled. Shit, his words had hurt her. He hadn’t meant—

  “He sold me out,” she said, her voice the softest of breaths. “I won’t ever trust Leo again.”

  Okay, that was good. That was—

  “I won’t ever trust anyone again. Not Leo, not Luke…and not you.” She yanked her hand back from him and then, before he could stop her, she’d tossed her thick coat to the ground. Her wings spread out behind her—dark wings. Freaking gorgeous. And then she was surging straight up into the sky as her wings sent a burst of wind back at him. The powerful wind shoved Rayce to his knees.

  “Lila!” Rayce roared.

  But she didn’t stop. His angel flew away, leaving him there with the dead man. As he watched her fly, Rayce’s eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared.

  You aren’t getting away.

  And he let the shift sweep over him. His hands slammed down onto the broken cement. A howl ripped from his throat as fur burst along his body and his bones began to snap.

  She would not escape.

  He would track her…anywhere she went.

  Moments later, the man he’d been was gone. The wolf gave chase.

  Chapter Two

  Her wings hurt. Lila tried desperately to keep flying, but it just wasn’t happening. She’d barely managed to take flight and she’d known there was no way she’d be able to stay airborne for long.

  She let out a sharp cry as she fell, tumbling straight down but luckily managing to avoid the biggest of the trees that lined the mountain. Her body sank into the snow that had fallen earlier that day—thick, soft snow that cushioned her body. For a moment after her crash landing, Lila was still. She stared straight up at the sky, seeing the millions of stars glittering at her.

  The cold snaked through her body.

  A few months ago, she hadn’t known what the cold was. She hadn’t known hunger. Fear. Anger. Pain. She’d lived a life of simple perfection, never wanting for anything. Her job had been to protect, to help those in need.

  And then she’d been taken.

  Her eyes squeezed shut. A shudder worked along her body. Her wings were growing weaker every day. More feathers kept falling out. She was changing, and she knew it. The big question, though…

  What am I becoming?

  Her breath heaved out and even that felt cold. The snow was sinking through her clothing, wetting her skin and making goosebumps rise all along her body. She should get up. She’d crashed fairly close to the highway. She could hike to the road and maybe she’d get lucky. Maybe a truck driver would pick her up. She still had her money. Even then, her right hand desperately gripped the bag of cash.

  I will survive. I will escape.

  That had been her mantra for so long now.

  But the wolf…he’d found her. She’d thought he was farther behind her. But if he’d closed in, then did that mean Leo would be finding her soon, too?

  I can’t see Leo. I can’t go back.

  No matter what she wished, Lila knew there was no going back.

  She was still cradled in the snow when she heard the howl. Long and angry, the howl seemed to echo in the night. Her eyes flashed open even as her heart lurched in her chest.

  Doesn’t have to be him. Could just be an actual wild animal—there are plenty of them in Colorado. That cry does not have to be from my werewolf.

  Not that the Rayce was hers. But…

  She scrambled to a sitting position. Just sitting was a very hard task because the snow sucked at her body, wanting her to sink down deep into its icy cradle. But Lila fought, and she stumbled to her feet. She rolled back her shoulders, feeling her wings stretching behind her. Her breath heaved out as she glanced to the left, to the right and—

  A wolf bounded out of the woods. Big, white, and with gleaming green eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. He bared his fangs as he stared straight at her, and, oh, what sharp fangs they were. Razor sharp. Sharp enough to tear the flesh from her body—or to rip away the last of her wings.

  She stilled and stared into the beast’s eyes. Fear twisted in her gut, but she couldn’t look away from him. This wasn’t some wild animal. She knew that. “R-Rayce?”

  His head tilted back, and he howled again.

  Lila knew she was staring at one pissed off werewolf.

  And there she was…too weak to fly away and without any silver at all. Since being trapped on earth, Lila had come to realize that her luck well and truly sucked. Keeping her gaze on him, she slowly lifted her hands, wanting to show him that she was unarmed.

  The bag was still gripped in her right hand.

  “I don’t have a weapon,” Lila said. Her voice broke a bit. Why couldn’t he just let her go?

  The wolf crept forward. Its body blended so well with the snow around him, making him into a perfect predator. The cold had sunk deep into her bones, and she couldn’t stop shivering.

  He growled again, sounding even angrier.

  And then he transformed. It wasn’t some fast, in-a-blink shift. It was brutal, with his bones snapping and popping and his body contorting. She wanted to look away but couldn’t. Her eyes were locked on him as his body slowly transformed. He rose to his full height, the fur gone and his muscles gleaming beneath the stars. And he sure had plenty of muscles. Wide shoulders, a twelve pack, a narrowed waist and…

  I’m staring at a naked man! Her gaze whipped up and then…

  Well, her gaze went right back down again.

  The werewolf was certainly big, all over.

  “Like what you see, angel?” His voice was low, taunting, and sexy.

  She swallowed. “You’re naked…in the snow.” With a supreme effort, she made herself look at his face and not his…well…cock. Angels weren’t supposed to be concerned with things like that. Sex wasn’t an issue for them. They didn’t feel desire.

  But I’m not an angel any more. Not really.

  And as she stood in the cold with a naked werewolf right in front of her, Lila couldn’t help but feel…curious.

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly have much choice.” He stepped closer and didn’t seem to mind the fact that he should be freezing. “When you took off, I knew I’d find you faster in wolf form.” His head tilted as he studied her. “Though I thought it would take longer. What happened? You get tired of flying?”

  Never. But she didn’t want to admit that her wings had stopped working and she’d tumbled straight to earth. That was her fate now—to want to reach the heavens, but to always be plunged right back down to earth.

  There is no going back. It was a reality she had to accept.

  Before she could think of a response, Rayce gave a short bark of laughter. She blinked, not understanding why he was laughing. Humor was still new to her, but she didn’t think anything about the scene was even remotely funny.

  But his laughter was…warm. Rich. Deep. And it made the twisting knots in her stomach ease a bit.

  “Got to be the first time I ever saw a real angel leave a snow angel in her wake.”

  Confused, Lila just frowned at him.

  He stalked forward—still naked—and he caught her wrist in his hand. He was so warm. “There, sweetheart,” he murmured, and his gaze had darted behind he
r. “Look at what you left behind.”

  Her head turned and she glanced back at the snow. Sure enough, she could make out the design of an angel…and her wings…in the snow.

  Another shudder worked over her body.

  Rayce pulled her closer. “Shit, you’re freezing.”

  But he felt incredibly warm. Even though he was… “You’re naked.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that. My clothes got shredded in the shift and my backups are back at the bar in the SUV.”

  She could fix this. Help them both. Her eyes squeezed closed as Lila concentrated hard. The magic was there, a new trick she’d learned after her fall. A very necessary one. She’d needed to be able to conjure clothing that would fit around her wings. And if she just pictured things the right way and focused herself…

  “Uh, angel, you’re losing your clothes now, too.”

  She was, but it would only last a moment. She felt the rush of wind around her—around Rayce—and she knew her clothes would be vanishing. The wet clothes, anyway. And then…another rush of wind…new clothes. Warm clothes. Thick clothes.

  On her.

  And…

  Her eyes opened.

  On him.

  She smiled. “You’re…welcome.”

  His jaw locked. He didn’t look happy. Just the opposite, in fact. “How the hell did you do that?”

  She wasn’t exactly sure how the process worked. Lila just knew that she could do it. She’d even given the guy boots. That had been a nice touch, right? “I think you’re supposed to say thank you.”

  Instead of thanking her, he lifted her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

  “Wait! Stop!” Her scream seemed to echo around them.

  But he didn’t wait. He didn’t stop. The guy started trudging through the snow, and she slapped her hands against his broad back.

  “Werewolf, let me go!”

  “No way, no day, sweetheart.”

  He kept doing that—kept calling her sweetheart as if they were lovers. They weren’t. She’d never had a lover. Angels didn’t—

  “Told you before,” he continued grimly, not even sounding out of breath as he carried her through the snow. “You aren’t getting away from me.”