Envy (Fallen Angels 3)

"I'll be there at nine tomorrow."

"There's twenty-four/seven security. I'll make sure they know you're coming. Hey, how're you and Veck getting along?"

She closed her eyes and kept a curse to herself. "Fine. Just perfect."

"d. Don't bring him with you."

"I wasn't going to." For more than one reason.

"And check in with me afterward, if you don't mind."

"Detective, you'll be the first person I call."

After she hit end, she rubbed the back of her neck, easing a strain that she had a feeling was from the session on her partner's couch.

Releasing the brake, she let the engine's idle draw her forward into the garage. After she canned the ignition, she got out and -

Reilly stopped in the process of closing the driver's-side door. "Who's there," she called out, ducking her hand under her coat and palming her gun.

The overhead automatic light gave her a clear picture of her stand of rakes in the corner and her trash barrel and the bag of rock salt that she used on her front walk in the winter for the mailman. It also made her a sitting duck for whoever was watching her.

And someone was.

Moving fast, she went around the hood instead of the trunk and had her key ready before she got to the door. With quick, sure moves, she unlocked the dead bolt, shot into her house and hit the garage door at the same time. And the dead bolt was turned back as soon as she was inside.

Her ADT system immediately started beeping from the corner of the kitchen. Which meant the alarm was operational and she was the person who had triggered it.

Using her left hand, she punched in her code, and canned the noise.

Her gun was in her right.

Keeping the lights off, she went through her house, looking out of the windows. She saw nothing. Heard nothing.

But her instincts were screaming that she was being watched.

Reilly thought of those "FBI" agents and the fact that someone had been in or around Veck's house the night before. Police officers could be stalked. Were stalked. And though she hadn't done anything with the public for a number of years, she was tangled up with Veck.

And he was far from uncontroversial on so many levels. In the office, she picked up the phone and checked for a dial tone. There was one. And ironically, the first person she thought of calling was Veck.

Not going to happen.

Besides, she was perfectly capable of defending herself.

Pulling the chair out from the desk, she oriented the thing in the corner so that she could see both the front door and the door that she'd come in through from the garage; then she dragged a side table over. In the closet, in a fireproof safe, there were three other guns and plenty of rounds of ammunition, and she palmed another autoloader, put in a clip, and flicked the safety off.

Sitting down with her back to the wall, she reached over for the cordless receiver to her landline and placed it on the table with the extra gun, keeping her cell phone in her pocket in case she needed to move fast.

Someone wanted her?

Fine. They could just come on in and see what kind of welcome they got.

Chapter 24

Downtown, in the marble lobby of the bank Jim had broken into, Adrian was losing blood and getting light-headed, but he refused to pass out.

Wasn't going to happen.

Over in a shaft of light that beamed in from outside, Jim put Eddie down gently on the hard, polished floor. The angel was still tucked into that tight ball, his huge body in a fetal position on his side, his dark braid snaking out like a rope.

"Can we get you on your back, buddy? See what's going on?" Jim said. Not questions - more like a warning to Eddie that more movement was coming up. And as the guy was eased over, the cursing was good to hear. It meant the big bastard was still breathing.

Except he stayed curled up around his belly. And his face was ... not right. His normally darker-hued skin had faded to the color of snow, and his eyes were squeezed shut so tight that his features were distorted.

There was blood on his mouth, staining his lips red.

Blood ... was coming out of his mouth.

Adrian started to pant, his fists curling in, sweat breaking out all over his body. "You're gonna be okay, Eddie. It's gonna be - "

"Ease yourself for me," Jim said. "I know it hurts like a bitch, but we've got to see."

" - okay. It's gonna be okay - "

"Oh, shit," Jim whispered.

Oh ... shit ... was right. The blood didn't just stain or leak from underneath where Eddie was holding his gut ... it streamed out in pulses.

Jim ripped off his wet leather coat, wadded the thing up, and pushed Eddie's slippery, glossy red hands out of the way. Then he just froze.

Somehow that harpy's knife had penetrated Eddie's intestinal tract and then streaked to the side, slicing a hole long enough and deep enough that the loopy anatomy was exposed. But that wasn't the worst part: given the amount of blood coming from the injury, clearly one of the larger veins or arteries had been severed.

And that was what was going to kill him.

Jim shook himself and put the knot of jacket right on the wound. "Can you hold this for me, buddy?"

Eddie made an attempt to bring up his hands, but they moved only an inch or two.

Jim looked over. "Can he die?"

Adrian shook his head as his legs went numb. "I don't know."

Bullshit. He knew the answer. He just couldn't say it.

"Fucking hell." Jim leaned in toward Eddie's face. "Buddy, is there anything you can tell me?"

Adrian didn't so much get down as fall to his knees. Taking his best friend's hand, he was horrified at how cold it was. Cold and wet from the blood and the rain.

"Eddie ... Eddie, look at me," Jim was saying.

This wasn't right. This heroic fighter, this warrior of the ages, couldn't be done in by a half-assed harpy with a knife. Eddie was blaze-of-glory material, a take-out-an-army-of-minions-on-his-way-to-the-exit kind of guy. Not this quiet leaching - and not tonight... .

Eddie let out a gasp, his big body jerking, his palm squeezing Adrian's.

"I'm here... ." Ad said r en as he scrubbed his eyes with the back of his free hand. "I'm not going anywhere. You're not alone ..."

Holy motherfucking shit. They were losing him.

And this was the inexplicable at work. As angels, they were and were not alive; they at once existed and were not bound by the flesh; they were immortal, but very capable of losing the slice of life they had been granted.

"Eddie, f**king hell ... don't go... . You can fight this - " He looked up at Jim. "Do something!"

Jim cursed and glanced around, but come on - they were in a bank lobby, not a hospital. Besides, it wasn't as if the savior could grab a needle and thread and start suturing, could he?

Except then Jim closed his eyes and settled back on the floor, crossing his legs Indian style and going utterly calm. Just as Ad was ready to scream that now was not the time for a f**king meditation, the guy started to glow: from head to foot, a pure white light began to emanate from his head, body and hands.

A moment later, the savior reached forward ... and placed his palms on the big, barreled chest of -

Eddie's torso bucked hard, as if he'd been hit with those cardiac paddles humans used, and then he sucked in a breath. Instantly, his red eyes blinked open ... and focused on Adrian.

Feeling like a pu**y for crying, Ad did another sweep of the eyes. "Hey." He had to clear his throat. "You gotta hang on and fight this. Heal yourself. Just use what Jim's giving you - "

Eddie shook his head a little and opened his mouth. All that came out was a groan.

" - hang on. Come on, man, just - "

"Listen ... to me ..." Ad went absolutely still; Eddie's voice was so weak, it didn't carry far. "You need ... to stay ... with Jim ..."

"No. No f**king way. You are not leaving - "

"Stay ... with Jim ... do not - " He struggled for another breath. "Stay with Jim."

"It's not supposed to end like this! I'm the one who's supposed to go first - "

Eddie dragged his arm up and put his forefinger on Ad's lips, silencing him. "You be ... smart ... for once ... okay? Promise me."

Adrian started to rock back and forth, his eyes flooding to the point where his vision blurred.

"Promise ... on your honor ..."

"No. I won't. Fuck you! You're not leaving me!"

The angel's lids slowly started shutting. "Eddie! Fucking Eddie! Don't you f**king die on me! Fuck you!"