Avenging Angel (The Fallen 4)

Both men turned at Marna’s shout. She was halfway down the stairs and her hands held tightly to the banister.

Sam shook his head. “Marna?” Yeah, that was shock in the guy’s voice. So much for being all-knowing.

Taking advantage of the Fallen’s distracted state, Tanner punched the guy in the jaw.

Sam growled and lunged to attack him.

“I said . . . stop!” Marna jumped the rest of the way down the stairs.

Sam stopped fighting Tanner. After a moment’s study, he sauntered toward her. “You look good, for a dead girl.”

Marna stared up at the Fallen with wide eyes. “Why . . . why are you here?”

“Because he came to get a little vengeance,” Tanner said, understanding Sam’s rage far better than Marna did. She just didn’t have enough experience with emotions. Not yet. He was working on that issue. Soon enough, he’d make sure she understood everything. “One life for another, right, Sam?”

Sam’s gaze swept over Marna. The Fallen was probably checking her for injuries. “I was told the cops killed you.”

“That’s what we needed people to think.” Tanner strode to Marna’s side. Didn’t touch her, but he sure wanted to. “As you can see, she’s just fine.”

Sam didn’t look convinced. “Are you?” he asked Marna.

“I’m still breathing.” Her soft answer.

Sam’s eyes narrowed, and, after a beat of time, he offered his arm to her. “Come with me.”

The hell she would. Tanner fought to pull back his claws and stay calm, for at least a little longer. Control. “She’s staying with me.”

Sam’s gaze seemed to see too much as he glanced over at Tanner. “Hmmm . . . like that, is it, shifter?”

Dick. “Someone set her up for murder. Some bastard killed two shifters but pinned the crime on her.” It still pissed him off. “You think I’m just gonna let that go?” Then, before Sam could say anything else, Tanner said, “I’m the cop here.” Not some renegade angel out for blood vengeance. “I’m gonna do my job. I’ll track the bastard.”

But Sam still had his hand up. Had the guy even heard a word Tanner had said? With his gaze on Marna, Sam said, “I came as soon as I heard what happened. Our kind should stay together.”

Tanner looked at Marna and was surprised to see that she had actually inched away from the Fallen—and closer to me.

Tanner figured he must be the lesser evil in the room. Nice change of pace.

“I want to know who’s doing this to me.” Her shoulders straightened. “I will know.” Determination roughened her words. “I won’t be leaving New Orleans until I figure out what’s happening and why it’s happening.”

Well, well. It looked like his angel wasn’t going to turn tail and run after all. Maybe he wouldn’t have to chain her to his side, either.

Pity.

He realized that Sam didn’t appear particularly surprised to hear about the murders. Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Tanner charged, “You knew that those two shifters got taken out.”

“Shifter deaths are hardly surprising.” Sam shrugged, looking completely careless. “When I heard, I thought she was just getting some payback.” His eyes raked Marna. “But that wasn’t the way of it?”

“No.” Quiet. Firm.

Sam nodded. “Then we’ll find out who’s doing the killing. I can help you.”

Tanner didn’t want the Fallen close to Marna, but he knew just how powerful Sam’s reach could be. “If you hear anything, you tell me.” Sam had missed his whole I’m-the-cop bit. Figured.

Sam turned away and began to head back toward the broken door. He hadn’t kicked it in the way Tanner had done upstairs; instead, Sam had pulverized the thing. “If you want to hear the supernatural secrets in this town . . .” Sam tossed this back over his shoulder. “Head to Hell.”

Hell. Not the home of the devil—though from what Tanner had heard, the dude had long since left that place—but the bar nestled deep in the Quarter. A bar humans instinctively avoided, as if they felt the evil that lurked inside.

A bar he’d be hitting that night.

Sam paused in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder. His gaze locked on Tanner’s. “You’d better keep her safe.”

Tanner inclined his head even as he choked back his rage. Like he needed this jerk to tell him—

Sam glanced toward Marna. “And if you need me, remember that I’m here. You have an ally in the city.”

There was no missing the surprise on Marna’s face. “Why? Why would you help me?”

“You fell in the middle of my brother’s battle.”

Right, because Sam’s brother was the Azrael—Az. The dark fallen angel who’d sent Brandt on a fast trip to hell. The night that Marna lost her wings, Brandt had been intending to kill Az. He’d been the target. Only when the dust from that battle cleared, Az had gotten away, and Marna had been the one to fall.

No. She hadn’t fallen. Tanner knew that. Not really. She’d just never been able to go back home.

Because Brandt had taken her wings with the slice of his claws.

“I owe you,” Sam told her, “and I’ll make sure my debt is paid.”

The wind howled and the Fallen vanished.

In the silence that followed, Tanner was certain of only one thing. He’d be seeing Hell that night.

“Stay close,” Tanner told her as they headed past the two bouncers stationed outside of Hell. Demons, Marna knew that from just a glance. The guys looked at her and immediately stepped back.

Maybe they realized what she was, too.

When they entered the bar, the blasting music hit her first. The darkness came second. It took Marna a moment to be able to see anything, but then her eyes adjusted and she saw the bodies. Couples hidden in corners. Vampires . . . drinking from the prey they’d penned against the walls.

Her hand rose to her throat. She’d heard stories about vampires. Some had drained angels dry because they wanted a taste of power. It seemed that angel blood might be the new delicacy of choice among the undead.

Marna sure didn’t want to be on their menu.

She’d be steering clear of the vamps. Marna inched forward and bumped into Tanner’s back. He turned around and frowned down at her.

It was crazy, but she wanted to grab on to his arm and hold tight. This place with its darkness and the evil that she could feel in the air around her . . . she didn’t want to be here.