“But here I am anyway. So get used to it. I mean—” I looked down at our hands “—is this so bad?”
His gaze caught mine again and held. “It’s good. That’s why it’s so bad.”
When he entwined our fingers, for just a moment I forgot about everything else—it all slipped away and there was only him. When Bishop was totally sane, I wanted to kiss him so badly I could barely restrain myself.
And the way he looked at me, too, with gratitude and something else, something way deeper and more intense…
“I can practically hear the violins playing,” Kraven drawled. “So romantic, I could die. Should Zach and I leave the room so you two can go at it, or what?”
I gave him a sharp look. “Are you ever not a jerk?”
“Not ever,” he confirmed.
“What about when you were human?”
His smart-ass grin faded. “I don’t talk about that.”
“But you wanted me to know your human name. And that you and Bishop were brothers. Care to share any more about that? Either of you?”
His unfriendly gaze moved to the left as the door clanged shut. Roth had returned from his temporary pity party. He looked at us sullenly but didn’t say anything.
“That was just a test of the emergency broadcast system, sweetness,” Kraven said. “Don’t let it go to your head that I was trying to get personal with you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, James.” I think I’d just discovered the demon’s Achilles’ heel. Talking about his human life was off-limits. But I guess I wanted to test those limits just a little. It had been one of those nights.
My using his real first name earned me a look of sheer disdain. “Sucked any souls out of mouths tonight, gray girl?”
“No. Stabbed any helpless victims?”
“Our victims aren’t helpless,” Bishop said.
My gaze shot back to him. “Sure, they aren’t.”
“You haven’t seen a gray after they’ve fed too much.”
I frowned as a memory of Carly flitted through my mind.
“Samantha.” Bishop squeezed my hand to get me to keep looking at him instead of the jerk of a demon. “What happened? What did you see?”
My throat thickened. “My friend…I think she’s in trouble.”
“The one you were with the other night?”
I nodded, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. “I’m worried about her.”
“Did you see her feed?” Zach asked.
I didn’t reply right away and they all exchanged a look that made me nervous. I couldn’t admit what Carly had done. I couldn’t put her in danger. I knew what they’d do to her if they learned the truth. “Bishop, you said you can restore my soul. Well, I want you to restore her soul, too.”
“Restore souls?” Roth finally spoke up. “Somebody’s living in a dreamworld, aren’t they?”
I looked at him sharply. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t restore a human’s soul once it’s gone.” He glanced at Bishop who was sending a dark glare his way. “What?”
My mouth was suddenly as dry as the desert. “But Bishop said—”
“Yeah, I’m sure he would have said anything to get you to use that mysterious mojo of yours, right? Good going, angel.” A smile stretched across Roth’s handsome face. “Nice and devious. I approve.”
For the second—or third?—time tonight, it felt as if the floor had fallen away beneath my feet and I was about to fall into a pit of darkness. “Bishop…is that true?”
Bishop gave Roth a dark look that might completely shrivel a weaker demon to the size and consistency of a raisin. When Bishop finally turned his gaze to me his fierce expression had only softened a fraction.
“If there is a way to restore your soul I will find it.”
I let go of his hand and staggered back from him. “You lied to me? You—you told me angels don’t lie.”
“Oh, angels can definitely lie when they need to,” Kraven said. “Trust me on that. They just prefer not to since it makes them feel all dirty inside.”
Bishop’s jaw tensed. “It wasn’t a lie. I told you I’d help—that I believe there’s a way. And when I go back to Heaven, I’ll find it.”
Panic gripped my throat. “That’s not what you promised me!”
His brows drew together. “Yes, it was.”
“Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise,” Kraven murmured. “News at eleven.”
Despite my other misgivings, I’d had faith that Bishop was being truthful with me about this. And now, to learn that it had all been a lie—that this was it for me and for Carly…
He was no better than a demon.
Before Bishop had a chance to say anything else, I stormed away from him and back down the dark hallway to the open door. I made it outside the church by the broken sign before I had to take a moment to try to get control over myself. I braced my hands on my thighs and gulped in big mouthfuls of air.
I’d agreed to his deal and done everything I’d promised to do, and all the time he’d known he might not be able to hold up his end of the bargain.
I’d fallen for a guy who’d promised to save me only so he could get something in return. My heart felt like it had broken into pieces, scattered on the front lawn of this abandoned church just like that sign.
His gaze caught mine again and held. “It’s good. That’s why it’s so bad.”
When he entwined our fingers, for just a moment I forgot about everything else—it all slipped away and there was only him. When Bishop was totally sane, I wanted to kiss him so badly I could barely restrain myself.
And the way he looked at me, too, with gratitude and something else, something way deeper and more intense…
“I can practically hear the violins playing,” Kraven drawled. “So romantic, I could die. Should Zach and I leave the room so you two can go at it, or what?”
I gave him a sharp look. “Are you ever not a jerk?”
“Not ever,” he confirmed.
“What about when you were human?”
His smart-ass grin faded. “I don’t talk about that.”
“But you wanted me to know your human name. And that you and Bishop were brothers. Care to share any more about that? Either of you?”
His unfriendly gaze moved to the left as the door clanged shut. Roth had returned from his temporary pity party. He looked at us sullenly but didn’t say anything.
“That was just a test of the emergency broadcast system, sweetness,” Kraven said. “Don’t let it go to your head that I was trying to get personal with you.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, James.” I think I’d just discovered the demon’s Achilles’ heel. Talking about his human life was off-limits. But I guess I wanted to test those limits just a little. It had been one of those nights.
My using his real first name earned me a look of sheer disdain. “Sucked any souls out of mouths tonight, gray girl?”
“No. Stabbed any helpless victims?”
“Our victims aren’t helpless,” Bishop said.
My gaze shot back to him. “Sure, they aren’t.”
“You haven’t seen a gray after they’ve fed too much.”
I frowned as a memory of Carly flitted through my mind.
“Samantha.” Bishop squeezed my hand to get me to keep looking at him instead of the jerk of a demon. “What happened? What did you see?”
My throat thickened. “My friend…I think she’s in trouble.”
“The one you were with the other night?”
I nodded, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. “I’m worried about her.”
“Did you see her feed?” Zach asked.
I didn’t reply right away and they all exchanged a look that made me nervous. I couldn’t admit what Carly had done. I couldn’t put her in danger. I knew what they’d do to her if they learned the truth. “Bishop, you said you can restore my soul. Well, I want you to restore her soul, too.”
“Restore souls?” Roth finally spoke up. “Somebody’s living in a dreamworld, aren’t they?”
I looked at him sharply. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t restore a human’s soul once it’s gone.” He glanced at Bishop who was sending a dark glare his way. “What?”
My mouth was suddenly as dry as the desert. “But Bishop said—”
“Yeah, I’m sure he would have said anything to get you to use that mysterious mojo of yours, right? Good going, angel.” A smile stretched across Roth’s handsome face. “Nice and devious. I approve.”
For the second—or third?—time tonight, it felt as if the floor had fallen away beneath my feet and I was about to fall into a pit of darkness. “Bishop…is that true?”
Bishop gave Roth a dark look that might completely shrivel a weaker demon to the size and consistency of a raisin. When Bishop finally turned his gaze to me his fierce expression had only softened a fraction.
“If there is a way to restore your soul I will find it.”
I let go of his hand and staggered back from him. “You lied to me? You—you told me angels don’t lie.”
“Oh, angels can definitely lie when they need to,” Kraven said. “Trust me on that. They just prefer not to since it makes them feel all dirty inside.”
Bishop’s jaw tensed. “It wasn’t a lie. I told you I’d help—that I believe there’s a way. And when I go back to Heaven, I’ll find it.”
Panic gripped my throat. “That’s not what you promised me!”
His brows drew together. “Yes, it was.”
“Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise,” Kraven murmured. “News at eleven.”
Despite my other misgivings, I’d had faith that Bishop was being truthful with me about this. And now, to learn that it had all been a lie—that this was it for me and for Carly…
He was no better than a demon.
Before Bishop had a chance to say anything else, I stormed away from him and back down the dark hallway to the open door. I made it outside the church by the broken sign before I had to take a moment to try to get control over myself. I braced my hands on my thighs and gulped in big mouthfuls of air.
I’d agreed to his deal and done everything I’d promised to do, and all the time he’d known he might not be able to hold up his end of the bargain.
I’d fallen for a guy who’d promised to save me only so he could get something in return. My heart felt like it had broken into pieces, scattered on the front lawn of this abandoned church just like that sign.
