But she couldn’t let it end like this.She moved to him, andwhen he tried to step back, she persisted.
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but I...I think Ilove you.”His eyes flared wide, but she didn’t regret her words.“Thank youfor finding me.I’m so glad it was you.”
Razr’s gaze wastortured, butetched in his expression was something else.Something she wished she hadn’tseen.
Love.He loved her too.
Very slowly, he reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumbsmoothing away the teardrop rolling down her face and the tiny gem that formedbehind it.She moaned as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her with somuch tenderness and passion her knees nearly buckled.Heat spread through herveins, followed by a chill that sat on her skin like frost.
This was it.Good-bye.
When he pulled away, it was clear he knew it too.
ChapterFourteen
The journey to Shrike’s place, mostly via Harrowgatewith a little walking, was silent.Shrike’s goons weren’t the talkative type,for which Razr was enormously grateful.And Jedda...she just seemed broken.
Because of him.Because he’d made her hurt him and becausethere was no point in trying to earn her forgiveness or make her feel better.The angrier she was at him, the better.
But it sucked.More than having his wings bound by goldrope.More than being flogged on a regular basis.More than being kicked out ofHeaven in disgrace.
On top of it all, he was going to lose her.She wouldeventually move on to a new male, maybe some hot fucking Legolas from Pandora.Or whatever.
Fuck.
He kept an eye on her as they approached the ballroom whereShrike was playing a game of darts.The dart board was unique, though: ademon’s crucified body, with no discernible point system.Well, Razr would spotShrike points for creativity, as well as a handicap for his mental disorder.
Ramreelswith their unholyhalberds stood like statues at evenly spaced intervals around the room, theirpiggy eyes watching Razr and Jedda’s every move.They were big bastards, overseven feet tall with thick muscles under their fur.Or did they have wool?Razrhad never asked, even though he’d encountered hundreds over the years.Ramreelswere sort of all-purpose demons, common andplentiful enough to form armies but capable enough to act singly as bodyguardsor even butlers.Apparently, they were even good cooks.
One thing they weren’t, though, was subtle.Not when theyresembled giant rams, carried halberds, and stomped their hooves on the floorin anticipation as they were doing now.They wanted to fight, and the tensionin the room only fueled their bloodlust.
“We have what you want,” Razr announced, getting right toit.
Shrike’s lips peeled back from his straight, white teeth.Dude had a good dentist.“I knew you’d come through for me.Let me see.”
Jedda had carried the horn in a black velvet bag to thecastle, but now she gave it to Razr.She’d said she couldn’t touch quartzcrystal, but she hadn’t said why.Doing so would have required more talkingthan she was apparently willing to do.
He reached into the bag and pulled out the heavy crystalsculpture.
“That wasn’t easy to acquire,” she said, following thescript they’d worked out before leaving the apartment.Shrike needed to believeshe’d found it and not that Razr had borrowed it fromAzagoth.
Shrike’s eyes, locked on the horn, glittered with greed.“That’s why I hired you.”
“Hired?”Fists clenched, she took a step toward him as ifshe wanted to throttle him.That’s my girl.“Seriously?Hired?You gave me no choice.You forced me.”
“Forced?”Shrike asked innocently.“Such an ugly word.Igave youincentive.But I don’t go back on myword.I’ll pay, of course.”
“Yes,” Razr said softly, “you will.”
He moved toward the fallen angel as if to hand him the horn,but with every step he drew on the power of the Enoch gem, power that streamedfrom Jedda in a shaft of light that was blinding to him, but invisible andundetectable to everyone else.The energy building inside him churned andswelled, filling him with a unique ecstasy he’d not experienced for a century.
Battle lust scorched his veins, and anticipation made hisfingers flex.He’d needed this for a long time.This was what he was born todo, and he had a lot of fury to unleash.
“Wait!”A familiar voice screeched from somewhere in thebuilding.The soundof runningfootsteps poundedtoward them.Could it be...
A female in black leather pants and a silver crop-top burstinto the great hall at the top of the grand staircase, her short chestnut haircurling around pierced ears Razr used to nibble.
He stumbled backward in shock, severing his link to Jedda.“Darlah?”
