“I don’t need help to handle you if you are a threat, which you haven’t acted as yet,” I countered.
He angled his head a bit. “You believe that, but that would be foolish. I haven’t—I didn’t think you foolish. Only them for lying and trying to protect you.”
That didn’t mean much for a moment until he took a few steps closer and I realized why I was instantly on edge around him.
Where I’d sensed this energy before.
Archangel.
“If you hurt them, then you should be the one scared,” I said with a growl as I prepared to cut my dampeners.
His face twisted and whatever energy he was using to cover his huge wings flickered allowing me to see them for a moment. “Do not talk as if you are above me, demon.”
I realized confusing or poking him was the better play given he’d been watching me and I was clueless. “And who gave us that name? Your boss?” I chuckled darkly when he froze. “Humanswould call us Nephilim, right? Children of angels? Who named us demons? One of you at the top who judged even when your boss says you shouldn’t?”
“Yes.” That one word said a lot but was completely devoid of emotion as was his gaze and face. In a very unsettling way.
And we simply stared at each other for a full minute that way.
“The fact I cannot read you is beyond infuriating.”
But useful to me.
“You will answer my questions though,” he said firmly.
“Or what?” I snorted when he frowned. “You’re not the boss of me,Uncle.” I chuckled when he didn’t like that. “Grandfatheror whoever gave us freewill, so use it, and I’ll exercise that as I feel I need to. Let’s just keep it civil and family.”
He studied me again. “Answer me what I want and I will give you an answer you want but have yet to think to ask.”
Now that was a tempting buttroublingoffer. He seemed unnerved this time when I simply studied him.
“Your hesitation is illogical,” he pushed.
I snorted. “You overestimate yourself because you know who you are and what you know. I don’t. I don’t know you from Judas or a warlock who can mimic the magic of an angel. So for all I know, this is a setup for information. That’s only a good deal if you can trust the one giving the information and I don’t even know your name.”
“My name would mean nothing to you.”
“It would mean you havemannersand respect me enough to—”
“I’m respecting you enough to trust your answers, and that’s a lot coming from me,” he countered. “And my name—this is not a fight I want to involve myself in. I simply need to know the truth for myself because you know what happened will not be left alone by others.”
I raised an eyebrow at him, guessing now what the topic was about. “But what use is telling you and wasting my time explaining myself and situation to you if you’re just going to play fucking Switzerland?”
11
“It costs you nothing to clear your name,” he countered.
“Oh, that’s a leap. It means I would trust you to not run your mouth on sensitive information and I don’t. Plus, that you would be accurate in who you would tell and I don’t trust that either.”
“You are trying my patience, child,” he snapped, power in his voice. “I want the truth and no more lies. If I have to force you to tell me, then I will when—”
“Touch her and I will put you down,” a deep voice said from my right, a growl that meant business.
And I couldn’t hide my shock he was there even if I didn’t want to spare him a glance and check he really was. I had to stay focused on the threat.
The angel adjusted his neck and his anger at me increased. “You are already making a mess of this for me.”
“No, you are,” Dylan, my former lover, warned. He was a powerful bear shifter and Deputy Director of ISLE… And had no reason to be there.
