“Stay out of this,” we both told him, the angel doing a double take and cooling off.
“He has no idea,” I told the angel. “Just hold on and don’t pull anything and I’ll handle it.” Relief filled me when he chilled and seemed confused again. I turned to Dylan and I was sure every emotion played across my face.
He cleared his throat as he cut me a glance, still pointing his gun at the angel. “I’m good at my job. I know how to find you.”
“Yes, but I made it clear you shouldn’t,” I muttered. “Put the damn gun down. It won’t even do anything besides piss him off.”
He frowned, but then did a double take… And started moving towards me like he was going to put himself in the path to block me.
“Oh, this isn’t the time for you to be chivalrous when we both know I’m stronger,” I bitched and moved to the other side of the car. I ignored when he growled and stared at him over the top. “What are you doing here? I’m undercover.”
“I know,” he muttered, rolling his eyes and putting his gun away. Then he huffed and shot a glance at the angel. “Why…” He cleared his throat and looked guilty and contrite.
Which again shocked me.
And amused the angel for some reason.
“I wasn’t—I didn’t want this to be sent along as a message, and I figured I could catch you before—I could catch you,” he mumbled.
“I hate to be rude, but you deserve it and I’m a bit busy and you’rebothabout to blow my cover,” I bitched.
Dylan scrubbed his neck harder than needed before meeting my gaze. “I’m sorry.”
The angel of all people snorted. “I believe you need to specify, bear.”
Yeah, I seconded that.
Dylan ignored him. “Something all of you have yelled at me specifically for was valid. I was unfair.” He huffed again and shot the angel an annoyed look before focusing back on me. “How I reacted to what I learned that day. I was completely out of line and no matter my shock—you didn’t lie. I was an asshole. My apology should have been better.”
I opened my mouth and almost said “that’s it?” but then slowly closed it, simply staring at him for several long moments. Too long even.
“This is more painful than being around my own,” the angel grumbled.
“I will try and forgive you for that, but it’s a bit late, and you understand that’s not like enough to cover all that happened, right?” I asked Dylan, making sure I was on the same page with… Whatever was happening.
“I know,” he whispered, looking away from me. “I’m just—everyone thinks I’m the asshole. Everyone. Even—everyone. I’m trying to see it and sort through it. I saw that and—really saw it. I didn’t want to pass along a message or—I heard them on how much that hurt you. I never meant to hurt you.”
“Thank you for apologizing,” I said, not sure what else to do.
He nodded. “That was all I planned to say but kinda hard to leave when this is going on and like… Yeah, don’t—”
I didn’t want the stupid bear to say too much, so I focused back on the angel. “What do you even want to know?”
“What really happened with Lucifer, which the bear seems to know about but not really,” the angel muttered.
“You obviously spoke with the ones involved and I won’t tell you anything different,” I said firmly. “So you wasted a trip. Have a lovely night.” I ignored the look Dylan was giving me that I had lost my mind as I turned and told him to be careful getting home.
“That’s not good enough,” the angel snapped and moved closer.
“Well, life is disappointing for all of us, so why should you be any different?” I asked him with a tired sigh. “You won’t tell me your name or what you’re really about. You have been watching me. You won’t choose a side if trouble comes. I have no idea if Ican trust you. Yeah, right, sure, let me tell you everything I know—like fuck off,Uncle.”
“Do not push me too far when I was willing to—” he started to say, but Dylan cut in.
“What part do you need cleared for your conscience?” he asked, studying the angel, both of us looking at him now like he was nuts. He narrowed his eyes. “I can’t read you like normal either, but I know specific types of stress andregretlike you missed too much or need to hear—you need one specific piece of information to settle with this.”
The angel was quiet too long again before giving a sharp nod and focusing back on me. “I know they’re lying. I know to protect you and probably the other demons that you are—I don’t want the children of angels hurt either, even if none of you…”
I raised an eyebrow at him. “So you’ve fathered some, huh?”
