Her eyes closed. “It won’t end with Andrea’s death, and you know it.”
She was right. Dammit. It hadn’t ended with Charlie, and it wouldn’t end here. No matter what we did. The demons were loose in Manhattan. As long as the cult had just one member, it would continue. And Eva would never forgive me if I did this. I knew we would protect Anya, no matter what, but Eva would never risk it. The steadfast bond she had with her roommates went both ways. I understood that far too well. The Legion and I were the same.
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth, refusing to turn and see the victorious glint in the enemy’s eye. “But if you come near Eva again, I will kill you.”
“I look forward to seeing you try.”
11
Eva
“Anya, are you okay?” I gripped the phone so tight, I swore I heard a crack. Tears blurred my vision, transforming Caim’s grimace into a smudged painting, a swirl of blacks and deep greys. He’d been so close to ripping Andrea apart, and I’d denied him of that. The anger within him needed a release.
“Okay, you’re freaking me out here, Eva. You never call me when I’m at work, and you sound kind of hysterical. What’s going on? Did the cult do something to you again?” Her voice rose a pitch higher with every word until the last one she spoke was nothing more than a panicked squeak.
“Andrea came here to try to steal me away again. To make more demons.”
A string of curses rattled through the phone. “Why the hell are you asking me if I’m okay? Jesus, Eva. Areyouokay?”
“Yeah. Caim and Phenex got here just in time.” I blew out a breath and held myself steady against the doorframe. “She only got away because she told us she has the cult watching you. Have you seen anything weird today?”
A rustle sounded across the line, and a long pause stretched out between us. “I’m looking out the window. I don’t see anything weird. What the hell do demons look like anyway? Ones who aren’t Caim. Obviously, I know what he looks like. Lots of muscles.”
“Lurky.”
“I don’t see anyone lurky.”
“Good.” I glanced over at Phenex who perched in the window, guarding the apartment. “Bael is on his way there. He’s going to keep an eye on you until your shift is over. And then he’s going to escort you to, um...well, you aren’t going to like this part.”
I could practically hear her eyes narrow. “Wonderful. What is it?”
“We’re going to have to stay somewhere else for awhile. It’s not safe in this apartment anymore.”
“I had a feeling you were going to say that.” A sigh. “Let me guess, the three of us are going to crash on your boyfriend’s couch.”
At the wordboyfriend, I flicked my gaze down the tunnelling apartment at where Caim stood watch beside the front door. His eyes caught mine. Damn demon ears. He’d heard everything.
“It’ll only be for a few days. Probably.”
“Sure it will. I just have one question.”
“Shoot.”
“The cult knows where Caim lives, too. That’s how they got you the first time. What’s to stop them from breaking in there again?”
Beside the door, Caim stiffened. I knew he still felt guilty about that, even though it hadn’t been his fault. No one had expected the cult to move so quickly after Charlie’s death.
“Caim’s taking care of that. Top-notch security. Plus, we’ll have big, muscled demon bodyguards at all times. All of them are single.” Even Caim, technically. “Tell me you don’t like the sound of that.”
She grumbled.
I arched a brow, smiling. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. See you later tonight.”
* * *
“Here.” Caim held out a can of pepper spray. He’d already slid two daggers into his hidden pockets, along with that mysterious sword that seemed to vanish into his back. Armed to the teeth. “I want you to come with us tonight, but not without this.”
I eyed the pepper spray warily. “What happened to all that talk about keeping me safe?”
