Page 70 of The Defiant Curse

It wasn’t like he was shocked that he didn’t want to help him. He’d earned this by being an idiot. The bottom line was that the Marines, despite Winn being his best friend, were loyal to the queen.

And with good reason.

She never let people down.

“Please. My marriage hangs in the balance. She forgave me, but we’re not okay. What if this was Saint? Wouldn’t you do anything to get to him? If you came to me asking to help you get to him, I’d do it in a heartbeat!”

He stared at his best friend.

Jesus.

Christ.

He was absolutely pulling the best friend card, and it was probably going to work.

Shit.

“That’s dirty, EJ, and you know it. You just went so low, your ass got burned in Hell.”

Ethan grabbed his hand.

“Please, Winn. Please. I just need you to get me out of the house, and I’ll do the rest. Hell! I’ll knock you out if that helps.”

He stared.

“You’ve lost your goddamn mind. No one is going to believe you overtook me, Ethan! I’m a freaking Archangel. If you could take me down, I shouldn’t be one!”

Yes, yes, he had, but Elizabeth…she needed him. He could feel it in his gut. Their world began with them, and he needed to be there as she found herself again.

It was more for her than him.

He’d done the crime, so he’d do the time, but he didn’t want her out there thinking he wouldn’t fight Heaven and Hell to get to her.

He would.

And it started with convincing an archangel to save his ass on this one.

“Please.”

He kept his voice low.

“You want me to lie to Ivan, slip you out, and get you on a flight? My dude, there’s a Russian spy out there, and you guys are still not safe. Just because she took down one issue, doesn’t mean there’s not others. If we both go missing…”

He stopped him.

“You don’t have to come.”

He laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.

“Yeah, it’s official, Doctor. You just lost it. You can’t wander around without protection.”

That’s when Ethan told him where she was, in hopes that would calm his fears about him being out there alone.

“She’s with Michael.”