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  “God, that feels good.” She rubbed her right foot over her left calf and leaned against him, her shoulder fitting nicely under his arm. “And yes, guarding me from myself. Surely you could use the money for something.”

  “I have all the money I need—” He paused, reconsidering his words. Would money be enough to bribe Junior to leave Rafi alone? No. Though Junior craved wealth, he needed power more, enough power to dethrone his dad and take over hell.

  Paige stopped rubbing her calf and looked at him, hope gleaming in her eyes. “You’re considering it? You’re actually considering it?”

  He shook his head, steeling himself against his desire to help her. “I don’t have time. I have . . .” He grimaced and dropped his hand from her neck. “I have my own problems to work out, and I don’t think money’s going to solve them.”

  She sat up straighter. “But it might solve them? What’s your problem? You never know, with a little creative thinking, maybe we could both get what we want. You know, a win-win and all?”

  He shot her a look. “Yeah? Well, I need a way to appease Satan Jr. since I didn’t kill Becca Gibbs. I don’t think money’s going to be enough.”

  “Ohh . . . him.” Paige chewed her lower lip. “Can’t we just kill him?”

  “No.”

  “You sure?”

  “Trust me, I’m sure.” He’d have done it long ago if it would have freed Rafi, but Junior would simply have transferred his operation into the Afterlife and tortured Rafi there.

  “Okaay . . . let me think.” Paige tapped her fingernails on her teeth with a faint clicking noise. “He’s got all sorts of complexes about his dad, and he’s obsessed with power.” She sat up. “I know! Tell him that you’re getting paid with money stolen from Satan. He’d love that, and it’s true because Satan still funds me.”

  He raised his brows. “Getting closer, but still not enough. Anyone can steal money from Satan.”

  She rubbed her leg again. “Okay, so then, tell him that the woman you’re guarding is supposed to be this big, top-secret deadly weapon of Satan’s, specifically designed to bring Junior down. Tell him that by hanging out with me, you’re hoping to be there when I turn into a wraith, so you can direct my loyalty to Junior instead of Satan, getting Junior the best weapon around and stealing it from his daddy as a bonus.”

  He stared at her. “Is that what’s wrong with you?”

  “Yeah.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “Don’t worry. The plan won’t work because I’m supposedly hardwired to be loyal to Satan after I go insane with killing lust, but Junior won’t know that. Tell him that you’re pretending to try to keep me sane, but really, you’re trying to push all my buttons to send me prematurely into wraith-hood.” She leveled a finger at him. “But if you do try to push my buttons even once, the deal’s off. Got it?”

  He realized that she’d nailed Junior exactly. If he delivered the offer just right . . . yeah. It might work. Might buy him enough time to figure something else out. He felt a faint glimmer of hope as he studied Paige. “You’re serious about all this? You’re really turning into a death weapon for Satan?”

  “Do I look like I’m kidding? I don’t have time to be making up stories. I have to save myself and you”— she pointed at him —“are my only hope. So, what do you say? Please?”

  It was the slight tremor in her voice when she said “please,” that sealed it for him. He could justify it to Junior, it bought him time, and he simply wanted to do it for her. “A hundred grand per day?”

  She blinked. “Seriously?”

  “It’s Junior.”

  Paige drummed her fingers over her chin thoughtfully. “I think Satan’s coffers would sustain that. Yeah, I’m in.” She looked at him, hope etched on her face. “So that’s it? We have a deal?”

  “We have a deal. I’ll touch you for money.”

  Eight

  Paige watched the waitress set the two plates in front of Jed. Six fried eggs, two bagels, a double order of hash browns, an order of bacon, and the biggest bowl of fruit she’d ever seen.

  And a pitcher of orange juice.

  She looked at the granola and yogurt on her plate. “I feel so wimpy.”

  The man had been in overdrive since they’d agreed to the deal: rushing over to the breakfast place, telling their waitress that they were in a hurry, and now scarfing down his eggs. A man on a mission. He’d explained that doing his shadow warrior thing always depleted him and he needed to eat. It was clear from how fast he was going through his food that he considered eating nothing more than an inconvenience.

  She was down with that. She didn’t have time to sit around either.

  Jed jabbed his fork into his hash browns. “So, you’re going to turn into a wraith and you kill anything you touch—” he prompted.

  “Yeah. Well, that’s my destiny, apparently.” She filched a piece of his bacon. “But I’m resisting. Unfortunately, since I was originally created by Satan and used to be supported by his life force, I have this natural tendency to embrace dark things. You know, like harvesting souls, killing people, violence, torture, stuff like that. It’s kind of my thing, and the wraith gets off on it.”

  He stopped chewing and looked at her. “Seriously? You seem . . .” His gaze raked over her. “. . . more innocent than that. Pure.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m a virgin, so that’s what you’re probably reading.” She picked up another strip of bacon. “So, basically—” She stopped at the startled look on his face. “What?”

  “You’re a virgin? How is that possible?”

  She shrugged. “Satan created me only about a month ago, I went through Rivka training, got caught up in a battle to save the world, then discovered I was poison to anything I touched. I’ve been a little busy.” She waggled the bacon at him. “But I’m thinking that maybe it’s my virginity that’s helping me keep this wraith at bay. I mean, it’s not like there’s anything else pure about me, with the whole Rivka thing and all. So, now you see why you and I kissing is a bad idea? Kissing leads to sex, and then sex with you, Mr. Damned, would pretty much cancel out the last pure thing in my being.” She made a face. “So, your virtue is safe with me. Which is too bad, really, because that kiss was awesome.”

  He raised his brows. “Isn’t that a little judgmental?”

  She blinked, her cheeks getting hot with embarrassment. “Calling the kiss ‘awesome’? You didn’t think it was? It was just me?”

  “It wasn’t just you, but I was referring to the fact you think sex makes you impure.” He gave her a considering look. “I seriously doubt whether or not you’d had sex makes a difference to the wraith.”

  Her belly tightened at his admission about the kiss. “Well, that’s the only pure thing in me, so what else could be keeping it from taking over?”

  Something flickered in his gaze. “Your naturally sunshiny personality?”

  She snorted. “Window dressing, Jed. That’s all it is.” She swiped his glass of OJ and raised it. “To death, murder, and killing. Cheers.”

  “Huh. Well, if it is the virginity . . .” He leaned forward. “I have to warn you.”

  His voice had suddenly become husky, and something curled low inside her. “Warn me about what?”

  “I like touching you. Kissing you too.” His gaze was dark again, his jaw tense. “I’m not going to try to seduce you, but if you throw yourself in my arms and wrap those long legs of yours around me like you did earlier . . .” His gaze settled on hers. “I’m not made of steel, sweetheart, and I’m far from a saint.”

  The heat in his eyes sent her belly into overdrive again. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll keep it in mind.” Who was she kidding? She’d never forget it.

  He nodded, then leaned back in his seat again, picked up his coffee cup, and drained it. He gestured for more, then turned his attention back to Paige. Heat still simmered beneath the surface, but he was focused now. “I assume you need protection 24/7, which is fine, as long as you’re okay with following me aro
und to a certain extent. I have a couple critical errands I need to run this morning, and I’m going to need to get the first payment to Junior sooner rather than later.”

  “I’ll have to go to hell to get it. I don’t keep that kind of cash on me.” She tapped her fork on the table as she thought about returning to hell after Satan had told her not to return. He wouldn’t be happy, but too bad for him. She’d try to avoid him, but seriously, what could he do to her? Turn her into a mindless evil wraith? Yeah, whatever.

  Jed glanced at his watch, and his jaw ground with tension. “I have to make one stop first, then we’ll hit hell.” His gaze flicked over her shoulder, and then he sat up, his muscles bunching, his eyes narrowed as if he were preparing for a battle.

  Paige spun around and tensed when she saw who was heading toward her with a determined look on his face. Anger swelled inside her and she clenched her fists, scowling as the man who’d wronged Dani approached their table. Jerome Doumani, sniveling bastard and esteemed member of the Council, which was the governing body of all things nonhuman. Jerome had nearly killed Dani after professing to love her. Paige had hated him before she’d had the black soul, but now . . . she could feel her calf swell with pain and she embraced it, directing all her anger toward Jerome.

  Jerome reached the table. “Paige. Nice to see you again.” He held out his hand for her to shake, and she immediately reached for it, her fingers stretching for his skin.

  Jed grabbed her hand and hauled it back toward him. “Not so fast, killer.”

  Paige blinked as his action snapped her back into her mind.

  Jerome looked in surprise at Jed. “Who are you?”

  “No one relevant to you.” Jed moved behind her, then dug his fingers into her shoulder in silent warning. “Be calm, Paige,” he said quietly, his breath warm against the side of her neck. He grabbed his chair with his foot and yanked it across the tile, then sat next to Paige.

  She slipped her hand under the one he’d placed on her shoulder, and took a deep breath even as sharp pain began to throb in her leg and the need to kill Jerome began to build in her body. You can do this, Paige. Don’t let Jerome or the wraith lure you into self-destruction.

  Jerome eyed Jed. “I need to talk to Paige alone.”

  “I can’t allow that.” Jed’s voice was hard, inflexible, not even bothering to check with Paige first to see if she wanted some private time with her visitor.

  He was being completely arrogant and controlling.

  And she loved it. Leather, muscles, and a badass attitude? This was her kind of guy.

  Jerome looked at Paige. “Paige, tell him to leave—”

  “He stays,” she snapped. “Be glad. He won’t let me fireball you.”

  At that comment, Jed grabbed her hands and pressed her palms together in his lap. Her fingers brushed against the inseam of his jeans and she felt that special part of him twitch under her touch. Desire pulsed through her, chasing away the anger at Jerome and replacing it with a swirling heat that made her want to lean into Jed and—

  Jed’s eyes darkened with desire. “Don’t look at me like that,” he growled.

  “Well, don’t press my hands up against your manly regions, then.” Duh.

  As he moved her hands to a more neutral location, she turned back to Jerome with renewed confidence, knowing that with Jed on her side, they could contain the wraith. “What do you want?” Her voice was dripping with hostility, far more than she’d intended, and Jed pulled her onto his lap, trapping her against him. Damn wraith, making her cranky. She hated being cranky.

  “Let it go,” he whispered into her ear. “It’s not worth it.”

  His hard thighs shifted beneath hers and she leaned back against his chest, trying to concentrate on the tantalizing feel of his body instead of the dark urges building inside her. “Just tell me why you’re here,” she said to Jerome.

  Jerome shot another look toward Jed, then leaned toward her, coming within reach. All she had to do was lean forward and she’d bump his chin with her forehead . . .

  She scrunched her eyes shut. Don’t kill him.

  “I got a report on my desk this morning that you killed an angel yesterday,” Jerome said. “Do you have any idea how bad that is?”

  Her eyes snapped open. “The Council’s getting involved?” The Council was well known for its ruthless, arbitrary method of ruling. Yeah, the worst two members had been fired and Jerome was in charge now, but that was no comfort. Dani claimed he was a fair administrator of justice even though he couldn’t be decent in his personal life, but even if he was, power corrupts and all that crap.

  “There’s an emergency meeting with the Council and representatives from heaven to discuss the issue. No one has murdered an angel in a thousand years. There’s no precedent for dealing with this.” Sympathy flickered briefly across his face. “You’re in major trouble, Paige.”

  “It was a mistake,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know I could. I just touched him and he poofed. Gone. Satan did this thing to me and now I can’t touch living things that have any good in them or I kill them and—”

  “I don’t want to know.” Jerome held up his hand for silence. “If I thought you were Satan’s newest weapon, I’d have to kill you this instant, as part of my Council duties. I’m here because you’re Dani’s best friend, and I owe her, but once this conversation is over, I have to do my job.” He straightened up and looked around the restaurant, as if checking to see if anyone was listening, then directed his attention back to her. “I found you by tracking your cell phone. Ditch it, then disappear until you fix your problem, and maybe even longer. We’ll be coming for you.”

  She swallowed hard, all too aware of the Council’s mercilessness.

  Jerome nodded, apparently satisfied with whatever expression of dread he saw on her face. “I’m going to the meeting. I’ll do what I can for you, but it’s not going to be much.” He glanced at Jed, who had leaned forward to rest his chin on her shoulder. “You kill off anything with some good in them, huh? So this guy is bad news? Let me give you some advice, Paige. Now’s not the time to be aligning yourself with people like him.”

  Jed’s body tensed, but he said nothing.

  “Hey!” Sudden fury spewed through her at Jerome’s attack, as if her inner wraith had been waiting for the trigger, ripping through her with all the darkness and hate it was made of. “How dare you insult him?” She sat up, her fingers curling into claws. “After what you did to Dani, you think you can insult the one guy who’s sticking by me right now? He’s all I’ve got, dammit!” Her calf twitched and she jumped to her feet, jerking out of Jed’s grasp as she embraced the darkest urges gripping her. She lunged for Jerome, but Jed grabbed her and hauled her back against his chest so hard he knocked the breath out of her body.

  She gasped for air; Jerome leapt backward, tripping on a chair and nearly falling into the lap of another patron, who yelped and shoved him off her.

  “Calm down, Paige.” Jed’s voice was quiet. Steady. Utterly without inflection. Soothing . . . but not enough. “He’s not worth your future.”

  She gripped Jed’s wrists tightly, trying to breathe against the constriction in her chest. She pressed her head back against him as people stared at them. So many people. So many deaths to feed her wraith. She could sweep her arm out and get several of them at once—

  She tugged at Jed’s wrists, testing the strength of his grip, assessing how hard it would be to break free. At the same time, deep inside her pulsed the hope that he’d be able to hold her when she snapped, because she could feel it building. “It’s coming.” Her voice was raw, barely recognizable.

  “Leave.” Jed spoke the command at Jerome so quietly, yet Jerome knocked over another chair and crashed into a waiter in his haste to make it to the door.

  Jed’s breath was warm against the side of her neck. “You defended me.”

  “Of course.” She turned her face so her cheek was against his, concentrating on the
roughness of his whiskers scratching her skin. She groaned as her chest began to ache from the building pressure. “Jed,” she whispered. “I can’t stop it.”

  Jed spun her around to face him, his fingers digging into her shoulders, his face tensing when he looked at her. “Your eyes are turning black.”

  “Black?” she echoed. “That can’t be good. Can it? No, it can’t.” She squeezed them shut and tried to picture Becca, tried to shove down the strengthening urges. The almost overwhelming need to kill. Anyone. Anyone would do. Just one death. To feed her wraith. “Shit, shit, shit. It’s not working.” She felt herself start to panic. “I can’t do this. I can’t. I need to get rid of it by sending it into something. Like I killed the orchid.”

  He cupped her face between his palms, pressed his forehead to hers, full skin-to-skin contact. “Paige,” he whispered. “Build your shields. Put the urge to kill back in its box. I do it every day. You can do it. I know you can.”

  Her chest began to throb, her vision started to blacken. Then she snapped her eyes open, scanning the room of dining patrons for her victim, scenting out her prey. “The old lady in the corner. I’ll kill her. She’ll die easily.” Her voice was so low she didn’t recognize it, couldn’t stop it, couldn’t stop the image of the lady’s death from blossoming in her mind. “She’ll turn black, and scream and explode . . .” Her legs were shaking now, her body screaming with pain, her head hurting so much she felt like it was going to burst with the effort of keeping it at bay. “God, Jed . . . do something . . .”

  Jed grabbed the wilted carnation centerpiece off the table and pressed it into her hand. “Kill this.”

  She immediately dropped her shields and poison burst from her and slammed into the flower. It exploded instantly and the power surged into Jed where his hand was pressed against hers.

  His eyes widened. “What the fu—” The word froze in his throat, his skin turned black, and he hit the floor.