Page 36 of Reapers Don’t Ride

“Gavriel, get back!” I yelled, but I was too late.

My angel was scratched by a tiny dart, and then he released Lorien and spun around, searching the onlookers until he found me. He marched towards me and would have run into the ward if Lorien hadn’t broken it as he scrambled away in the opposite direction.

“Enjoy corruption, Gavvy,” he called, and then spread his wings and disappeared into the shadows.

Gavriel was close to me, but he didn’t stop with close. His hand came around the back of my head and the other circled my waist. Was he going to crush my skull? My ferret chirped at him, lecturing him about his rudeness while he walked me back until I thumped against a wall. That didn’t feel great against my still seeping skull.

“Gavriel, what did he mean, enjoy corruption?” I asked, trying not to lose my calm at the intense emotion flooding his eyes.

“There is no meaning in the world other than you, my precious heart.” He bent his head and inhaled against my throat, his warm breath sending shocking vibrations over all of my skin. He kissed my throat, open-mouthed, warm tongue skating over my dead flesh like he was completely deranged. He should be repelled by my skin. Not that some people didn’t like vampire skin, but it was certainly an acquired taste.

“What are you doing?” I asked. My voice was cold, hard, reasonable, but inside I was quaking like a leaf.

He pulled away to caress my face, slipping fingers through my blood-caked hair, and gazed at me with eyes so hungry for me. “From the first moment I saw you, I ached to warm you with my body and soul. Do you dislike me tasting your sweet skin? You smell of roses and death. I love the scent of death, so heady and irresistible, like a crackling fire on a cold day.”

“You mean like a cold day on a crackling fire. He pricked you with a dart. You’re not yourself.” I pushed him away, but he surged back against me, gazing at me with desperation I could smell.

His feelings smelled real, even though the cupid had manufactured them. How terrifying. “My love. You’ve been alone too long. Let me hold you close and fill you with my warmth. Let me be your crackling fire on a winter’s day.”

“And I’ll be your winter day? I highly doubt that’s an equal trade. Gavriel, take a deep breath. Don’t let your old friend manipulate you. Don’t let him…”

He kissed me, swallowing my words and my thoughts. I reached up and tangled my fingers in his hair, ignoring the scent of his sweet blood seeping from one of the many wounds he’d taken, including the bullet wound. I needed to take care of him, but how could I possibly resist so much aching desire?

He kissed me, gripping my sides, tugging me close while his back was completely unguarded. This wasn’t the place for this, not with the whole crew gathered to watch the fight.

I ducked under his arm and away from the wall, getting space. The others were gone, leaving us in some kind of privacy, but Lorien could be in the shadows, just waiting for an opening.

“It isn’t safe here.”

He advanced on me, his eyes flickering with barely veiled flames of passion. He captured my hand and threaded my fingers with his. “Then take me to your bed. Tell me what you want. Make me your slave.”

I yanked my hand out of his. “I’m not making anyone my slave.”

He smiled shyly and gazed at me with open adoration. “I’ve been enslaved by your beauty from the first moment you stepped onto the gravel in those ridiculous shoes. Except on you, they weren’t ridiculous, pointless accessories. They were weapons. Not that you needed any. That first moment, I was slain by the glorious glimmering of your exquisite soul. Let me hold you, protect you, adore you until my last breath. Take me where you will have me, and I will be yours forever.”

That was exactly the kind of thing a slimy, manipulative seducer would say, but his emotions matched the words. He felt every one of them to the depths of his heart, thanks to that slimy, manipulative cupid.

I needed to get him out of the alley and somewhere the love drug could wear off. I looped my arm in his and tugged him towards the door. “We can talk in our room.”

He caressed my arm, gazing at me so that he would have run into the door frame if I hadn’t pulled him closer to me. He didn’t mind being closer. In fact, he wrapped his arm around me, tucking me against his side, protective and devoted.

Everyone was looking at us as we walked through the back room.

“I’m just taking him somewhere safe until it wears off,” I said, feeling judged. They could all see that I was fixated on the angel. The logical thing for a soulless, murderous, bloodsucking criminal like myself to do was take advantage of this situation. He couldn’t blame me for playing the part.

I wanted his warmth, his attentive devotion. After a hundred years with Tralcon, didn’t I deserve some happiness? I focused on Tiago while I gripped Gavriel’s forearm. The elf was the most knowledgeable one here.

“How long will this last?”

He gave me a faint smile. “Twenty-four hours or longer depending on how deep his genuine feelings are.”

Twenty-four hours?

I dragged the angel with me through the back room, past the fairy boy and his little sister, who both stared at us as we went. I hesitated and untangled Crucible from my hair, thrusting him at the girl.

“Chira, can you watch Crucible for me? I’ll be back,” I told the ferret and made the hand signals that told him to stay with her.

He wiggled his nose and squeaked irritably, but didn’t struggle in her grasp. She held the ferret to her chest and beamed at me with the brightness of a thousand rainbows. “Of course I’ll watch Crucible!”