Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark #1)(61)
Author: Gena Showalter

At five feet nine, Annabelle towered over the girl. She lifted her gaze to Zacharel, who stood as unyielding as an iron fence, silently asking if he would get into trouble if she knocked Kaia around. Did no one know the difference between Chinese and Japanese?

He gave a negative shake of his head. “Never mess with a Harpy.”

“I still have no idea what a Harpy is,” Annabelle pointed out.

“A death machine, that’s what,” Kaia said.

“But…”

“No buts, Annabelle.” Zacharel looked to the redhead. “And, Kaia. Behave.”

“Fine. But only because you somehow turned this black as night day into a bright shining light, so I’m gonna do you a solid and obey. Want to know how you did that, huh, huh? Good, I’ll tell you.” She barely paused to pop a bubble with her gum. “You used to give Lysander crap about dating my darling sister, but look at you now. You’re pulling a Paris and dating a Hunter, aren’t you, and they’re the worst of the worst!”

Pulling a Paris? A hunter?

Zacharel must have sensed Annabelle’s confusion. “The Hunters are fanatical slayers of the paranormal. They will do anything, even destroy an entire city of innocents, to meet their goals.”

“I am not a Hunter,” she snapped.

“That’s what they all say, honey.”

Zacharel released a long-suffering breath. To Kaia, he said, “Annabelle hasn’t yet learned that a man is not the same as the demon tormenting him, that a man can fight the evil and win, and that too many people believe in acting on what they feel and see rather than believing that they can have more, do better, like the Lords. And I can’t blame her. I have only recently learned this lesson myself.”

So the Lords had fought against the evil of their demons and won? Such a victory must have come at a terrible price, she thought, remembering the number of battles she’d fought and lost. Respect for them bloomed, and she forced her grip to ease on the dagger—only to realize Kaia had wrapped her hand around her wrist, claws sinking past skin, probably even into bone. Scalding heat radiated from her.

“You’re too hot,” Annabelle gritted out. Hotter than Zacharel’s hands sometimes were.

The tiny female smiled unabashedly. “I know, right! But my twin sister is way hotter, I promise.”

Twin? There were two of them?

“Kaia,” Zacharel began, as Annabelle said, “Let go of me, tiny tot. Now.”

“Tiny tot. Cute. But what’s the magic word?”

“Kaia!” Zacharel and Strider said in unison.

“Nope. That’s not it.”

Annabelle blurted out a rough, “I’ll kick you in your lady balls if you don’t.”

“Bingo!” One by one, Kaia pried her nails loose, leaving little red welts on Annabelle’s skin.

“I think you’re the weirdest person I’ve ever met,” Annabelle groused.

“And you’re the sweetest. So tell me,” Kaia said, and popped another bubble. “Is Zacharel a good lover? Because I’ve got big money on the answer being no. Yeah, he has big hands, and he really knows what to do with them on a battlefield, but have you ever tried to banter with him? Dude is clueless. I figure the same cluelessness extends to the mattress mambo.”

“Uh…” Suddenly everyone in the room was staring at her. Including Zacharel. “He’s, uh, great?” Never had she been more uncomfortable.

“Oh, man.” Kaia’s shoulders slumped.

Strider, the demon keeper of Defeat, whooped and fist-pumped the air. “Told you, baby doll. I told you.”

Kaia spun, piercing him with a glare. “The fact that you won a bet about another man’s sexuality isn’t something to brag about, you idiot.”

He blew her a kiss. “You’re sexy when you’re a sore loser.”

She brightened, fluffed her hair. “Of course I am, but I challenge you to prove it.”

“With pleasure.” The two just kind of leapt at each other, kissing as if the other’s mouth held a lifesaving supply of oxygen.

Does anyone else find this bizarre? Apparently not. A rapid-fire conversation ensued between the rest of the males.

Zacharel: “The club?”

The scarred warrior, Death: “Cleaned out.”

Zacharel: “The humans?”

The beautiful Promiscuity: “Unharmed, as requested.”

Zacharel: “Demons and the demon possessed?”

The goddess of Anarchy joined in, pumping her fist toward the ceiling as Strider had done. “I killed them dead!”

Zacharel: “What?”

Anya, pouting: “Fine. I only killed them dead in my mind. I had Lucien lock them up, as you commanded. Happy now?”

The big, black warrior with dark eyes said something through sign language before throwing his arm around the pink-haired babe. Amun and Haidee were dating…or whatever it was called when two not-quite humans hooked up?

Zacharel gripped Annabelle’s shoulders and forced her to face him. When she met his gaze, the rest of the room ceased to exist. There was only her angel and his emerald eyes. He said, “I’m leaving you here, with the warriors and their women. They will not hurt you, and you will not hurt them.”

First she experienced another wave of panic—he’s leaving you again!—then anger—you don’t need him, you can take care of yourself!—then determination. Who better to teach her about the different kinds of demons than demons themselves? Wasn’t that why Zacharel had morphed into one during their first sparring lesson? Although…could she really believe anything these people told her?

“Fine, whatever,” she said, trying for a lighthearted tone. “So where are you going?”

He ignored the question. “Vow it.”

She sighed. “I won’t hurt your friends—unless they attack me. I vow it. Now, where are you going?”

“Below. I will not leave the club without you, and no one in this room will attack you,” he said loudly, so that everyone could hear. “They will keep you safe, putting their lives at risk if necessary. Even if they do not trust you. Won’t they?”

Silence.

“Won’t they?” he shouted.

Wow. She’d never heard him raise his voice like that.

Murmurs of agreement echoed.

“Just so you know, I’m trustworthy,” she grumbled.

“Are you?” He gave her a little shake. “It’s too bad you wouldn’t say the same about me. You thought I meant to trade you and desert you here. You actually thought I would let Burden and his men hurt you to save another angel.”