When he leapt into the front seat, Tanner spared Marna one more glance. Her hands were fisted in front of her. She wasn’t looking at him.
He gunned the engine.
“Something’s wrong.” He almost didn’t catch her whisper. Even with his shifter hearing, it had been hard to hear her. She breathed the words more than said them. “Something’s wrong with me.”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Her eyes had been black. “Everything’s fine.” They’d find the demon who was setting them both up, and Tanner would end that bastard.
The tires squealed as he raced down the narrow streets.
“I like it too much.”
Another confession that was little more than a breath.
“I’m not supposed to like the fire,” she said softly.
His hands clenched around the wheel.
“I’m not supposed to lust, not supposed to want so badly.”
His gaze cut to her and found her stare on him.
“I’m not supposed to want so badly,” she said again, louder now, “the way I want you.” She swallowed. “The things I want, the things I want to do . . . this isn’t me.”
No, it wasn’t who she’d been, but Tanner realized that Marna was becoming someone else.
Someone stronger.
Someone . . . someone who could be very, very dangerous.
“Tanner, what happens . . .” Now she looked away, staring out at the blur of buildings, and finished. “. . . when an angel goes bad?”
Hell came calling. Tanner knew because he’d seen it happen before. He didn’t want to face that nightmare again.
Tanner dropped his partner in an old chair, then bent to quickly cuff the guy. Tanner made sure that Jonathan was locked up tight in the cuffs, and then he gave the man a good, hard slap.
Jonathan groaned, and his eyes slowly opened. He focused first on Tanner, then on Marna, then his gaze swept around him—and Tanner knew his partner took in every aspect of the old, abandoned warehouse with that sweeping glance.
If you needed a private place to torture or dump a body, Tanner knew this was a perfect spot. No one was around for miles. That meant there was no one to hear the screams.
Not that he expected Jonathan to scream. At least, not right away.
Jonathan jerked at his cuffs. “You really think these are necessary, partner?”
“Was it necessary to cuff me?” Marna demanded, stepping forward.
Tanner wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Easy.” Who would have thought that he’d be the one playing good cop?
Jonathan’s gaze slid over them both. Lingered on the hand Tanner had around Marna. “I thought it would be . . . like that.”
“Watch it,” Tanner advised, voice still mild.
“I mean, why risk everything? Why put your job on the line? Why lie to me? Unless . . . unless you were screwing her.”
Tanner kicked out, sending the wooden chair slamming to the ground. It hit on the side, and Jonathan groaned when his arm rammed into the cement.
“Told you,” Tanner said, “to watch it.” That jerk wasn’t going to slam Marna.
Jonathan looked up at him and his lips tightened. “You think you can keep her? You think there aren’t a dozen paranormals in this town desperate for a chance to get at her?”
“Is that why you were trying to get her?” Tanner demanded as the fury rose inside him. “Were you planning to sell her off to the highest bidder?” Over my cold and dead body.
Marna’s hands pressed against Tanner’s side. “I told you, he said there was someone waiting for me.”
Jonathan shrugged and tried to lever himself off the ground. “What can I say? Angels are in demand.”
Growling, Tanner surged forward and yanked the bastard to his feet. Tanner’s boots kicked away the shattered remains of the chair. “I thought you wanted me to trust you,” Tanner said. Right, he’d known that was bull. Mocking now, he continued, “I thought you wanted to help.”
“I did! Then I realized you weren’t exactly playing on the side of the good guys anymore.” Jonathan didn’t fight Tanner’s hold, but his eyes blazed. “Turning on your own, leaving that poor kid to—”
“That wasn’t me!” Tanner shoved him back. He had to. His claws wanted to break free, and he didn’t want to accidentally behead the guy.
Maybe not so accidentally.
“I saw the video.”
“What you saw . . .” Tanner glanced back at Marna. She watched the human with narrowed eyes. “What you saw was a demon using one hell of a lot of glamour magic. My face, not me.”