Demon Fire (The Angel Fire Book 3) by Marie Johnston (best authors to read .txt) 📗

its own body. And if any fallen will do, then Numen best rethink its policy in regard to them. Because Andy will gather them up and collect them like porcelain dolls. And he’ll work twice as hard to bait other angels into losing their wings. Just sayin’.” He patted the pocket with the blade. “If you’ll excuse me.”

He took a step back and disappeared like the air had dissolved him. Harlowe lunged for him but her hand closed around nothing. “Where the hell—” She vanished again, proving the first time hadn’t been his imagination.

The look Jagger cut Sierra was full of reproach. “He went right into the Gloom. How nice of you to set that up for him.”

Confusion lined Sierra’s brows. “What are you talking about?”

“Please, Sierra. You helped us with Stede, but that was for your benefit as much as ours. We were wrong to think we could trust you again.”

“Trust me?” Fury sparked across her expression and lingered longer than he’d seen before. This was what simmered inside of her, what she didn’t let others see, didn’t let herself feel. “You mean like I believed you all when you said you’d support me during my fall? I sat alone in that cell for weeks.”

She’d been despondent after he’d brought her back to the cabin. He’d assumed it was from the trauma. When he’d woken from his gunshot wound, at least he’d had his team leader at his side checking on him. Though during the trial, he’d pushed his team leader away again. Everyone else had been keeping their distance already.

Sierra had been dumped and left alone. Because she’d made a terrible decision.

After all he’d been through, after what his wife had done to him, he couldn’t bring himself to think it was fair.

What if . . .

What if his wife had survived and come to on the floor of that clubhouse and no one had been around?

Would he think she deserved it?

Perhaps a few years ago, he’d have thought so. Probably even a few months ago. Now? After seeing those who used to be closest to Sierra shun her for old crimes? He didn’t know.

Harlowe stepped out of the Mist, her dagger poised and ready to strike if Sandeen was within distance. “He’s not there. He must’ve gone to the Gloom. Can he get back again?”

“Can he, Sierra?” Jagger snapped.

“How should I know?” she said.

Urban was the one who answered. “Because when we arrived in Green Valley, we found you running off with him.”

“Because he’s the only one who knows the most about what’s going on.”

“He could’ve been leading you right to Andy,” Harlowe said.

Sierra shrank in on herself. Anger lit her eyes when Jagger and Urban confronted her, but when Harlowe did it, pain wrote itself across Sierra’s face. The two had been close.

“He’s a demon. And you were working with him.” Harlowe waved toward Boone. “And you got a human involved. You told him everything about us, and we can only clean up your mess. We seem to be doing that a lot lately.”

Sierra reared back like she’d been slapped. He stepped in despite knowing he should stay out of it. If the others were behind the curve after all the revelations of the day, Boone hadn’t even made it to the race. This wasn’t his world, it was theirs. He also didn’t know the Sierra they knew, but the Sierra he’d been with for the last two months wanted to do her share. She wanted to help. She wasn’t a criminal.

He held his hands up, hoping it was interpreted as the universal sign of let’s calm down and that it didn’t mean something else in their world. “Look. Sandeen’s gone. Alma’s exhausted and needs to lie down. Sierra and I are stuck here. I have no one to contact and I’m sure you’ll be monitoring her closely to make sure she’s not talking to anyone either.”

Jagger’s chest deflated and Urban followed, their aggression deflating. Harlowe wasn’t so quick to let her anger die down, but she was too well trained to let her emotions take over the situation.

“Fine,” Harlowe said. “Urban and I will continue to monitor Alma. She’ll be an easy host if Sandeen returns. If not, she’ll be confused, and she’s hours from her home.”

“Maybe she knows something,” Urban grumbled.

As protective as Sandeen had been of Alma, Boone doubted the woman would roll over on him. The demon was out for himself, but he wasn’t heartless.

And that was a sentence Boone never thought he’d take seriously. “Come on, Sierra. You need to get some rest.”

Her stricken gaze met his and she nodded. With her arms hugged around herself, she let him lead her upstairs.

Chapter 12

What a fucking day.

Boone stood outside the bedroom door with his hand on the doorknob. He couldn’t bring himself to go inside. Sierra might still be napping after the afternoon of shock and accusations. She’d walked into the room and gone straight to bed, emotionally exhausted.

Instead, Boone turned, sat down at the top of the stairs, and watched the flurry on the main floor. He wasn’t needed or wanted. Sierra’s former teammates had had their minds blown, and while some of their anger toward her was justified—if he were in their position, he’d probably have the same suspicions—he thought they all needed space. The warriors were scrambling to revamp their mission plans in a way that reminded him of a team he’d worked with before he went undercover. An informant and a fellow agent had been killed. Months of work had been destroyed, identities exposed, and it was an overall shit show, but that hadn’t stopped the team from trying to save what they could and put the bad guys away.

Extra surveillance on the house had been added. The delivery driver Boone had thought was one of them had arrived. His name was Bronx. Another warrior. His duty was to watch outside the house and make sure no one was trying to get in or out, namely him and Sierra.

Being