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

into place. “He isn’t made of darkness, just raised in it.”

Boone’s brows popped. Deep words from an unexpected source.

“So, how did Sierra’s appointment go?”

“Good. She’s about sixteen weeks along now.” He selected another sky piece and tried it. It was like sitting next to Sandeen again.

“Oh, how precious.”

Harlowe approached them again. “Director Vale is actually coming to talk to you. Either way, we’ll have to know what level of captive she is—willing or forced.”

They worked on the puzzle for twenty minutes with Alma’s humming to fill the silence. The screen door opened and a tall man with a shaved head walked in. He wore the same black outfit as the rest. Half his face was mottled from old burn scars.

“Oh my.” Alma’s voice resonated with awe.

Light amber eyes pinned him in place. “Boone.”

“Director Vale?”

He stopped a few feet from the table and crossed his arms. Muscles bulged from the guy’s sleeves, making Boone wonder if he’d missed a few too many wood-chopping sessions in the last couple of weeks. “You have the honor of being the first human I’ve talked to about us.”

Alma patted his arm like it was truly an honor.

The director’s lips quirked. “Both of you, it seems. Which brings up my first question. Why the fuck are you telling us this in front of a willing demon host?”

“Young man—”

Director Vale’s eyes flashed to Alma. “I’m older than you.”

Alma put her hand to her chest and looked him up and down. “You must’ve taken excellent care of yourself in your youth. But my demon isn’t bad. Ask them.”

Harlowe’s lips flattened like they usually did when Sandeen was the topic. Boone nodded. “Sierra doesn’t think Sandeen will be back. He’ll find another fallen that Andy doesn’t know about.”

Director Vale scoffed. “She’s willing to bet the whole precarious mission you two concocted on that?”

“Our options are limited,” Boone replied.

The director jammed his hands on his hips and paced from the kitchen to the living room and back. He stopped in the same spot. “Why the bloody hell did she do what she did?”

“We couldn’t stay on the run indefinitely. We’d been rammed by two vehicles already. This way, she can control it, and she can get us information.”

“There is no us, human.”

“I’ve had experience with undercover work.”

“You can’t go in that club.”

“I can and I will. I’ll even get that fucking tattoo.”

Bryant crossed his arms and leaned back on the rickety folding chair. Boone met the director’s harsh stare and held it.

“They know who you are,” Director Vale finally said. “How do you think you can get in there?”

“After the crash, the demon thought I was a warrior—and that was after Sandeen gave the safe house away.” Alma had to be right. Sandeen had only given enough information away to save himself. “I don’t think they know about me, and I’ll change my look.”

“You two seem to be staking a lot on what you think Sandeen hasn’t done or won’t do in the future.”

“I don’t doubt he’ll throw me under the bus if he needs to. But I’m willing to take the chance that Sierra can find out enough to help take care of the Andy problem.” And if Sandeen showed up in the middle of the club, pointed at Boone, and told everyone exactly who he was, Sierra would still be alive. Andy wouldn’t risk hurting her or the baby. “But I need your word that you’re going to do everything you can to save her.”

“Of course we would.”

“Like you stood by her during her fall?”

The director’s flinch was subtle, but Boone caught it. “She wanted to take the fall on her own. Take responsibility.”

“She did. And you let her. Will she continue to pay for it?”

“Leo Richter does.” The director cut his gaze away. The deep friendship between the male Sierra had gotten hurt and this angel was clear. “But you’re right. It’s time to move on. The senate is finally starting to listen to us and change our laws regarding the fallen.”

“They’ll all need protection. Especially Sierra, since she’s taking on Andy to protect you and the rest of your team.”

Grim understanding rippled over the director’s face. “She would do that, wouldn’t she? Shite. I wish the senate would budge when it came to at least that rat-faced bastard.” He yanked out the fourth folding chair and sat on it backward. “Tell me the plan you two came up with.”

Chapter 16

As far as prisons go, this could be worse.

Sierra’s legs dangled from the edge of the king-size bed. She didn’t want to think about how much sex and how many women Jameson had had in this bed. When Andy had led her to the penthouse a week ago, she’d asked if the bedding had been changed.

It has. The body of his last lover, excuse me, second to last lover, has been removed.

She’d shuddered. Welcome back, self-disgust.

The penthouse was smaller than she’d expected. A bedroom. A bare walk-in closet. A kitchen with empty cupboards, a cleaned-out fridge, and no table. Okay.

There was a third floor that Andy claimed was vacant. Jameson had liked to feel the music and step outside his door to witness the debauchery in the club from the wall-to-wall window. It wasn’t quite one-way, she recalled from her walk through the dance floor. This side was darkened. She’d be a shadow.

Good enough.

Groceries had been delivered shortly after she’d arrived. Had Andy done it or one of the bouncers? Did he use an assistant or was he a control freak?

A midwife had arrived yesterday. She wasn’t what Sierra had expected. Sierra had been briefed to tell the blissfully demon-free woman that Andy was her brother and that she’d fled a bad relationship. Other than that, the midwife asked for a pee sample and asked her the same questions the nurse had asked what felt like months ago. She’d also wanted to draw a vial of blood, but Sierra had refused. Her deal with Andy was that he had to uphold his side of the