“Do you have a point, Ryan?” Jared said.

“Commissioner Johnson and six members of state government, in addition to seven police officers have come to untimely deaths in the last eighteen months, including Kit Anderson. Grahm was kil ed the same night twenty-three deaths were reported in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Al GSW’s.”

Jared laughed once. “You’re not tel ing me anything I don’t know, Ryan.”

“Exactly. How do you know this information unless you are responsible for forty-one deaths?”

“Whoa! You are way off, Ryan,” I said, shocked at his conclusion.

Ryan leaned into the window. “You know what I think? I think the cops were dirty, and that they and those dead officials are part of some sort of crime ring, and Nina got mixed up in it somehow. There’s no way you could have kil ed twenty-three people at the same time in two different states, so I think they lied about what happened. You with me so far?”

Jared grinned, amused with Ryan’s story. “I’m with you. You’re ful of crap, but I’m with you.”

“I think everyone that’s dead is a threat to you somehow because they know too much about whatever it is that you do. The question is, how much is too much? And how much more can Claire tel me before you take me out?”

Jared laughed out loud. “You should ease up on the cop shows, Ryan. Now, if you don’t mind, my fiancé and I have wedding shopping to do.”

“Wait,” Ryan said. “You’re not married, yet?” He looked to me, genuine surprise on his face.

“We’ve been busy,” I said, embarrassed.

Jared’s jaw tensed. “The date has been set. June first. We’l be sure to send you an invitation…that is if I haven’t taken you out, yet.”

The wheels spun against the wet snow, but the Escalade didn’t move. “Damn,” Jared said.

He pushed open the door, forcing Ryan to jerk back, and disappeared behind the vehicle. The snow drift kept me from getting out on my side, so I climbed over the console, and Ryan helped me to the ground.

“What are you doing?” I asked Jared.

“Digging the truck out. It’l be just a minute, Sweetheart,” he assured me.

“Do you want help?” Ryan asked.

“No,” Jared said quickly.

I turned to Ryan, crossing my arms. “You don’t real y think Jared is responsible for your partner’s death, do you?”

“If he is, Kit’s not the first cop he’s kil ed. There is a single connection tying every single one of those deaths together. Maybe you could talk your boy into keeping his gun in his holster until I figure it out. Or maybe you could just tel me.”

“I don’t know anything,” I said, feigning offense.

“I saw what Jared is capable of the night I was stabbed. I’ve experienced first hand what Claire can do. They aren’t…normal. I know Grahm and the other cops were dirty, but Anderson was a good man. He didn’t deserve to die. Quit treating me like I can’t keep a secret and just tel me.”

I looked past Ryan to see Jared stand up, look around, and then lean against the Escalade, freeing it from the ruts without effort.

“Okay, Baby. We’re out. Let’s go.”

Ryan walked to the Escalade, evaluating the slide marks the tires had made. He craned his neck at Jared. “I’m going to figure this out. It would save us al a lot of time and energy if you’d just tel me.”

“Let’s go, Nina,” Jared said.

I nodded, climbing into the cab.

“Maybe I could help you. Have you thought about that?” Ryan said.

Jared took off, leaving him in the snow-buried street.

I pul ed my coat tighter around me and stuffed my hands under my arms. “It wouldn’t hurt to have a connection in the police department.”

“Not Ryan,” Jared said.

“You sure talk a lot of smack to Claire about thinking with your emotions. You’re not being objective at al !”

Jared ignored me, instead, pul ing over when he noticed a woman trying to dig the snow out from under her buried tires.

A short drive around town turned into a three hour- long aid mission to free stranded motorists from the ice and snow. I would pretend to help, and Jared would pul or push cars and trucks out of snow drifts, ditches, and the side of the road.

It felt good to use Jared’s abilities to help others; even if it was something smal .

When we returned to the house, Claire’s Lotus was in the drive, along with a police cruiser.

“I don’t believe it,” Jared said, helping me from the passenger side. He carried me through the snow to the side entrance, and then stomped through the house until he found them.

They sat in the kitchen at the breakfast table, laughing. Claire seemed genuinely happy for once, and I smiled at the sight.

“How long have you two been here?” Jared demanded.

Claire’s smile faded. “Don’t worry, I waited for you. I told Ryan you’d tel him what you thought he needed to know.”

“No questions asked,” Ryan promised.

Jared’s hand bal ed into fists at his side, and the tendons in his neck were strained. It took every ounce of wil power he had not to charge.

“I’m not tel ing him anything,” Jared growled. “Leave, before I do something we’l al regret.”

He turned his back to Claire, and she jumped up to stop him.

“Wait,” I said, landing the palms of my hands on Jared’s chest. “Sit, calm down…we’l just talk,” I said, nodding to Claire and Ryan. “Let’s just sit down and hear them out, and if you stil feel the same way, we’l go.”

Jared took a deep breath, and then nodded, taking a seat across from Claire. I sat beside him, placing my hand on his knee.

Claire mimicked his sigh, turning to Ryan. “Anything Jared tel s you is privileged information, Ryan. Nina has lied to you, to her best friends, to her family. Are you sure you want to know?”

Ryan glanced at me.

I leaned forward. “It’s not fun knowledge to have. In this case, ignorance is bliss. I recommend you walk away, but it’s your decision.”

Ryan met Claire’s eyes. “I’m sure.”

“Okay,” Claire said. “First thing’s first.” She grabbed his shirt and ripped it open, popping off the buttons.

“Hey!” Ryan said, holding up his hands.

“Standard procedure,” she said, pul ing up his white tank top underneath, bearing his chest. She ran her fingers down each side, and then around his back.

“Come on. You think I’m wearing a wire?” Ryan said, looking at each of us.

“I kil ed your partner,” Claire said, expressionless.

“What?” Ryan said. His eyebrows turned in, and he shifted nervously in his chair.

“Just get right to the point, Claire,” Jared said, shaking his head in disapproval.

“Why would you kil Kit? He was a good man. He was a good cop….” Ryan said, trailing off.

“He set you up. He asked you to meet him so men working for someone named Donovan could kidnap you, and ultimately use you as bait.”

Ryan shook his head. “No. Kit wouldn’t do that.”

“Then he was forced. He has kids. They probably threatened to kil them if he didn’t cooperate.”

Ryan’s shoulders fel . “So you were protecting me.”

“That’s my job,” Claire said.

Ryan’s once confused expression metamorphosed into suspicion. “W-What do you mean it’s your job?”

“Here we go,” I said, covering my mouth with my hands. I remembered the moment Jared had told me the truth about what he was, and I knew Ryan wouldn’t believe her.

Claire was stoic. “I’m your guardian angel. My father was an angel, my mother is human. When my father fel in love with my mother and decided to stay with her, he was cursed by Heaven so he would continue to protect his Taleh…his human.”

“My dad,” I added.

Claire continued, “The curse is carried throughout the bloodline for a few generations, so Jared, Bex, and I also have Taleh. We have trained our entire lives to be able to protect you, and we have superhuman speed and strength. Nina is Jared’s…you’re mine. I kil ed Anderson to protect you. I kil ed everyone else to protect Nina, so Jared could stay with her while she healed. I watched you throughout your entire military career, and yes, I pul ed you out of the desert.”

“I thought you said you were going to let me tel him,” Jared said, displeased.

“I don’t have al day,” Claire answered.

Ryan was silent.

“You forgot the most important part,” I said.

Claire rol ed her eyes. “Oh yeah, and because of the curse, I can’t die unless you do.”

The room was silent. I squeezed Jared’s knee, thankful he hadn’t dropped the truth on me the way Claire had just done with Ryan. We al waited for him to breakdown, yel , or try to leave. He just sat in his chair, letting it soak in.

I took my hands from my mouth and slid them across the table. “Are you okay?” I asked, touching his hand.

“Yeah,” he blinked. “Just trying to get it al straight in my head.”

“If you tel anyone, I’ll end your life,” Jared said in a low, frightening voice.

“Not likely, since you’d also be kil ing your sister,” Ryan said.

“He was paying attention,” Jared said.

One side of Ryan's mouth turned up. “So you would literal y take a bul et for me.”

“No,” Claire said, with zero emotion.

“No?” Ryan said, surprised at her answer.

Claire rol ed her eyes, annoyed that she had to answer. “If I have time to stand in the way of a bul et, you have time to move.”

“True,” Ryan said, nodding.

“So the question is,” I said. “What wil you do with the information now that you have it?”

Ryan paused in thought, and then fastened the few buttons left on his shirt. “Find Donovan.”

“Welcome to our club,” Bex said, plopping into the chair beside me. “I just talked to Kim. They’re on the move.”

“Kim. Our Kim?” Ryan asked, his eyes darting to me.

“Yes. She’s sort of the opposite of a demon magnet.”

Ryan left that one alone, turning to Claire. “Sounds like you left a lot out.”

She stood, pul ing Ryan with her. “Yes. This is going to be like on-the-job training. Can you handle it?”

“So far,” he said.

“That’s the hardest part,” I said, turning to Bex. “Where are they now?”

Bex traded glances with Jared before he spoke. “We have to move. They have an entourage, so it wil take al three of us.”

“Okay,” Jared said, nodding as he was lost in thought. “Where is Kim?”

Bex twitched. “Outside.”

Jared nodded. “Kim, stays with Nina.”

“Jared!” I protested.

Claire pul ed on her coat. “Did you hear Bex, Nina? The three of us are going. We don’t need Kim.”

“Ryan,” Jared said. “I’ll need you to stay with Nina. The only things you can’t handle wil be protecting what we’re going after.”

Ryan nodded. “I won’t let her out of my sight.”

“You have your gun?” Claire asked.

Ryan patted his side in confirmation.

I threw my arms around Jared and squeezed, shutting my eyes tight. “Don’t stay away long.”

“In and out, Baby. In and out,” he smiled.

“And don’t come back ful of bul et holes this time!” I call ed after him.

The door shut, and the sound of the Escalade’s engine faded as everyone I loved most in the world traveled farther and farther away.

“Bul et holes?” Ryan asked.

“Come on,” I said, pul ing him into down the hal . “Let’s find more comfortable chairs. This is going to take a while.”

Chapter Sixteen

If I Told You Everything

The rain beat against the window of the classroom, prompting Professor Sawyer to speak louder than her smal voice could accommodate.

Words squeaked from her throat as she struggled to lecture through the snickers and murmuring of the students.

Her words blurred together as I stared at the blank page of my laptop monitor. The nightmares were absent the night before, but only because sleep never came. The Ryels didn’t return home until just before the sun rose, and even if I could have ignored the worry long enough for my eyes to close for a moment, Ryan’s incessant questions kept me awake.

So...what if she gets shot in the head?

If I die and then Claire dies does she go to Heaven?

What if I don't die but I'm a vegetable?

Can she get knocked out?

So her dad was an angel? Can he see me right now.

His curiosity was insatiable. I final y lost my temper and yel ed at him to shut up, but he only smiled and sat quietly long enough to think of more questions. For the first time, I was glad that Ryan was no longer enrol ed at Brown.

I twirled the diamond ring around my finger, trying to block out images of what Bex and Claire had described earlier that morning. Their clash with Isaac and Donovan was short-lived, but had the Ryel's been human, it would have been lethal. The vision of Isaac was so vivid and frightening in my mind, the thought of coming face to face with him terrified me. He and Donovan had been commissioned to protect the Naissance de Demoniac, and because they were faced with al three of Gabe Ryel’s children, they decided retreat was the prudent option—but not before sinking four bul ets into Bex’s chest.

The kitchen was a bloody mess by sunrise, and although Bex’s eyes were wide with excitement, seeing Claire pluck the remnants of bul ets from his flesh left me…wel …unsettled.