BooksBarbecue
Back Angel Save as PDF
Chapters (88)
  1. Welcome
  2. Dedication
  3. To the reader
  4. BOOK ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. BOOK TWO
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. BOOK THREE
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. Books by James Patterson
  88. Cover Page

He nodded at Star, who was pouring a supersize bag of chips down her throat. “We think Star’s part hummingbird or mouse. She can move like lightning, but she burns through about a zillion calories in the process. She must have double the fast-twitch muscle fibers we do since they spliced her genomes.”

Maya smiled at him. “I love it when you talk all sciencey.”

Fang almost laughed despite himself. He hated talking to people, but maybe with Maya he could just hang. Maybe she could be like Max for him. Like he and Max used to be. Before things got… complicated.

It would be just like before.

31

“MAX! THE MAXALATOR! Maxime! Maxalicious! Maxster!”

Total raced toward me as soon as I landed, wagging his tail. (Oh, just a reminder. Yes, we are living in a world where geneticists have messed with dogs too. Total’s the first talking dog I’ve ever met, though—and I hope he’s the last.)

“Total! Hi! How was your honeymoon?” I was actually glad to see him. Things had been kind of quiet without him. Relatively.

“I see Mr. Perfect’s still hanging around, eh?” he said, drawing together his pointy black Scottie ears. My face flushed as I took a step away from Dylan.

“And Angelkins!” Total licked Angel’s face when she squatted down to pet him, bracing his front paws on her lap.

“Hi, Total,” Angel said. “Whoa! Your wings are looking good!”

Total extended his wings proudly, fluttering them a little. “They are, indeed, are they not?” he agreed. “The honeymoon was fantabulous.” His eyes got a little misty. “You see before you the happiest of dogs. My Akila and I had a truly magical time. Now she’s off visiting her folks, but I missed you, one and all.” He looked at me and frowned. “And, of course, I got here just in time to see that everything took a turn for the worse when I left. Everyone looks terrible! I’m gone for a week and—”

“I’m hungry,” I said, heading toward the house. “You have any pictures from your honeymoon?”

“I have video!” Total said, happily trotting beside me.

Inside, the flock was a little… different. Besides the limbs in casts and stitched-up wings, everyone had bruises, black eyes, and assorted scrapes, but no one looked at me when I walked in.

“What’s going on?” Dylan whispered.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” said Total. “Have they been taking freak pills? Because they’re all acting strange.”

“Hey, guys,” I said, a little too loud. “Everyone okay?”

Nobody moved, not even my mom, who, of all people, I thought I could count on to lead the Max welcoming committee.

“Mom?” I said, walking over to the couch where she was resting. “How’s your arm?”