He got a croak and then the eye shut and the body under the blanket shivered in a great seizure.

If this was anything like what Adrian went through—and given the way the guy looked, it was a one-for-one if he’d ever seen it—what Jim really wanted was a bath followed by a shower. But it was too early for that shit. Healing time first—there were just too many broken-andbruiseds to move him—which was the burden of an angel’s dual nature: being both real and unreal meant that at least half of you could get fucked-up but good, and shit didn’t spring back right away.

Adrian stood and went over to the heating unit that was under the windows. Turning the dial to “sauna,” he ditched his leather jacket and shut the connector to the other room, locking them in together. Then he got on the bed, stretched out on top of the thin blanket, and put his chest to the angel’s back to warm him.

As he lay there and heard the heater come on with a whir, he felt the earthquakes in Jim’s torso and limbs. Part of it was the healing process, which in some ways was more painful than the injuries. And part of it was the deep freeze of shock.

And part of it was the memories, no doubt.

He wanted to put an arm around the guy, but that was just going to be too uncomfortable for Jim: When he’d been in this condition, he’d lain naked without even a sheet on his clawed skin.

After a while, the billowing warmth that fanned out from the heater reached them, arcing over and raining down. Jim obviously felt the flow because he drew in a long breath and exhaled on a ragged sigh.

Lying next to the other angel, Adrian should have expected that this was where Jim would end up, and he had, to a degree. He’d known Devina had wanted the guy . . . back on their first assignment, back on that first night in the club in Caldwell. And he’d served Jim up to her.

With everything but the “to and from” tag.

Hard not to feel responsible for this.

Realllllllllly tough.

“I’ve got you, Jim,” he said hoarsely. “I’m right here for you, man.”

CHAPTER 34

CHAPTER 34

Down in the wine cellar, Grier went through the dossiers one by one while she waited . . . and waited . . . and waited some more. . . .

Finally.

“Why didn’t you tell me,” she said, without looking behind herself.

Daniel took a long time in answering, but he didn’t disappear: Whenever he was around, she could feel the slightest of drafts, and as long as that was brushing the back of her neck, she knew he was still with her.

I thought you would hate him. And then you and he would have no one left.

“So you knew what happened.”