I began to pace the length of the silent room, my steps growing more frantic by the minute. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t. Not to Serena.

Az stepped into the room. His presence pulsed along my skin, dark and dangerous. “Mia?”

With a shaky breath, I hurried over to him and shoved the note into his hands. As I did, the signet ring glimmered beneath the harsh light. My eyes flew wide. Every single inch of my body stiffened. In the terror of the moment, I’d forgotten all about that damn ring. I fisted my hand around it, desperately hoping he hadn’t spotted it.

With a lethal glint in his eyes, Az ripped the note out of my hand and then slowly pried open my fingers. He gazed down at the ring. Obviously, he would know what it was, even if I didn’t. And me having it was a very bad thing.

“Why do you have my ring?” His voice was edged in steel and full of danger. Shadows whorled through the room. Nervously, I couldn’t help but wonder where Az had stashed his sword. Would Abaddon hear the anger in his demon’s voice and fly out of the shadows to attack me?

I swallowed hard. “I want to tell you, but I don’t want you to freak out.”

Caim and Phenex chose that moment to step into the room. The former took one look at us and the ring, clasped his hand on Phenex’s shoulder, and then practically yeeted the both of them out the door.

Traitors.

“Explain,” Az demanded, barely missing a beat.

“Right, so.” I took a deep breath and decided I might as well go down in a blaze of glory. All I could do was tell him the truth, even if it meant he’d throw me into the murky, polluted Hudson River to swim with the radioactive fishes. “The first night I worked here, some angels cornered me in the street when I was walking back to your penthouse.”

He sighed and closed his eyes, tension bouncing off his clenched jaw. “Gabe and Suriel. That’s what they’re up to. I should have known.”

“They asked me to spy for them. And before you immediately toss me into the river, I need you to know that I never, ever told them a damn thing about you or the Legion. Nothing.” I didn’t even take a single breath. “All I did was take their card and this stupid ring, alright? I even texted them and told them to leave me alone. The reason they came after me again was because they wanted to change my mind. I’m not a spy for them. I didn’t tell them anything. I haven’t betrayed you. Please don’t kill me.”

Slowly, Az opened his eyes. The torment in them shook me to my soul. “You really believe I would kill you, Mia?”