I pressed my lips together. “It doesn’t matter. You’re holding a sword. Unless you want to get arrested for what I’m definitely sure is illegal carry and become a murder suspect, then we need to get out of here now.”

He nodded and strode across the alley, stopping when he was nothing more than an inch away from me. Once again, my back pressed against the wall, but this time, the fear was replaced by something else. Something I didn’t understand.

And it wasn’t entirely welcome. This guy annoyed the shit out of me.

Still, I couldn’t help but notice the flecks of ice in his eyes. The shadows that curled around his jaw. The power that rippled off of him, and the strength in the way he moved. The sword helped.

I swallowed hard. “Thank you for not letting me die in a grungy back alley in Hell’s Kitchen.”

His eyes flicked across my face. “Are you alright?”

I nodded.

“Good. I have to say, I’m impressed. It looks like there’s been a scuffle. Did you fight him off for a bit?”

“Um.” How could I explain what had happened? I was pretty sure it had something to do with the ring the angels had given me. If I told him about it, he’d know they’d been speaking to me. He might not be so willing to save my ass next time.

Next time. Fear tripped through my veins. The attacker had gotten away, and there was nothing stopping him from killing again. I’d pissed him off. He would bide his time and come for me again. I was certain of it.

Until this guy was caught, I needed Az on my side.

“He underestimated me,” I said. “I don’t think he’s used to people fighting back.”

“Hmm.”

Thankfully, he didn’t pry further than that. He took my hand and led me through the alleyways, away from the sirens. When we reached a single black door, he pushed it open to reveal the ground floor of his club. Somehow, we’d ended up here once again.

I glanced up at him with raised brows. His jaw was set firm, and his eyes had grown cold. “What are we doing here?”

“I need to tell the others what happened tonight. We lost someone.” His shoes clicked against the slick floor as we strode down the dimly-lit hallway. Music bounced against the walls, and a distant shriek of laughter echoed toward us. The club had been untouched by this crazy night, but it sounded like it wouldn’t be for long.