“It doesn’t matter, Mia.” Az toed off his shoes and trailed over to his black leather sofa that faced the floor-to-ceiling windows. He sank into the cushions, took another sip, and stared out at the twinkling city lights. “He was our enemy.”

“But surely killing him is…a lot.” I took a few timid steps closer to him, my heartbeat frantic. “Maybe he was just someone who didn’t know what he was getting himself into, trapped between your heaven and hell games.”

His eyes narrowed as he turned those piercing eyes my way. A shiver raced down my spine, even as heat curled through me. “He was a vampire, Mia. And he was spying on us. The angels have long guessed I’m hiding something. They’re right, of course, and they can never find out. Do you know what would happen if they do?” He shook his head and leaned back into the sofa. “He needed to die.”

I swallowed hard. So that was how he would see me if he found out the truth.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Az patted the open spot on the sofa next to him. The glow of the city curved across his jaw, highlighting the strong edges of it. He’d unbuttoned the top of his shirt, and his sculpted pecs gleamed like steel. He looked delicious basked in the shadows and the lights. “I don’t know why you’re so wound up about this. It has nothing to do with you. Come sit. Let’s enjoy our drinks.”

“No.” I took a step back. “I think I just want to go to bed.”

His frown deepened, but he didn’t argue. “Alright. But keep the door open just in case.”

Before I could talk myself out of it, I placed my untouched drink on the dining table and vanished into his room. I climbed into his bed without bothering to undress. My eyes struggled to shut. Every muscle in my body stayed tense. Ominous thoughts flashed through my mind, taking me down paths of disastrous what ifs. I’d told myself never to play that game again, but I couldn’t help it tonight.

What if I should have gotten out of the deal when I could? What if the Legion really was hiding something? And what if Az found out I’d been a momentary spy?

But the thing that kept me awake the most was that Az never came to bed.

20

Time flew by, faster than an express subway train. Az and I fell into a daily rhythm even though things were tense and strained between us. Every night, I slept in his bed. Sometimes, he joined me. In the morning, we had pancakes with Hendrix, and at night, I danced in his club.